61 research outputs found
Multi-wavelength modeling of the spatially resolved debris disk of HD 107146
(abridged) We aim to constrain the location, composition, and dynamical state
of planetesimal populations and dust around the young, sun-like (G2V) star HD
107146}. We consider coronagraphic observations obtained with the Advanced
Camera for Surveys (HST/ACS) onboard the HST in broad V and broad I filters, a
resolved 1.3mm map obtained with the Combined Array for Research in
Millimeter-Wave Astronomy (CARMA), Spitzer/IRS low resolution spectra, and the
spectral energy distribution (SED) of the object at wavelengths ranging from
3.5micron to 3.1mm. We complement these data with new coronagraphic high
resolution observations of the debris disk using the Near Infrared Camera and
Multi-Object Spectrometer (HST/NICMOS) aboard the HST in the F110W filter. The
SED and images of the disk in scattered light as well as in thermal reemission
are combined in our modeling using a parameterized model for the disk density
distribution and optical properties of the dust. A detailed analytical model of
the debris disk around HD 107146 is presented that allows us to reproduce the
almost entire set of spatially resolved and unresolved multi-wavelength
observations. Considering the variety of complementary observational data, we
are able to break the degeneracies produced by modeling SED data alone. We find
the disk to be an extended ring with a peak surface density at 131AU.
Furthermore, we find evidence for an additional, inner disk probably composed
of small grains released at the inner edge of the outer disk and moving inwards
due to Poynting-Robertson drag. A birth ring scenario (i.e., a more or less
broad ring of planetesimals creating the dust disk trough collisions) is found
to be the most likely explanation of the ringlike shape of the disk.Comment: 15 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in A&
Discovery of a Nearly Edge-On Disk Around HD 32297
We report the discovery of a nearly edge-on disk about the A0 star HD 32297
seen in light scattered by the disk grains revealed in NICMOS PSF-subtracted
coronagraphic images. The disk extends to a distance of at least 400 AU (3.3")
along its major axis with a 1.1 micron flux density of 4.81 +/-0.57 mJy beyond
a radius of 0.3" from the coronagraphically occulted star. The fraction of 1.1
micron starlight scattered by the disk, 0.0033 +/- 0.0004, is comparable to its
fractional excess emission at 25 + 60 micron of ~ 0.0027 as measured from IRAS
data. The disk appears to be inclined 10.5 degrees +/- 2.5 degrees from an
edge-on viewing geometry, with its major axis oriented 236.5 degrees +/- 1
degree eastward of north. The disk exhibits unequal brightness in opposing
sides and a break in the surface brightness profile along NE-side disk major
axis. Such asymmetries might implicate the existence of one or more (unseen)
planetary mass companions.Comment: 12 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ
The Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems: Description of the Spitzer Legacy Science Database
We present the science database produced by the Formation and Evolution of
Planetary Systems (FEPS) Spitzer Legacy program. Data reduction and validation
procedures for the IRAC, MIPS, and IRS instruments are described in detail. We
also derive stellar properties for the FEPS sample from available broad-band
photometry and spectral types, and present an algorithm to normalize Kurucz
synthetic spectra to optical and near-infrared photometry. The final FEPS data
products include IRAC and MIPS photometry for each star in the FEPS sample and
calibrated IRS spectra.Comment: 64 pages, 12 figures, 5 tables; accepted for publication in ApJ
Probing for Exoplanets Hiding in Dusty Debris Disks: Disk Imaging, Characterization, and Exploration with HST/STIS Multi-Roll Coronagraphy
Spatially resolved scattered-light images of circumstellar (CS) debris in
exoplanetary systems constrain the physical properties and orbits of the dust
particles in these systems. They also inform on co-orbiting (but unseen)
planets, systemic architectures, and forces perturbing starlight-scattering CS
material. Using HST/STIS optical coronagraphy, we have completed the
observational phase of a program to study the spatial distribution of dust in
ten CS debris systems, and one "mature" protoplanetrary disk all with HST
pedigree, using PSF-subtracted multi-roll coronagraphy. These observations
probe stellocentric distances > 5 AU for the nearest stars, and simultaneously
resolve disk substructures well beyond, corresponding to the giant planet and
