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At least 37 records · Page 2
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS2021

Signatures of a Distant Planet on the Inclination Distribution of the Detached Kuiper Belt

A distant, massive planet in the outer solar system has recently been proposed to explain some observed features of extreme trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). Here we use N-body simulations of the formation of the Kuiper Belt and Oort cloud as well as a survey simulator to compare models of the solar system with and without a ninth planet to one another as well as to observations. The main mechanism for TNOs to be deposited into the distant (a > 50 au), detached (q > 40 au) region of the Kuiper Belt in the eight-planet model is Kozai–Lidov oscillation of objects in mean motion resonances (MMR) with Neptune. This effect does not deposit low-inclination (i ≲ 20°) objects into this region. However, we find that the ninth planet generates a group of distant, detached TNOs at low inclinations that are not present in the eight-planet model. This disparity between the eight-planet and nine-planet models could provide a strong constraint on a possible planet nine with further detections of TNOs in the distant, detached region of the Kuiper Belt.

Kalee E Anderson↗
NASA NTRS1986

Test of IR arrays on the Kuiper Airborne Observatory

NASA's Kuiper Airborne Observatory, which is a C-141 transport aircraft equipped with a 90-cm, all-reflective altazimuth telescope, has been engaged in the Kuiper Infrared Technology Experiment. Attention is presently given to the Experiment's flight series for state-of-the-art two-dimensional, 500-element arrays that use either blocked impurity band or bulk silicon devices. The switched FET readout scheme used on the three arrays flown thus far yields exceptionally low crosstalk. System sensitivities are found to be sufficient for the detection of both pointlike and extended sources; several of each type have been used in staring and scanning experiments.

Russell, R. W.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Constraints on impact rates in the Pluto-Charon system and the population of the Kuiper comet belt

Impact rates in the Pluto-Charon system are dominated by comets from the proposed Kuiper Belt, 30 to 50 AU from the sun. Such collisions excite the eccentricity of Charon's orbit, which then decays due to tidal dissipation. Charon's eccentricity approaches a quasi-steady state, which can be used to constrain the total number and mass of comets in the Kuiper Belt. Unfortunately, the current upper limit on Charon's orbital eccentricity must be reduced by more than a factor of ten before useful constraints can be set.

Weissman, Paul R.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Discovery of the candidate Kuiper belt object 1992 QB1

The discovery of a new faint object in the outer solar system, 1992 QB1, moving beyond the orbit of Neptune is reported. It is suggested that the 1992 QB1 may represent the first detection of a member of the Kuiper belt (Edgworth, 1949; Kuiper, 1951), the hypothesized population of objects beyond Neptune and a possible source of the short-period comets, as suggested by Whipple (1964), Fernandez (1980), and Duncan et al. (1988).

Jewitt, David↗
NASA NTRS1996

Studies of extra-solar Oort clouds and the Kuiper disk

We are conducting research designed to enhance our understanding of the evolution and detectability of comet clouds and disks. According to 'standard' theory, both the Kuiper Belt and the Oort Cloud are (at least in part) natural products of the planetary accumulation stage of solar system formation. One expects such assemblages to be a common attribute of other solar systems. Therefore, searches for comet disks and clouds orbiting other stars offer a new method for inferring the presence of planetary systems. This project consists of two efforts: (1) observational work to predict and search for the signatures of Oort Clouds and comet disks around other stars; and (2) modelling studies of the formation and evolution of the Kuiper Belt (KB) and similar assemblages that may reside around other stars, including beta Pic.

Stern, S. Alan↗
NASA NTRS1997

A Search for 23rd Magnitude Kuiper Belt Comets

The goal of the project was to identify a statistically significant sample of large (200 km-sized) Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs), by covering 10 sq. degrees of the sky to a red limiting magnitude m(sub R) = 23. This work differs from, but builds on, previous surveys of the outer solar system in that it will cover a large area to a limiting magnitude that is deep enough to guarantee positive results. The proposed work should provide us with a significant number of 200 km-size KBOs (approx. 20 are expected) for subsequent studies. Such a sample is crucial if we are to investigate the statistical properties of the Belt and its members. It was modified the original research strategy to accommodate unanticipated problems such as the urgent need for follow-up observations,the original goal was still reached: we have substantially increased the number of Kuiper Belt Objects brighter than 23rd mag.

