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A New Planet in the Solar System? Investigating the Role of Undiscovered Planets on the Formation and Evolution of the Kuiper Belt in the Outer Solar System

Research Project

Project/Area Number 20K04049
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Section一般
Review Section Basic Section 17010:Space and planetary sciences-related
Research InstitutionKindai University

Principal Investigator

Sofia Lykawka Patryk  近畿大学, 総合社会学部, 准教授 (30549853)

Project Period (FY) 2020-04-01 – 2024-03-31
Project Status Completed (Fiscal Year 2023)
Budget Amount *help
¥2,080,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥480,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥1,300,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,000,000、Indirect Cost: ¥300,000)
Fiscal Year 2021: ¥650,000 (Direct Cost: ¥500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥150,000)
Fiscal Year 2020: ¥130,000 (Direct Cost: ¥100,000、Indirect Cost: ¥30,000)
Keywords太陽系 / 太陽系外縁天体 / カイパーベルト / 未知の惑星 / solar system / trans-Neptunian objects / Kuiper Belt / undiscovered planets / Neptune / Kuiper belt
Outline of Research at the Start

Is there an unknown planet in the solar system today? Did additional planets exist during the early solar system? Based on computer simulations, this research will investigate the existence and role of such Kuiper Belt Planet (KBPs) in solar system history. Our results will guide future astronomical surveys that may discover a new planet in the solar system today.

Outline of Final Research Achievements

There are many mysterious objects in the region of the outer solar system known as the distant Kuiper Belt. In this study, we assumed that there is an undiscovered planet in the distant Kuiper belt and verified its effects by computer simulations. The model succeeded in reproducing the main properties of distant Kuiper Belt objects that could not be explained by conventional models considering only the known 8 planets. A hypothetical planet with 1.5 to 3 times the mass of the Earth, an orbit 200 to 800 au away from the sun, and an inclination of 30 degrees would be in close agreement with current observations. The results of this research suggest the possibility of the existence of an undiscovered planet in the outer solar system. It is expected to serve as an indicator for the actual observation of such a planet in the future. (1 au is the average distance from the Sun to the Earth)

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

海王星の軌道を超えるカイパーベルト天体は、太陽系における惑星形成の名残であると考えられているため、重要な存在である。従って、カイパーベルトの形成は、太陽系とその惑星(地球を含む)がどのように、どのような条件で形成されたかを理解するのに役立つ。本研究では、カイパーベルトのより遠方領域を分析した結果、太陽系外縁部に未発見の惑星が存在すれば、遠方カイパーベルトの特性がよく説明できると分かった。この惑星の影響を考慮することで、太陽系形成に関する新たな洞察を得ることができる。また、未発見の惑星の存在を予測しているため、今後の日本や国際的な天体観測によって、太陽系内に新惑星などが発見される可能性がある。

Report

(5 results)
  • 2023 Annual Research Report   Final Research Report ( PDF )
  • 2022 Research-status Report
  • 2021 Research-status Report
  • 2020 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (14 results)

All 2023 2022 2021 Other

All Journal Article (1 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 1 results,  Peer Reviewed: 1 results,  Open Access: 1 results) Presentation (9 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 2 results) Remarks (4 results)

  • [Journal Article] Is There an Earth-like Planet in the Distant Kuiper Belt?2023

    • Author(s)
      Lykawka Patryk Sofia、Ito 伊藤 Takashi 孝士
    • Journal Title

      The Astronomical Journal

      Volume: 166 Issue: 3 Pages: 118-118

    • DOI

      10.3847/1538-3881/aceaf0

    • Related Report
      2023 Annual Research Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] 遠いカイパーベルトの軌道構造の究明:未知の惑星の存在?2023

    • Author(s)
      Patryk Sofia Lykawka (パトリック ソフィア リカフィカ)
    • Organizer
      日本地球惑星科学連合2023年大会
    • Related Report
      2023 Annual Research Report
  • [Presentation] 遠方のカイパーベルト軌道構造の究明:未知の惑星の存在?2023

    • Author(s)
      Patryk Sofia Lykawka (パトリック ソフィア リカフィカ)
    • Organizer
      日本天文学会2023年秋季年会
    • Related Report
      2023 Annual Research Report
  • [Presentation] 遠方のカイパーベルト軌道構造の究明:地球クラスの未知の惑星は存在する?2023

    • Author(s)
      Patryk Sofia Lykawka (パトリック ソフィア リカフィカ)
    • Organizer
      日本惑星科学会2023年秋季講演会
    • Related Report
      2023 Annual Research Report
  • [Presentation] 太陽系外縁に新惑星の存在の究明2022

    • Author(s)
      Patryk Sofia Lykawka (パトリック ソフィア リカフィカ)
    • Organizer
      日本天文学会2022年春季年会 - Virtual
    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] Investigating the orbital structure of the distant Kuiper Belt: Evidence for an undiscovered planet?2022

    • Author(s)
      Patryk Sofia Lykawka (パトリック ソフィア リカフィカ)
    • Organizer
      54th Annual Meeting of the AAS Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) - Virtual
    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] 遠いカイパーベルトの軌道構造の究明:未知の惑星の存在?2022

    • Author(s)
      Patryk Sofia Lykawka (パトリック ソフィア リカフィカ)
    • Organizer
      日本惑星科学会2022年秋季講演会 - Virtual
    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] Investigating the existence of a new planet in the outer solar system2022

    • Author(s)
      Patryk Sofia Lykawka
    • Organizer
      日本天文学会 2022年春季年会
    • Related Report
      2021 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] 太陽系外縁に新惑星の存在の究明2021

    • Author(s)
      Patryk Sofia Lykawka
    • Organizer
      日本惑星科学会 2021年秋季講演会
    • Related Report
      2021 Research-status Report
  • [Presentation] Investigating the existence of a new planet in the far outer solar system2021

    • Author(s)
      Patryk Sofia Lykawka
    • Organizer
      53rd Annnual Division for Planetary Sciences (USA)
    • Related Report
      2021 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Remarks] KUIPER BELT PLANET カイパーベルト惑星

    • URL

      https://sites.google.com/site/patryksofialykawka/home/kbp

    • Related Report
      2023 Annual Research Report
  • [Remarks] 近畿大学のニュースリリース

    • URL

      https://www.kindai.ac.jp/news-pr/news-release/2023/08/039803.html

    • Related Report
      2023 Annual Research Report
  • [Remarks] 近畿大学のニュースリリース(英語版)

    • URL

      https://www.kindai.ac.jp/english/news/news-release/2023/09/039941.html

    • Related Report
      2023 Annual Research Report
  • [Remarks] researchmapのプレスリリース

    • URL

      https://researchmap.jp/press_releases/press_releases/view/633014/af5bf73b682ca54a75b5b5f44f3579b1

    • Related Report
      2023 Annual Research Report

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Published: 2020-04-28   Modified: 2025-01-30  

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