Exploring the outer solar system beyond Neptune using stellar occultations
The solar system beyond Neptune’s contains largely unaltered material from the primordial circum-solar disk. It also kept the memory of the early planetary migrations, and thus contains essential information on the origin and evol...
ver más
31/10/2021
SORBONNE UNIVERSIT...
2M€
Presupuesto del proyecto: 2M€
Líder del proyecto
SORBONNE UNIVERSITE
No se ha especificado una descripción o un objeto social para esta compañía.
Descripción del proyecto
The solar system beyond Neptune’s contains largely unaltered material from the primordial circum-solar disk. It also kept the memory of the early planetary migrations, and thus contains essential information on the origin and evolution of our planetary system.
Here I propose to study the Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) using the stellar occultation technique. It consists in observing the passage of remote TNOs in front of those Lucky Stars, that reveal shapes, atmosphere and rings of bodies from sub-km to thousand-km in size. Very few teams in the world master this method. The European-led network that I coordinate is now leader in predictions, instrumentation, observations and analysis related to stellar occultations, with innovative approaches and unprecedented results.
In the last decade, our group led the field by discovering rings around the asteroid-like object Chariklo, detecting sub-km TNOs and drastic variations of Pluto’s atmospheric pressure. Based on those noteworthy discoveries and unique skills of ours, I will coordinate the following work packages:
(1) Rings around small bodies - Understand the newly found Chariklo’s rings, tackle the theory of rings’ origins and evolutions around small bodies, discover new ring systems around other bodies.
(2) Very small, sub-km TNOs and Oort Cloud objects - Constrain the collisional history of our early outer solar system, and possibly detect Oort Cloud objects.
(3) Pluto’s atmosphere – Explore Pluto’s atmosphere and its atypical seasonal cycle, search for atmospheres around other TNOs.
(4) Explore specific, large TNOs – Provide their sizes, shapes, albedos and densities.
These programs are timely in view of NASA/New Horizons Pluto flyby in July 2015, and the ESA/GAIA mission expected to provide a greatly improved astrometric catalog release in 2016.
Most of the budget will be dedicated to human power to conduct observations and their analysis, plus the associated travel and telescope time expenses.
Seleccionando "Aceptar todas las cookies" acepta el uso de cookies para ayudarnos a brindarle una mejor experiencia de usuario y para analizar el uso del sitio web. Al hacer clic en "Ajustar tus preferencias" puede elegir qué cookies permitir. Solo las cookies esenciales son necesarias para el correcto funcionamiento de nuestro sitio web y no se pueden rechazar.
Cookie settings
Nuestro sitio web almacena cuatro tipos de cookies. En cualquier momento puede elegir qué cookies acepta y cuáles rechaza. Puede obtener más información sobre qué son las cookies y qué tipos de cookies almacenamos en nuestra Política de cookies.
Son necesarias por razones técnicas. Sin ellas, este sitio web podría no funcionar correctamente.
Son necesarias para una funcionalidad específica en el sitio web. Sin ellos, algunas características pueden estar deshabilitadas.
Nos permite analizar el uso del sitio web y mejorar la experiencia del visitante.
Nos permite personalizar su experiencia y enviarle contenido y ofertas relevantes, en este sitio web y en otros sitios web.