Kuiper belt regions in our Solar System. They also disclose diffuse very
low-surface brightness dust at larger stellocentric distances. We present new
results inclusive of fainter disks such as HD92945 confirming, and better
revealing, the existence of a narrow inner debris ring within a larger diffuse
dust disk. Other disks with ring-like sub-structures, significant asymmetries
and complex morphologies include: HD181327 with a posited spray of ejecta from
a recent massive collision in an exo-Kuiper belt; HD61005 suggested interacting
with the local ISM; HD15115 & HD32297, discussed also in the context of
environmental interactions. These disks, and HD15745, suggest debris system
evolution cannot be treated in isolation. For AU Mic's edge-on disk,
out-of-plane surface brightness asymmetries at > 5 AU may implicate one or more
planetary perturbers. Time resolved images of the MP Mus proto-planetary disk
provide spatially resolved temporal variability in the disk illumination. These
and other new images from our program enable direct inter-comparison of the
architectures of these exoplanetary debris systems in the context of our own
Solar System.Comment: 109 pages, 43 figures, accepted for publication in the Astronomical
Journa
Discovery of an 86 AU Radius Debris Ring Around HD 181327
HST/NICMOS PSF-subtracted coronagraphic observations of HD 181327 have
revealed the presence of a ring-like disk of circumstellar debris seen in 1.1
micron light scattered by the disk grains, surrounded by a di use outer region
of lower surface brightness. The annular disk appears to be inclined by 31.7
+/- 1.6 deg from face on with the disk major axis PA at 107 +/-2 deg . The
total 1.1 micron flux density of the light scattered by the disk (at 1.2" < r <
5.0") of 9.6 mJy +/- 0.8 mJy is 0.17% +/- 0.015% of the starlight. Seventy
percent of the light from the scattering grains appears to be confined in a 36
AU wide annulus centered on the peak of the radial surface brightness (SB)
profile 86.3 +/- 3.9 AU from the star, well beyond the characteristic radius of
thermal emission estimated from IRAS and Spitzer flux densities assuming
blackbody grains (~ 22 AU). The light scattered by the ring appears bilaterally
symmetric, exhibits directionally preferential scattering well represented by a
Henyey-Greenstein scattering phase function with g = 0.30 +/- 0.03, and has an
azimuthally medianed SB at the 86.3 AU radius of peak SB of 1.00 +/- 0.07 mJy
arcsec^-2. No photocentric offset is seen in the ring relative to the position
of the central star. A low surface brightness diffuse halo is seen in the
NICMOS image to a distance of ~ 4" Deeper 0.6 micron HST/ACS PSF-subtracted
coronagraphic observations reveal a faint outer nebulosity, asymmetrically
brighter to the North of the star. We discuss models of the disk and properties
of its grains, from which we infer a maximum vertical scale height of 4 - 8 AU
at the 87.6 AU radius of maximum surface density, and a total maximum dust mass
of collisionally replenished grains with minimum grain sizes of ~ 1 micron of ~
4 M(moon).Comment: 45 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
Are Debris Disks and Massive Planets Correlated?
Using data from the Spitzer Space Telescope Legacy Science Program
``Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems'' (FEPS), we have searched for
debris disks around 9 FGK stars (2-10 Gyr), known from radial velocity (RV)
studies to have one or more massive planets. Only one of the sources, HD 38529,
has excess emission above the stellar photosphere; at 70 micron the
signal-to-noise ratio in the excess is 4.7 while at wavelengths < 30 micron
there is no evidence of excess. The remaining sources show no excesses at any
Spitzer wavelengths. Applying survival tests to the FEPS sample and the results
for the FGK survey published in Bryden et al. (2006), we do not find a
significant correlation between the frequency and properties of debris disks
and the presence of close-in planets. We discuss possible reasons for the lack
of a correlation.Comment: 24 pages, 3 figures. Accepted to Astrophysical Journa
Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems: Cold Outer Disks Associated with Sun-like stars
We present the discovery of debris systems around three solar mass stars
based upon observations performed with the Spitzer Space Telescope as part of a
Legacy Science Program, ``the Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems''
(FEPS). We also confirm the presence of debris around two other stars. All the
stars exhibit infrared emission in excess of the expected photospheres in the
70 micron band, but are consistent with photospheric emission at <= 33 micron.
