Abstract
We present a numerical investigation aimed at checkingthe so-called Collisional Resurfacing scenario (CR) throughone important prediction it makes:do the observed inhomogeneities of color indexes within theKuiper Belt (KB) match inhomogeneities in collisionrates and efficiencies?To quantitatively answer this question, a deterministic modelhas been developed, whichestimates the spatial distribution of the relativeamount of collisional energy Σ Ecin received by objectsin the present Kuiper Belt. Several Kuiper Belt configurations have been explored.Results do show some similarities with color-indexdistributions within the observed belt, in particular aglobal correlation between high Σ Ecin valuesand high orbital excitations.Nevertheless, for all tested simulations we find other features of theΣ Ecin distributions that significantly departfrom the spatial distribution of color-index inhomogeneities.The main problems are mainly too weak correlations withinclinations and too large Σ Ecin for the plutinos.Whether these contradictions invalidate the whole CR scenarioor not remains yet uncertain, since the physical processes atplay are still far from being fully understood and the sampleof available observational data is still relatively limited.However, it seems nevertheless that the scenario might not holdin its simple present form.
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Thébault, P. A Numerical Check of the Collisional Resurfacing Scenario. Earth, Moon, and Planets 92, 233–241 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:MOON.0000031941.77871.c5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/B:MOON.0000031941.77871.c5