ABOUT THE POSSIBLE RELATIONSHIP BETWEENLONG-PERIOD COMETS AND TRANSNEPTUNIANOBJECTS.1

Abstract

This paper investigates dynamical links between long-period comets (LPCs) and large trans-Neptunian objects (TNOs). Using updated catalogs (1495 LPCs with aphelion > 30 au and 37 bright TNOs with H < 4.1), we apply three complementary methods: (i) a statistical test of LPC orbital nodes relative to each TNO’s orbital plane, (ii) counting of minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) events, and (iii) backward numerical integrations. The nodal-plane analysis reveals a highly significant clustering of 53 comet passages near the orbit of TNO 2003 VS2 and a weaker signal for 2010 KZ39. The MOID statistics confirm that 2003 VS2 exhibits an excess of encounters (19 comets within 0.1 au), while Salacia and 2010 KZ39 show more modest excesses. Orbital integrations of 31 candidate LPCs and the three selected TNOs indicate that comet C/1969 P1 likely passed ∼ 0.05–0.20 au from 2003 VS2 (circa 1951), while C/1937 D1 and C/2024 V2 passed ∼ 0.15–0.30 au from Salacia. These results are consistent with earlier suggestions of an LPC–TNO association, implying that the largest Kuiper belt bodies may influence the orbital distribution of distant comets. Other possible relationships between these two populations cannot be excluded and should be investigated using more comprehensive datasets in future studies.