Dr. Nesvorny continues to study the origin and evolution of natural satellites in the Solar System. He will try to determine how the distribution of satellites constrains our current models of planet formation. With this award he will concentrate on two tasks:
Task 1: After years of speculation, binary systems have been discovered among populations of both asteroids and Kuiper Belt objects. Recent observational searches show that about 10 percent of large trans-Neptunian objects are binaries. These binary systems cannot be created by collisions, tidal evolution, and dynamical effects operating in the present Kuiper Belt (KB). It is more likely that these binary KBOs formed in early epochs, when physical collisions and collisionless gravitational interactions were more frequent due to the small velocity dispersion of the orbits and the much larger mass that likely existed in the outer Solar System at that time. Dr. Nesvorny will numerically model several recently suggested scenarios of binary KBO formation to probe the physical conditions that existed in the trans-Neptunian disk during early epochs.
Task 2: More than seventy irregular moons of the jovian planets have recently been discovered. These moons are an enigmatic part of the Solar System inventory. Unlike regular satellites, the irregular moons revolve around the planets at large distances in inclined and eccentric orbits. Their origin, which is intimately linked with the origin of the planets themselves, has yet to be adequately explained. Dr. Nesvorny will investigate the possibility that the irregular moons were captured from the circum-solar planetesimal disk by gravitational reactions. These reactions may have been a frequent occurrence during the time when the outer planets migrated in the planetesimal disk.
To broaden the impact of the research program, Dr. Nesvorny has prepared a plan to address dissemination of the results, promotion of science teaching, and to enhance the infrastructure for research and education. In particular he will work in collaboration with the Denver Museum of Nature and Science (DMNS) to enhance the museums programs. The DMNS attracts over 1 million visitors annually, and as a leading educational institution in the Denver community, it is a natural focus for the dissemination of Dr. Nesvornys research to the public. ***
