ON THE EXISTENCE OF A COMET BELT BEYOND NEPTUNE

被引:265
作者
FERNANDEZ, JA [1 ]
机构
[1] OBSERV ASTRON NACL,ALFONSO 12,MADRID 7,SPAIN
关键词
Astrophysics - Diffusion - Interplanetary flight - Monte Carlo methods - NASA - Orbits;
D O I
10.1093/mnras/192.3.481
中图分类号
P1 [天文学];
学科分类号
0704 ;
摘要
The possible existence of a comet belt in connection with the origin of the short-period comets is analysed. It is noted that the current theory - that these comets originate as near-parabolic comets captured by Jupiter and the other giant planets - implies an excessive wastage of comets lost in hyperbolic orbits, which is avoided in the present model. The following picture is predicted. Solid conglomerates up to ∼1018 g were formed by gravitational instabilities in the belt region (about 35-50 AU). A further fragmentation-accretion process led to a power-law mass distribution similar to that observed in the asteroids. Since then, close encounters between members of the belt have provoked the diffusion of some of them with the effect that they have become subject to the strong perturbations of Nepture. Of these a small number pass from one planet to the next inside and end as short-period comets. By means of a Monte Carlo method, the influence of close encounters between belt comets is then studied in relation to the diffusion of their orbits. It is concluded that if such a belt contains members with masses equal to or greater than that of Ceres, the orbital diffusion could proceed fast enough to maintain the number of observed short-period comets in a steady state. © 1980 Royal Astronomical Society. Provided by the NASA Astrophysics Data System.
引用
收藏
页码:481 / 491
页数:11
相关论文
共 29 条
[1]   ORIGIN OF COMETARY NUCLEI IN PRE-SOLAR NEBULA [J].
BIERMANN, L ;
MICHEL, KW .
MOON AND THE PLANETS, 1978, 18 (04) :447-464
[2]   ASTEROID COLLISIONAL EVOLUTION - EVIDENCE FOR A MUCH LARGER EARLY POPULATION [J].
CHAPMAN, CR ;
DAVIS, DR .
SCIENCE, 1975, 190 (4214) :553-556
[3]  
CRUIKSHANK DP, 1976, SCIENCE, V194, P835
[4]  
DELSEMME AH, 1973, ASTRON ASTROPHYS, V29, P377
[5]   COLLISIONAL MODEL OF ASTEROIDS AND THEIR DEBRIS [J].
DOHNANYI, JS .
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, 1969, 74 (10) :2531-&
[6]  
EVERHART E, 1972, ASTROPHYS LETT COMM, V10, P131
[7]  
EVERHART E, 1976, IAU25 C P
[8]  
EVERHART E, 1977, COMETS METEORITES AS
[9]   MASS REMOVED BY OUTER PLANETS IN EARLY SOLAR-SYSTEM [J].
FERNANDEZ, JA .
ICARUS, 1978, 34 (01) :173-181
[10]   FORMATION OF PLANETESIMALS [J].
GOLDREIC.P ;
WARD, WR .
ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL, 1973, 183 (03) :1051-1061