The Manx Comets–Testing Solar System Formation Models
PI:
Karen Meech
Co-I(s):
Alessandro Morbidelli, Olivier Hainaut, Jan Kleyna, Jacqueline Keane, Bin Yang, Richard Wainscoat, Devendra Sahu, Marco Micheli, Bhuwan Bhatt, Robert Weryk
Abstract
Recent Pan-STARRS1 discoveries of objects on long-period comet orbits that are inactive or minimally active at perihelion (the "Manx comets") have suggested the intriguing possibility that these could represent fresh inner solar system material that was ejected into the Oort cloud during planet migration, and has been preserved for billions of years in the Oort cloud. Because solar system dynamical models make different predictions of planetesimal scattering, Manxes can be used as a test of the models. Our team is undertaking a program to characterize 50 objects. To date we have observed 37 Manxes, and we now have 2 objects with surface reflectivities consistent with inner solar system material. We are requesting 13.9 hours with Gemini/GMOS to obtain grizY photometry to characterize the surface mineralogy for 12 targets.
Publications using this program's data
[data][ADS] Characterizing the Manx Candidate A/2018 V3
[data][ADS] Characterizing the Manx Candidate A/2018 V3
[data][ADS] TNO or Comet? The Search for Activity and Characterization of Distant Object 418993 (2009 MS9)