Matthew J. Holman
YOU?
Author Swipe
View article: Sorcha: A Solar System Survey Simulator for the Legacy Survey of Space and Time
Sorcha: A Solar System Survey Simulator for the Legacy Survey of Space and Time Open
View article: Sorcha: A Solar System Survey Simulator for the Legacy Survey of Space and Time
Sorcha: A Solar System Survey Simulator for the Legacy Survey of Space and Time Open
The upcoming Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory is expected to revolutionize solar system astronomy. Unprecedented in scale, this 10 yr wide-field survey will collect billions of observations and discov…
View article: <tt>Sorcha</tt>: Optimized Solar System Ephemeris Generation
Sorcha: Optimized Solar System Ephemeris Generation Open
Sorcha is a solar system survey simulator built for the Vera C. Rubin Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) and future large-scale wide-field surveys. Over the 10 yr survey, the LSST is expected to collect roughly a billion …
View article: Predictions of the LSST Solar System Yield: Near-Earth Objects, Main Belt Asteroids, Jupiter Trojans, and Trans-Neptunian Objects
Predictions of the LSST Solar System Yield: Near-Earth Objects, Main Belt Asteroids, Jupiter Trojans, and Trans-Neptunian Objects Open
The NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory is a new 8m-class survey facility presently being commissioned in Chile, expected to begin the 10 yr long Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) by the end of 2025. Using the purpose-built Sorcha surve…
View article: Predictions of the LSST Solar System Yield: Discovery Rates and Characterizations of Centaurs
Predictions of the LSST Solar System Yield: Discovery Rates and Characterizations of Centaurs Open
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) will start by the end of 2025 and operate for 10 yr, offering billions of observations of the southern night sky. One of its main science goals is to create an inventory …
View article: NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory Observations of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1)
NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory Observations of Interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS (C/2025 N1) Open
We report on the observation and measurement of astrometry, photometry, morphology, and activity of the interstellar object 3I/ATLAS, also designated C/2025 N1 (ATLAS), with the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory. The third interstellar obj…
View article: A Pan-STARRS Search for Distant Planets
A Pan-STARRS Search for Distant Planets Open
We present a search for distant planets in Pan-STARRS1. We calibrated our search by injecting an isotropic control population of synthetic detections into Pan-STARRS1 source catalogs, providing a high-fidelity approximation to injecting sy…
View article: Faint Solar System Object Discovery in Rubin Data with Parallax-Corrected Shift-and-Stack
Faint Solar System Object Discovery in Rubin Data with Parallax-Corrected Shift-and-Stack Open
The population of Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs) offers critical insights into the formation and dynamical evolution of the solar system and planetary systems elsewhere. Despite an estimated mass 20–100 times that of the asteroid belt, few…
View article: The Luminosity Function Of Ultra-Faint Trans-Neptunian Objects Detected By James Webb Space Telescope
The Luminosity Function Of Ultra-Faint Trans-Neptunian Objects Detected By James Webb Space Telescope Open
Trans-Neptunian Objects (TNOs), which are the small bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune, are regarded to be the most primitive members of the Solar System, and as such, provides valuable insights into both history and the current state of t…
View article: Observational Constraints on a Distant Belt Beyond the Kuiper Belt with the Dark Energy Survey and Prospects for Discoverability with Rubin Observatory
Observational Constraints on a Distant Belt Beyond the Kuiper Belt with the Dark Energy Survey and Prospects for Discoverability with Rubin Observatory Open
Previous wide-field surveys have observed a sharp decline in the radial distribution of Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) around 50 au, known as the Kuiper Cliff. Recently, the New Horizons Subaru TNO (Trans-Neptunian object) Survey found an incr…
View article: The Captured and the Crossing: Predictions for the LSST Discovery Yields for Neptune Trojans and Centaurs
The Captured and the Crossing: Predictions for the LSST Discovery Yields for Neptune Trojans and Centaurs Open
The giant planet region of the Solar System (5.2 au < a < 30.1 au) can be a highly chaotic and dynamic environment of small body science, whose resident minor bodies can offer unique insights into both early Solar System formation and pres…
View article: heliostack: A Novel Approach to Minor Planet Detection
heliostack: A Novel Approach to Minor Planet Detection Open
In the two centuries that scientists have been working to detect and characterize solar system bodies, progressive improvements in telescope and detector technology have greatly enhanced our capabilities (see Figure 1 for the historical pr…
View article: Sorcha: A Solar System Survey Simulator for the Legacy Survey of Space and Time
Sorcha: A Solar System Survey Simulator for the Legacy Survey of Space and Time Open
The Vera C. Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) will provide an unprecedented dataset to explore the Solar System’s small body inventory. The survey will discover nearly 4 million new Solar System bodies. This is nearl…
View article: Layup: orbit fitting at LSST Scale
Layup: orbit fitting at LSST Scale Open
Starting later this year, the Vera C. Rubin’s Observatory’s Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) will begin discovering millions of new Solar System objects, ranging from the closest near-Earth asteroids to the most distant trans-Neptuni…
View article: A Pan-STARRS Search for Distant Planets: Part 1
A Pan-STARRS Search for Distant Planets: Part 1 Open
We present a search for distant planets in Pan-STARRS1. We calibrated our search by injecting an isotropic control population of synthetic detections into Pan-STARRS1 source catalogs, providing a high-fidelity alternative to injecting synt…
