Discovery of A New Retrograde Trans-Neptunian Object: Hint of A Common Orbital Plane for Low Semi-Major Axis, High Inclination TNOs and Centaurs

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of a new retrograde trans-Neptunian object, Niku, revealing a statistically significant common orbital plane among high-inclination TNOs and Centaurs, suggesting an unknown dynamical mechanism.

Contribution

The discovery of Niku and the analysis of high-inclination TNOs reveal a common orbital plane, indicating a potential new reservoir and unknown dynamical processes.

Findings

Niku is a retrograde TNO with a ~500 Myr orbital half-life.

High-inclination TNOs and Centaurs cluster in a common orbital plane with 3.8-$\sigma$ significance.

A new unknown mechanism may explain the observed orbital clustering.

Abstract

Although the majority of Centaurs are thought to have originated in the scattered disk, with the high-inclination members coming from the Oort cloud, the origin of the high inclination component of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) remains uncertain. We report the discovery of a retrograde TNO, which we nickname "Niku", detected by the Pan-STARRS 1 Outer Solar System Survey. Our numerical integrations show that the orbital dynamics of Niku are very similar to that of 2008 KV$_{42}$ (Drac), with a half-life of $\sim 500$ Myr. Comparing similar high inclination TNOs and Centaurs ($q > 10$ AU, $a < 100$ AU and $i > 60^\circ$), we find that these objects exhibit a surprising clustering of ascending node, and occupy a common orbital plane. This orbital configuration has high statistical significance: 3.8-$\sigma$. An unknown mechanism is required to explain the observed clustering. This discovery may provide a pathway to investigate a possible reservoir of high-inclination objects.