From KBOs to Centaurs: The Thermal Connection

Abstract

We present results of thermal evolution calculations for objects originating in the Kuiper belt and transferring inwards, to the region of the outer planets. Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) are considered to be part of a reservoir that supplies the flux of small icy bodies, mainly Centaurs and Jupiter-family comets, to regions interior to the orbit of Neptune. We study the internal thermal evolution, for yr, of three typical KBOs and use the end state of the simulation as initial conditions for evolutionary calculations of two typical Centaurs. Some evolutionary trends can be identified for the KBOs, depending on key physical parameters, such as size and composition. The subsequent evolution in the Centaur region results in both specific features for each modeled object (mainly surface and sub-surface composition) and common characteristics of thermally evolved Centaurs.

21 pages, 7 figures, 5 table, accepted for publication in Meteoritics and Planetary Science (ACM2008 Special Issue)

References in corpus (5)

• Simulations of the Population of Centaurs I: The Bulk Statistics
• The Dynamics of Known Centaurs
• Planet Formation in the Outer Solar System
• Thermal Properties of Centaurs Asbolus and Chiron
• Thermal evolution and activity of Comet 9P/Tempel 1 and simulation of a deep impact

Cited by in corpus (9)

• The extraordinary composition of the "blue comet" C/2016 R2 (PanSTARRS)
• 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1, A Centaur in the Gateway to the Jupiter-Family Comets
• Thermophysical evolution of planetesimals in the Primordial Disk
• Carbon monoxide in the distantly active Centaur (60558) 174P/Echeclus at 6 AU
• The Sublimative Evolution of (486958) Arrokoth
• Initial Characterization of Active Transitioning Centaur, P/2019 LD2 (ATLAS), using Hubble, Spitzer, ZTF, Keck, APO and GROWTH Visible & Infrared Imaging and Spectroscopy
• P/2019 LD2 (ATLAS): An Active Centaur in Imminent Transition to the Jupiter Family
• From Centaurs to comets - 40 years
• Activity of (2060) Chiron possibly caused by impacts?