The Sizes of Kuiper Belt Objects

TL;DR

This paper discusses the importance of accurately measuring the sizes of Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) to understand their physical properties and the formation of the solar system, highlighting the potential of upcoming space telescopes.

Contribution

It emphasizes the need for larger, more detailed size measurements of KBOs using advanced telescopes like SPICA to improve understanding of their physical and surface properties.

Findings

Current measurements are limited to about 20-150 KBOs.

Future telescopes will enable size measurements of smaller KBOs.

A large, diverse sample will help identify correlations in KBO properties.

Abstract

One of the most fundamental problems in the study of Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) is to know their true physical size. Without knowledge of their albedos we are not able to distinguish large and dark from small and bright KBOs. Spitzer produced rough estimates of the sizes and albedos of about 20 KBOs, and the Herschel space telescope will improve on those initial measurements by extending the sample to the ~150 brightest KBOs. SPICA's higher sensitivity instruments should allow us not only to broaden the sample to smaller KBOs but also to achieve a statistically significant sample of KBO thermal light curves (Herschel will measure only six objects). A large sample covering a broad range of sizes will be key to identify meaningful correlations between size and other physical and surface properties that constrain the processes of formation and evolution of the solar system.