Resonant Kuiper Belt objects
Brett Gladman
University of British Columbia

Resonances play a major role in the distribution of small bodies in our Solar System, and almost certainly in other planetary systems. They sometimes serve as traps, and in other situations are a rapid source of instability. This talk will present a primer on orbital resonances and then discuss the resonant populations present in our Kuiper belt. The resonance dynamics in the Kuiper belt is complex but is yielding its secrets to careful survey work, like the Canada-France Ecliptic Plane Survey. Some of the selection effects in outer Solar System surveys will be illustrated, which need to be understood for projects like LSST. The early Solar System processes which created these resonant populations will be outlined, shedding a window into planetary formation and evolution.

Date:	Jeudi, le 8 novembre 2012
Heure:	11:30
Lieu:	Université de Montréal
	Pavillon Roger-Gaudry, local D-460
Contact:	David Lafrenière