Orbital and Absolute Magnitude Distribution of Jupiter Trojans
Jupiter Trojans (JTs) librate about the Lagrangian stationary centers L4 and L5 associated with this planet on typically small-eccentricity and moderate-inclination heliocentric orbits. The physical and orbital properties of JTs provide important clues about the dynamical evolution of the giant plan...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | The Astronomical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ad2200 |
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| author | David Vokrouhlický David Nesvorný Miroslav Brož William F. Bottke Rogerio Deienno Carson D. Fuls Frank C. Shelly |
| author_facet | David Vokrouhlický David Nesvorný Miroslav Brož William F. Bottke Rogerio Deienno Carson D. Fuls Frank C. Shelly |
| author_sort | David Vokrouhlický |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Jupiter Trojans (JTs) librate about the Lagrangian stationary centers L4 and L5 associated with this planet on typically small-eccentricity and moderate-inclination heliocentric orbits. The physical and orbital properties of JTs provide important clues about the dynamical evolution of the giant planets in the early solar system, as well as populations of planetesimals in their source regions. Here we use decade-long observations from the Catalina Sky Survey (station G96) to determine the bias-corrected orbital and magnitude distributions of JTs. We distinguish the background JT population, filling smoothly the long-term stable orbital zone about L4 and L5 points and collisional families. We find that the cumulative magnitude distribution of JTs (the background population in our case) has a steep slope for H ≤ 9, followed by a moderately shallow slope until H ≃ 14.5, beyond which the distribution becomes even shallower. At H = 15 we find a local power-law exponent 0.38 ± 0.01. We confirm the asymmetry between the magnitude-limited background populations in L4 and L5 clouds characterized by a ratio 1.45 ± 0.05 for H < 15. Our analysis suggests an asymmetry in the inclination distribution of JTs, with the L4 population being tighter and the L5 population being broader. We also provide a new catalog of the synthetic proper elements for JTs with an updated identification of statistically robust families (9 at L4, and 4 at L5). The previously known Ennomos family is found to consist of two overlapping Deiphobus and Ennomos families. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T19:48:52Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f0268f2f19da4509bfccba5fe54f4dcd |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1538-3881 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T19:48:52Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astronomical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-f0268f2f19da4509bfccba5fe54f4dcd2024-02-28T17:08:59ZengIOP PublishingThe Astronomical Journal1538-38812024-01-01167313810.3847/1538-3881/ad2200Orbital and Absolute Magnitude Distribution of Jupiter TrojansDavid Vokrouhlický0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6034-5452David Nesvorný1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4547-4301Miroslav Brož2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2763-1411William F. Bottke3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1804-7814Rogerio Deienno4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6730-7857Carson D. Fuls5Frank C. Shelly6Astronomical Institute, Charles University , V Holešovičkách 2, CZ 18000, Prague 8, Czech Republic ; vokrouhl@cesnet.czDepartment of Space Studies, Southwest Research Institute , 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 300, Boulder, CO 80302, USAAstronomical Institute, Charles University , V Holešovičkách 2, CZ 18000, Prague 8, Czech Republic ; vokrouhl@cesnet.czDepartment of Space Studies, Southwest Research Institute , 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 300, Boulder, CO 80302, USADepartment of Space Studies, Southwest Research Institute , 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 300, Boulder, CO 80302, USALunar and Planetary Laboratory, The University of Arizona , 1629 E. University Boulevard, Tucson, AZ 85721-0092, USALunar and Planetary Laboratory, The University of Arizona , 1629 E. University Boulevard, Tucson, AZ 85721-0092, USAJupiter Trojans (JTs) librate about the Lagrangian stationary centers L4 and L5 associated with this planet on typically small-eccentricity and moderate-inclination heliocentric orbits. The physical and orbital properties of JTs provide important clues about the dynamical evolution of the giant planets in the early solar system, as well as populations of planetesimals in their source regions. Here we use decade-long observations from the Catalina Sky Survey (station G96) to determine the bias-corrected orbital and magnitude distributions of JTs. We distinguish the background JT population, filling smoothly the long-term stable orbital zone about L4 and L5 points and collisional families. We find that the cumulative magnitude distribution of JTs (the background population in our case) has a steep slope for H ≤ 9, followed by a moderately shallow slope until H ≃ 14.5, beyond which the distribution becomes even shallower. At H = 15 we find a local power-law exponent 0.38 ± 0.01. We confirm the asymmetry between the magnitude-limited background populations in L4 and L5 clouds characterized by a ratio 1.45 ± 0.05 for H < 15. Our analysis suggests an asymmetry in the inclination distribution of JTs, with the L4 population being tighter and the L5 population being broader. We also provide a new catalog of the synthetic proper elements for JTs with an updated identification of statistically robust families (9 at L4, and 4 at L5). The previously known Ennomos family is found to consist of two overlapping Deiphobus and Ennomos families.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ad2200Solar system astronomySmall Solar System bodies |
| spellingShingle | David Vokrouhlický David Nesvorný Miroslav Brož William F. Bottke Rogerio Deienno Carson D. Fuls Frank C. Shelly Orbital and Absolute Magnitude Distribution of Jupiter Trojans The Astronomical Journal Solar system astronomy Small Solar System bodies |
| title | Orbital and Absolute Magnitude Distribution of Jupiter Trojans |
| title_full | Orbital and Absolute Magnitude Distribution of Jupiter Trojans |
| title_fullStr | Orbital and Absolute Magnitude Distribution of Jupiter Trojans |
| title_full_unstemmed | Orbital and Absolute Magnitude Distribution of Jupiter Trojans |
| title_short | Orbital and Absolute Magnitude Distribution of Jupiter Trojans |
| title_sort | orbital and absolute magnitude distribution of jupiter trojans |
| topic | Solar system astronomy Small Solar System bodies |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ad2200 |
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