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NASA NTRS2012

Coronagraphic Imaging of Debris Disks from a High Altitude Balloon Platform

Debris disks around nearby stars are tracers of the planet formation process, and they are a key element of our understanding of the formation and evolution of extrasolar planetary systems. With multi-color images of a significant number of disks, we can probe important questions: can we learn about planetary system evolution; what materials are the disks made of; and can they reveal the presence of planets? Most disks are known to exist only through their infrared flux excesses as measured by the Spitzer Space Telescope, and through images measured by Herschel. The brightest, most extended disks have been imaged with HST, and a few, such as Fomalhaut, can be observed using ground-based telescopes. But the number of good images is still very small, and there are none of disks with densities as low as the disk associated with the asteroid belt and Edgeworth-Kuiper belt in our own Solar System. Direct imaging of disks is a major observational challenge, demanding high angular resolution and extremely high dynamic range close to the parent star. The ultimate experiment requires a space-based platform, but demonstrating much of the needed technology, mitigating the technical risks of a space-based coronagrap, and performing valuable measurements of circumstellar debris disks, can be done from a high-altitude balloon platform. In this paper we present a balloon-borne telescope experiment based on the Zodiac II design that would undertake compelling studies of a sample of debris disks.

debris disk↗
NASA NTRS2014

Molecular Gas Clumps from the Destruction of Icy Bodies in the beta Pictoris Debris Disk

Many stars are surrounded by disks of dusty debris formed in the collisions of asteroids, comets and dwarf planets. But is gas also released in such events? Observations at sub-mm wavelengths of the archetypal debris disk around β Pictoris show that 0.3% of a Moon mass of carbon monoxide orbits in its debris belt. The gas distribution is highly asymmetric, with 30% found in a single clump 85 AU from the star, in a plane closely aligned with the orbit of the inner planet, beta Pic b. This gas clump delineates a region of enhanced collisions, either from a mean motion resonance with an unseen giant planet, or from the remnants of a collision of Mars-mass planets.

wavelengths↗
NASA NTRS2023

Primordial or Secondary? Testing Models of Debris Disk Gas with ALMA

The origin and evolution of gas in debris disks are still not well understood. Secondary gas production from cometary material or a primordial origin have been proposed. So far, observations have mostly concentrated on CO, with only a few C observations available. We overview the C and CO content of debris disk gas and test the state of the-art models. We use new and archival Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of CO and C I emission, complemented by C II data from Herschel, for a sample of 14 debris disks. This expands the number of disks with ALMA measurements of both CO and C I by 10 disks. We present new detections of C I emission toward three disks: HD 21997, HD 121191, and HD 121617. We use a simple disk model to derive gas masses and column densities. We find that current state-of-the-art models of secondary gas production overpredict the C 0 content of debris disk gas. This does not rule out a secondary origin, but might indicate that the models require an additional C removal process. Alternatively, the gas might be produced in transient events rather than a steady-state collisional cascade. We also test a primordial gas origin by comparing our results to a simplified thermochemical model. This yields promising results, but more detailed work is required before a conclusion can be reached. Our work demonstrates that the combination of C and CO data is a powerful tool to advance our understanding of debris disk gas.

Radiative transfer↗
NASA NTRS2022

Alma Images the Eccentric HD 53143 Debris Disk

We present ALMA 1.3 mm observations of the HD 53143 debris disk—the first infrared or millimeter image produced of this ∼1 Gyr old solar analog. Previous HST STIS coronagraphic imaging did not detect flux along the minor axis of the disk, which could suggest a face-on geometry with two clumps of dust. These ALMA observations reveal a disk with a strikingly different structure. In order to fit models to the millimeter visibilities and constrain the uncertainties on the disk parameters, we adopt a Markov Chain Monte Carlo approach. This is the most eccentric debris disk observed to date with a forced eccentricity of 0.21 ± 0.02, nearly twice that of the Fomalhaut debris disk, and also displays an apocenter glow. Although this eccentric model fits the outer debris disk well, significant interior residuals remain, which may suggest a possible edge-on inner disk, which remains unresolved in these observations. Combined with the observed structure difference between HST and ALMA, these results suggest a potential previous scattering event or dynamical instability in this system. We also note that the stellar flux changes considerably over the course of our observations, suggesting flaring at millimeter wavelengths. Using simultaneous TESS observations, we determine the stellar rotation period to be 9.6 ± 0.1 days.

