Origin of 1I/'Oumuamua. II. An Ejected Exo-Oort Cloud Object?

被引:30
|
作者
Moro-Martin, Amaya [1 ]
机构
[1] Space Telescope Sci Inst, 3700 San Martin Dr, Baltimore, MD 21218 USA
来源
ASTRONOMICAL JOURNAL | 2019年 / 157卷 / 02期
关键词
comets: individual (1I/'Oumuamua); ISM: individual objects (1I/'Oumuamua); local interstellar matter; Oort Cloud; planets and satellites: dynamical evolution and stability; stars: mass loss; SIZE DISTRIBUTION; GREAT ESCAPE; PLANETARY; EXOCOMETS; CAPTURE; SYSTEMS; BINARY; STARS;
D O I
10.3847/1538-3881/aafda6
中图分类号
P1 [天文学];
学科分类号
0704 ;
摘要
1I/'Oumuamua is the first detected interstellar interloper. We test the hypothesis that it is representative of a background population of exo-Oort cloud objects ejected under the effect of post-main sequence mass loss and stellar encounters. We do this by comparing the cumulative number density of interstellar objects inferred from the detection of 1I/'Oumuamua to that expected from these two clearing processes. We consider the 0.08-8 M(circle dot )mass range, take into account the dependencies with stellar mass, Galactocentric distance, and evolutionary state, and consider a wide range of size distributions for the ejected objects. Our conclusion is that 1I/'Oumuamua is likely not representative of this background population, even though there are large uncertainties in the masses and size distributions of the exo-Oort Clouds. We discuss whether the number density of free-floating, planetary-mass objects derived from gravitational microlensing surveys could be used as a discriminating measurement regarding 1I/'Oumuamua's origin (given their potential common origin). We conclude that this is challenged by the mass limitation of the surveys and the resulting uncertainty of the mass distribution of the free floaters. The detection of interlopers may be one of the few observational constraints of the small end of this population, with the caveat that, as we conclude here and in Moro-Martin (2018), in the case of 1I/'Oumuamua, it might not be appropriate to assume this object is representative of an isotropic background population, which makes the derivation of a number density very challenging.
引用
收藏
页数:12
相关论文
共 23 条
  • [21] A General Method for Assessing the Origin of Interstellar Small Bodies: The Case of 1I/2017 U1 ('Oumuamua)
    Zuluaga, Jorge, I
    Sanchez-Hernandez, Oscar
    Sucerquia, Mario
    Ferrin, Ignacio
    ASTRONOMICAL JOURNAL, 2018, 155 (06):
  • [22] Ejection of rocky and icy material from binary star systems: implications for the origin and composition of 1I/'Oumuamua
    Jackson, Alan P.
    Tamayo, Daniel
    Hammond, Noah
    Ali-Dib, Mohamad
    Rein, Hanno
    MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY, 2018, 478 (01) : L49 - L53
  • [23] Squeezed between shells? the origin of the Lupus i molecular cloud: II. APEX CO and GASS H i observations
    Gaczkowski, B.
    Roccatagliata, V.
    Flaischlen, S.
    Kröll, D.
    Krause, M.G.H.
    Burkert, A.
    Diehl, R.
    Fierlinger, K.
    Ngoumou, J.
    Preibisch, T.
    Astronomy and Astrophysics, 2017, 608