SDSS observations of Kuiper belt objects Virtual Observatory Resource

Authors
  1. Ofek E.O.
  2. Published by
    CDS
Abstract

Colors of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) are used to study the evolutionary processes of bodies in the outskirts of the solar system and to test theories regarding their origin. Here I describe a search for serendipitous Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) observations of known TNOs and Centaurs. I present a catalog of SDSS photometry, colors, and astrometry of 388 measurements of 42 outer solar system objects. I find weak evidence, at the {approx} 2{sigma} level (per trial), for a correlation between the g - r color and inclination of scattered disk objects and hot classical Kuiper Belt objects. I find a correlation between the g - r color and the angular momentum in the z direction of all the objects in this sample. These findings should be verified using larger samples of TNOs. Light curves as a function of phase angle are constructed for 13 objects. The steepness of the slopes of these light curves suggests that the coherent backscatter mechanism plays a major role in the reflectivity of outer solar system small objects at small phase angles. I find weak evidence for an anticorrelation, significant at the 2{sigma} confidence level (per trial), between the g-band phase-angle slope parameter and the semimajor axis, as well as the aphelion distance, of these objects (i.e., they show a more prominent "opposition effect" at smaller distances from the Sun). However, this plausible correlation should be verified using a larger sample. I discuss the origin of this possible correlation and argue that if this correlation is real it probably indicates that "Sedna"-like objects have a different origin than other classes of TNOs. Finally, I identify several objects with large variability amplitudes.

Keywords
  1. visible-astronomy
  2. sloan-photometry
  3. asteroids
Bibliographic source Bibcode
2012ApJ...749...10O
See also HTML
https://cdsarc.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/cat/J/ApJ/749/10
IVOA Identifier IVOID
ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/ApJ/749/10
Document Object Identifer DOI
doi:10.26093/cds/vizier.17490010

Access

Web browser access HTML
http://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/ApJ/749/10
https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/ApJ/749/10
http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/ApJ/749/10
IVOA Table Access TAP
http://tapvizier.cds.unistra.fr/TAPVizieR/tap
Run SQL-like queries with TAP-enabled clients (e.g., TOPCAT).
IVOA Cone Search SCS
For use with a cone search client (e.g., TOPCAT).
http://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/conesearch/J/ApJ/749/10/SDSS-obs?
https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/conesearch/J/ApJ/749/10/SDSS-obs?
http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/conesearch/J/ApJ/749/10/SDSS-obs?

History

2013-12-04T10:34:15Z
Resource record created
2013-12-04T10:34:15Z
Created
2017-06-30T05:48:37Z
Updated

Contact

Name
CDS support team
Postal Address
CDS, Observatoire de Strasbourg, 11 rue de l'Universite, F-67000 Strasbourg, France
E-Mail
cds-question@unistra.fr