On the Plutinos and Twotinos of the Kuiper Belt

Abstract

We illuminate dynamical properties of Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) in the 3:2 (``Plutino'') and 2:1 (``Twotino'') Neptunian resonances within the model of resonant capture and migration. We analyze a series of numerical integrations, each involving the 4 migratory giant planets and 400 test particles distributed throughout trans-Neptunian space, to measure efficiencies of capture as functions of migration speed. Snapshots of the spatial distribution of resonant KBOs reveal that Twotinos cluster +/- 75 degrees away from Neptune's longitude, while Plutinos cluster +/- 90 degrees away. Longitudinal clustering persists even for surveys that are not volume-limited in their ability to detect resonant KBOs. Remarkably, between -90 degrees and -60 degrees of Neptune's longitude, we find the sky density of Twotinos to nearly equal that of Plutinos, despite the greater average distance of Twotinos. We couple our findings to observations to crudely estimate that the intrinsic Twotino population is within a factor of 3 of the Plutino population. Most strikingly, the migration model predicts that more Twotinos may lie at longitudes behind that of Neptune than ahead of it. The magnitude of the asymmetry amplifies dramatically with faster rates of migration and can be as large as 300%. A differential measurement of the sky density of 2:1 resonant objects behind of and in front of Neptune's longitude would powerfully constrain the migration history of that planet.