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ESO Large Program on Centaurs and TNOs: The Ultimate Results from Visible Colors

Authors: Peixinho, N.; Boehnhardt, H.; Belskaya, I.; Doressoundiram, A.; Barucci, M. A.; Delsanti, A.; ESO Large Program Team

Ref.: American Astronomical Society, DPS meeting #35, #49.05; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society 35, 1016 (2003)

Abstract: We have been focussing our studies of Centaurs and Trans-Neptunian Objects (Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt Objects) on the physical and chemical properties deductible from visible colors in order to establish the basis of a taxonomic classification scheme for these outer solar system objects. With the last 40 new BVRI measurements, obtained at NTT and VLT, we have doubled the size of our homogeneous color sample, increasing considerably also the existing databases for these objects. Using the distribution-free non-parametric statistics only, with these new measurement we were able to better assess the significancy of some trends and correlation and to start to diversify the statistical studies into more multivariate forms. We will present our ultimate results in visible photometry, analyzing and discussing intra and interrelations between colors, estimated sizes and orbital parameters for the several classes of objects. Consequently, we will revisit the two color groups controversy, the two distinct populations found among the Classical objects, and the new observational constraints for some proposed explanations for the color diversity, namely: the collisional resurfacing scenario and the superposition of to different population from Neptune's migration scenarios. Acknowledgements: N.P. acknowledges funding from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and for Technology (FCT-SFRH:BD/1094/2000).