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Constraints on impact rates in the Pluto-Charon system and the population of the Kuiper comet beltImpact rates in the Pluto-Charon system are dominated by comets from the proposed Kuiper Belt, 30 to 50 AU from the sun. Such collisions excite the eccentricity of Charon's orbit, which then decays due to tidal dissipation. Charon's eccentricity approaches a quasi-steady state, which can be used to constrain the total number and mass of comets in the Kuiper Belt. Unfortunately, the current upper limit on Charon's orbital eccentricity must be reduced by more than a factor of ten before useful constraints can be set.
Document ID
19900027055
Acquisition Source
Legacy CDMS
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Weissman, Paul R.
(JPL Pasadena, CA, United States)
Dobrovolskis, Anthony R.
(NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, CA, United States)
Stern, S. Alan
(Colorado, University Boulder, United States)
Date Acquired
August 14, 2013
Publication Date
November 1, 1989
Publication Information
Publication: Geophysical Research Letters
Volume: 16
ISSN: 0094-8276
Subject Category
Astronomy
Accession Number
90A14110
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other

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