This restricts the maximum temperature of debris in equilibrium with the
stellar radiation to T < 70 K. We find that these sources are relatively old in
the FEPS sample, in the age range 0.7 - 3 Gyr. Based on models of the spectral
energy distributions, we suggest that these debris systems represent materials
generated by collisions of planetesimal belts. We speculate on the nature of
these systems through comparisons to our own Kuiper Belt, and on the likely
planet(s) responsible for stirring the system and ultimately releasing dust
through collisions. We further report observations of a nearby star HD 13974 (d
=11 pc) that is indistinguishable from a bare photosphere at both 24 micron and
70 micron. The observations place strong upper limits on the presence of any
cold dust in this nearby system (L_IR/L_* < 10^{-5.2}).Comment: 31 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Ap
The moth : an unusual circumstellar structure associated with HD 61005
We present the discovery of an unusual spatially resolved circumstellar structure associated with the â90 Myr, nearby, G dwarf star HD 61005. Observations from the FEPS Spitzer Legacy Science survey reveal thermal emission in excess of expected stellar photospheric levels. Follow-up 0.1" resolution HST NICMOS coronagraphic images reveal scattered starlight â€7" (~240 AU) from the occulted star (1.1 ÎŒm flux density =18 ± 3.3 mJy; and 0.77% ± 0.16% of the starlight). The extremely high near-IR scattering fraction and IR excess luminosity f = L_(IR)/L_* â2 Ă 10^(â3) suggests scattering particle sizes of order a ~<1.1 ÎŒm/2Ï ~ 0.2 ÎŒm , comparable to the blowout size (a â 0.3 ÎŒm) due to radiation pressure from the star. Dust-scattered starlight is traced inward to an instrumental limit of ~10 AU. The structure exhibits a strong asymmetry about its morphological major axis but is mirror-symmetric about its minor axis
Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems (FEPS): Properties of Debris Dust around Solar-type Stars
We present Spitzer photometric (IRAC and MIPS) and spectroscopic (IRS low
resolution) observations for 314 stars in the Formation and Evolution of
Planetary Systems (FEPS) Legacy program. These data are used to investigate the
properties and evolution of circumstellar dust around solar-type stars spanning
ages from approximately 3 Myr to 3 Gyr. We identify 46 sources that exhibit
excess infrared emission above the stellar photosphere at 24um, and 21 sources
with excesses at 70um. Five sources with an infrared excess have
characteristics of optically thick primordial disks, while the remaining
sources have properties akin to debris systems. The fraction of systems
exhibiting a 24um excess greater than 10.2% above the photosphere is 15% for
ages < 300 Myr and declines to 2.7% for older ages. The upper envelope to the
70um fractional luminosity appears to decline over a similar age range. The
characteristic temperature of the debris inferred from the IRS spectra range
between 60 and 180 K, with evidence for the presence of cooler dust to account
for the strength of the 70um excess emission. No strong correlation is found
between dust temperature and stellar age. Comparison of the observational data
with disk models containing a power-law distribution of silicate grains suggest
that the typical inner disk radius is > 10 AU. Although the interpretation is
not unique, the lack of excess emission shortwards of 16um and the relatively
flat distribution of the 24um excess for ages <300~Myr is consistent with
steady-state collisional models.Comment: 85 pages, 18 figures, 4 tables; accepted for publication in ApJ
- âŠ