The physical and dynamical properties of the Kuiper belt as a probe of the processes of planet formation.

柯伊伯带提供了一个了解行星形成过程的宝贵窗口。我们将对柯伊伯带天体(KBO)进行地面和航天器观测，以提供太阳系这一区域行星形成过程的详细图景。 这些观测活动将利用加拿大法夏威夷望远镜、双子座望远镜和新地平线号航天器，以及从一系列设施进行的辅助观测。 具体项目包括： -我们将进行地面观测，以测量KBO的大小和频率分布。特别是将分布作为轨道类别的函数进行比较。外太阳系形成的宇宙成因模型表明，柯伊伯带的不同子类在不同的条件下形成，因此作为形成过程标志的大小分布应该是不同的。我们将比较在100到30公里范围内的尺寸分布，其中吸积/碰撞过程应该是主要的，以及在10到1公里之间的尺寸，其中最初可用于形成的总质量是约束参数。 -应用一种探测中等大小(约100公里)KBO掩星的新技术，该技术的探测将允许观测到的KBO光度函数与所需的尺寸分布之间的联系。目前，红外观测和传统的掩星观测使最大的(+1000公里)KBO的光度和大小之间的联系成为可能，远大于探测柯伊伯带中吸积和碰撞之间的相互作用的大小。 -新地平线号航天器发射了大约100公里大小的KBO，这将极大地增加我们对这些天体的了解。对表面惊吓、反照率变化、表面性质等的观测都是地面事实，只有通过航天器访问才能获得。在飞行期间，我们还将以比地面更高的分辨率获得对其他KBO的观测，以探索这些系统中的多样性。

The Kuiper belt provides a valuable window into the processes of planet formation. We will conduct ground and spacecraft observations of Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) to provide a detailed picture of the processes of planet formation in this region of the solar system. These observational campaigns will make use the Canada France Hawaii Telescope, the GEMINI telescopes and the New Horizons spacecraft, as well as supporting observations from an array of facilities. Specific projects include: - We will conduct ground based observations to measure of the size-frequency distribution of KBOs. In particular comparing distributions as a function of orbital class. Cosmogenic models of the formation of the outer solar system indicate that various sub-classes of the Kuiper belt formed under different conditions and thus the size distributions, a signature of the formation process, should be different. We will compare the size distributions in the range between 100 and 30km, where the accretion/collision processes should be dominant and at sizes between 10 and 1km where the total mass originally available for formation is the constraining parameter. - Application of a novel technique for detection of stellar occultations by mid-sized (~100km) KBOs, detection of which will allow a connection between observed luminosity function of KBOs and the desired size distribution. Currently, infrared observations and traditional occultation observations enable the connection between luminosity and size for the largest (+1000km) KBOs, much larger than sizes where the interplay between accretion and collision in the Kuiper belt is probed. - New Horizons Spacecraft a ~100km sized KBO which will greatly increase our understanding of these objects. Observations of surface scaring, albedo variations, surface properties, etc. are all ground truths that can only be obtained via a spacecraft visit. We will also obtain, during the flight, observations of other KBOs at higher resolution than can be achieved from the ground, probing for multiplicity in those systems.