Parameters for binary TNOs which could be detected by TAOS-II
Abstract
The main goal of the TAOS-II project is to characterize the population of small TNOs by means of detecting serendipitous stellar occultations. The result of an occultation event is a particular feature in the observed light curves resulting from the sampling of the diffraction profile. This diffraction profile contains information about the shape of the occulting object, which can, in principle, also be used to determine if it is a member of a binary system. The combination of physical parameters for binary objects and the capabilities of TAOS-II constrain the properties of the objects that can be detected. In this work we discuss under what conditions and physical parameters, a binary object can be detected by TAOS-II. In order to detect a binary TNO, the following conditions must be met: in first place, the size of the TNO must be big enough to be discriminated in shape and small enough to produce a diffraction pattern that fits into the reading area for just one background star. Secondly, the combination of object size and distance to the Sun have to be such that, diffraction and silhouette contribute to the light curve. The size of a binary object, in terms of detectability, depends on the mass of the system, angular speed and alignment in the moment of detection. Considering these physical parameters and detectability conditions we calculated the corresponding diffraction profiles and compared them with single object profiles. The methodology includes the computation of 2D diffraction patterns by solving the diffraction integral, for possible binary TNOs.
- Publication:
-
AAS/Division for Planetary Sciences Meeting Abstracts #49
- Pub Date:
- October 2017
- Bibcode:
- 2017DPS....4921615C