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The formation of Kuiper-belt binaries through exchange reactions

Nature volume 427, pages 518–520 (2004)Cite this article

Abstract

Recent observations1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 have revealed that an unexpectedly high fraction—a few per cent—of the trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) that inhabit the Kuiper belt are binaries. The components have roughly equal masses, with very eccentric orbits that are wider than a hundred times the radius of the primary. Standard theories of binary asteroid formation tend to produce close binaries with circular orbits, so two models have been proposed9,10 to explain the unique characteristics of the TNOs. Both models, however, require extreme assumptions regarding the size distribution of the TNOs. Here we report a mechanism that is capable of producing binary TNOs with the observed properties during the early stages of their formation and growth. The only required assumption is that the TNOs were initially formed through gravitational instabilities11 in the protoplanetary dust disk. The basis of the mechanism is an exchange reaction in which a binary whose primary component is much more massive than the secondary interacts with a third body, whose mass is comparable to that of the primary. The low-mass secondary component is ejected and replaced by the third body in a wide but eccentric orbit.

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Figure 1: Paths of formation of binaries.
Figure 2: An example of a binary–single-body exchange interaction.
Figure 3: Normalized differential cross-sections for the formation of a ‘massive–massive’ binary.
Figure 4: Distribution of orbital properties of ‘massive–massive’ binaries formed in our scattering experiments.

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Acknowledgements

We acknowledge comments on our manuscript by P. Goldreich, R. Rafikov, R. Sari, K. S. Noll and D. Durda.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. General Systems Studies, University of Tokyo, 153, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Yoko Funato

  2. Department of Astronomy, University of Tokyo, 113, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan

    Junichiro Makino

  3. Institute for Advanced Study, New Jersey, Princeton, 08540, USA

    Piet Hut

  4. National Astronomical Observatory, 180, Osawa, Mitaka-shi, Tokyo, Japan

    Eiichiro Kokubo

  5. National Central University, 300 Jungda Road, Chung-Li, 32054, Taiwan

    Daisuke Kinoshita

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  1. Yoko Funato
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Correspondence to Yoko Funato.

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Funato, Y., Makino, J., Hut, P. et al. The formation of Kuiper-belt binaries through exchange reactions. Nature 427, 518–520 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature02323

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