A Very Wide Area Survey for Trans-Neptunian Objects

对海王星外天体的大范围勘测

• 批准号: 0073845
• 负责人: Charles Alcock
• 金额: $ 33.14万
• 依托单位: University of Pennsylvania
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2000
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2000-09-01 至 2004-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0073845&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Very; Wide; Area; Survey; Trans

AST 0073845AlcockThe exploration of the outer Solar System has developed rapidly in the past decade, with the discovery of large numbers of small, solid objects in the trans-Neptunian region. These objects have been found with CCD cameras on medium and large sized telescopes, which to date have surveyed ~100 square degrees of sky. This new project, led by Dr. Charles Alcock of the University of Pennsylvania, is intended to provide an important complement to recent, very successful surveys of the outer Solar System. Specifically, Dr. Alcock's survey will cover ~3000 square degrees with high sensitivity to objects in the size range between Pluto and recently discovered trans-Neptunian objects (TNO). A powerful observing system developed for the MACHO project (a project to detect massive objects via the technique of gravitational lensing) will be utilized for the survey. This award is made through the Planetary Astronomy Program.***

在过去的十年里，随着在海王星外区域发现了大量的小型固体天体，对外太阳系的探索发展迅速。这些天体是用中大型望远镜上的ccd相机发现的，到目前为止，这架望远镜已经观测了大约100平方度的天空。这个新项目由宾夕法尼亚大学的查尔斯·阿尔科克博士领导，旨在为最近非常成功的外太阳系调查提供重要的补充。具体来说，阿尔科克博士的调查将覆盖约3000平方度，对冥王星和最近发现的跨海王星天体(TNO)之间的大小范围内的天体具有高灵敏度。将利用为MACHO项目(通过引力透镜技术探测大质量物体的项目)开发的强大观测系统进行调查。该奖项是通过行星天文学计划颁发的。*