A Wide-Field CCD Survey For Centaurs and Kuiper Belt Objects

摘要: A modified Baker-Nunn camera was used to conduct a wide-field survey of 1428 deg2 sky near the ecliptic in search bright Kuiper Belt objects and Centaurs. This area is an order magnitude larger than any previously published CCD for Centaurs objects. No new brighter red mR = 18.8 moving at rate 1'' 20'' hr-1 were discovered, although one discovered Centaur, 1997 CU26 (Chariklo), serendipitously detected. The parameters characterized using both visual automated techniques. From this survey, empirical projected surface density found be ΣC(mR ≤ 18.8) 7.8 × 10-4 deg-2, we 3 σ upper confidence limit ΣK(mR < 4.1 10-3 deg-2. We discuss current state cumulative luminosity functions Through Monte Carlo simulation show that size distribution consistent with q ~ 4 differential power law, similar parent Centaur population 1 107 (radius ≥1 km), assuming geometric albedo 0.04. predict about 100 50 km radius, which only four are presently known. total mass M⊕. dust clouds detected resulting from object collisions, placing fewer 600 collisionally produced per year.