Orbital subpopulations

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KBOs are classified by their semimajor axis (the mean distance from the Sun), their perihelion distance
(the closest approach to the Sun), and the inclination of their orbital plane to that formed by the planets
of the solar system. Using these parameters, KBOs are often found in three distinct orbital substructures.

 Resonant objects: KBOs in mean motion resonance (MMR) with Neptune. An estimated 55,000
KBOs larger than 100 km (60 miles) in diameter orbit the Sun in an integer ratio of Neptune
orbital periods. For example, Pluto is in the 3:2 Neptune MMR, completing two orbits around
the Sun in the time it takes Neptune to complete three. In fact, nearly one-quarter of all MMR
objects are in the 3:2 resonance. In recognition of this kinship, these objects have been
dubbed Plutinos.

 Hot classicals: KBOs with inclinations drawn from a wide distribution (about 16°) and with
perihelion distances of between 35 and 40 AU (5.2 billion and 6 billion km [3.3 billion and 3.7
billion miles]). The hot classical population consists of approximately 120,000 objects with
diameters larger than 100 km. This population is estimated to included 80,000 objects whose
mean distance from the Sun exceeds 50 AU (7.5 billion km [4.6 billion miles]) and that are
therefore sometimes referred to collectively as the “outer” or “detached” Kuiper belt.

 Cold classicals: KBOs drawn from a narrow distribution of orbit inclinations (about 2.6°), with
mean orbital distances restricted to 42.5–47.2 AU (6.4 billion–7.1 billion km [4 billion–4.4 billion
miles]) and perihelion distances smoothly distributed between 38 AU (5.7 billion km [3.5 billion
miles]) and 47.2 AU. The cold classical population is approximately 75,000 objects with
diameters of 100 km and larger. Within the cold classicals are a small subpopulation called “the
kernel” of 25,000 objects with diameters larger than 100 km. The kernel objects have semimajor
axes between 43.8 and 44.4 AU (6.55 billion and 6.64 billion km [4.07 billion and 4.13 billion
miles]), orbital eccentricities of between 0.03 and 0.08, and a narrow inclination distribution like
the rest of the cold classical component.

The above list contains the currently well-defined substructures of the orbital space of the Kuiper belt.
These objects are in metastable orbits; that is, their orbits are stable over timescales of 100 million to 1
billion years. However, some will chaotically diffuse out of the stable region. As more KBOs are
discovered, additional significant orbital populations are likely to be found.

KBOs that have significant gravitational interactions with Neptune are called “scattering KBOs.”
Scattering KBOs are on orbits that are unstable on million-year timescales. These objects are thought to
be in transition from being metastable KBOs to becoming Centaur objects and eventually short-period
comets. The metastable region that supplies the scattering population is not known, but it may be the
hot classicals or perhaps the resonant KBOs. Not all scattering orbits are equally unstable, and
understanding how a KBO in a metastable orbit becomes a short-period comet is an area of active
research. The estimated population of scattering sources (3,000–15,000 objects larger than 100 km in
diameter) is significantly smaller than theoretical expectations.

Because of the small number of detected sources, the estimated numbers of KBOs are still quite
uncertain. Particularly uncertain is the number of small (1–10-km) KBOs if this region of the solar system
really is the reservoir for short-period comets. For comparison, there are estimated to be 250 asteroids
larger than 100 km in diameter and perhaps 1 million larger than 1 km. If the relation between the
number of objects and size for KBOs is similar to that of asteroids, that implies a total Kuiper belt
population of more than 100 billion sources larger than 1 km in diameter. This extrapolation is derived
from the few hundred sources for which precise detection circumstances are available.
However, extrapolating from 300 objects to 100 billion is subject to considerable uncertainty.

As noted above, the planet Neptune has a strong gravitational influence over the orbital structure of the
Kuiper belt. There are two prevailing models for the formation of structure in the orbital distribution of
KBOs. In the “migration” model, Neptune’s mean orbital distance was initially smaller (around 23 AU; 3.4
billion km [2.1 billion miles[) and slowly migrated to its current location of about 30 AU (4.5 billion km
[2.8 billion miles]). During this slow orbital growth many KBOs became trapped into
orbital resonance with Neptune. However, this model does not produce the hot classical component,
and some other process must therefore lead to more-inclined orbits for KBOs.

Learn more about the Nice model of solar system evolution and how samples brought back from the
Moon fit within it

A discussion of the Nice model (named for Nice, France) of the formation of the orbital structure of the
outer planets and the Kuiper belt. The Nice model also accounts for the age of some Moon rocks.(more)

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Alternatively, in the “Nice” model (named after the French city where it was first proposed), the giant
planets of the solar system formed in a more-compact configuration than is seen today, and through
gravitational interaction Neptune and Uranus were scattered to their current locations. The Nice model
provides a reasonable representation of the hot component of the Kuiper belt but is less successful at
producing the resonant objects and does not provide for a cold classical component. A complete
explanation of the formation of structure in the outer solar system may be some combination of these
two scenarios or some completely different model of evolution.

Observe the location of the orbit of “Sedna” (red) in relation to the rest of the solar system

Location of the orbit of Sedna (red) in relation to the rest of the solar system.

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In addition to the nominal members of the Kuiper belt described above, there are some KBOs whose
closest approach to the Sun leaves them well outside the influence of Neptune. Sedna, an object whose
closest approach is 76.3 AU (11.4 billion km [7.1 billion miles]), is the most extreme example of these
distant outliers. These rare objects (only two objects with closest approaches greater than 47.2 AU [7.1
billion km (4.4 billion miles)] and mean Sun distances larger than 200 AU (29.9 billion km (18.6 billion
miles)] are currently known) may represent the very outer edge of the Kuiper belt region or the inner
edge of an entirely new population of sources. Sedna is sometimes referred to as a member of the inner
Oort cloud.