WFIRST Ultra-Precise Astrometry I: Kuiper Belt Objects

Andrew Gould (OSU)

(Submitted on 17 Mar 2014)

I show that the WFIRST microlensing survey will enable detection and precision orbit determination of Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) down to H_vega=28.2 over an effective area of about 17 square deg. Typical fractional period errors will be ~1.5% X 10^{0.4(H-28.2)} with similar errors in other parameters for roughly 5000 KBOs. Binary companions to detected KBOs can be detected to even fainter limits, H_vega=29, corresponding to R~31 and effective diameters D~7.5 km. This will provide an unprecedented probe of orbital resonance and KBO mass measurements.

Comments: 12 pages, 1 figures. ApJ submitted

Subjects: Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)

Cite as: arXiv:1403.4241 [astro-ph.EP] (or arXiv:1403.4241v1 [astro-ph.EP] for this version)

Submission history From: Andrew Gould 

[v1] Mon, 17 Mar 2014 20:00:01 GMT (18kb)