Science Objective 4

Explore the Outer System in Search of Clues to its Origin, and to the Nature of Other Planetary Systems

		Is there structure in the Zodiacal cloud due to dynamical processes associated with solar activity, planets, asteroids, comets, and Kuiper Belt objects? What does the distribution of small Kuiper Belt objects and dust tell us about the formation of the solar system? How does the structure of the Zodiacal dust cloud impact infrared observations of the galaxy and searches for planets around other stars? What are the origin, nature, and distribution of organic matter in the outer solar system and the interstellar medium?
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