A Subaru Archival Search for Faint TNOs
| dc.creator | Fuentes, Cesar I. | |
| dc.creator | Holman, Matthew J. | |
| dc.date | 2008-04-21 | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-07-07T09:33:56Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-07-07T09:33:56Z | |
| dc.description | We present the results of a survey for trans-neptunian objects (TNOs) based on Subaru archival images, originally collected by Sheppard et al. (2005) as part of a search for irregular satellites of Uranus. The survey region covers 2.8 deg^2, centered on Uranus and observed near opposition on two adjacent nights. Our survey reaches half its maximum detection efficiency at R=25.69$\pm$0.01. The objects detected correspond to 82 TNOs, five Centaurs, and five irregular satellites. We model the cumulative number of TNOs brighter than a given apparent magnitude with both a single and double power law. The best fit single power law, with one object per square degree at magnitude $R_0 =22.6_{-0.4}^{+0.3}$ and a slope of $α= 0.51_{-0.6}^{+0.5}$, is inconsistent with the results of similar searches with shallower limiting magnitudes. The best fit double power law, with a bright-end slope $α_1 = 0.7_{-0.1}^{+0.2}$, a faint-end slope $α_2=0.3_{-0.2}^{+0.2}$, a differential number density at R=23, $σ_{23} = 2.0_{-0.5}^{+0.5}$ and a magnitude break in the slope at $R_{eq} = 24.3_{-0.1}^{+0.8}$, is more likely than the single power law by a Bayes factor of ~26. This is the first survey with sufficient depth and areal coverage to identify the magnitude at which the break occurs without relying on the results of other surveys. ... | |
| dc.description | Accepted for Publication in the Astronomical Journal, April 20th, 2008 [29 pages, 18 figures] | |
| dc.identifier | https://arxiv.org/abs/0804.3392 | |
| dc.identifier | http://arxiv.org/abs/0804.3392 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/159311 | |
| dc.subject | Astrophysics | |
| dc.title | A Subaru Archival Search for Faint TNOs | |
| dc.type | text |