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

柯伊伯带为了解行星形成过程提供了一个宝贵的窗口。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像。******这些观测活动将利用加拿大、法国、夏威夷望远镜、双子座望远镜和新视野号宇宙飞船，以及一系列设施的辅助观测。******具体项目包括：******-我们将进行地面观测，以测量柯伊伯带天体的大小-频率分布。特别是比较作为轨道类函数的分布。外太阳系形成的宇宙成因模型表明，柯伊伯带的不同亚类是在不同的条件下形成的，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至30km范围内的大小分布，其中吸积/碰撞过程应该占主导地位，而在10至1km范围内，原始可用于形成的总质量是约束参数。******-应用一种新技术探测中型（~100km）柯伊伯带天体的掩星，探测这种掩星将使柯伊伯带天体观测到的光度函数与期望的大小分布之间建立联系。目前，红外观测和传统的掩星观测使得最大的柯伊伯带天体（+1000km）的光度和尺寸之间的联系成为可能，这远远大于柯伊伯带中吸积和碰撞之间相互作用的探测尺寸。******-新视野号太空船是一个大约100公里大小的柯伊伯带天体，它将大大增加我们对这些天体的了解。对表面惊吓、反照率变化、表面特性等的观察都是只有通过航天器访问才能获得的基本事实。在飞行过程中，我们还将以比地面更高的分辨率观测到其他柯伊伯带天体，探测这些系统的多样性

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.**