Centaur and giant planet crossing populations: origin and distribution

Abstract

The current giant planet region is a transitional zone where transneptunian objects (TNOs) cross in their way to becoming Jupiter Family Comets (JFCs). Their dynamical behavior is conditioned by the intrinsic dynamical features of TNOs and also by the encounters with the giant planets. We address the Giant Planet Crossing (GPC) population (those objects with $5.2$ au $<q<30$ au) studying their number and their evolution from their sources, considering the current configuration of the Solar System. This subject is reviewed from previous investigations and also addressed by new numerical simulations of the dynamical evolution of Scattered Disk Objects (SDOs). We obtain a model of the intrinsic orbital element distribution of GPCs. The Scattered Disk represents the main source of prograde GPCs and Centaurs, while the contribution from Plutinos lies between one and two orders of magnitude below that from the SD. We obtain the number and size distribution of GPCs from our model, computing 9600 GPCs from the SD with $D>100$ km and $\sim 10^8$ with $D>1$ km in the current population. The contribution from other sources is considered negligible. The mean lifetime in the Centaur zone is 7.2 Myr, while the mean lifetime of SDOs in the GPC zone is of 68 Myr. The latter is dependent on the initial inclination, being the ones with high inclinations the ones that survive the longest in the GPC zone. There is also a correlation of lifetime with perihelion distance, where greater perihelion leads to longer lifetime. The dynamical evolution of observed GPCs is different for prograde and retrograde objects. Retrograde GPCs have lower median lifetime than prograde ones, thus experiencing a comparatively faster evolution. However, it is probable that this faster evolution is due to the fact that the majority of retrograde GPCs have low perihelion values and then, lower lifetimes.

arXiv comment39 pages, 15 figures. Accepted por publication in Celestial Mechanics and Dynamical Astronomy (June 2020)

References in corpus (48)

• A low mass for Mars from Jupiter's early gas-driven migration
• THE ORIGIN OF PLUTO'S ORBIT: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE SOLAR SYSTEM BEYOND NEPTUNE
• The Size Distribution of Trans-Neptunian Bodies
• Statistical Study of the Early Solar System's Instability with 4, 5 and 6 Giant Planets
• A ring system detected around the Centaur (10199) Chariklo
• The Geology of Pluto and Charon Through the Eyes of New Horizons
• The Dynamics of Known Centaurs
• The Resonant Transneptunian Populations
• OSSOS. VII. 800+ trans-Neptunian objects - the complete data release
• Impact Craters on Pluto and Charon Indicate a Deficit of Small Kuiper Belt Objects
• The Size Distribution of Kuiper Belt Objects
• Origin and Evolution of Short-Period Comets
• The Scattered Disk as the source of the Jupiter Family comets
• Jumping Neptune Can Explain the Kuiper Belt Kernel
• The Size Distribution of Kuiper belt objects for D> 10 km
• The Geology and Geophysics of Kuiper Belt Object (486958) Arrokoth
• A Subaru Pencil-beam Search for m_R~27 Trans-neptunian bodies
• De-biased Populations of Kuiper Belt Objects from the Deep Ecliptic Survey
• Resonance sticking in the scattered disk
• Two Dynamical Classes of Centaurs
• A carefully characterised and tracked Trans-Neptunian survey, the size-distribution of the Plutinos and the number of Neptunian Trojans
• OSSOS III - Resonant Trans-Neptunian Populations: Constraints from the first quarter of the Outer Solar System Origins Survey
• Unbiased Inclination Distributions for Objects in the Kuiper Belt
• An Oort cloud origin for the high-inclination, high-perihelion Centaurs
• 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1, A Centaur in the Gateway to the Jupiter-Family Comets
• OSSOS. VIII. The Transition Between Two Size Distribution Slopes in the Scattering Disk
• A Uranian Trojan and the frequency of temporary giant-planet co-orbitals
• Chaotic Diffusion of Resonant Kuiper Belt Objects
• Discovery of A New Retrograde Trans-Neptunian Object: Hint of A Common Orbital Plane for Low Semi-Major Axis, High Inclination TNOs and Centaurs
• Do Centaurs preserve their source inclinations?
• The Canada-France Ecliptic Plane Survey (CFEPS) - High Latitude Component
• The Neptune Trojans - a new source for the Centaurs?
• Dynamical evolution and end states of active and inactive Centaurs
• OSSOS II: A Sharp Transition in the Absolute Magnitude Distribution of the Kuiper Belt's Scattering Population
• The dynamical evolution of escaped Jupiter Trojan asteroids, link to other minor body populations
• Trans-Neptunian Objects Transiently Stuck in Neptune's Mean Motion Resonances: Numerical simulations of the current population
• An updated estimate of the number of Jupiter-family comets using a simple fading law
• The 5:1 Neptune Resonance as Probed by CFEPS: Dynamics and Population
• Dynamical evolution of escaped plutinos, another source of Centaurs
• Giga-Year Evolution of Jupiter Trojans and the Asymmetry Problem
• The rings of Chariklo under close encounters with the giant planets
• Large retrograde Centaurs: visitors from the Oort cloud?
• OSSOS IXX: Testing Early Solar System Dynamical Models using OSSOS Centaur Detections
• The Dynamical History of Chariklo and its Rings
• Pencil-Beam Surveys for Trans-Neptunian Objects: Novel Methods for Optimization and Characterization
• The Contribution of Dwarf Planets to the Origin of Jupiter Family Comets
• Pencil-Beam Surveys for Trans-Neptunian Objects: Limits on Distant Populations
• Origin of craters on Phoebe: comparison with Cassini's data

Cited by in corpus (9)

• Oort cloud Ecology II: The chronology of the formation of the Oort cloud
• Metal pollution of the solar white dwarf by solar system small bodies
• Dynamics of Small Bodies in Orbits Between Jupiter and Saturn
• The active centaur 2020 MK4
• The Sizes and Albedos of Centaurs 2014 YY ${}_{49}$ and 2013 NL ${}_{24}$ from Stellar Occultation Measurements by RECON
• Activity of the Jupiter co-orbital comet P/2019~LD${}_2$ (ATLAS) observed with OSIRIS at the 10.4 m GTC
• Crater production on Titan and surface chronology
• Recent arrivals to the main asteroid belt
• Investigating tidal stripping of a pre-existing moon as the origin of Saturn's young icy rings