TNOs are cool: a survey of the trans-Neptunian region: radiometric properties of Trans-Neptunian objects

摘要

The 'TNOs are Cool: A Survey of the Trans-Neptunian Region' project is a Herschel Open Time Key Program awarded some 370 h of Herschel observing time. The observations include PACS and SPIRE point-source photometry on about 140 trans-Neptunian objects with known orbits. The goal is to characterize the individual objects and the full sample using radiometric techniques, in order to probe formation and evolution processes in the Solar System and to establish a benchmark for understanding the Solar System debris disk as well as extra-solar ones. We present results on a set of TNOs which were selected for the Science Demonstration and early mission phases and report on progress in deriving effective sizes, geometric albedos, and thermal characteristics. Our early sample also includes binary objects for which density estimates can be made on the basis of the derived diameters. TNO densities can provide insight into Solar-System formation scenarios.