Radio astronomy↗
NASA NTRS2012

Coronagraphic Imaging of Debris Disks from a High Altitude Balloon Platform

Debris disks around nearby stars are tracers of the planet formation process, and they are a key element of our understanding of the formation and evolution of extrasolar planetary systems. With multi-color images of a significant number of disks, we can probe important questions: can we learn about planetary system evolution; what materials are the disks made of; and can they reveal the presence of planets? Most disks are known to exist only through their infrared flux excesses as measured by the Spitzer Space Telescope, and through images measaured by Herschel. The brightest, most extended disks have been imaged with HST, and a few, such as Fomalhaut, can be observed using ground-based telescopes. But the number of good images is still very small, and there are none of disks with densities as low as the disk associated with the asteroid belt and Edgeworth-Kuiper belt in our own Solar System. Direct imaging of disks is major observational challenge, demanding high angular resolution and extremely high dynamic range close to the parent star. The ultimate experiment requires a space-based platform, but demonstrating much of the needed technology, mitigating the technical risks of a space-based coronagraph, and performing valuable measurements of circumstellar debris disks, can be done from a high-altitude balloon platform. In this paper we present a balloon-borne telescope concept based on the Zodiac II design that could undertake compelling studies of a sample of debris disks.

Unwin, Stephen↗
NASA NTRS2012

A Peculiar Class of Debris Disks from Herschel/DUNES: A Steep Fall Off in the Far Infrared

Context. The existence of debris disks around old main sequence stars is usually explained by continuous replenishment of small dust grains through collisions from a reservoir of larger objects. Aims. We present photometric data of debris disks around HIP 103389 (HD199260), HIP 100350 (HN Peg, HD206860), and HIP 114948 (HD 219482), obtained in the context of our Herschel Open TIme Key Program DUNES (DUst around NEarby Stars). Methods. We used Herschel/PACS to detect the thermal emission of the three debris disks with a 30 sigma sensitivity of a few mJy at l00 micron and 160 micron. In addition, we obtained Herschel/PACS photometric data at 70 micron for HIP 103389. These observations are complemented by a large variety of optical to far-infrared photometric data. Two different approaches are applied to reduce the Herschel data to investigate the impact of data reduction on the photometry. We fit analytical models to the available spectral energy distribution (SED) data using the fitting method of simulated therma1 annealing as well as a classical grid search method. Results. The SEDs of the three disks potentially exhibit an unusually steep decrease at wavelengths >= 70 micron. We investigate the significance of the peculiar shape of these SEDs and the impact on models of the disks provided it is real. Using grain compositions that have been applied successfully for modeling of many other debris disks, our modeling reveals that such a steep decrease of the SEDs in the long wavelength regime is inconsistent with a power-law exponent of the grain size distribution -3.5 expected from a standard equilibrium collisional cascade. In contrast, a steep grain size distribution or, alternatively an upper grain size in the range of few tens of micrometers are implied. This suggests that a very distinct range of grain sizes would dominate the thermal. emission of such disks. However, we demonstrate that the understanding of the data of faint sources obtained with Herschel is still incomplete and that the significance of our results depends on the version of the data reduction pipeline used. Conclusions. A new mechanism to produce the dust in the presented debris disks, deviations from the conditions required for a standard equilibrium collisional cascade (grain size exponent of -3.5), and/or significantly different dust properties would be necessary to explain the potentially steep SED shape of the three debris disks presented.

