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Contamination of the asteroid belt by primordial trans-Neptunian objects

Author

Listed:
  • Harold F. Levison

    (Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 300,
    Center for Lunar Origin & Evolution, NASA Lunar Science Institute, Boulder, Colorado 80302, USA)

  • William F. Bottke

    (Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 300,
    Center for Lunar Origin & Evolution, NASA Lunar Science Institute, Boulder, Colorado 80302, USA)

  • Matthieu Gounelle

    (Laboratoire de Minéralogie et de Cosmochimie du Muséum, CNRS & Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle)

  • Alessandro Morbidelli

    (Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, Nice, Cedex 4, F-06304, France)

  • David Nesvorný

    (Southwest Research Institute, 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 300,
    Center for Lunar Origin & Evolution, NASA Lunar Science Institute, Boulder, Colorado 80302, USA)

  • Kleomenis Tsiganis

    (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 54006 Hellas, Greece)

Abstract

Diversity in the asteroid belt Most of the bodies in the main asteroid belt, roughly between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, are assumed to have formed in situ from a primordial disk, yet the belt contains a surprising diversity of objects ranging from primitive ice/rock mixtures to igneous rocks. The traditional interpretation of this diversity has been that it represents chemical changes relating to the original condensation sequence in the protoplanetary disk, but a new series of simulations provides an alternative explanation. The violent dynamical evolution of the giant planet orbits required by the 'Nice' model for the dynamical evolution of the Solar System — a model developed in large part at the Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur in Nice — is shown to lead to the insertion of primitive trans-Neptunian objects into the outer region of the main asteroid belt. These organic-rich latecomers from the outer reaches of the Solar System would have been more susceptible to collisional evolution than typical main-belt asteroids and a prolific source of micrometeorites, thereby explaining another long-standing mystery — the 'primitive' composition of micrometeorites as compared to macroscopic meteorites.

Suggested Citation

  • Harold F. Levison & William F. Bottke & Matthieu Gounelle & Alessandro Morbidelli & David Nesvorný & Kleomenis Tsiganis, 2009. "Contamination of the asteroid belt by primordial trans-Neptunian objects," Nature, Nature, vol. 460(7253), pages 364-366, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:460:y:2009:i:7253:d:10.1038_nature08094
    DOI: 10.1038/nature08094
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