High-speed and wide-field survey for trans-Neptunian objects

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18H01272
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 17010:Space and planetary sciences-related
• Research Institution: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
• Principal Investigator: Watanabe Jun'ichi 国立天文台, 天文情報センター, 教授 (50201190)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 酒向 重行 東京大学, 大学院理学系研究科(理学部), 准教授 (90533563)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: 固体惑星 / 惑星形成 / 衛星 / 惑星進化 / 小惑星

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The goal of this study is to derive a size-frequency distribution of kilo-meter size trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) and reveal the outer environment in the early solar system and migration process of ice giant planets by observing stellar occultations due to the TNOs. To accomplish this purpose, we have completed a wide-field video camera for the Kiso 105-cm Schmidt telescope and conducted a wide-field video survey of the sky at 2 Hz for a long period. While we could not detect stellar occultations due to the TNOs in the period of this study, we have successfully developed an observation system for the occultations.

Free Research Field

太陽系天文学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究で開発した木曽105cmシュミット望遠鏡用の広視野動画カメラTomo-e Gozenは、秒以下の現象を探索できる世界で唯一の広視野装置である。太陽系外縁天体の観測の重要性は近年高まってきているが、その掩蔽現象を検出する能力のある観測装置とソフトウェアシステムを構築し、長時間サーベイ観測により取得した実データを用いて掩蔽の検出技術を獲得した本研究の学術的意義は大きい。