Ibhande likaKuiper ku-Astronomy
I-Kuiper Belt ingenye yezindawo ezithakazelisa kakhulu ohlelweni lwelanga, isebenza njengendawo yokugcina izinto ezincane ezisele enkambisweni yokwakheka kwamaplanethi. Njengoba itholakala kude kakhulu nomjikelezo we-Neptune, i-Kuiper Belt inezinkomba ezibalulekile mayelana nokuthi uhlelo lwelanga lwavela kanjani eminyakeni eyizigidigidi ezingu-4,6 edlule. Nakuba ivame ukubhekwa njengesifunda esingenalutho nesimnyama, empeleni iyashintshashintsha: ithonywe amandla adonsela phansi amaplanethi amakhulu, agcwele izinkulungwane zemizimba ebandayo, futhi iyikhaya lezinkanyezi eziningana zesikhathi esifushane ezidlula eduze neLanga ngezikhathi ezithile.
Incazelo kanye nendawo ye-Kuiper Belt
Kalula nje, i-Kuiper Belt iyindandatho ejiyile, efana nediski noma "ibhande" elizungeza iLanga ebangeni elingama-30 kuya kwangama-50 Astronomical Units (AU). I-AU eyodwa ibanga elimaphakathi phakathi koMhlaba neLanga, cishe amakhilomitha ayizigidi ezingu-150. Lokhu kusho ukuthi i-Kuiper Belt iqala cishe ebangeni elizungezayo le-Neptune (cishe ama-AU angu-30) futhi inwebeka cishe kuma-AU angu-50, yize ezinye izinto ezihlobene zingatholakala kude nakakhulu.
Lesi sifunda sivame ukuqhathaniswa ne-Asteroid Belt ephakathi kweMars neJupiter, kodwa lokhu kuhluka kakhulu: i-Asteroid Belt inamatshe futhi insimbi kakhulu, kuyilapho i-Kuiper Belt icebile ngamaqhwa—njengeqhwa lamanzi, i-methane, i-ammonia, nezinye izinto ezishintshashintshayo—ngenxa yokushisa okuphansi kakhulu ku-Solar System yangaphandle.
Umlando Wokutholwa Nokuthuthukiswa Kwemibono
I-"Kuiper Belt" iqanjwe ngesazi sezinkanyezi uGerard Kuiper, owathi maphakathi nekhulu lama-20 waxoxa ngokuthi kungenzeka ukuthi kube nenani lezinto ezincane ngale kweNeptune. Kodwa-ke, umqondo "wedamu" lezinto ezidlula iNeptunian uphakanyiswe nayizinye izazi zezinkanyezi eziningana. Ngokuthakazelisayo, uKuiper ngokwakhe wasikisela ukuthi lesi sifunda kungenzeka singabi siminyene kakhulu ngoba ithonya lamandla adonsela phansi lamaplanethi amakhulu lingasakaza okuningi kwezinto.
Ukubonwa okusha kwesimanje kuye kwaqinisa ngempela lo mqondo. Ngo-1992, izazi zezinkanyezi uDavid Jewitt noJane Luu bathola into yokuqala eyaziwa kabanzi nge-trans-Neptunian, i-1992 QB1. Lokhu kutholwa kwaphawula iphuzu elikhulu lokuguquka: kusukela ngaleso sikhathi, kuye kwatholakala amakhulu kuya ezinkulungwaneni zezinto ze-Kuiper Belt, futhi inani langempela lilinganiselwa ukuthi likhulu kakhulu kunalokho okungabonwa ama-telescope amanje.
Ukwakheka kanye Nezinhlobo Zezinto Ebhandeni LaseKuiper
Izinto ze-Kuiper Belt (ama-KBO) zivame ukubizwa ngokuthi Izinto ze-Kuiper Belt (ama-KBO). Zihluka ngobukhulu kusukela ezingcezwini ezincane ezingamakhilomitha ambalwa ububanzi kuya ezintweni ezinkulu ezingamakhulu kuya ezinkulungwaneni zamakhilomitha ububanzi. Ukwakheka kwazo ngokuvamile kuyingxube yeqhwa nezinto ezinamatshe. Ama-KBO amaningi anezindawo ezibomvu ngenxa yamakhemikhali ayinkimbinkimbi e-organic (tholins) akhiwa lapho imisebe yelanga kanye nemisebe ye-cosmic kushintsha ama-molecule ebusweni obubandayo.
