scholarly journals Constraining the detectability of water ice in debris disks

2019 ◽  
Vol 629 ◽  
pp. A141
Author(s):  
M. Kim ◽  
S. Wolf ◽  
A. Potapov ◽  
H. Mutschke ◽  
C. Jäger

Context. Water ice is important for the evolution and preservation of life. Identifying the distribution of water ice in debris disks is therefore of great interest in the field of astrobiology. Furthermore, icy dust grains are expected to play important roles throughout the entire planet formation process. However, currently available observations only allow deriving weak conclusions about the existence of water ice in debris disks. Aims. We investigate whether it is feasible to detect water ice in typical debris disk systems. We take the following ice destruction mechanisms into account: sublimation of ice, dust production through planetesimal collisions, and photosputtering by UV-bright central stars. We consider icy dust mixture particles with various shapes consisting of amorphous ice, crystalline ice, astrosilicate, and vacuum inclusions (i.e., porous ice grains). Methods. We calculated optical properties of inhomogeneous icy dust mixtures using effective medium theories, that is, Maxwell-Garnett rules. Subsequently, we generated synthetic debris disk observables, such as spectral energy distributions and spatially resolved thermal reemission and scattered light intensity and polarization maps with our code DMS. Results. We find that the prominent ~3 and 44 μm water ice features can be potentially detected in future observations of debris disks with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Space Infrared telescope for Cosmology and Astrophysics (SPICA). We show that the sublimation of ice, collisions between planetesimals, and photosputtering caused by UV sources clearly affect the observational appearance of debris disk systems. In addition, highly porous ice (or ice-rich aggregates) tends to produce highly polarized radiation at around 3 μm. Finally, the location of the ice survival line is determined by various dust properties such as a fractional ratio of ice versus dust, physical states of ice (amorphous or crystalline), and the porosity of icy grains.

2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (S314) ◽  
pp. 175-178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Padgett ◽  
Karl Stapelfeldt

AbstractUsing 22 μm data from the Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), we have completed a sensitive all-sky survey for debris disks in Hipparcos and Tycho catalog stars within 120 pc. This warm excess emission traces material in the circumstellar region likely to host terrestrial planets. Several hundred previously unknown debris disk candidates were identified. We are currently performing follow-up observations to characterize the stars, companions, and circumstellar material in these systems with a variety of facilities including Keck, Herschel, and HST. Thirteen WISE debris disks have been observed to date using HST/STIS coronagraphy. Five of these disks have been detected in scattered light. One is a large and highly asymmetric edge-on disk which appears to be both warped and bifurcated.


2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (S314) ◽  
pp. 201-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Péricaud ◽  
E. Di Folco ◽  
A. Dutrey ◽  
J.-C. Augereau ◽  
V. Piétu ◽  
...  

AbstractDebris disks are usually thought to be gas-poor, the gas being dissipated by accretion or evaporation during the protoplanetary phase. HD141569A is a 5 Myr old star harboring a famous debris disk, with multiple rings and spiral features. I present here the first PdBI maps of the 12CO(2−1), 13CO(2−1) gas and dust emission at 1.3 mm in this disk. The analysis reveals there is still a large amount of (primordial) gas extending out to 250 AU, i.e. inside the rings observed in scattered light. HD141569A is thus a hybrid disk with a huge debris component, where dust has evolved and is produced by collisions, with a large remnant reservoir of gas.


2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (S299) ◽  
pp. 318-321
Author(s):  
Kate Y. L. Su ◽  
G. H. Rieke

AbstractWe review the nearby debris disk structures revealed by multi-wavelength images from Spitzer and Herschel, and complemented with detailed spectral energy distribution modeling. Similar to the definition of habitable zones around stars, debris disk structures should be identified and characterized in terms of dust temperatures rather than physical distances so that the heating power of different spectral type of stars is taken into account and common features in disks can be discussed and compared directly. Common features, such as warm (~150 K) dust belts near the water-ice line and cold (~50 K) Kuiper-belt analogs, give rise to our emerging understanding of the levels of order in debris disk structures and illuminate various processes about the formation and evolution of exoplanetary systems. In light of the disk structures in the debris disk twins (Vega and Fomalhaut), and the current limits on the masses of planetary objects, we suggest that the large gap between the warm and cold dust belts is the best signpost for multiple (low-mass) planets beyond the water-ice line.


