An Observational Upper Limit on the Interstellar Number Density of Asteroids and Comets
Open accessAbstract
We derived 90% confidence limits (CLs) on the interstellar number density ( ) of interstellar objects (ISOs; comets and asteroids) as a function of the slope of their size–frequency distribution (SFD) and limiting absolute magnitude. To account for gravitational focusing, we first generated a quasi-realistic ISO population to from the Sun and propagated it forward in time to generate a steady state population of ISOs with heliocentric distance . We then simulated the detection of the synthetic ISOs using pointing data for each image and average detection efficiencies for each of three contemporary solar system surveys—Pan-STARRS1, the Mt. Lemmon Survey, and the Catalina Sky Survey. These simulations allowed us to determine the surveys’ combined ISO detection efficiency under several different but realistic modes of identifying ISOs in the survey data. Some of the synthetic detected ISOs had eccentricities as small as 1.01, which is in the range of the largest eccentricities of several known comets. Our best CL of implies that the expectation that extra-solar systems form like our solar system, eject planetesimals in the same way, and then distribute them throughout the Galaxy, is too simplistic, or that the SFD or behavior of ISOs as they pass through our solar system is far from expectation.
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Estimates suggest LSST will increase the number of rare interstellar objects by an order of magnitude, helping constrain planetary system formation frequency and properties in the solar neighborhood.
“Estimates from Cook et al. ( 2016 ) , Engelhardt et al. ( 2017 ) , and Trilling et al. ( 2017 ) suggest that LSST will increase the number of such rare objects by an order of magnitude, which, among other outcomes, will help constrain the frequency and properties of planetary system formation in the solar neighborhood.”
From LSST: From Science Drivers to Reference Design and Anticipated Data Products (2019) · cites this paper as Engelhardt et al. 2017
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LSST: From Science Drivers to Reference Design and Anticipated Data Products
Ivezić, Ž., Kahn, S. M., Tyson, J. A., Abel, B., Acosta, E., Allsman, R., Alonso, D., AlSayyad, Y., Anderson, S. F., Andrew, J., et al. (2019) · The Astrophysical Journal · doi:10.3847/1538-4357/ab042c · Cited by 4,357 · see citing works
Implications for Planetary System Formation from Interstellar Object 1I/2017 U1 (‘Oumuamua)
Trilling, D. E., Robinson, T., Roegge, A., Chandler, C. O., Smith, N., Loeffler, M., Trujillo, C., Navarro-Meza, S., & Glaspie, L. M. (2017) · The Astrophysical Journal Letters · doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aa9989 · Cited by 76 · see citing works
- Authors
- Engelhardt, T., Jedicke, R., Vereš, P., Fitzsimmons, A., Denneau, L., Beshore, E., & Meinke, B.
- Affiliations
- University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa (US)
- Queen's University Belfast (GB)
- University of Arizona (US)
- Venue
- The Astronomical Journal
- Publisher
- American Astronomical Society
- Published
- 2017-02-27
- Volume
- 153
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 133
- ISSN
- 0004-6256 (ISSN-L)
- 1538-3881
- OpenAlex
- W2591603755
- Cited by
- 137
- References
- 44
- Citations by year
- 2026: 7 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 12 · 2021: 17 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 17 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 3
- FWCI
- 9.72
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- The Astronomical Journal (publishedVersion)
- UA Campus Repository (The University of Arizona) (acceptedVersion)
- arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
- Research Portal (Queen's University Belfast) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Funders
- National Science Foundation (1238877)
- Smithsonian Institution
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NNX12AR65G, NNX08AR22G, AST-1238877, NNX15AF79G)
- California Institute of Technology
- Johns Hopkins University
- University of Hawai'i
- Space Telescope Science Institute (NNX08AR22G)
- Queen's University Belfast
- Durham University
- Queen's University
- Max-Planck-Gesellschaft
- National Central University
- Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem
- Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory
- Science Mission Directorate (NNX08AR22G)
- Science and Technology Facilities Council (ST/L000709/1, L000709/1, ST/P000304/1)
- Planetary Science Division (NNX08AR22G)
- Los Alamos National Laboratory
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astro and Planetary Science
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies
- Keywords
- interstellar objects, asteroids, comets, size-frequency distribution, gravitational focusing, detection efficiency, Pan-STARRS1, Catalina Sky Survey, extrasolar planetary systems
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