Data Release

The CFEPS-L7 release contains orbits for 169 TNOs that have been tracked for 3 or more opposition, yielding precise orbits and dynamical classifications. This catalogue was produced by many years of patient tracking and, when coupled with the CFEPS Survey Simulator, the CFEPS-L7 orbit distribution allows quantitative verification of formation models for the Kuiper Belt’s structure.

Characterized Detection List

The characterized detection list contains those objects one should use if comparing model detections (determined via the Survey Simulator) with those of the the CFEPS project. CFEPS Characterized detections are objects that were first observed in a CFEPS Discovery block and whose flux in that observation exceeded the flux at which the CFEPS Moving Object Pipeline detected 40% of TNOs in the field. The CFEPS team has demonstrated that we can accurately account for the efficiency of our detection system down to the 40% efficiency level. At fluxes below this level our MOP reports a detection efficiency that begins to diverge from that reported by a visual searches of the same data. As the meaning of ‘detection efficiency’ becomes less precise at fluxes below this level we do not use these fainter sources in determining the veracity of parametric model of the outer solar system.

CFEPS L7 Synthetic Kuiper belt model

The CFEPS L7 Synthetic Kuiper belt model is based on our Characterized detection list and Survey Characterization. This semi-analytic model of the Kuiper belt, when passed through our Survey Simulator, reproduces the objects in the L7 Characterized detection list.

TNO Photometry and Astrometry

Additional photometry and astrometric measures are available from the Besancon TNOdb

Other TNOs discovered during the survey.

The CFEPS project has detected a number of TNOs that are not part of our ‘Characterized’ sample. These TNOs were either fainter than our 40% detection threshold for the Discovery block in question or they wre first detected in recovery or followup observations. This includes objects such as 2008 KV42 and 2004 XR190.