Evidence for a possible bimodal distribution of the nodal distances of the extreme trans-Neptunian objects: avoiding a trans-Plutonian planet or just plain bias?
arXiv:1706.06981 · doi:10.1093/mnrasl/slx106
Abstract
It is a well-known fact that the presence of a massive perturber interacting with a population of minor bodies following very eccentric orbits can strongly affect the distribution of their nodal distances. The details of this process have been explored numerically and its outcome confirmed observationally in the case of Jupiter, where a bimodal distribution of nodal distances of comets has been found. Here, we show evidence for a possible bimodal distribution of the nodal distances of the extreme trans-Neptunian objects (ETNOs) in the form of a previously unnoticed correlation between nodal distance and orbital inclination. This proposed correlation is unlikely to be the result of observational bias as data for both large semimajor axis Centaurs and comets fit well into the pattern found for the ETNOs, and all these populations are subjected to similar background perturbations when moving well away from the influence of the giant planets. The correlation found is better understood if these objects tend to avoid a putative planet with semimajor axis in the range 300-400 au.
arXiv comment5 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables. Revised to match version published in MNRAS: Letters --MNRAS 471, L61-L65 (2017)
References in corpus (18)
- Evidence for a Distant Giant Planet in the Solar System
- Observational constraints on the orbit and location of Planet Nine in the outer solar system
- Extreme trans-Neptunian objects and the Kozai mechanism: signalling the presence of trans-Plutonian planets
- Generation of Highly Inclined Trans-Neptunian Objects by Planet Nine
- Corralling a distant planet with extreme resonant Kuiper belt objects
- OSSOS: V. Diffusion in the orbit of a high-perihelion distant Solar System object
- Constraints on Planet Nine's Orbit and Sky Position within a Framework of Mean Motion Resonances
- Consequences of a Distant Massive Planet on the Large Semi-major Axis Trans-Neptunian Objects
- Formation of Super-Earth Mass Planets at 125-250 AU from a Solar-type Star
- Flipping minor bodies: what comet 96P/Machholz 1 can tell us about the orbital evolution of extreme trans-Neptunian objects and the production of near-Earth objects on retrograde orbits
- Observational Signatures of a Massive Distant Planet on the Scattering Disk
- Making Planet Nine: Pebble Accretion at 250--750 AU in a Gravitationally Unstable Ring
- Observational Constraints on Planet Nine: Astrometry of Pluto and Other Trans-Neptunian Objects
- Finding Planet Nine: a Monte Carlo approach
- Dynamical impact of the Planet Nine scenario: N-body experiments
- Finding Planet Nine: apsidal anti-alignment Monte Carlo results
- Visible spectra of (474640) 2004 VN112-2013 RF98 with OSIRIS at the 10.4 m GTC: evidence for binary dissociation near aphelion among the extreme trans-Neptunian objects
- Commensurabilities between ETNOs: a Monte Carlo survey
Cited by in corpus (9)
- Is There an Earth-like Planet in the Distant Kuiper Belt?
- Dynamical Analysis of Three Distant Trans-Neptunian Objects with Similar Orbits
- Binary stripping as a plausible origin of correlated pairs of extreme trans-Neptunian objects
- Comet C/2018 V1 (Machholz-Fujikawa-Iwamoto): dislodged from the Oort Cloud or coming from interstellar space?
- A new approach to distant solar system object detection in large survey data sets
- Memories of past close encounters in extreme trans-Neptunian space: Finding unseen planets using pure random searches
- A Fruit of a Different Kind: 2015 BP519 as an Outlier among the Extreme Trans-Neptunian Objects
- Is the recently proposed Mars-sized perturber at ruled out by the Cassini ranging data?
- Game of Orbits: A Gaming Approach to Neptune's Discovery