Search for serendipitous TNO occultation in X-rays

Abstract

To study the population properties of small, remote objects beyond Neptune's orbit in the outer solar system, of kilometer size or smaller, serendipitous occultation search is so far the only way. For hectometer-sized Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), optical shadows actually disappear because of diffraction. Observations at shorter wave lengths are needed. Here we report the effort of TNO occultation search in X-rays using RXTE/PCA data of Sco X-1 taken from June 2007 to October 2011. No definite TNO occultation events were found in the 334 ks data. We investigate the detection efficiency dependence on the TNO size to better define the sensible size range of our approach and suggest upper limits to the TNO size distribution in the size range from 30 m to 300 m. A list of X-ray sources suitable for future larger facilities to observe is proposed.

Accepted to publish in MNRAS

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Cited by in corpus (5)

• Initial Planetesimal Sizes and the Size Distribution of Small Kuiper Belt Objects
• The TAOS Project: Results From Seven Years of Survey Data
• Stellar occultations by Trans-Neptunian Objects
• Upper limits to the number of Oort Cloud Objects based on serendipitous occultation events search in X-rays
• Understanding the trans-Neptunian Solar system: Reconciling the results of serendipitous stellar occultations and the inferences from the cratering record