Overview
Centaur research is entering a transformative era. Centaurs are small, icy bodies in the solar system's giant planet region. They spent ~4.5 Gyr in cold storage in Trans-Neptunian populations before recently (~10 Myr ago) moving onto giant-planet-crossing orbits. Studying them helps us understand thermal and cometary processes from the early solar system. This is the first book dedicated to Centaurs, featuring contributions from over 60 experts. It covers their discovery, current knowledge on observations, modeling, experiments, and mission concepts. Highlighting their significance, the book discusses exciting developments from the Vera Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST), JWST, and other observatories, offering recommendations for future studies and exploration. Key features: First comprehensive reference text on Centaurs. Fills the large gap in reference texts between TNOs and JFCs. Centaurs have been highlighted in the two most recent National Academy of Sciences planetary science decadal releases, were the main targets and focus of at least two space missions proposed in the last few years, and have just been added to the target list for NASA’s New Frontiers program. The study and knowledge of Centaurs will be transformed by new facilities and assets coming online such as JWST and the Vera Rubin Observatory.
Full Product Details
Author: Kathryn Volk (The Planetary Science Institute, USA (United States)) ,
Maria Womack (University of Central Florida, USA (United States)) ,
Jordan Steckloff (The Planetary Science Institute, USA (United States))
Publisher: Institute of Physics Publishing
Imprint: Institute of Physics Publishing
ISBN: 9780750355865
ISBN 10: 0750355867
Publication Date: 30 June 2025
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
Professional & Vocational
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
Availability: Not yet available
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.
Author Information
Kat Volk received a Ph.D. in planetary science from the University of Arizona. She was awarded the American Astronomical Society Division on Dynamical Astronomy’s Vera Rubin Early Career Prize and is currently a Senior Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute. Maria Womack received a Ph.D. in physics from Arizona State University. She received the NSF CAREER award for planetary astronomy. She serves as Affiliate Professor for the University of Central Florida and University of Victoria, and is on the American Astronomical Society’s Editorial Board. She is also employed by the U.S. National Science Foundation. Jordan Steckloff received a Ph.D. in physics from Purdue University. He is currently a Research Scientist at the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, where he continues investigating the effects of sublimative processes and mass wasting on comet nuclei.