Luu, Jane↗
NASA NTRS1998

Kuiper Belt Objects Along the Pluto Express Path

The science objective of this work was to identify objects in the Kuiper Belt which will, in the 5 years following Pluto encounter, be close to the flight path of NASA's Pluto-Kuiper Express. Currently, launch is scheduled for 2004 with a flight time of about 1 decade. Early identification of post-Pluto targets is important for mission design and orbit refinement. An object or objects close enough to the flight path can be visited and studied at high resolution, using only residual gas in the thrusters to affect a close encounter.

Jewitt, David C.↗
NASA NTRS1999

Kuiper Belt Objects Along the Pluto Express Path

The objective of this proposal was to mount a ground-based search for Kuiper Belt objects near the trajectory of the NASA Pluto Express spacecraft. The high density of Kuiper Belt objects established from work on Mauna Kea makes it probable that one or more bodies can be visited by Pluto Express after its encounter with Pluto. The work was funded during its first year through NASA HQ. The second year was funded through Goddard. The third year was never funded.

Jewitt, David↗
NASA NTRS1999

Water Ice on Kuiper Belt Object 1996 TO66

The 1.40-2.40 micron spectrum of Kuiper Belt object (KBO) 1996 TO66 was measured at the Keck Observatory in September 1998. It's spectrum shows the strong absorptions near 1.5 and 2.0 micron characteristic of water ice--the first such detection on a Kuiper Belt object. The depth of the absorption bands and the continuum reflectance of 1996 TO66 also suggest the presence of a black to slightly blue-colored, spectrally featureless particulate material as a minority component mixed with the water ice. In addition, there is evidence that the intensity of the water bands in the spectrum of 1996 TO66 vary with rotational phase suggesting that it has a "patchy" surface.

Brown, R. H.↗
NASA NTRS2000

Distribution of Dust from Kuiper Belt Objects

Using an efficient computational approach, we have reconstructed the structure of the dust cloud in the Solar system between 0.5 and 100 AU produced by the Kuiper belt objects. Our simulations offer a 3-D physical model of the 'kuiperoidal' dust cloud based on the distribution of 280 dust particle trajectories produced by 100 known Kuiper belt objects; the resulting 3-D grid consists of 1.9 x 10' cells containing 1.2 x 10" particle positions. The following processes that influence the dust particle dynamics are taken into account: 1) gravitational scattering on the eight planets (neglecting Pluto); 2) planetary resonances; 3) radiation pressure; and 4) the Poynting-Robertson (P-R) and solar wind drags. We find the dust distribution highly non-uniform: there is a minimum in the kuiperoidal dust between Mars and Jupiter, after which both the column and number densities of kuiperoidal dust sharply increase with heliocentric distance between 5 and 10 AU, and then form a plateau between 10 and 50 AU. Between 25 and 45 AU, there is an appreciable concentration of kuiperoidal dust in the form of a broad belt of mostly resonant particles associated with Neptune. In fact, each giant planet possesses its own circumsolar dust belt consisting of both resonant and gravitationally scattered particles. As with the cometary belts simulated in our related papers, we reveal a rich and sophisticated resonant structure of the dust belts containing families of resonant peaks and gaps. An important result is that both the column and number dust density are more or less flat between 10 and 50 AU, which might explain the surprising data obtained by Pioneers 10 & 11 and Voyager that the dust number density remains approximately distance-independent in this region. The simulated kuiperoidal dust, in addition to asteroidal and cometary dust, might represent a third possible source of the zodiacal light in the Solar system.

Gorkavyi, Nick N.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Kuiper Belt Mapping Radar

Since their initial discovery in 1992, to date only a relatively small number of Kuiper Belt Objects (KBO's) have been discovered. Current detection techniques rely on frame-to-frame comparisons of images collected by optical telescopes such as Hubble, to detect KBO's as they move against the background stellar field. Another technique involving studies of KBO's through occultation of known stars has been proposed. Such techniques are serendipitous, not systematic, and may lead to an inadequate understanding of the size, range, and distribution of KBO's. In this paper, a future Kuiper Belt Mapping Radar is proposed as a solution to the problem of mapping the size distribution, extent, and range of KBO's. This approach can also be used to recover radar albedo and object rotation rates. Additional information is contained in the original extended abstract.

