No Evidence for Orbital Clustering in the Extreme Trans-Neptunian Objects

Journal Article · Wed Mar 17 00:00:00 EDT 2021 · The Planetary Science Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3847/psj/abe53e· OSTI ID:1809944

Napier, K. J.; Gerdes, D. W.; Lin, Hsing Wen; Hamilton, S. J.; Bernstein, G. M.; Bernardinelli, P. H.; Abbott, T. C.; Aguena, M.; Annis, J.; Avila, S.; Bacon, D.; Bertin, E.; Brooks, D.; Burke, D. L.; Carnero Rosell, A.; Carrasco Kind, M.; Carretero, J.; Costanzi, M.; da Costa, L. N.; De Vicente, J. ; Diehl, H. T.; Doel, P.; Everett, S.; Ferrero, I.; Fosalba, P.; García-Bellido, J.; Gruen, D.; Gruendl, R. A.; Gutierrez, G.; Hollowood, D. L.; Honscheid, K.; Hoyle, B.; James, D. J.; Kent, S.; Kuehn, K.; Kuropatkin, N.; Maia, M. G.; Menanteau, F.; Miquel, R.; Morgan, R.; Palmese, A.; Paz-Chinchón, F.; Plazas, A. A.; Sanchez, E.; Scarpine, V.; Serrano, S.; Sevilla-Noarbe, I.; Smith, M.; Suchyta, E.; Swanson, M. C.; To, C.; Walker, A. R.; Wilkinson, R. D.

The apparent clustering in longitude of perihelion piv and ascending node Ω of extreme trans-Neptunian objects (ETNOs) has been attributed to the gravitational effects of an unseen 5–10 Earth-mass planet in the outer solar system. To investigate how selection bias may contribute to this clustering, we consider 14 ETNOs discovered by the Dark Energy Survey, the Outer Solar System Origins Survey, and the survey of Sheppard and Trujillo. Using each survey's published pointing history, depth, and TNO tracking selections, we calculate the joint probability that these objects are consistent with an underlying parent population with uniform distributions in $$\bar{w}$$ and Ω. We find that the mean scaled longitude of perihelion and orbital poles of the detected ETNOs are consistent with a uniform population at a level between 17% and 94% and thus conclude that this sample provides no evidence for angular clustering.

• Research Organization: Barcelona, IEEC; Barcelona, IFAE; Cambridge U., Inst. of Astron.; Cerro-Tololo InterAmerican Obs.; Chicago U., KICP; Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Garching, Max Planck Inst., MPE; Harvard-Smithsonian Ctr. Astrophys.; IAC, La Laguna; ICE, Bellaterra; ICREA, Barcelona; Illinois U., Urbana, Astron. Dept.; Inst. Theor. Astrophys., Oslo; LIneA, Rio de Janeiro; Laguna U., Tenerife; Lowell Observ.; Macquarie U.; Madrid, CIEMAT; Madrid, IFT; Michigan U.; Munich U.; NCSA, Urbana; Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Ohio State U.; Ohio State U., CCAPP; Paris, Inst. Astrophys.; Pennsylvania U.; Portsmouth U., ICG; Princeton U., Astrophys. Sci. Dept.; Rio de Janeiro Observ.; SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States); Sao Paulo U.; Southampton U.; Stanford U., Phys. Dept.; Sussex U.; Trieste Observ.; Trieste U.; UC, Santa Cruz, Inst. Part. Phys.; University Coll. London; Wisconsin U., Madison
• Sponsoring Organization: US Department of Energy; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR)
• Contributing Organization: DES Collaboration
• Grant/Contract Number: AC02-07CH11359; AC05-00OR22725
• OSTI ID: 1809944
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1824146
• Report Number(s): FERMILAB-PUB-20-460-PPD; FERMILAB-PUB-21-275-AD-AE-SCD
• Journal Information: The Planetary Science Journal, Journal Name: The Planetary Science Journal Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 2; ISSN 2632-3338
• Publisher: IOP Publishing
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS