[Previous] | [Session 4] | [Next]
T. Grav (UiO & CfA), M. J. Holman (CfA)
We present the results of an ongoing BVRI and JHK photometric survey of the irregular satellites of the giant planets. The data are collected using the 2.56m Nordic Optical Telescope on La Palma, the 6.5m Magellan Baade Telescope at La Campanas, Chile, the 6.5m MMT on Mt. Hopkins, and the 8m Gemini North and the 10m Keck II telescopes on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. We find that there is a correlation between the physical properties and dynamical properties of the irregular satellites. Most of the dynamical clusters of Jupiter and Saturn (Gladman et al 2001) have homogeneous colors, which points to single homogeneous progenitors being cratered or fragmented as the source of each individual dynamical cluster. While the colors are consistent with both outer main belt asteroids and the Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) the paucity of red colored objects among the Jovian and Saturnian irregular satellites suggests their origins as outer main belt asteroids that were captured and subsequently fragmented. The work was supported by NASA grant NAG5-13276 and by the Smithsonian Predoctoral Fellowship Program.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: tommygr@astro.uio.no
[Previous] | [Session 4] | [Next]
Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 35 #4
© 2003. The American Astronomical Soceity.