Poster Presentation

Search for Sub-Kilometer Trans-Neptunian Objects Using CoRoT Asteroseismology Data

Chih-Yuan Liu (ObsPM,NTHU), Alain Doressoundiram (ObsPM), Françoise Roques (ObsPM), Hsiang-Kuang Chang (NTHU), Lucie Maquet (ObsPM), and Michel Auvergne(ObsPM)

We present the search for sub-kilometer Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) by re-examining the CoRoT (Convection Rotation and Planetary Transits) asteroseismology observations. The total observation time employed in this work is about 144,000 star hours with SNR larger than 1000 computed on 30-second intervals. 13 Possible Occultation Events (POEs) were found from the deviation method. These detections gives a density in the ecliptic sky plane of TNOs larger than 400-meter radius of $N(R > 400\ m)=1.4^{+4.2} _{-0.7} \times 10^{7} deg^{-2}$. The fit of the density of TNOs with the believed break $r_{break} = 45\ km$ provides a power-law size distribution index q larger than $3.5$. This value is consistent with the detection of 2 potential events from HST/Fine Guidance Sensor (FGS) observations that found $q = 3.8 \pm 0.2$. However, fitting the 13 POEs with the HST/FGS result alone gives a power-law size distribution index of $q = 4.5 \pm 0.2$ in the size range of 0.2-2.0 km. This value is then compared with evolution models of the Kuiper Belt.