Planet Nine remains elusive, and this potential super-Earth in the outer solar system is only hypothetical, as there seem to be gravitational influences on several Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) into unusual orbits. Despite several hypotheses and numerous observational searches, Planet Nine has yet to be found.
What if Planet Nine had satellites? Can it help us find Planet Nine more easily? The new paper speculates that any moons orbiting Planet Nine could provide indirect clues to Planet Nine’s location, while revealing fundamental properties of the enigmatic object.
Chen Wenhao of the Education University of Hong Kong said that the research shows the possibility that Planet Nine captures a large trans-Neptunian object (TNO) to form a satellite system. We use a benchmark analysis model, and the tidal effect of Planet Nine can significantly heat the satellite. Observation provides sufficient thermal radiation.
Beyond the orbit of Neptune, a group of Kuiper Belt objects have strange orbital inclinations because their orbits are in the same direction. In addition, the orbit of 90377 Sedna cannot be explained only by the existence of Neptune, which is the origin of the hypothesis of the ninth planet, a super-earth about 5 to 10 times the mass of the earth, which may be hidden in the outer solar system, but has not been discovered yet.
Since the hypothetical Planet Nine has yet to be discovered, other researchers have proposed explanations other than giant planets, such as a disk of icy material, or a manifestation of the collective mass of the Kuiper belt objects themselves.
In addition, no optical or radio signal of Planet Nine has been observed so far. Other plausible explanations are that Planet Nine may be a “dark object”, such as a celestial body made of dark matter, or a tiny primordial black hole.
Chen Wenhao said that no matter what Planet Nine is, planets, dark planets, or primordial black holes, etc., the possibility of capturing satellites is very high, because there are many small trans-Neptunian objects scattered there, especially large-mass objects, and it is easy to form a satellite system. So this is an important indirect method to find celestial bodies, even if these celestial bodies are made of black holes or dark matter.
How are the satellites revealed? Satellites emit observable thermal radiation. Tidal effects can heat a satellite to relatively high temperatures, giving it enough radiation to detect. This could be an effective search, even if Planet Nine is a black hole.
Chen Wenhao suggested that the Atacama Large Millimeter and Submillimeter Array (ALMA) may detect satellite signals. PanSTARRS (Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System) and future LSST (Large Synoptic Survey Telescope) may also be able to do this type of observation.
▲ Several Kuiper belt orbits provide indications of the possible existence of Planet Nine. (Source: Caltech/R. Hurt/IPAC)
(This article is reproduced with the authorization of Taipei Planetarium; Source of the first image: NASA)
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