2020 ◽  
Vol 635 ◽  
pp. A19 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Engler ◽  
C. Lazzoni ◽  
R. Gratton ◽  
J. Milli ◽  
H. M. Schmid ◽  
...  

Context. Young stars with debris disks are the most promising targets for an exoplanet search because debris indicate a successful formation of planetary bodies. Debris disks can be shaped by planets into ring structures that give valuable indications on the presence and location of planets in the disk. Aims. We performed observations of the Sco-Cen F star HD 117214 to search for planetary companions and to characterize the debris disk structure. Methods. HD 117214 was observed with the SPHERE subsystems IRDIS, IFS, and ZIMPOL at optical and near-IR wavelengths using angular and polarimetric differential imaging techniques. This provided the first images of scattered light from the debris disk with the highest spatial resolution of 25 mas and an inner working angle <0.1″. With the observations with IRDIS and IFS we derived detection limits for substellar companions. The geometrical parameters of the detected disk were constrained by fitting 3D models for the scattering of an optically thin dust disk. Investigating the possible origin of the disk gap, we introduced putative planets therein and modeled the planet–disk and planet–planet dynamical interactions. The obtained planetary architectures were compared with the detection limit curves. Results. The debris disk has an axisymmetric ring structure with a radius of 0.42(±0.01)″ or ~45 au and an inclination of 71(±2.5)° and exhibits a 0.4″ (~40 au) wide inner cavity. From the polarimetric data, we derive a polarized flux contrast for the disk of (Fpol)disk/F∗ = (3.1 ± 1.2) × 10−4 in the RI band. Conclusions. The fractional scattered polarized flux of the disk is eight times lower than the fractional IR flux excess. This ratio is similar to the one obtained for the debris disk HIP 79977, indicating that dust radiation properties are similar for these two disks. Inside the disk cavity we achieve high-sensitivity limits on planetary companions with a mass down to ~4 MJ at projected radial separations between 0.2″ and 0.4″. We can exclude stellar companions at a radial separation larger than 75 mas from the star.


2018 ◽  
Vol 617 ◽  
pp. A109 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Olofsson ◽  
R. G. van Holstein ◽  
A. Boccaletti ◽  
M. Janson ◽  
P. Thébault ◽  
...  

Context. Debris disks are the intrinsic by-products of the star and planet formation processes. Most likely due to instrumental limitations and their natural faintness, little is known about debris disks around low mass stars, especially when it comes to spatially resolved observations. Aims. We present new VLT/SPHERE IRDIS dual-polarization imaging (DPI) observations in which we detect the dust ring around the M2 spectral type star TWA 7. Combined with additional angular differential imaging observations we aim at a fine characterization of the debris disk and setting constraints on the presence of low-mass planets. Methods. We modeled the SPHERE DPI observations and constrain the location of the small dust grains, as well as the spectral energy distribution of the debris disk, using the results inferred from the observations, and performed simple N-body simulations. Results. We find that the dust density distribution peaks at ~0.72′′ (25 au), with a very shallow outer power-law slope, and that the disk has an inclination of ~13° with a position angle of ~91° east of north. We also report low signal-to-noise ratio detections of an outer belt at a distance of ~1.5′′ (~52 au) from the star, of a spiral arm in the southern side of the star, and of a possible dusty clump at 0.11′′. These findings seem to persist over timescales of at least a year. Using the intensity images, we do not detect any planets in the close vicinity of the star, but the sensitivity reaches Jovian planet mass upper limits. We find that the SED is best reproduced with an inner disk at ~0.2′′ (~7 au) and another belt at 0.72′′ (25 au). Conclusions. We report the detections of several unexpected features in the disk around TWA 7. A yet undetected 100M⊕ planet with a semi-major axis at 20−30 au could possibly explain the outer belt as well as the spiral arm. We conclude that stellar winds are unlikely to be responsible for the spiral arm.


