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S.A. Stern, R.M. Canup (SwRI), E. Asphaug (UC Santa Cruz), D.D. Durda (SwRI)
The Pluto-Charon binary is commonly believed to have been formed via a giant impact. We hypothesize that some fraction of the cohort population orbiting with Pluto in the 2:3 mean motion resonance (MMR) of the Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt (EKB), i.e., the "Plutinos," may be debris derived from the Pluto-Charon binary formation event. Several lines of evidence point to the plausibility of this hypothesis. If this is indeed the case, then there may be both dynamical and physical observables, the latter including surface colors and compositions that link some members of the 2:3 MMR with Pluto-Charon. Such a family would not only be a first in the EKB, but would also provide a further link between EKB and asteroid belt studies. It would also provide a new set of constraints on the Pluto-Charon forming event. Additional details can be found in our long 1999 LPSC abstract.