Comptes Rendus
no. 7
The primordial sculpting of the Kuiper belt
[L'évolution primitive de la ceinture de Kuiper et l'acquisition de sa structure actuelle]

Présenté par : Pierre Encrenaz

Alessandro Morbidelli1  ; Hal F. Levison2
1 Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, B.P. 4229, 06304 Nice cedex 4, France
2 SWRI, 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 426, Boulder, CO 80302, USA
Comptes Rendus. Physique, Volume 4 (2003) no. 7, pp. 809-817.

Comprendre comment la ceinture de Kuiper a acquit sa structure actuelle apporterait également une nouvelle compréhension de la formation et de l'évolution précoce du Système Solaire externe. Nous traçons les grandes lignes d'un scénario cohérent – issu de la combinaison de plusieurs mécanismes déjà proposés dans la littérature – qui pourrait expliquer la plupart des propriétés observées de la ceinture de Kuiper. Certains aspects ne sont pas totalement clairs, et d'autres ne sont peut-être pas totalement corrects. Mais, pour la première fois on commence à entrevoir la suite des événements qui ont donné à la ceinture de Kuiper sa forme actuelle.

Understanding how the Kuiper belt acquired its puzzling present orbital structure will provide insight into the formation of the outer planetary system and on its early evolution. We outline a scenario of primordial sculpting – issued from a combination of mechanisms proposed by various authors – that seems to explain most of the observed properties of the Kuiper belt. Several aspects are not yet totally clear, and some may not be totally correct. But, for the first time, we have a view – if not of the detailed sculpture – at least of its rough cast.

Publié le :
DOI : 10.1016/j.crhy.2003.10.001
Keywords: Kuiper belt, orbital structure
Mot clés : ceinture de Kuiper, structure orbitale
Alessandro Morbidelli 1 ; Hal F. Levison 2

1 Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur, B.P. 4229, 06304 Nice cedex 4, France
2 SWRI, 1050 Walnut Street, Suite 426, Boulder, CO 80302, USA 
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Alessandro Morbidelli; Hal F. Levison. The primordial sculpting of the Kuiper belt. Comptes Rendus. Physique, Volume 4 (2003) no. 7, pp. 809-817. doi : 10.1016/j.crhy.2003.10.001. https://comptes-rendus.academie-sciences.fr/physique/articles/10.1016/j.crhy.2003.10.001/

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