Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Solar System Beyond The Planets

  • Chapter
Solar System Update

Part of the book series: Springer Praxis Books ((GEOPHYS))

Abstract

The Kuiper belt contains a vast number of objects in a flattened, ring-like volume beyond the orbit of Neptune. These objects are collisionally processed relics from the accretion disk of the Sun and, as such, they can reveal much about early conditions in the Solar system. At the cryogenic temperatures prevailing beyond Neptune, volatile ices have been able to survive since the formation epoch 4.5 Gyr ago. The Kuiper belt is the source of the Centaurs and the Jupiter-family comets. It is also a local analogue of the dust disks present around some nearby main-sequence stars. While most Kuiper belt objects are small, roughly a dozen known examples have diameters of order 1000 km or more, including Pluto and the recently discovered (and possibly larger) giant Kuiper belt objects 2003 UB313, 2003 EL61 (a binary and a triple system, resp.) and 2005 FY9.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Allen, R. L., Bernstein, G. M., & Malhotra, R. 2001, The Edge of the Solar System. ApJ Letters, 549, L241

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Bauer, J. M., Meech, K. J., Fernández, Y. R., Farnham, T. L., & Roush, T. L. 2002, Observations of the Centaur 1999 UG5: Evidence of a Unique Outer Solar System Surface. PASP, 114, 1309

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • de Bergh, C., Delsanti, A., Tozzi, G. P., Dotto, E., Doressoundiram, A., & Barucci, M. A. 2005, The surface of the transneptunian object 90482 Orcus. A&A, 437, 1115

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Bernstein, G. M., Trilling, D. E., Allen, R. L., Brown, M. E., Holman, M., & Malhotra, R. 2004, The Size Distribution of Trans-Neptunian Bodies. AJ, 128, 1364

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, R. H., Cruikshank, D. P., & Pendleton, Y. 1999, Water Ice on Kuiper Belt Object 1996 TO66. ApJ Letters, 519, L101

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, M. E., Trujillo, C., & Rabinowitz, D. 2004, Discovery of a Candidate Inner Oort Cloud Planetoid. ApJ, 617, 645

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, M.E., Trujillo, C.A., Rabinowitz, D.L. 2005, Discovery of a planetary-sized object in the scattered Kuiper belt, submitted to ApJ Letters

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, M.E, van Dam, M.A, Bouchez, A.H., Le Mignant D., Campbell, R.D., Chin, A., Conrad, A. et al. 2005, Satellites of the largest Kuiper belt objects, submitted to ApJ Letters

    Google Scholar 

  • Brown, M.E, Bouchez, A.H., Rabinowitz, D., Sari, R., Trujillo, C.A., van Dam, M.A, Campbell, R.D. et al 2005, Keck Observatory Laser Guide Star Adaptive Optics Discovery and Characterization of a Satellite to the Large Kuiper Belt Object 2003 EL61. ApJ Letters, 632, L45

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Brown, M. E., & Koresko, C. C. 1998, Detection of Water Ice on the Centaur 1997 CU 26. ApJ Letters, 505, L65

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Canup, R. M. 2005, A Giant Impact Origin of Pluto-Charon. Science, 307, 546

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Clark, R. N., et al. 2005, Compositional maps of Saturn’s moon Phoebe from imaging spectroscopy. Nature, 435, 66

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Cochran, A. L., Levison, H. F., Stern, S. A., & Duncan, M. J. 1995, The Discovery of Halley-sized Kuiper Belt Objects Using the Hubble Space Telescope. ApJ, 455, 342

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Cruikshank, D. P., et al. 1998, The Composition of Centaur 5145 Pholus. Icarus, 135, 389

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Delsanti, A., Hainaut, O., Jourdeuil, E., Meech, K. J., Boehnhardt, H., & Barrera, L. 2004, Simultaneous visible-near IR photometric study of Kuiper Belt Object surfaces with the ESO/Very Large Telescopes. A&A, 417, 1145

