The Kuiper Belt and Olbers's paradox

Scott J. Kenyon; Rogier Windhorst

doi:10.1086/318885

The Kuiper Belt and Olbers's paradox

Scott J. Kenyon, Rogier Windhorst

Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

We investigate the constraints that Olbers's paradox, applied to the zodiacal background as measured from space, sets on outer solar system objects. If extended to very faint limits, R ∼ 40-50 mag, the steep optical number counts of Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) at R ≲ 26 imply an infinitely bright night sky. Small KBOs with radii of r ∼ 1 μm to r ∼ 1 km must have a size distribution n(r) ∝ r^-a, with a ∼ 3.4 or smaller to satisfy the known limits on the sky-surface brightness at optical and far-infrared wavelengths. Improved limits on the measured KBO surface brightness can yield direct estimates of the albedo, temperature, and size distribution for small KBOs in the outer solar system.

Original language	English (US)
Pages (from-to)	L69-L73
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	547
Issue number	1 PART 2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/318885
State	Published - Jan 20 2001

Keywords

Kuiper Belt
Solar system: Formation

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.1086/318885

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abstract = "We investigate the constraints that Olbers's paradox, applied to the zodiacal background as measured from space, sets on outer solar system objects. If extended to very faint limits, R ∼ 40-50 mag, the steep optical number counts of Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) at R ≲ 26 imply an infinitely bright night sky. Small KBOs with radii of r ∼ 1 μm to r ∼ 1 km must have a size distribution n(r) ∝ r-a, with a ∼ 3.4 or smaller to satisfy the known limits on the sky-surface brightness at optical and far-infrared wavelengths. Improved limits on the measured KBO surface brightness can yield direct estimates of the albedo, temperature, and size distribution for small KBOs in the outer solar system.",

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AU - Windhorst, Rogier

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AB - We investigate the constraints that Olbers's paradox, applied to the zodiacal background as measured from space, sets on outer solar system objects. If extended to very faint limits, R ∼ 40-50 mag, the steep optical number counts of Kuiper Belt objects (KBOs) at R ≲ 26 imply an infinitely bright night sky. Small KBOs with radii of r ∼ 1 μm to r ∼ 1 km must have a size distribution n(r) ∝ r-a, with a ∼ 3.4 or smaller to satisfy the known limits on the sky-surface brightness at optical and far-infrared wavelengths. Improved limits on the measured KBO surface brightness can yield direct estimates of the albedo, temperature, and size distribution for small KBOs in the outer solar system.

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The Kuiper Belt and Olbers's paradox

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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