Planet Formation through the Lens of the Outer Solar System

We currently know of 2000 small bodies in the outer solar system called Kuiper Belt or Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs). This population provides crucial information about the formation of the solar system. In particular, there is a sub-population that is an untouched relic of solar system formation, giving us nearly-direct insights into planet formation. For example, recent work shows that non-linear interactions between gas and dust – the streaming instability – is an excellent match to the known properties of this sub-population. While the field has progressed significantly, there are many unanswered questions about the basic properties of TNOs. For example, only about 20 TNOs have measured densities and only a few have measured shapes. The Ragozzine Research Group is working on improving our understanding of TNOs by performing the first orbital analyses that are able to measure or constrain their shapes and spin states. We study TNO binaries by characterizing the "non-Keplerian" signal due to motion around non-spherical bodies and take advantage of advanced Bayesian statistical inference to quantify these subtle effects. We also involve undergraduates in a traditional lecture course to contribute and become co-authors on upcoming publications. I will present our current results including new upper limits on shapes of TNOs as a function of sub-population and the likely detection of an unseen moon around the famous dwarf planet Eris.