During a research expedition, scientists discover a new region in the outer solar system that appears to host a significant number of icy bodies. They suspect this region may be a new reservoir similar to the Oort Cloud. Based on your understanding of solar system reservoirs, what factors should the scientists consider to determine whether this region is a true reservoir and how it may affect comet dynamics?

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Seekh · Accepted Answer

Scientists should first estimate how many icy bodies are in the region and whether they are gravitationally bound to the Sun rather than just passing through, checking for a stable, roughly spherical distribution like the Oort Cloud. They must examine the orbital inclinations, eccentricities, and perihelion distances to see if the bodies can be perturbed into inner‑solar‑system orbits by planetary or galactic tides, which would make them a comet source. The region’s distance from the Sun and the density of objects will indicate whether it can supply comets at the observed rates, while numerical simulations can show how often objects are ejected or sent inward. Comparing the dynamical lifetimes of bodies in this area to those in known reservoirs helps determine if it is a long‑lived reservoir rather than a transient swarm. For example, if a 50‑AU‑wide shell of icy bodies shows a wide range of inclinations and their orbits are perturbed by Neptune’s gravity, it would behave like the Oort Cloud and feed comets into the inner system.

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