Freeman, A.↗
NASA NTRS2007

Interpretation of the Near-IR Spectra of the Kuiper Belt Object

Visible and near-IR observations of the Kuiper Belt Object (136472) 2005 FY(9) have indicated the presence of unusually long (1 cm or more) optical path lengths in a layer of methane ice. Using microphysical and radiative transfer modeling, we show that even at the frigid temperatures in the outer reaches of the solar system, a slab of low porosity methane ice can indeed form by pressureless sintering of micron-sized grains, and it can qualitatively reproduce the salient features of the measured spectra. A good semiquantitative match with the near-IR spectra can be obtained with a realistic slab model, provided the spectra are scaled to a visible albedo of 0.6, at the low end of the values currently estimated from Spitzer thermal measurements. Consistent with previous modeling studies, matching spectra scaled to higher albedos requires the incorporation of strong backscattering effects. The albedo may become better constrained through an iterative application of the slab model to the analysis of the thermal measurements from Spitzer and the visible/near-IR reflectance spectra. The slab interpretation offers two falsifiable predictions (1) Absence of an opposition surge, which is commonly attributed to the fluffiness of the optical surface. This prediction is best testable with a spacecraft, as Earth-based observations at true opposition will not be possible until early next century. (2) Unlikelihood of the simultaneous occurrence of very long spectroscopic path lengths in both methane and nitrogen ice on the surface of any Kuiper Belt Object, as the more volatile nitrogen would hinder densification in methane ice.

Eluszkiewicz, Janusz↗
NASA NTRS2010

Layered Model for Radiation-Induced Chemical Evolution of Icy Surface Composition on Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud Bodies

The diversity of albedos and surface colors on observed Kuiper Belt and Inner Oort Cloud objects remains to be explained in terms of competition between primordial intrinsic versus exogenic drivers of surface and near-surface evolution. Earlier models have attempted without success to attribute this diversity to the relations between surface radiolysis from cosmic ray irradiation and gardening by meteoritic impacts. A more flexible approach considers the different depth-dependent radiation profiles produced by low-energy plasma, suprathermal, and maximally penetrating charged particles of the heliospheric and local interstellar radiation environments. Generally red objects of the dynamically cold (low inclination, circular orbit) Classical Kuiper Belt might be accounted for from erosive effects of plasma ions and reddening effects of high energy cosmic ray ions, while suprathermal keV-MeV ions could alternatively produce more color neutral surfaces. The deepest layer of more pristine ice can be brought to the surface from meter to kilometer depths by larger impact events and potentially by cryovolcanic activity. The bright surfaces of some larger objects, e.g. Eris, suggest ongoing resurfacing activity. Interactions of surface irradiation, resultant chemical oxidation, and near-surface cryogenic fluid reservoirs have been proposed to account for Enceladus cryovolcanism and may have further applications to other icy irradiated bodies. The diversity of causative processes must be understood to account for observationally apparent diversities of the object surfaces.

Cooper, John F.↗
NASA NTRS2010

Layered Model for Radiation-Induced Chemical Evolution of Icy Surface Composition and Dynamics on Kuiper Belt and Oort Cloud Bodies

The diversity of albedos and surface colors on observed Kuiper Belt and Inner Oort Cloud objects remains to be explained in terms of competition between primordial intrinsic versus exogenic drivers of surface and near-surface evolution. Earlier models have attempted without success to attribute this diversity to the relations between surface radiolysis from cosmic ray irradiation and gardening by meteoritic impacts. A more flexible approach considers the different depth-dependent radiation profiles produced by low-energy plasma, suprathermal, and maximally penetrating charged particles of the heliospheric and local interstellar radiation environment. Generally red objects of the dynamically cold (low inclination, circular orbit) Classical Kuiper Belt might be accounted for from erosive effects of plasma ions and reddening effects of high energy cosmic ray ions, while suprathermal keV-MeV ions could alternatively produce more color neutral surfaces. The deepest layer of more pristine ice can be brought to the surface from meter to kilometer depths by larger impact events and potentially by cryovolcanic activity. The bright surfaces of some larger objects, e.g. Eris, suggest ongoing resurfacing activity. Cycles of atmospheric formation and surface freezeout can further account for temporal variation as observed on Pluto. The diversity of causative processes must therefore be understood to account for observationally apparent diversities of the object surfaces.

