Impact craters on Pluto and Charon indicate a deficit of small Kuiper belt objects

Science
K N SingerNew Horizons Ralph and LORRI Teams

Abstract

The flyby of Pluto and Charon by the New Horizons spacecraft provided high-resolution images of cratered surfaces embedded in the Kuiper belt, an extensive region of bodies orbiting beyond Neptune. Impact craters on Pluto and Charon were formed by collisions with other Kuiper belt objects (KBOs) with diameters from ~40 kilometers to ~300 meters, smaller than most KBOs observed directly by telescopes. We find a relative paucity of small craters ≲13 kilometers in diameter, which cannot be explained solely by geological resurfacing. This implies a deficit of small KBOs (≲1 to 2 kilometers in diameter). Some surfaces on Pluto and Charon are likely ≳4 billion years old, thus their crater records provide information on the size-frequency distribution of KBOs in the early Solar System.

References

Feb 26, 2005·Science·M K DoughertyB T Tsurutani
Oct 21, 2005·Nature·Edward B BierhausWilliam J Merline
Nov 26, 2015·Science Advances·Anders JohansenMartin Bizzarro
Mar 19, 2016·Science·Jeffrey M MooreUNKNOWN New Horizons Science Team
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Jun 3, 2016·Nature·William B McKinnonUNKNOWN New Horizons Geology, Geophysics and Imaging Theme Team
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Jan 24, 2018·Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety·Tara GomesUNKNOWN Canadian Network for Observational Drug Effect Studies (CNODES) Investigators

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Citations

Feb 15, 2020·Science·J R SpencerL H Wasserman
Jan 23, 2021·Science·Tim LichtenbergThomas O Hands

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