2018 ◽  
Vol 618 ◽  
pp. A38 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Kim ◽  
S. Wolf ◽  
T. Löhne ◽  
F. Kirchschlager ◽  
A. V. Krivov

Context. Since circumstellar dust in debris disks is short-lived, dust-replenishing requires the presence of a reservoir of planetesimals. These planetesimals in the parent belt of debris disks orbit their host star and continuously supply the disk with fine dust through their mutual collisions. Aims. We aim to understand effects of different collisional parameters on the observational appearance of eccentric debris disks. These parameters are the eccentricity of the planetesimal belt, dynamical excitation, and the material strength. Methods. The collisional evolution of selected debris disk configurations was simulated with the numerical code ACE. Subsequently, selected observable quantities are simulated with our newly developed code DMS. The impact of the eccentricity, dynamical excitation, and the material strength is discussed with respect to the grain size distribution, the spectral energy distribution, and spatially resolved images of debris disk systems. Results. The most recognizable features in different collisional evolutions are as follows. First, both the increase of dynamical excitation in the eccentric belt of the debris disk system and the decrease of the material strength of dust particles result in a higher production rate of smaller particles. This reduces the surface brightness differences between the periastron and the apastron sides of the disks. For very low material strengths, the “pericenter glow” phenomenon is reduced and eventually even replaced by the opposite effect, the “apocenter glow”. In contrast, higher material strengths and lower dynamical excitation of the system result in an enhancement of asymmetries in the surface brightness distribution. Second, it is possible to constrain the level of collisional activity from the appearance of the disk, for example, the wavelength-dependent apocenter-to-pericenter flux ratio. Within the considered parameter space, the impact of the material strength on the appearance of the disk is stronger than that of dynamical excitation of the system. Finally, we find that the impact of the collisional parameters on the net spectral energy distribution is weak.


2019 ◽  
Vol 630 ◽  
pp. A85 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Bhowmik ◽  
A. Boccaletti ◽  
P. Thébault ◽  
Q. Kral ◽  
J. Mazoyer ◽  
...  

Context. Spectro-photometry of debris disks in total intensity and polarimetry can provide new insight into the properties of the dust grains therein (size distribution and optical properties). Aims. We aim to constrain the morphology of the highly inclined debris disk HD 32297. We also intend to obtain spectroscopic and polarimetric measurements to retrieve information on the particle size distribution within the disk for certain grain compositions. Methods. We observed HD 32297 with SPHERE in Y, J, and H bands in total intensity and in J band in polarimetry. The observations are compared to synthetic models of debris disks and we developed methods to extract the photometry in total intensity overcoming the data-reduction artifacts, namely the self-subtraction. The spectro-photometric measurements averaged along the disk mid-plane are then compared to model spectra of various grain compositions. Results. These new images reveal the very inner part of the system as close as 0.15″. The disk image is mostly dominated by the forward scattering making one side (half-ellipse) of the disk more visible, but observations in total intensity are deep enough to also detect the back side for the very first time. The images as well as the surface brightness profiles of the disk rule out the presence of a gap as previously proposed. We do not detect any significant asymmetry between the northeast and southwest sides of the disk. The spectral reflectance features a “gray to blue” color which is interpreted as the presence of grains far below the blowout size. Conclusions. The presence of sub-micron grains in the disk is suspected to be the result of gas drag and/or “avalanche mechanisms”. The blue color of the disk could be further investigated with additional total intensity and polarimetric observations in K and H bands respectively to confirm the spectral slope and the fraction of polarization.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan E. Schröder ◽  
Olivier Poch ◽  
Marco Ferrari ◽  
Simone De Angelis ◽  
Robin Sultana ◽  
...  

