International Workshop on

First Decadal Review of the Edgeworth-Kuiper

Belt: Toward New Frontiers
O. HAINAUT (ESO/Chile)

On March 11 to 14, 2003, an interna-

tional conference on the Minor Bodies
in the Outer Solar System was held in
Antofagasta, Chile. The conference,
which was organized by ESO and
Universidad Catolica del Norte (UCN) of
Antofagasta, gathered about 70 partici-
pants from 20 countries. Originally, it
was supposed to take place on the UCN
campus. However, a student strike
forced us to relocate at the last minute
to the Carrera Club Hotel. Thanks to the
efforts of A. Lagarini, the conference
secretary (and ESO/Chile Science sec-
retary) and to the Hotel staff, this did not
cause any disruption. The traditional
group photo (opposite) was shot in front
of the Geological Museum of UCN. This
short summary highlights some of the
results presented at this conference;
the proceedings, which are currently and exciting their eccentricities and in- Koebert discussed the possibility of a
being edited, will be published as a spe- clination. perturbation in the EKB as the origin of
cial issue of “Earth, Moon and Planets.” • A third population is constituted by the “Late Heavy Bombardment” that the
Just over 10 years ago, the first objects that have been ejected by inter- inner planets suffered 3.8 Gyr ago.
Trans-Neptunian Object (TNO), 1992 actions with Neptune. They are now on Jancart presented a generic model that
QB1, was discovered by Jewitt and Luu very eccentric and inclined orbits, con- considers dissipative force combined
(IAUC 5611). This was the first of about stituting the “Scattered Disc.” with the effects of the orbital reso-
700 TNOs known today. They are be- One of the puzzling problems was nances.
lieved to be remnants of the proto-plan- that the “Classical Objects” appear to After a session full of numerical sim-
etary nebula, the largest objects of the be distributed in a very dynamically cold ulations of dynamical processes, the
Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt (EKB), extend- population (low inclination), mixed with observers presented the results of on-
ing beyond ~ 30 AU from the Sun, which a secondary population of higher incli- going surveys. While over the past
is also the reservoir of Short Period nation. Gomez and Morbidelli demon- years, many “generic” surveys discov-
Comets. strated how this can be explained by in- ered the bulk of the currently known ob-
Thanks to more and more detailed teractions of objects of the inner edge of jects, we see now a specialization of
numerical simulations, which are sup- the Edgeworth Kuiper belt with these surveys. Buie et al presented the
ported by a continuously growing num- Neptune, which would slightly “kick out” “Deep Ecliptic Survey,” which aims at
ber of objects with well determined or- these objects. Malhotra and Kuchner discovering many TNOs of intermediate
bits, the broad lines of the dynamical further studied, from the theoretical brightness, with special care in securing
history of these objects now begins to point of view, the evolution of dust in the the orbits by carefully planned (and time
be fairly clear. Morbidelli presented a re- EKB, and compared it with other ob- consuming) follow up. This follow up is
view of the latest results. The TNOs are served dust discs, suggesting some critical, as about half of the known ob-
distributed as follow: similarities. jects do not have orbits reliable enough
• A large fractions are located in the Many other results were presented; to ensure their recovery. Moody, and
main belt (the “Classical Objects”), for instance, Chiang performed exten- Trujillo and Brown performed extremely
which includes objects with fairly circu- sive numerical simulations of the reso- wide, shallow surveys aimed at discov-
lar orbits of low inclination. nant objects, showing how they tend to ering all the brightest TNOs. Unfor-
• Others have been trapped in stable cluster at preferred positions leading tunately, they did not detect any new
motion resonances with Neptune, con- and trailing Neptune. Wyatt showed Pluto, although there is still a possibility
stituting the Resonant Population, also how similar effects could possibly be to have a couple of objects of that size
known as Plutinos (named after Pluto, observed in extra-solar Edgeworth- out there. The survey by Moody et al
the largest member). One of the very Kuiper belts (also known as circumstel- has the very sad peculiarity of having
promising theories explaining the num- lar discs). For instance, the disc around been terminated by the destruction of its
ber of objects in these resonances in- Vega displays some striking similarity telescope, at Mount Stromlo. Fortu-
volves the outward migration of with his simulations; if confirmed, this nately, the data are not lost. Kinoshita,
Neptune, a migration caused by the would imply the presence of (proto-) Holman and Hainaut have performed
ejection of proto-planetesimals by this planet around that star. Fernandez, who some deep to extremely deep surveys
planet, during the early days of the is one of the founding fathers of the (with Subaru, VLT and HST) in order to
Solar System. In that process, the sta- EKB as a reservoir of comets, made study the faint end of TNO luminosity
ble resonances swept the inner Kuiper some promising connections between function. Kinoshita, with his results
belt, trapping the objects encountered, the Scattered Disc and the Oort cloud. down to mag ~ 27.7 reported a bent in