Cooper, John F.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Kuiper Belt Object Orbiter Using Advanced Radioisotope Power Sources and Electric Propulsion

A joint NASA GRC/JPL design study was performed for the NASA Radioisotope Power Systems Office to explore the use of radioisotope electric propulsion for flagship class missions. The Kuiper Belt Object Orbiter is a flagship class mission concept projected for launch in the 2030 timeframe. Due to the large size of a flagship class science mission larger radioisotope power system building blocks were conceptualized to provide the roughly 4 kW of power needed by the NEXT ion propulsion system and the spacecraft. Using REP the spacecraft is able to rendezvous with and orbit a Kuiper Belt object in 16 years using either eleven (no spare) 420 W advanced RTGs or nine (with a spare) 550 W advanced Stirling Radioisotope systems. The design study evaluated integrating either system and estimated impacts on cost as well as required General Purpose Heat Source requirements.

Oleson, Steven R.↗
NASA NTRS2020

Aqueous Alteration in the Kuiper Belt: Evidence from Hydrated Interplanetary Dust Particles

Edgeworth-Kuiper belt objects (EKBOs) formed in the outer reaches of the protoplanetary disk and thus avoided much of the high tempera-ture processing experienced by bodies in the inner solar system. For this reason, they contain a wealth of information on the nature of nebular solids and the chemical conditions in the earliest solar system. Astronomical observations of EKBOs have been limited largely to the surface chemistry of the ices covering these small and difficult to observe bodies. The mineralogy of EKBO objects are poorly known, but clues regarding their mineralogical makeup come from studies of samples from short period comets (e.g. Wild2), and interplanetary dust particles (IDPs) produced by collisions in the Kuiper belt. Interplanetary dust particles from objects in the solar system (mainly comets and asteroids) spiral in to-wards the Sun under the influence of Poynting-Robertson (PR) drag forces and accumulate solar flare energetic particle tracks. Recent work has shown that the observed solar flare track densities (~1010-1011/sq.cm) in these IDPs are ~two orders of magnitude higher than expected if they were derived from main belt asteroids or Jupiter family comets and thus require an origin from outer solar system source bodies such as EKBOs. The track-rich IDPs include representatives from the two major groups of IDPs: the chondritic-porous, anhydrous IDPs and the chondritic-smooth, hydrated IDPs, although rare IDPs with mineralogies intermediate between these two groups are known. Here, we report on the mineralogy, composition, organic matter content, and isotopic characteristics of track-rich hydrated IDPs, and implications for aqueous alteration in outer solar system bodies.

Keller, L. P.↗
NASA NTRS2019

The color and binarity of (486958) 2014 MU69 and other long-range New Horizons Kuiper Belt targets

The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) measured the colors of eight Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) that will be observed by the New Horizons spacecraft including its 2019 close fly-by target the Cold Classical KBO (486958) 2014 MU(69). We find that the photometric colors of all eight objects are red, typical of the Cold Classical dynamical population within which most reside. Because 2014 MU(69) has a similar color to that of other KBOs in the Cold Classical region of the Kuiper Belt, it may be possible to use the upcoming high-resolution New Horizons observations of 2014 MU(69) to draw conclusions about the greater Cold Classical population. Additionally, HST found none of these KBOs to be binary within separations of ~0.06 arcsec (~2000 km at 44 AU range) and Δm ≤ 0.5. This conclusion is consistent with the lower fraction of binaries found at relatively wide separations. A few objects appear to have significant photometric variability, but our observations are not of sufficient signal-to-noise or time duration for further interpretation.

S.D. Benecchi↗