1210.0537 (Scott S. Sheppard)

The Color Differences of Kuiper Belt Objects in Resonance with Neptune    [PDF]

Scott S. Sheppard

(Abridged) New optical colors of 58 objects in mean motion resonances with Neptune show the various resonant populations have significantly different color distributions. The 5:3 and 7:4 resonances have semi-major axes near the middle of the main Kuiper Belt and both are dominated by ultra-red material. The 5:3 and 7:4 resonances have statistically the same color distribution as the low inclination "cold" classical belt. The inner 4:3 and distant 5:2 resonances have objects with mostly moderately red colors, similar to the scattered and detached disk populations. The 2:1 resonance, which is near the outer edge of the main Kuiper Belt, has a large range of colors with similar numbers of moderately red and ultra-red objects at all inclinations. The inner 3:2 resonance, like the outer 2:1, has a large range of objects from neutral to ultra-red. The Neptune Trojans (1:1 resonance) are only slightly red, similar to the Jupiter Trojans. The inner 5:4 resonance only has four objects with measured colors but shows equal numbers of ultra-red and moderately red objects. The 9:5, 12:5, 7:3, 3:1 and 11:3 resonances do not have reliable color distribution statistics, though it appears noteworthy that all three of the measured 3:1 objects have only moderately red colors, similar to the 4:3 and 5:2 resonances. The different color distributions are likely a result from the disruption of the primordial Kuiper Belt from the scattering and migration of the giant planets. The few low inclination objects known in the outer 2:1 and 5:2 resonances are mostly only moderately red. This suggests if the 2:1 and 5:2 have a cold low inclination component, the objects likely had a significantly different origin than the ultra-red dominated cold components of the cold classical belt and 5:3 and 7:4 resonances.

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1210.0537