The Messenger, No. 112 - June 2003 53

that luminosity function at mag ~ 24. Sheppard, Jewitt and Ortiz have ob- Brucato presented the latest results of
The two other surveys (which should be tained light curves of several objects, such work. Cooper and Moroz present-
even deeper, possibly beyond mag 30 which reveal their rotational periods and ed their studies of irradiation of KBO
by combining 3 nights of data on 2 VLTs constrain their elongations. While most surfaces; Cooper detailed the effects of
in parallel) will soon check and refine objects do not display significant mag- the various high-energy particles that
this result. Indeed, such a bend is ex- nitude variations (which is interpreted are expected to affect objects in the out-
pected, as the power-law luminosity as almost spherical objects), about a ermost parts of the Solar System. This
function cannot extend down to dust quarter of them have light curves with “space weathering” is considered one of
size. Otherwise, the resulting dust cloud full amplitude greater than 0.15 mag. the most important processes explain-
would have been detected by IRAS. Also, the measurements of 1995 SM55 ing the diversity of colours observed in
The size at which it happens will give di- (by Sheppard and Jewitt) displayed a TNOs. Levasseur-Regourd has per-
rect constraints on the importance of strong dispersion – a controversial re- formed other laboratory experiments to
disruptive/aggregating collisions and sult, to which a controversial interpreta- study the formation of regoliths in micro-
accretion in the early solar system. tion is attached: this could be the evi- gravity.
Also, we hope that these deep surveys dence of cometary activity. Cometary Pluto, the largest TNO, caused some
will reveal what lies beyond 45 AU, activity, caused at these distances by stellar occultations in 2002; these were
where absolutely no object has been the sublimation of super-volatile ices the first ones observed since 1985
discovered so far, while the protoplane- such as CO, should in theory be possi- when its atmosphere was discovered.
tary nebula is expected to have extend- ble, but has never been observed. It Roques (representing the European
ed out to several hundred AU, making would be an interesting process for re- team, that was known as the “Pluto
this lack of distant objects one of the surfacing the objects, possibly explain- Flying Circus” because of its impressive
most puzzling questions of the field. ing (part of) their colour diversity. In the deployment in South America) and Elliot
The observers continued with physi- same line, Meech obtained some ex- presented the interpretations of these
cal studies of TNOs. It is worth remind- tremely deep images of TNO 24952 occultations, which demonstrate that
ing the reader that TNOs are faint (typi- with Subaru, in order to search for direct the atmosphere of Pluto has significant-
cally in the 20–25 mag range) making evidence of a coma surrounding the ob- ly changed since 1985. A space mission
their physical studies quite challenging, ject; her results are negative. The first to Pluto, which has already been can-
especially for spectroscopy, where the phase functions of TNOs were present- celled several times for budgetary rea-
expected absorption features are very ed by Sheppard and Jewitt, and sons, is now finally secured (under des-
shallow. In order to get a grasp of the Roussellot; they observed a phase de- ignation of New Horizon Mission), to be
whole population, large photometric pendency of the brightness much launched in 2006, for a Pluto/Charon
surveys have been performed, collect- steeper than expected for icy bodies. fast fly-by around 2015. As it would be
ing colours of almost 100 objects in to- Bagnulo obtained the first polarimetric frustrating to go that far for only one
tal. They reveal a broad distribution measurements of a TNO–another chal- (pair of) object, astronomers are now
ranging from neutral (solar) to very red lenge for the VLT. The phase function looking for suitable TNOs located on the
colours, the large majority of objects (which describes the variation of bright- track of the space probe. Unfortunately,
having a fairly linear reflectivity spec- ness of the object with the solar phase these hypothetical candidates are now
trum. Dorressoundiram and Boehnhardt angle) and the polarimetric characteris- located in front of the Milky Way, ap-
presented such a survey, performed in tics of an object can be interpreted in pearing close to the galactic centre. The
the framework of a VLT large program terms of surface properties. Barucci, De field crowding makes the discovery of
(which was concluded during the con- Bergh and Dotto analysed spectra of TNOs in these regions very challenging.
ference). Dorressoundiram and TNOs, some of them revealing variable In the mean time, theoretical studies of
Thebault analysed them by comparing surface features on some objects. that object continue: McKinnon present-
them with a model of collisions affecting Recently, binary TNOs have been dis- ed models of the interior of Pluto and
the TNOs. Indeed, collisions, by resur- covered. While binary asteroids tend to other large TNOs. The very small TNOs
facing the objects, are expected to have be formed by a main body and a small were also considered by Keller, who
an effect on their colours. Fulchignoni satellite, binary TNOs appear as pairs of summarized the physical properties of
split the objects in families using multi- fairly similar objects. Noll summarized cometary nuclei.
variate analysis of their colours, as the general properties of these objects, Future survey projects – including
done 30 years ago with the main belt while Kern, Osip and Takato presented new methods – were discussed: Alcock,
asteroids, resulting in taxonomic fami- physical studies of some pairs. Cooray and Roques plan to discover
lies that were later related to the physi- The surface of TNOs is expected to objects by stellar occultations. While
cal nature of the objects. Stephens be composed by a mixture of dust and such an event is not very probably, ob-
(who presented a large HST-based ices. In order to understand the obser- serving many stars – or observing for a
colour survey) and Peixinho performed vations, various groups are performing long time – should lead to many discov-
various statistical tests in order to reveal laboratory experiments involving the ir- eries, leading to some information on
possible correlations between the radiation of ices by high energy parti- the size and distance of the object. This
colours of the objects and their other cles, in order to simulate the effect of is a very promising way to discover the
parameters (orbital elements, size, etc). cosmic rays on the TNOs. Moore and smallest bodies of the EKB, and the

