J/A+A/546/A86ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/546/A86doi:10.26093/cds/vizier.35460086CDSPeixinho N.Delsanti A.Guilbert-Lepoutre A.Gafeira R.Lacerda P.2013-01-13T08:42:59Z2012-10-09T08:35:05ZCDS support team

CDS, Observatoire de Strasbourg, 11 rue de l'Universite, F-67000 Strasbourg, France

cds-question@unistra.frsolar-systemasteroidstwo-color-diagramsEver since the very first photometric studies of Centaurs and Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) their visible color distribution has been controversial. This controversy has triggered a prolific debate on the origin of the surface colors of these distant icy objects of the solar system. Two scenarios have been proposed to interpret and explain the large variability of colors, hence surface composition. Are the colors mainly primordial and directly related to the formation region, or are they the result of surface evolution processes? To date, no mechanism has been found that successfully explains why Centaurs, which are escapees from the Kuiper belt, exhibit two distinct color groups, whereas KBOs do not. We re-address this issue using a carefully compiled set of B-R colors and H_R{alpha}_ magnitudes (as proxy for size) for 253 objects, including data for 10 new small objects. We find that the bimodal color distribution of Centaurs is a size-related phenomenon, common to both Centaurs and small KBOs, i.e. independent of dynamical classification. Furthermore, we find that large KBOs also have a bimodal distribution of surface colors, albeit distinct from the small objects and strongly dependent on the `Haumea collisional family' objects. When plotted in B-R, H_R{alpha}_ space, the colors of Centaurs and KBOs display a peculiar N shape.2012A&A...546A..86Phttps://cdsarc.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/cat/J/A+A/546/A86CatalogResearchIsServedByTAP VizieR generic servicehttps://cds.unistra.fr/vizier-org/licences_vizier.htmlhttps://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/A+A/546/A86https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/A+A/546/A86http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/A+A/546/A86https://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/votable?-source=J/A+A/546/A86https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/votable?-source=J/A+A/546/A86http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/votable?-source=J/A+A/546/A86GETtext/xml+votablehttps://tapvizier.cds.unistra.fr/TAPVizieR/tapdefaultJ/A+A/546/A86/refsReferencesRefReference codemeta.notecharBibCodeCDS/ADS bibcodemeta.bib.bibcodecharAutAuthor's namemeta.bib.authorcharComCommentsmeta.notecharrecnoRecord number assigned by the VizieR team. Should Not be used for identification.meta.recordintJ/A+A/546/A86/table3Compilation of R-band absolute magnitude, not corrected for the phase-angle, of B-R colors, and spectral features of 253 Centaurs and KBOs (Kuiper Belt Objects)recnoRecord number assigned by the VizieR team. Should Not be used for identification.meta.recordintPlanet? Asteroid number (blank if unnumbered)meta.id;meta.mainintnullableNameName or preliminary designationmeta.idcharClassDynamical class (1)src.classcharRMagR-band absolute magnitude H_R{alpha}_, not corrected for the phase-anglemagphot.mag;em.opt.Rfloate_RMag1-{sigma} error bar of Rmagmagstat.error;phot.mag;em.opt.RfloatB-RB-R color indexmagphot.color;em.opt.B;em.opt.Rfloate_B-R1-{sigma} error bar of B-R colormagstat.error;phot.color;em.opt.BfloatSpecFSpectral features which have been clearly identifiedmeta.id;phys.molcharRefsPointer for bibliographic references with measurements and detections that have been used, in refs.dat filemeta.ref;pos.framechar