Outer Solar System Origins Survey

OSSOS observed eight blocks of the sky over a period of five years from 2013–2017 using the MegaPrime camera of the 3.6-meter Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope. Images of these blocks were taken near opposition (when the block is near opposite the sun), two months before, and two months after. This extended period of observation was designed to remove ephemeris bias which can cause the loss of some objects due to inaccurate predictions of their future positions. Pointing directions, detection efficiencies, and tracking frequencies were determined to allow other observational biases to be identified.

These identified biases are used by the survey simulator developed by the OSSOS group. This survey simulator can estimate the populations of detected objects, for example those in resonances, and set upper limits for the classes of objects not detected. The survey simulator can also predict the number of object that would be detected by OSSOS given the output of dynamical models of the early Solar System, allowing the models to be statistically tested.

File:Semimajor axis and eccentricity of objects detected by OSSOS.png

OSSOS has detected 838 objects, bring the total objects detected by well characterized surveys to more than 1100.{{cite journal|last1=Bannister|first1=Michelle|display-authors=etal|title=OSSOS. VII. 800+ Trans-Neptunian Objects—The Complete Data Release|journal=The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series|date=2018|volume=236|issue=1|page=18|arxiv=1805.11740|bibcode=2018ApJS..236...18B|doi=10.3847/1538-4365/aab77a |doi-access=free }} Among these objects are a possible dwarf planet in a 9:2 resonance with Neptune, and two objects in a 9:1 resonance with Neptune. Other resonant objects have been detected and their populations estimated. A previously identified 'kernel' in the cold classical Kuiper belt has been confirmed and other cold classical objects beyond the 2:1 resonance with Neptune have been identified. OSSOS detected 3 potential members of the Haumea family, but none of these were faint, indicating that the family has a shallow size distribution.{{cite journal |last1=Pike |first1=Rosemary |display-authors=et al |title=A dearth of small members in the Haumea family revealed by OSSOS |journal=Nature Astronomy |date=2019 |volume=4 |pages=89–96 |arxiv=1908.10286 |doi=10.1038/s41550-019-0867-z}} Analysis of the size distribution of the scattering population revealed a break in its slope. The inclination distribution of these scattering objects had more with inclinations greater than 45 degrees than predicted using simulations that included only the known planets and the influence of the galaxy, but also fewer with inclinations between 15 and 30 degrees than predicted when Planet Nine was added to the simulations.{{cite journal |last1=Kaib |first1=Nathan A. |display-authors=etal |title=OSSOS XV: Probing the Distant Solar System with Observed Scattering TNOs |date=2019 |journal=The Astronomical Journal |volume=158 |issue=1 |page=43 |doi=10.3847/1538-3881/ab2383 |pmid=31379385 |pmc=6677154 |arxiv=1905.09286 |doi-access=free }} Extreme trans-Neptunian objects (eTNOs) have been found including one with a semi-major axis of 730 AU, {{mp|2013 SY|99}}, and seven other objects with semi-major axes greater than 150 AU and perihelia greater than 30 AU. After accounting for OSSOS's known biases the orbital elements of these objects are consist with a uniformly distributed population. Four scattered disk objects with high perihelia have been detected with semi-major axes smaller than nearby resonances, consistent with their escape during a slow grainy migration of Neptune.{{cite journal |last1=Lawler |first1=S. M. |display-authors=etal|title=OSSOS. XIII. Fossilized Resonant Dropouts Tentatively Confirm Neptune's Migration Was Grainy and Slow |journal=The Astronomical Journal |date=2018 |volume=157 |issue=6 |page=253 |doi=10.3847/1538-3881/ab1c4c |arxiv=1808.02618 |doi-access=free }} Closer to the Sun, 20 centaurs were found, none of which were active.{{cite journal |last1=Cabral |first1=N. |display-authors=etal|title=OSSOS: XI. No active Centaurs in the Outer Solar System Origins Survey |date=2019 |journal=Astronomy & Astrophysics |volume=621 |page=A102 |doi=10.1051/0004-6361/201834021 |arxiv=1810.03648}} The number of centaurs detected and their inclinantion distribution were consistent with a model of the early Solar System that included a slow, long range migration of Neptune.{{cite journal |last1=Nesvorny |first1=David |display-authors=et al |title=OSSOS. XIX. Testing Early Solar System Dynamical Models Using OSSOS Centaur Detections |journal=The Astronomical Journal |date=2019 |volume=158 |issue=3 |page=132 |doi=10.3847/1538-3881/ab3651 |arxiv=1907.10723 |doi-access=free }} 65 of the smaller objects discovered by OSSOS were later observed using the Subaru telescope to determine the variability of their brightness.{{cite journal |last1=Alexandersen |first1=Mike |display-authors=etal |title=OSSOS XII: Variability studies of 65 Trans-Neptunian Objects using the Hyper Suprime-Cam |date=2018 |journal=The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series |volume=244 |issue=1 |page=19 |arxiv=1812.04304|doi=10.3847/1538-4365/ab2fe4 |doi-access=free }}