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Doressoundiram, A., Peixinho, N., Doucet, C., Mousis, O., Barucci, M. A., Petit, J. M., & Veillet, C. 2005, The Meudon Multicolor Survey (2MS) of Centaurs and trans-neptunian objects: extended dataset and status on the correlations reported. Icarus, 174, 90

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Doressoundiram, A., Barucci, M.A., Tozzi, G.P., Poulet, F., Boehnhardt, H., de Bergh, C. and Peixinho, N. 2006, Spectral characteristics and modeling of the trans-neptunian object (55565) 2002 AW197 and the Centaurs (55576) 2002 GB10 and (83982) 2002 GO9. PSS in press

    Google Scholar 

  • Elliot, J. L., Dunham, E.W., Bosh, A. S., Slivan, S. M., Young, L. A., Wasserman, L. H., & Millis, R. L. 1989, Pluto’s atmosphere. Icarus, 77, 148

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Elliot, J. L., Ates, A., Babcock, B. A., Bosh, A. S., Buie, M. W., Clancy, K. B., Dunham, E. W., et al. 2003, The recent expansion of Pluto’s atmospher, Nature, 424, 165

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Elliot, J. L., et al. 2005, The Deep Ecliptic Survey: A Search for Kuiper Belt Objects and Centaurs. II. Dynamical Classification, the Kuiper Belt Plane, and the Core Population. AJ, 129, 1117

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Emel’yanenko, V. V., Asher, D. J., & Bailey, M. E. 2003, A new class of trans-Neptunian objects in high-eccentricity orbits. MNRAS, 338, 443

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Esposito, L.W., et al. 2005, Ultraviolet Imaging Spectroscopy Shows an Active Saturnian System. Science, 307, 1251

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Foster, M. J., Green, S. F., McBride, N., & Davies, J. K. 1999, NOTE: Detection of Water Ice on 2060 Chiron. Icarus, 141, 408

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Gladman, B., Holman, M., Grav, T., Kavelaars, J., Nicholson, P., Aksnes, K., & Petit, J.-M. 2002, Evidence for an Extended Scattered Disk. Icarus, 157, 269

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Goldreich, P., Lithwick, Y., & Sari, R. 2002, Formation of Kuiper-belt binaries by dynamical friction and three-body encounters. Nature, 420, 643

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Gomes, R. 2003, Planetary science: Conveyed to the Kuiper belt. Nature, 426, 393

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Gomes, R. S. 2003, The origin of the Kuiper Belt high-inclination population. Icarus, 161, 404

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Gomes, R., Levison, H. F., Tsiganis, K., & Morbidelli, A. 2005, Origin of the cataclysmic Late Heavy Bombardment period of the terrestrial planets. Nature, 435, 466

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Gradie, J. & Tedesco, E. 1982, Compositional structure of the asteroid belt. Science, 216, 1405.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Grundy, W. M., & Fink, U. 1996, Synoptic CCD Spectrophotometry of Pluto Over the Past 15 Years. Icarus, 124, 329

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Grundy, W. M., Noll, K. S., & Stephens, D. C. 2005, Diverse albedos of small trans-neptunian objects. Icarus, 176, 184

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Hainaut, O. R., & Delsanti, A. C. 2002, Colors of Minor Bodies in the Outer Solar System. A statistical analysis. A&A, 389, 641

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Holman, M. J., &Wisdom, J. 1993, Dynamical stability in the outer solar system and the delivery of short period comets. AJ, 105, 1987

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Ida, S., Larwood, J., & Burkert, A. 2000, Evidence for Early Stellar Encounters in the Orbital Distribution of Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt Objects. ApJ, 528, 351

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Jewitt, D., & Luu, J. 1993, Discovery of the candidate Kuiper belt object 1992 QB1. Nature, 362, 730

