An Oort cloud origin for the high-inclination, high-perihelion Centaurs
Abstract
We investigate the origin of three Centaurs with perihelia in the range 15-30 au, inclinations above 70° and semimajor axes shorter than 100 au. Based on long-term numerical simulations we conclude that these objects most likely originate from the Oort cloud rather than the Kuiper belt or scattered disc. We estimate that there are currently between 1 and 200 of these high-inclination, high-perihelion Centaurs with absolute magnitude H < 8.
- Publication:
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Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- March 2012
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1111.7037
- Bibcode:
- 2012MNRAS.420.3396B
- Keywords:
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- Kuiper belt: general;
- minor planets;
- asteroids: general;
- Oort Cloud;
- Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- Accepted for publication in MNRAS