2020 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
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
| Project/Area Number |
20K04049
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| Research Institution | Kindai University |
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Principal Investigator |
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| Project Period (FY) |
2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
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| 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 |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
How many planets are (were) in the solar system? This research will answer this question by fulfilling two main goals: (1) How does a Kuiper Belt Planet (KBP) located beyond Neptune perturb the orbits of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs)? (2) The Kuiper Belt orbital structure by considering the existence of KBPs in the early solar system. The main achievements so far are:
- A model of TNOs representing the real Kuiper Belt including resonant and outer populations (this model is needed).
- 36 combinations of masses (Mars to Earth-like) and orbits of potential KBPs were identified based on the survival of resonant populations. Overall, KBPs should be located beyond 100 astronomical units.
As planned, the full achievements of goals (1) and (2) will be obtained in FY2021 and FY2022, respectively.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
As planned, I am currently investigating goal (1) of this project. First, after performing a number of necessary tests and obtaining observational data of trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs), I identified the best candidate KBPs in the current solar system by constraining their orbits and masses. In total, there are 36 potential individual KBPs that were included in the main N-body simulations containing the real TNOs. Now (4/2021), the main simulations that will yield the results needed to fulfill goal (1) have been running for a few months. Fortunately, they should finish after one month or so.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
I expect the main N-body computer simulations related to goal (1) of this project to finish in early FY2021. I intend to start analyzing that data not later than mid-2021. Then, I will summarize the main results related to goal (1) by the end of 2021. After that, I intend to write the first research paper about these results.
Meanwhile, I also intend to prepare the main simulations related to goal (2) during the same period in a way that once the current simulations finish (related to goal 1), I will be able to start the new ones related to goal (2) for optimal productivity and efficient computer use. At the moment, it is difficult to predict precisely, but the new simulations should finish around the end of 2021 and early 2022. Data analysis will follow after these simulations are done.
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| Causes of Carryover |
The original plan for fiscal year 2020 was to spend 100,000 yen to present the preliminary results of this research in one national meeting. However, the coronavirus situation hit hard in a way that NO national meeting was held face to face in a way that the plan could be executed. Instead, there were only online meetings, so that it was impossible to use 100,000 yen for travel and hotel expenses.
For these reasons, as originally intended, I wish to use that budget to join a face to face national meeting during fiscal year 2021 in addition to what is already planned for FY2021.
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