Panoramic view of the Monturaqui meteoritic crater. Photo by John Davies.

54
only way to observe comets in the Oort ers went into the deep Atacama Desert, lines were traced, the general picture
Cloud. Sekiguchi and Stansberry dis- lead by L. Barrera from UCN, in order to was in place. The feeling left by this new
cussed the observations that will be inspect the Monturaqui meteoritic cra- conference is that we have now enough
possible with ASTE (the Japanese ter. This 300-m diameter crater is locat- information to reveal the weaknesses of
counterpart to APEX) and SIRTF ed South of the large Salar de Atacama, this general picture, and that even some
(resp.). Jewitt presented a very ambi- a 6 hours drive from Antofagasta. fundamental questions are still unan-
tious project, Pan-STARRS, that will be Amazingly, none of the participants swered, such as the reason (or the re-
installed on Mauna Kea and scan the was lost on the way, which goes against ality) of a sharp edge terminating the
whole sky on a weekly basis. This pro- the legend that astronomers cannot be EKB at 45 AU, or the nature of the
gramme, originally targeted at Near disciplined when needed. processes leading to the observed
Earth Objects, will discover and follow In 1998, a conference on the same colour distribution.
up all TNOs down to mag 24. topic was held at ESO/Garching. At that Finally, during the final discussion
Having 70 astronomers in Anto- meeting, we were confident that we session, it was unanimously decided
fagasta, a trip to the VLT was a must. were on the way to understanding the that the branch of science devoted to
Bus-loads invaded Paranal on the TNO formation, evolution, composition, the study of the TNOs, also designated
Saturday following the conference. etc, with the enthusiasm of a field that as Edgeworth-Kuiper belt Object, will be
Finally, on Sunday, 25 brave adventur- was only a few years old. The broad known as EKOlogy.

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