File:Semimajor axis and inclination of objects detected by OSSOS.png

Operating in conjunction with OSSOS is the Colours of the Outer Solar System Origins Survey (Col-OSSOS). Col-OSSOS observes OSSOS objects with red magnitudes brighter than 23.5 simultaneously using the Gemini-North and Canada-France-Hawaii telescopes. The simultaneous observation allows the colors of these object to be measured more accurately by removing variations in their brightness due to the rotation of the objects and changes in atmospheric conditions. These observations have revealed three surface types among the TNOs, and have identified numerous binaries including loosely bound neutrally colored 'blue binaries' that could have been pushed out into their current orbits during Neptune's migration. Among the dynamically excited populations the ratio of neutral to red objects has been estimated to be between 4:1 and 11:1.{{cite journal |last1=Schwamb |first1=Megan E. |display-authors=etal|title=Col-OSSOS: The Colours of the Outer Solar System Origins Survey |date=2018 |journal=The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series |volume=243 |issue=1 |page=12 |arxiv=1809.08501|doi=10.3847/1538-4365/ab2194 |doi-access=free }} The inclination distributions were found to vary with color, with the red objects having lower inclinations.{{cite journal |last1=Marsset |first1=Michaël |display-authors=et al |title=Col-OSSOS: Color and Inclination Are Correlated throughout the Kuiper Belt |journal=The Astronomical Journal |date=2019 |volume=157 |issue=3 |page=94 |doi=10.3847/1538-3881/aaf72e |arxiv=1812.02190 |doi-access=free }} The Col-OSSOS team has also measured the color and light curve of ʻOumuamua.

The core members of the Outer Solar System Origin Survey are:

• Brett J. Gladman – co-principal investigator, orbit analysis
• John J. Kavelaars – co-principal investigator, data, discovery
• Jean-Marc Petit – co-principal investigator, orbit analysis, survey simulator
• Michele Bannister – data, discovery, telescope operations, (see {{MoMP|10463|cite}})
• Stephen Gwyn – astrometric catalogue, (see {{MoMP|358376|cite}})
• Kat Volk – orbit classification
• Ying-Tung (Charles) Chen – data analysis
• Mike Alexandersen – survey cadence & design

Collaborators of the Outer Solar System Origin Survey are:

{{Div col|colwidth=16em}}

• Andrew C. Becker
• Susan D. Benecchi (née Kern)
• Federica Bianco
• Steven Bickerton
• Ramon Brasser
• Audrey C. Delsanti
• Wesley Fraser
• Mikael Granvik
• Will Grundy
• Aurelie Guilbert-Lepoutre
• Amanda Sickafoose Gulbis
• Daniel Hestroffer
• Wing Ip
• Marian Jakubik
• Lynne Jones
• Nathan Kaib
• Pavlo Korsun
• Simon Krughoff
• Irina Kulyk
• Pedro Lacerda
• Sam Lawler
• Matthew Lehner
• Edward Lin
• Tim Lister
• Patryk Lykawka
• Ruth Murray-Clay
• Keith Noll (see {{MoMP|6386|cite}})
• Alex Parker
• Nuno Peixinho
• Rosemary Pike
• Philippe Rousselot
• Megan Schwamb
• Cory Shankman
• Bruno Sicardy
• Scott Tremaine
• Pierre Vernazza (see {{MoMP|20607|cite}})
• Shiang-Yu Wang

{{Div col end}}

{{See also|Category:Discoveries by OSSOS}}

{{clear}}

• {{section link|List of minor planet discoverers|OSSOS}}
• List of trans-Neptunian objects

{{Reflist|refs=

{{cite web

|title = Welcome to the Outer Solar System Origins Survey

|website = www.ossos-survey.org

|url = http://www.ossos-survey.org/

|accessdate = 7 April 2018}}

{{cite web

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|first5 = Stephen |last5 = Gwyn

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|first33 = Kathryn |last33 = Volk

|first34 = Shiang-Yu |last34 = Wang

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|date = June 2017

|title = OSSOS. V. Diffusion in the Orbit of a High-perihelion Distant Solar System Object

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|date = August 2017

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|first20 = Todd |last20 = Burdullis

|first21 = Scott |last21 = Sheppard

|first22 = Chad |last22 = Trujillo

|date = April 2017

|title = All planetesimals born near the Kuiper belt formed as binaries

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|first5 = Alan |last5 = Fitzsimmons

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|first10 = Adam B. |last10 = Smith

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}}

• [http://www.ossos-survey.org/ Outer Solar System Origins Survey], website
• {{YouTube |id=_w9N6yABAW4 |title=Exploring the outer Solar System: now in vivid colour}}, SETI Talks, Michele Bannister
• [http://www.astro.uvic.ca/~micheleb/ Michele Bannister], at the Astronomy Research Centre (ARC)

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Category:Astronomical surveys

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