Retaining the Primordial Cold Classical Kuiper Belt During a Transient Phase of Dynamical Instability
Abstract
The physical uniqueness of the cold classical population of the Kuiper belt suggests that its dynamical coherence has been maintained through out the solar system's lifetime. However, the overall lack of orbital excitation of the population has remained an elusive issue, especially in the context of a solar system formation model that is driven by a transient period of instability, where Neptune is temporarily eccentric. We argue that a locally formed cold belt can survive the instability, and its current dynamical structure can be reproduced. Using a simple analytical model, we show that comparatively fast apsidal precession and nodal recession of Neptune, during the eccentric phase, are essential for preservation of an unexcited state in the cold classical region. We confirm our results with selfconsistent N-body simulations.
- Publication:
-
EPSC-DPS Joint Meeting 2011
- Pub Date:
- October 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011epsc.conf.1154B