Ezinye izigaba ezibalulekile emphakathini waseKuiper Belt zifaka:
1. Ibhande Le-Kuiper Lakudala (KBO)
Izinto ezinemizila "ethule" azithinteki kakhulu yi-orbital resonance ne-Neptune. Ngaphezu kwalokho, kuneqembu elincane "elibandayo lakudala" elinokuthambekela okuncane kwe-orbital okubhekwa "njengokuyimfihlo" futhi elingakaze libhekane nokuphazamiseka okuncane kusukela ekwakhiweni kokuqala kwe-Solar System.
2. Izinto Ezivumelanayo
Izinto ezibanjwe ekuvuthweni kwamandla adonsela phansi neNeptune. Isibonelo esidumile kakhulu yiPluto, etholakala ekuvuthweni okungu-3:2, okusho ukuthi iPluto ijikeleza iLanga kabili njalo lapho ijikeleza iNeptune kathathu.
3. Izinto zeDiski Ezihlakazekile
Njengoba inemizila eminingi efana ne-elliptical futhi evame ukuthambekela, okucatshangwa ukuthi iwumphumela we-"kick" yamandla adonsela phansi evela eNeptune esikhathini esidlule, leli nani limelela ibhuloho eliguquguqukayo phakathi kweKuiper Belt nezifunda ezikude kakhulu.
4. I-Centaur
Izinto ezijikeleza phakathi kwalezo zamaplanethi amakhulu cishe zivela eKuiper Belt futhi zisenqubweni yokuthuthela ohlelweni lwangaphakathi lwelanga. Amanye amaCentaur angase akhule abe ama-comet.
I-Pluto kanye nencazelo eshintshayo yePlanethi
I-Kuiper Belt nayo idlala indima ebalulekile emlandweni wezinkanyezi zanamuhla, ikakhulukazi maqondana nesimo sikaPluto. I-Pluto yatholakala ngo-1930 futhi amashumi eminyaka yayibhekwa njengeplanethi yesishiyagalolunye. Kodwa-ke, njengoba ezinye izinto ezifana ne-Pluto zazitholakala, izazi zezinkanyezi zaqala ukungabaza ukuthi i-Pluto yayihlukile ngempela. Ngo-2006, i-International Astronomical Union (IAU) yamukela incazelo entsha yeplanethi. I-Pluto ayizange ihlangabezane nezindinganiso "zokuhlanza indawo yayo ezungezile" kwezinye izinto, ngakho-ke yahlukaniswa njengeplanethi encane.
Ngaphandle kwePluto, amanye amaplanethi amaningana amancane ahlotshaniswa neKuiper Belt yiHaumea neMakemake. Ezinye izinto ezinkulu, njenge-Eris, zivame ukuhlotshaniswa nesifunda sediski esihlakazekile, kodwa zisabhekwa njenge-trans-Neptunian. Le mpikiswano ikhombisa ukuthi iKuiper Belt akuyona nje "umphetho" weSistimu Yelanga, kodwa yisifunda esiphoqa isintu ukuba sicabange kabusha ukuthi sihlukanisa kanjani imihlaba yangaphandle komhlaba.
Indima Yebhande Le-Kuiper Ekuguqukeni Kwesimiso Selanga
Ngokwesayensi, i-Kuiper Belt isebenza njengenqolobane yokugcina izinto. Ama-KBO amaningi kukholakala ukuthi ayizinto ezisele ezivela kumadiski e-protoplanetary angazange akhe amaplanethi amakhulu ngenxa yokudonsa kukaNeptune kanye nenani elilinganiselwe lezinto. Ngokutadisha ukwakheka kwamakhemikhali, umbala, kanye nemizila yama-KBO, ososayensi bangakha kabusha izimo zokuqala zeSistimu Yelanga.
Amamodeli okuziphendukela kwemvelo njenge-Nice Model (ebizwa ngokuthi "Nis") asikisela ukuthi amaplanethi amakhulu kungenzeka ukuthi athuthele ezigabeni zawo zokuqala. Lokhu kufuduka kwaphazamisa inani lezinto ezincane, kwabamba ezinye zaba ama-resonance futhi kwahlakaza ezinye zaba yidiski ehlakazekile. Kulesi simo, i-Kuiper Belt iwubufakazi obunamandla bokuthi i-Solar System ayizange yakheke ngokushesha esimweni sayo samanje, kodwa kunalokho yashintsha kakhulu eminyakeni yayo yokuqala eyizigidi.
Imithombo Yesikhathi Esifushane Ye-Comet
Ibhande leKuiper licatshangwa futhi njengomthombo oyinhloko wama-comet amaningi esikhathi esifushane, lawo ajikeleza iLanga ngezikhathi ezingaphansi kweminyaka engama-200. Ukudonswa kwamandla kaNeptune, ukusebenzisana kwezinto, noma ezinye iziphazamiso ezincane kungashintsha umjikelezo we-KBO, kuyisunduzele esifundeni samaplanethi angaphakathi. Njengoba isondela eLangeni, iqhwa elingaphezulu liyancibilika, kwakha i-comet enhle nomsila we-comet.
