Investigating Planet Formation in the Cold Classical TNOs Through Non-Keplerian Analysis
Abstract
The Cold Classical Transneptunian objects (TNOs) are one of the least processed solar system subpopulations, making them a perfect place to test planet formation hypotheses. One of the most favored planetary formation models is the streaming instability, which predicts that binaries should be extremely common, especially among the Cold Classical. It also predicts that the spins of individual binary components will be well aligned with the binary orbit. Unfortunately, to date, this prediction has been difficult to test, but with increasingly long observational baselines, non-Keplerian orbital analysis is able to precisely measure both the shapes and spin poles of individual binary components. With these measurements, a quantitative test of the streaming instability model of planetesimal formation can be completed. In this program, we request 8 orbits to precisely measure the spin poles and shapes of Cold Classical TNOs, which will enable a detailed test of planet formation models.
- Publication:
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HST Proposal
- Pub Date:
- June 2022
- Bibcode:
- 2022hst..prop17206P