SDSS Observations of Kuiper Belt Objects: Colors and Variability

TL;DR

This study analyzes SDSS observations of Kuiper Belt Objects, revealing correlations between colors, orbital parameters, and surface properties, and providing insights into their origins and surface compositions.

Contribution

It presents a catalog of SDSS photometry for 42 TNOs and Centaurs, and identifies potential correlations between colors, orbital elements, and variability, offering new insights into their nature.

Findings

Weak correlation between g-r color and inclination of certain TNOs.

Correlation between g-r color and angular momentum in z direction.

Identification of objects with large brightness variability.

Abstract

Colors of Trans Neptunian Objects (TNOs) are used to study the evolutionary processes of bodies in the outskirts of the Solar System, and to test theories regarding their origin. Here I describe a search for serendipitous Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) observations of known TNOs and Centaurs. I present a catalog of SDSS photometry, colors and astrometry of 388 measurements of 42 outer Solar-System objects. I find a weak evidence, at the ~2-sigma level (per trial), for a correlation between the g-r color and inclination of scattered disk objects and hot classical KBOs. I find a correlation between the g-r color and the angular momentum in the z direction of all the objects in this sample. Light curves as a function of phase angle are constructed for 13 objects. The steepness of the slopes of these light curves suggests that the coherent backscatter mechanism plays a major role in the reflectivity of outer Solar-System small objects at small phase angles. I find a weak evidence for an anti-correlation, significant at the 2-sigma confidence level (per trial), between the g-band phase angle slope parameter and the semi-major axis, as well as the aphelion distance, of these objects. I discuss the origin of this possible correlation and argue that if this correlation is real it probably indicates that "Sedna"-like objects have a different origin than other classes of TNOs. Finally, I identify several objects with large variability amplitudes (abridged).