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Jewitt, D., Luu, J., & Trujillo, C. 1998, Large Kuiper Belt Objects: The Mauna Kea 8K CCD Survey. AJ, 115, 2125

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Jewitt, D. C. 2002, From Kuiper Belt Object to Cometary Nucleus: The Missing Ultrared Matter. AJ, 123, 1039

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Jewitt, D. C., & Luu, J. X. 2001, Colors and Spectra of Kuiper Belt Objects. AJ, 122, 2099

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Jewitt, D. C., and Luu, J. 2004, Crystalline water ice on the Kuiper belt object (50000) Quaoar. Nature, 432, 731

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Jewitt, D., & Sheppard, S. 2005, Irregular Satellites in the Context of Planet Formation. Space Science Reviews, 116, 441

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, T. V., & Lunine, J. I. 2005, aturn’s moon Phoebe as a captured body from the outer Solar System. Nature, 435, 69

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Kenyon, S. J., & Luu, J. X. 1999, ApJ, Accretion in the Early Outer Solar System. 526, 465

    Google Scholar 

  • Levison, H. F. & Morbidelli, A. 2003, The formation of the Kuiper belt by the outward transport of bodies during Neptune’s migration. Nature, 426, 419.

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Levison, H. F., & Stern, S. A. 2001, On the Size Dependence of the Inclination Distribution of the Main Kuiper Belt. AJ, 121, 1730

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Licandro, J. Pinilla-Alonso, N., Pedani, M., Oliva. E., Tozzi, G.P. and Grundy, W. 2006, The methane ice rich surface of large TNO 2005 FY9: a Pluto-twin in the trans-neptunian belt?, A&A Letters, in Press

    Google Scholar 

  • Luu, J. X., Jewitt, D. C., & Trujillo, C. 2000, Water Ice in 2060 Chiron and Its Implications for Centaurs and Kuiper Belt Objects. ApJ Letters, 531, L151

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Malhotra, R. 1995, The Origin of Pluto’s Orbit: Implications for the Solar System Beyond Neptune. AJ, 110, 420

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • McCord, T. B., & Chapman, C. R. 1975, Asteroids — Spectral reflectance and color characteristics. ApJ, 195, 553

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Morbidelli, A., & Levison, H. F. 2004, Scenarios for the Origin of the Orbits of the Trans-Neptunian Objects 2000 CR105 and 2003 VB12 (Sedna) AJ, 128, 2564

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Morbidelli, A., Emel’yanenko, V. V., & Levison, H. F. 2004, Origin and orbital distribution of the trans-Neptunian scattered disc. MNRAS, 355, 935

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Moroz, L., Baratta, G., Strazzulla, G., Starukhina, L., Dotto, E., Barucci, M. A., Arnold, G., & Distefano, E. 2004, Optical alteration of complex organics induced by ion irradiation: 1. Laboratory experiments suggest unusual space weathering trend. Icarus, 170, 214

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Peixinho, N., Doressoundiram, A., Delsanti, A., Boehnhardt, H., Barucci, M. A., & Belskaya, I. 2003, Reopening the TNOs color controversy: Centaurs bimodality and TNOs unimodality. A&A, 410, L29

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Peixinho, N., Boehnhardt, H., Belskaya, I., Doressoundiram, A., Barucci, M. A., & Delsanti, A. 2004, ESO large program on Centaurs and TNOs: visible colors-final results. Icarus, 170, 153

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Porco, C. C., et al. 2005, Cassini Imaging Science: Initial Results on Phoebe and Iapetus. Science, 307, 1237

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Rabinowitz, D.L, Barkume, K., Brown, M.E., Roe, H., Schwartz, M., Tourtellotte, S., Trujillo, C. 2005, Photometric observations constraining the size, shape and albedo of 2003 EL61, a rapidly rotating, Pluto-sized object in the Kuiper Belt, submitted to ApJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheppard, S. S., & Jewitt, D. 2004, Extreme Kuiper Belt Object 2001 QG298 and the Fraction of Contact Binaries. AJ, 127, 3023

