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Title: Discovery and Dynamical Analysis of an Extreme Trans-Neptunian Object with a High Orbital Inclination

Journal Article · · The Astronomical Journal (Online)
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We report the discovery and dynamical analysis of 2015 BP519, an extreme trans-Neptunian object (TNO) detected by the Dark Energy Survey at a heliocentric distance of 55 au, perihelion of ~36 au, and absolute magnitude H r = 4.3. The current orbit, determined from a 1110 day observational arc, has a semimajor axis a ≈ 450 au, eccentricity e ≈ 0.92, and inclination i ≈ 54°. With these orbital elements, 2015 BP519 is the most extreme TNO discovered to date, as quantified by the reduced Kozai action, $${\eta }_{0}={(1-{e}^{2})}^{1/2}\cos i$$, which is a conserved quantity at fixed semimajor axis a for axisymmetric perturbations. We discuss the orbital stability and evolution of this object and find that, under the influence of the four known giant planets, 2015 BP519 displays rich dynamical behavior, including rapid diffusion in semimajor axis and more constrained variations in eccentricity and inclination. We also consider the long-term orbital stability and evolutionary behavior within the context of the Planet Nine hypothesis and find that 2015 BP519 adds to the circumstantial evidence for the existence of this proposed new member of the solar system, as it would represent the first member of the population of high-i, piv-shepherded TNOs.

Research Organization:
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States); Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (FNAL), Batavia, IL (United States); Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), High Energy Physics (HEP); USDOE Office of Science (SC), Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR)
Contributing Organization:
DES Collaboration
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-07CH11359; AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1462215
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1468020
Report Number(s):
arXiv:1805.05355; FERMILAB-PUB-18-135-AE; 1674863; TRN: US1902121
Journal Information:
The Astronomical Journal (Online), Vol. 156, Issue 2; ISSN 1538-3881
Publisher:
IOP Publishing - AAASCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 34 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Consequences of a Distant Massive Planet on the Large Semi-major Axis Trans-Neptunian Objects text January 2016
Generation of Highly Inclined Trans-Neptunian Objects by Planet Nine text January 2016
Constraints on Planet Nine's Orbit and Sky Position within a Framework of Mean Motion Resonances text January 2016
Discovery and Physical Characterization of a Large Scattered Disk Object at 92 AU text January 2017
OSSOS VI. Striking Biases in the detection of large semimajor axis Trans-Neptunian Objects text January 2017
Evaluating the Dynamical Stability of Outer Solar System Objects in the Presence of Planet Nine text January 2017
Col-OSSOS: z Band Photometry Reveals Three Distinct TNO Surface Types text January 2017
Was Planet 9 captured in the Sun's natal star-forming region? text January 2017
Dynamical Evolution Induced by Planet Nine text January 2017
Producing Distant Planets by Mutual Scattering of Planetary Embryos text January 2017
Chaotic Dynamics of Trans-Neptunian Objects Perturbed by Planet Nine text January 2017
OSSOS IX: two objects in Neptune's 9:1 resonance -- implications for resonance sticking in the scattering population text January 2018
The Generation of the Distant Kuiper Belt by Planet Nine from an Initially Broad Perihelion Distribution text January 2018
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Cited By (7)

The fate of planetesimal discs in young open clusters: implications for 1I/’Oumuamua, the Kuiper belt, the Oort cloud, and more journal April 2019
Two temperate sub-Neptunes transiting the star EPIC 212737443 journal June 2019
A New High Perihelion Trans-Plutonian Inner Oort Cloud Object: 2015 TG387 journal March 2019
A Pluto–Charon Sonata: Dynamical Limits on the Masses of the Small Satellites journal July 2019
A Fruit of a Different Kind: 2015 BP 519 as an Outlier Among the Extreme Trans-neptunian Objects journal July 2018
The fate of planetesimal discs in young open clusters: implications for 1I/’Oumuamua, the Kuiper belt, the Oort cloud, and more text January 2019
A Fruit of a Different Kind: 2015 BP519 as an Outlier among the Extreme Trans-Neptunian Objects text January 2018

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