Lesi simo siqinisa umqondo wokuthi izinto ezincane ezisemaphethelweni eSistimu Yelanga zinomthelela omkhulu ezindaweni zangaphakathi, ngisho nasemhlabeni. Kuwo wonke umlando omude weSistimu Yelanga, kucatshangwa ukuthi ama-comet nama-asteroid ayethwele amanzi nama-molecule ezinto eziphilayo okungenzeka ukuthi adlale indima ekuveleni kokuphila, yize izindlela ezingemuva kwalokhu kusebenzisana zisalokhu ziwucwaningo.
Ukuhlola i-Kuiper Belt: Umsebenzi we-New Horizons
Umsebenzi odumile kakhulu wokuvakashela iKuiper Belt yiNew Horizons yeNASA. Yandiza ngePluto ngoJulayi 2015 futhi yabuyisa izithombe nedatha eyashintsha ukuqonda kwethu: iPluto inezintaba zeqhwa, amathafa e-nitrogen, kanye nomoya oyinkimbinkimbi, omncane. INew Horizons yabe isiqhubeka nohambo lwayo futhi yavakashela into yeKuiper Belt ebizwa ngokuthi i-Arrokoth (2014 MU69) ekuqaleni kuka-2019. I-Arrokoth yaphenduka into "eyizingcezu ezimbili" eyayihlangana kancane kancane, inikeza ubufakazi bokuthi amaplanethi angakheka ngokukhula kancane, kunokuba njalo ngokushayisana okukhulu nokubhubhisayo.
Idatha ye-New Horizons ikhombisa ukuthi i-Kuiper Belt iyilabhorethri yemvelo yokufunda ukwakheka kwamaplanethi, isakhiwo sobuso bezinto ezibandayo, kanye nomlando wokushayisana kweSistimu Yelanga.
Izinselele Zokubuka Nokucwaninga Kwesikhathi Esizayo
Ukubuka i-Kuiper Belt kuyinselele ngenxa yamabanga ayo amakhulu kanye nezinto ezincane, ezingabonakali. Izazi zezinkanyezi zithembele kuma-telescope amakhulu asekelwe emhlabathini nasemkhathini, ukuhlola isibhakabhaka okuphindaphindiwe, kanye namasu okucubungula izithombe ayinkimbinkimbi ukulandelela la maphuzu okukhanya ahamba kancane. Esikhathini esizayo, izizukulwane ezintsha zama-telescope kanye nezinhlelo zokuhlola ezibanzi kulindeleke ukuthi zithole ama-KBO engeziwe, zihlele ukusatshalaliswa kwawo, futhi zisize ekuphenduleni imibuzo ebalulekile: iyini isisindo esiphelele se-Kuiper Belt? Ukwakheka kwamakhemikhali kwayo kuyahlukahluka kanjani? Ingabe amaplanethi angakatholakali athonya ukuzungeza kwalezi zinto ezikude?
I-Kuiper Belt iphinde ihlotshaniswe nempikiswano mayelana nokuba khona okungenzeka kwe-"Planet Nine," iplanethi ecatshangelwayo okucatshangwa ukuthi ithonya amaphethini okujikeleza kwezinye izinto ezidlulele ze-trans-Neptunian. Nakuba ingafakazelwanga, le mbono iphakamisa ukuthi iSistimu Yelanga yangaphandle isaphethe izimfihlakalo ezibalulekile.
I-Penutup
I-Kuiper Belt iyisifunda esicebile ngolwazi futhi esibalulekile kusayensi yezinkanyezi yanamuhla. Akuyona nje iqoqo lezinto ezingabalulekile ezibandayo, kodwa kunalokho iyinsalela yokwakheka kweSistimu Yelanga, equkethe iminonjana yokufuduka kwamaplanethi, imithombo yama-comet esikhathi esifushane, nezinto eziyingqayizivele njengamaplanethi amafushane. Ngokubuka nge-telescope kanye nemisebenzi yasemkhathini njenge-New Horizons, abantu bayaqhubeka nokuthola amakhasi omlando weSistimu Yelanga abhalwe ezinqwabeni ezibandayo emaphethelweni obumnyama. Lapho sijula kakhulu, kusobala ukuthi "umphetho" weSistimu Yelanga uphethe esinye sezihluthulelo zokuqonda imvelaphi kanye nokuguquguquka kwesistimu yethu yamaplanethi.