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Shul’Man, L. M. 1972, The Chemical Composition of Cometary Nuclei, IAU Symp. 45: The Motion, Evolution of Orbits, and Origin of Comets, 45, 265

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Sicardy, B., et al. 2003, Large changes in Pluto’s atmosphere as revealed by recent stellar occultations. Nature, 424, 168

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Strazzulla, G., & Johnson, R. E. 1991, ASSL Vol. 167: IAU Colloq. 116: Comets in the post-Halley era, 243

    Google Scholar 

  • Tegler, S. C., & Romanishin, W. 1998, Two distinct populations of Kuiper-belt objects. Nature, 392, 49

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Tegler, S. C., & Romanishin, W. 2003, Resolution of the kuiper belt object color controversy: two distinct color populations. Icarus, 161, 181

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Thébault, P., & Doressoundiram, A. 2003, Colors and collision rates within the Kuiper belt: problems with the collisional resurfacing scenario. Icarus, 162, 27

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Thompson, W. R., Murray, B.G. J. P. T., Khare, B. N., & Sagan, C. 1987, Coloration and darkening of methane clathrate and other ices by charged particle irradiation — Applications to the outer solar system. JGR, 92, 14933

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Tiscareno, M. S., & Malhotra, R. 2003, The Dynamics of Known Centaurs. AJ, 126, 3122

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Tombaugh, C. W. 1961, The Trans-Neptunian Planet Search. Planets and Satellites, edited by Gerard P. Kuiper and Barbara M. Middlehurst Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1961, p.12

    Google Scholar 

  • Trujillo, C. A., Jewitt, D. C., & Luu, J. X. 2000, Population of the Scattered Kuiper Belt. ApJ Letters, 529, L103

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Trujillo, C. A., Jewitt, D. C., & Luu, J. X. 2001, Properties of the Trans-Neptunian Belt. AJ, 122, 457

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Trujillo, C. A., & Brown, M. E. 2002, A Correlation between Inclination and Color in the Classical Kuiper Belt ApJ Letters, 566, L125

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Trujillo, C. A., & Brown, M. E. 2003, The Caltech Wide Area Sky Survey, Earth Moon and Planets, 92, 99

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Tsiganis, K., Gomes, R., Morbidelli, A., & Levison, H. F. 2005, Origin of the orbital architecture of the giant planets of the Solar System. Nature, 435, 459

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Veillet, C., et al. 2002, The binary Kuiper-belt object 1998 WW31. Nature, 416, 711

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Weaver, H. A., et al. 2005, S/2005 P 1 and S/2005 P 2. IAU circular, 8625, 1

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Weidenschilling, S. J. 2002, On the Origin of Binary Transneptunian Objects. Icarus, 160, 212

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Youdin, A. N., & Chiang, E. I. 2004, ApJ, Particle Pileups and Planetesimal Formation. 601, 1109

    Google Scholar 

  • Zellner, B., Andersson, L., & Gradie, J. 1977, UBV photometry of small and distant asteroids. Icarus, 31, 447

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  • Zellner, B., Tholen, D. J., & Tedesco, E. F. 1985, The eight-color asteroid survey — Results for 589 minor planets. Icarus, 61, 355

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI, 96822, USA

    Audrey Delsanti & David Jewitt

Authors
  1. Audrey Delsanti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. David Jewitt
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of Bath, Bath, UK

    Philippe Blondel CGeol FGS PhD MSc (Senior Scientist) (Senior Scientist)

  2. Olympus Mons, 51 Orchard Way, Barnham West Sussex, PO22 0HX, UK

    John W. Mason

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2006 Praxis Publishing Ltd

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Delsanti, A., Jewitt, D. (2006). The Solar System Beyond The Planets. In: Blondel, P., Mason, J.W. (eds) Solar System Update. Springer Praxis Books. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-37683-6_11

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation