I let this one slip by, apologies. The TNO 2024 meeting happened this June 24-28, in Taipei, Taiwan. There’s a definite but vague link between literal asteroids and Transneptunian objects. That, and I didn’t go to Taiwan. Not even close. Still, the link is a link; here’s how:
“SBDynT: Real-Time Characterization of Small Body Dynamics Code for Solar System Surveys”
Dallin Spencer [BYU] Session 2.03 LSST Monday
A telescope is a telescope: you can’t really build one that will spot TNOs, and nothing else. If anything, the postprocessing algorithms might filter TNOs in or out, due to their distance (and therefore speed). But the SBDynT code doesn’t filter that way; it’s more of a post-post processor.
“The DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP)”
David Trilling [NAU] Session 4.07 Surveys Tuesday
See above; NOIR’s 4-m ‘scopes searched the sky to find what they found. Pursuing TNOs, a ‘filter’ was used to bring out faint TNOs; this algorithm (synthetic tracking) ran by the fact that distant TNOs move so slowly their sky motion is drowned by Earth’s motion. Still, the code can be reset for asteroids.
“An Exact Solution to the Tracklet Linking Problem”
Kevin Napier [UMichIDS, UMichPhys] Session 4.10 Surveys, Tuesday
All telescope detections are tentative. It takes orbital dynamics (via orbit determination) to tell you what you’ve got. Napier et al. have new code to make it ‘un-tentative’, and it works on asteroids or TNOs.
“Solar System formation constraints from Jupiter Trojans and TNOs using occultations”
Marc Buie [SwRI] Session 9.04 Occultations (Targeted), Thursday
Trojans… see Lucy. Are the Jupiter Trojans asteroids, trapped Centaurs, circular comets, etc? Yes.
“A telescope network for Solar System studies: from stellar occultations to lunar impact flashes.”
Rodrigo Leiva [IAA – CSIC] Session 9.06 Occultations (Targeted), Thursday
Leiva spoke of this at SBAG. Occultations tell us a lot about a body; TNOs happen to be easy targets. But there’s nothing (except our own diligence) that stops us from seeing NEO occultations.
“The Minor Planet Center: Supporting Small Body Research”
Rosemary Pike [CfA] Session 10.01 Minor Planet Center, Thursday
See Napier et al. above. The clearinghouse/archive that takes TNO data works all the same for NEOs.
“Resolution of the Trojan Color Conundrum”
Hsing-Wen (Edward) Lin [UMichPhys] Session 11.06 Colors, Thursday
See Buie et al. above. The Trojan composition question (vs. comets, vs. asteroids) has no bright line, because even “comet” vs. “asteroid” had no bright line either. Carbonaceous small bodies are bodies.
“An Analysis of Impact Craters on Small Bodies Throughout the Solar System”
Ivy Knudsen [SwRI] Session 14.04 Size Distributions, Friday
Besides studying small bodies, we can study former small bodies, by the scars they left on current small bodies. Knudsen et al. examine crater counts, only 3 of which are TN: far more are on asteroids.
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And that’s the meeting (from our point of view). TNOs may be less accessible, but no less interesting. And, since the Nice Model, the provenance of TNOs (versus comets versus Main Belters versus NEOs) might as well be all one provenance, written in shades of grey.