Kuiper Belt Dynamics with a Distant Unseen Planet

在我们的太阳系中，柯伊伯带天体（KBO）是距离太阳最远的天体之一。 最近，天文学家提出了一个遥远的，看不见的行星的存在，俗称行星9。 有两个证据支持这一提议。 首先，大约六个最遥远的KBO的轨道特征非常相似。 第二，这些KBO的轨道在位置上是间隔开的，因此它们似乎受到一个大得多的天体的影响。 这项研究将联合收割机结合对这些高度不规则轨道特征的理论、轨道动力学研究和对这些KBO的望远镜数据的轨道拟合和不确定性估计。 这些结果将导致对第九行星证据的更好评估，并缩小第九行星目前在天空中的位置。 这通过促进我们对太阳系结构的理解来支持NSF的使命。 研究人员将把他们的研究成果列入大学课程和公开讲座，这项研究将阐明轨道偏心率全范围内的轨道共振动力学，以期发现和了解新的相空间结构和动力学机制，包括高偏心率区域中偏心率和倾角之间的共振耦合。轨道拟合将提高已知最遥远KBO的轨道参数的知识，并且还将允许更高保真地估计与海王星和/或行星9的轨道共振的接近度（或缺乏）。观测偏差分析对于评估遥远KBO的表观轨道聚集的统计意义非常重要。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

In our solar system, Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) are among the most distant objects from the sun. Recently, astronomers have proposed the existence of a distant, unseen planet, popularly known as Planet 9. Two pieces of evidence support this proposal. First, the orbital characteristics of about a half-dozen of the most distant KBOs are very similar. Second, the orbits of these KBOs are spaced in location so that they appear to be influenced by the presence of a much larger body. This research will combine both theoretical, orbital dynamics studies of these highly-irregular orbital characteristics with orbit fitting and uncertainty estimation of the telescopic data on these KBOs. The results will lead to a much better assessment of the evidence for Planet 9, and narrow the present location of Planet 9 in the sky. This support the mission of the NSF by promoting our understanding of the solar system structure. The investigators will add the results of their research to university courses and public lectures.This research will elucidate the dynamics of orbital resonances over the full range of orbital eccentricities with the anticipation of discovery and understanding of novel phase-space structures and dynamical mechanisms, including the resonant coupling between eccentricity and inclination in the high-eccentricity regime. The orbit-fitting will improve knowledge of the orbital parameters of the most distant known KBOs, and will also allow for higher fidelity estimates of proximity (or lack thereof) to orbital resonances with Neptune and/or Planet 9. The observational bias analysis is important to assess the statistical significance of the apparent orbital clustering of the distant KBOs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.