NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2009B-0475
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2009B-0475 |
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PI: Michael Brown, Caltech (Geo. and Planetary), mbrown@caltech.edu
Address: Division of Geological and Planetary Science, MS 170-25, Pasadena, CA, 91125, USA
CoI: Megan Schwamb, Caltech (Geo. and Planetary)
Title: Sedna and the Birth of the Solar System
Abstract:
The distant solar system object Sedna exists in a region far beyond the
Kuiper belt and must have been emplaced in its orbit at an earlier time when
massive unknown bodies were present in or near the solar system. Studying
this unexplored population of primordial bodies beyond the Kuiper belt
provides a unique opportunity to study the creation and evolution of the
early solar system. The orbits of these distant Sedna-like bodies are
dynamically frozen and serve as a fossilized record of their formation. In
order to find additional members of this distant population, we have
performed a deep sky survey with Suprime-Cam on the 8.2-m Subaru telescope.
One year astrometric recovery observations are critical to this survey as
these observations are the only way to disentangle which of the distant
bodies we discover are Sednas-like bodies on high perihelion orbits rather
than typical Kuiper belt objects scattered by Neptune. We propose dedicated
one year astrometric follow-up observations of potential Sedna-like
detections found in our survey. These observations are ideal for queue-based
observing with Gemini. Completion of our survey with secure orbits of all
potential Sedna-like bodies will allow us to make the first progress towards
exploration of this newly discovered and critically important population in
the outer solar system.
National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, Arizona 85726, Phone: (520) 318-8000, Fax: (520) 318-8360
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NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2009B-0475 |
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