AbstractThe Dawn mission found that the dominant colour variation on the surface of dwarf planet Ceres is a change of the visible spectral slope, where fresh impact craters are surrounded by blue (negative spectral-sloped) ejecta. The origin of this colour variation is still a mystery. Here we investigate a scenario in which an impact mixes the phyllosilicates present on the surface of Ceres with the water ice just below. In our experiment, Ceres analogue material is suspended in liquid water to create intimately mixed ice particles, which are sublimated under conditions approximating those on Ceres. The sublimation residue has a highly porous, foam-like structure made of phyllosilicates that scattered light in similar blue fashion as the Ceres surface. Our experiment provides a mechanism for the blue colour of fresh craters that can naturally emerge from the Ceres environment.


2018 ◽  
Vol 617 ◽  
pp. A76 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Chauvin ◽  
R. Gratton ◽  
M. Bonnefoy ◽  
A.-M. Lagrange ◽  
J. de Boer ◽  
...  

Context. HD 95086 (A8V, 17 Myr) hosts a rare planetary system for which a multi-belt debris disk and a giant planet of 4–5 MJup have been directly imaged. Aims. Our study aims to characterize the global architecture of this young system using the combination of radial velocity and direct imaging observations. We want to characterize the physical and orbital properties of HD 95086 b, search for additional planets at short and wide orbits and image the cold outer debris belt in scattered light. Methods. We used HARPS at the ESO 3.6 m telescope to monitor the radial velocity of HD 95086 over two years and investigate the existence of giant planets at less than 3 au orbital distance. With the IRDIS dual-band imager and the IFS integral field spectrograph of SPHERE at VLT, we imaged the faint circumstellar environment beyond 10 au at six epochs between 2015 and 2017. Results. We do not detect additional giant planets around HD 95086. We identify the nature (bound companion or background contaminant) of all point-like sources detected in the IRDIS field of view. None of them correspond to the ones recently discovered near the edge of the cold outer belt by ALMA. HD 95086 b is resolved for the first time in J-band with IFS. Its near-infrared spectral energy distribution is well fitted by a few dusty and/or young L7–L9 dwarf spectral templates. The extremely red 1–4 μm spectral distribution is typical of low-gravity objects at the L/T spectral type transition. The planet’s orbital motion is resolved between January 2015 and May 2017. Together with past NaCo measurements properly re-calibrated, our orbital fitting solutions favor a retrograde low to moderate-eccentricity orbit e = 0.2+0.3−0.2, with a semi-major axis ~52 au corresponding to orbital periods of ~288 yr and an inclination that peaks at i = 141°, which is compatible with a planet-disk coplanar configuration. Finally, we report the detection in polarimetric differential imaging of the cold outer debris belt between 100 and 300 au, consistent in radial extent with recent ALMA 1.3 mm resolved observations.


2022 ◽  
Vol 163 (2) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
G. H. Rieke ◽  
Kate Su ◽  
G. C. Sloan ◽  
E. Schlawin

Abstract A challenge in absolute calibration is to relate very bright stars with physical flux measurements to faint ones within range of modern instruments, e.g., those on large ground-based telescopes or the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). We propose Sirius as the fiducial color standard. It is an A0V star that is slowly rotating and does not have infrared excesses due to either hot dust or a planetary debris disk; it also has a number of accurate (∼1%–2%) absolute flux measurements. We accurately transfer the near-infrared flux from Sirius to BD +60 1753, an unobscured early A-type star (A1V, V ≈ 9.6, E(B – V) ≈ 0.009) that is faint enough to serve as a primary absolute flux calibrator for JWST. Its near-infrared spectral energy distribution and that of Sirius should be virtually identical. We have determined its output relative to that of Sirius in a number of different ways, all of which give consistent results within ∼1%. We also transfer the calibration to GSPC P330-E, a well-calibrated close solar analog (G2V). We have emphasized the 2MASS K S band, since it represents a large number and long history of measurements, but the theoretical spectra (i.e., from CALSPEC) of these stars can be used to extend this result throughout the near- and mid-infrared.


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