View article: Sorcha: A Solar System Survey Simulator for the Legacy Survey of Space and Time
Sorcha: A Solar System Survey Simulator for the Legacy Survey of Space and Time Open
The upcoming Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory is expected to revolutionize solar system astronomy. Unprecedented in scale, this ten-year wide-field survey will collect billions of observations and dis…
View article: A Pan-STARRS Search for Distant Planets: Part 1
A Pan-STARRS Search for Distant Planets: Part 1 Open
We present a search for distant planets in Pan-STARRS1. We calibrated our search by injecting an isotropic control population of synthetic detections into Pan-STARRS1 source catalogs, providing a high-fidelity alternative to injecting synt…
View article: Sorcha: Optimized Solar System Ephemeris Generation
Sorcha: Optimized Solar System Ephemeris Generation Open
Sorcha is a solar system survey simulator built for the Vera C. Rubin Observatory's Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) and future large-scale wide-field surveys. Over the ten-year survey, the LSST is expected to collect roughly a billi…
View article: L<i>i</i>DO: Exploring the Stable Plutino Parameter Space
L<i>i</i>DO: Exploring the Stable Plutino Parameter Space Open
We present a publicly available, high-resolution, filled-parameter-space synthetic distribution of the plutinos, trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs) librating in the 3:2 mean-motion resonance with Neptune, with particular focus on the plutinos …
View article: A Well-Characterized Survey for Centaurs in Pan-STARRS1
A Well-Characterized Survey for Centaurs in Pan-STARRS1 Open
To prepare for the upcoming Legacy Survey of Space and Time, we develop methods for quantifying the selection function of a wide-field survey as a function of all six orbital parameters and absolute magnitude. We perform a HelioLinC3D sear…
View article: A Well-Characterized Survey for Centaurs in Pan-STARRS1
A Well-Characterized Survey for Centaurs in Pan-STARRS1 Open
To prepare for the upcoming Legacy Survey of Space and Time, we develop methods for quantifying the selection function of a wide-field survey as a function of all six orbital parameters and absolute magnitude. We perform a HelioLinC3D sear…
View article: A Novel Orbit Parameterization in Spherical Coordinates
A Novel Orbit Parameterization in Spherical Coordinates Open
We present a novel orbit parameterization in spherical coordinates. This parameterization enables the mixing of varying and invariant orbital parameters, and clarifies the physics of the orbit. It also simplifies the process of placing syn…
View article: Strong Nongravitational Accelerations and the Potential for Misidentification of Near-Earth Objects
Strong Nongravitational Accelerations and the Potential for Misidentification of Near-Earth Objects Open
Nongravitational accelerations in the absence of observed activity have recently been identified on near-Earth objects (NEOs), opening the question of the prevalence of anisotropic mass loss in the near-Earth environment. Motivated by the …
View article: Strong Nongravitational Accelerations and the Potential for Misidentification of Near-Earth Objects
Strong Nongravitational Accelerations and the Potential for Misidentification of Near-Earth Objects Open
Nongravitational accelerations in the absence of observed activity have recently been identified on NEOs, opening the question of the prevalence of anisotropic mass-loss in the near-Earth environment. Motivated by the necessity of nongravi…
View article: A Novel Orbit Parameterization in Spherical Coordinates
A Novel Orbit Parameterization in Spherical Coordinates Open
We present a novel orbit parameterization in spherical coordinates. This parameterization enables the mixing of varying and invariant orbital parameters, and clarifies the physics of the orbit. It also simplifies the process of placing syn…
View article: The DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP). VII. The Strengths of Three Superfast Rotating Main-belt Asteroids from a Preliminary Search of DEEP Data
The DECam Ecliptic Exploration Project (DEEP). VII. The Strengths of Three Superfast Rotating Main-belt Asteroids from a Preliminary Search of DEEP Data Open
Superfast rotators (SFRs) are small solar system objects that rotate faster than generally possible for a cohesionless rubble pile. Their rotational characteristics allow us to make inferences about their interior structure and composition…
View article: The New Horizons Extended Mission Target: Arrokoth Search and Discovery
The New Horizons Extended Mission Target: Arrokoth Search and Discovery Open
Following the Pluto flyby of the New Horizons spacecraft, the mission provided a unique opportunity to explore the Kuiper Belt in situ. The possibility existed to fly by a Kuiper Belt object (KBO), as well as to observe additional objects …
View article: Recommendations for Early Definition Science with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope
Recommendations for Early Definition Science with the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Open
The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (Roman), NASA's next flagship observatory, has significant mission time to be spent on surveys for general astrophysics in addition to its three core community surveys. We considered what types of obse…
View article: A Pan-STARRS1 Search for Planet Nine
A Pan-STARRS1 Search for Planet Nine Open
We present a search for Planet Nine using the second data release of the Pan-STARRS1 survey. We rule out the existence of a Planet Nine with the characteristics of that predicted in Brown & Batygin to a 50% completion depth of V = 21.5. Th…
View article: The New Horizons Extended Mission Target: Arrokoth Search and Discovery
The New Horizons Extended Mission Target: Arrokoth Search and Discovery Open
Following the Pluto fly-by of the New Horizons spacecraft, the mission provided a unique opportunity to explore the Kuiper Belt in-situ. The possibility existed to fly-by a Kuiper Belt object (KBO) as well as to observe additional objects …