Ertel, S.↗
NASA NTRS2008

Gas in Debris Disks: Clues to the Late Stages of Planet Formation

The basic character of debris disks was established soon after their discovery in the mid-80's. These disks around nearby main sequence stars are composed of material produced by collisions and/or evaporation of extrasolar asteroids and comets. Debris disks appear to be largely composed of dust, though little is known about its typical composition. Nonetheless, at least some debris disks have detectable gas, which has very different characteristics from the gas in younger protoplanetary disks. The gas component has resisted observation, but appears to hold important clues to the composition of extrasolar planetesimals during the late-stages of planetary system formation and the formation of terrestrial planet atmospheres. In this talk, I will explain our current understanding of the place of debris disks in the planet formation process and describe what is known about the gas component. Finally, I will outline upcoming opportunities for sensitive new studies of gas in debris disks.

Roberg, A.↗
NASA NTRS2012

Gas and Dust in Debris Disks: Clues to the Late Stages of Planet Formation

The basic character of debris disks was established soon after their discovery in the mid- 1980's. These disks around nearby main sequence stars are composed of material (mostly dust) produced by collisions and/or evaporation of extrasolar asteroids and comets. However, fundamental observational questions about debris disks remain unanswered. How much material do debris disks typically contain and how does it evolve with time? What is the composition of their dust and gas? Are planets present or forming in the disks? Answers to these questions will provide insights into the late stages of planetary system formation and the origins of terrestrial planet atmospheres. In this talk, I will explain our current understanding of the place of debris disks in the planet formation process. Progress toward addressing the questions given above will be discussed, with emphasis on recent studies of the small but important gas component. Finally, I will outline the implications of debris dust for future efforts to directly image and characterize extrasolar terrestrial planets.

Roberge, Aki↗
NASA NTRS2010

Gas and Dustin Debris Disks: Clues to the Late Stages of Planet Formation

The basic character of debris disks was established soon after their discovery in the mid- 1980's. These disks around nearby main sequence stars are composed of material (mostly dust) produced by collisions and/or evaporation of extrasolar asteroids and comets. However, fundamental observational questions about debris disks remain unanswered. How much material do debris disks typically contain and how does it evolve with time? What is the composition of their dust and gas? Are planets present or forming in the disks? Answers to these questions will provide insights into the late-stages of planetary system formation and the origins of terrestrial planet atmospheres. In this talk, I will explain our current understanding of the place of debris disks in the planet formation process. Progress toward addressing the questions given above will be discussed, with emphasis on recent studies of the small but important gas component. Finally, I will outline the implications of debris dust for future efforts to directly image and characterize extrasolar terrestrial planets.

Roberge, Aki↗
NASA NTRS2017

Subaru SCExAO First-Light Direct Imaging of a Young Debris Disk around HD 36546

We present H-band scattered light imaging of a bright debris disk around the A0 star HD 36546 obtained from the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics (SCExAO) system with data recorded by the HiCIAO camera using the vector vortex coronagraph. SCExAO traces the disk from r approximately 0 3 to r approximately 0".3 to r approximately 1" (34-114 au). The disk is oriented in a near east west direction (PA approximately 75deg), is inclined by I approximately 70deg-75deg, and is strongly forward-scattering(g greater than 0.5). It is an extended disk rather than a sharp ring; a second, diffuse dust population extends from the disks eastern side. While HD 36546 intrinsic properties are consistent with a wide age range (t approximately 1-250 Myr), its kinematics and analysis of coeval stars suggest a young age (310 Myr) and a possible connection to Taurus-Aurigas star formation history. SCExAOs planet-to-star contrast ratios are comparable to the first-light Gemini Planet Imager contrasts; for an age of 10 Myr, we rule out planets with masses comparable to HR 8799 b beyond a projected separation of 23 au. A massive icy planetesimal disk or an unseen super-Jovian planet at r greater than 20 au may explain the disks visibility. The HD 36546 debris disk may be the youngest debris disk yet imaged, is the first newly identified object from the now-operational SCExAO extreme AO system, is ideally suited for spectroscopic follow-up with SCExAO/CHARIS in 2017, and may be a key probe of icy planet formation and planet disk interactions.

Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics (SCEx↗
NASA NTRS2011

Debris Disks in Aggregate: Using Hubble Space Telescope Coronagraphic Imagery to Understand the Scattered-Light Disk Detection Rate

Despite more than a decade of coronagraphic imaging of debris disk candidate stars, only 16 have been imaged in scattered light. Since imaged disks provide our best insight into processes which sculpt disks, and can provide signposts of the presence of giant planets at distances which would elude radial velocity and transit surveys, we need to understand under what conditions we detect the disks in scattered light, how these disks differ from the majority of debris disks, and how to increase the yield of disks which are imaged with 0.1" angular resolution. In this talk, I will review what we have learned from a shallow HSTINICMOS NIR survey of debris disks, and present first results from our on-going HST /STIS optical imaging of bright scattered-light disks.

Grady, Carol A.↗
NASA NTRS2011

A Debris Disk Case Study: 49 Ceti with Herschel

Gas-poor debris disks represent a fundamentally different class of circumstellar disk than gas-rich protoplanetary disks. Their gas probably originates from the same source as the dust, i.e. planetesimal destruction, but the low gas densities make it difficult to detect. So far, Herschel has detected far-IR gas emission from one debris disk, Beta Pictoris. Here I discuss a well-known debris disk system in the GASPS survey, 49 Ceti. It serves as a case study for modeling low-density gas in optically thin disks. The dust disk appears to be spatially resolved at 70 um. Most interestingly, there appears to be a hint of ClI 158 urn emission at the roughly 2 sigma level. Preliminary modeling suggests that reconciling the sub-mm CO emission from this system with the weak or non-existent far-IR atomic lines may require an unusual chemical composition in the gas of this disk.

Roberge, Aki↗
NASA NTRS2012

Coronagraphic Imaging of Debris Disks from a High-Altitude Balloon Platform

Debris disks are rings of micron-size dust orbiting in the outer regions of planetary systems. Asteroid and comet collisions are the probable sources of the dust. Radiation pressure and Poynting-Robertson drag. Planets shepherd and sculpt the dust into a ring. The dust ring is bright enough to be imaged, brighter than the planets themselves. So debris disk images are our connection to as-yet unseen planets, comets, and asteroids.

high-contrast imaging↗
NASA NTRS2011

A Collisional Algorithm for Modeling Circumstellar Debris Disks

Many planetary systems harbor circumstellar disks of dust and planetesimals thought to be debris left over from planet formation. These debris disks exhibit a range of morphological features which can arise from the gravitational perturbations of planets. Accurate models of these features, accounting for the interactions of the particles in a disk with each other and with whatever planets they contain, can act as signposts for planets in debris disks that otherwise could not be detected. Such models can also constrain the planet's mass and orbital parameters. Current models for many disks consider the gravitational and radiative effects of the star and planets on the disk, but neglect the morphological consequences of collisional interactions between the planetesimals. Many observed disk features are not satisfactorily explained by the current generation of models. I am developing a new kind of debris disk model that considers both the gravitational shaping of the disk by planets and the inelastic collisions between particles. I will use a hybrid N-body integrator to numerically solve the equations of motion for the particles and planets in the disk. To include the collisional effects, I begin with an algorithm that tests for collisions at each step of the orbit integration and readjusts the velocities of colliding particles. I am adapting this algorithm to the problem at hand by allowing each particle to represent a "swarm" of planetesimals with a range of masses. When the algorithm detects an encounter between swarms, two or three swarms are produced to approximate the range of possible trajectories of the daughter planetesimals. Here I present preliminary results from my collisional algorithm.

Nesvold, Erika↗
NASA NTRS2014

Potential Multi-Component Structure of the Debris Disk Around HIP 17439 Revealed by Herschel DUNES

Context. The dust observed in debris disks is produced through collisions of larger bodies left over from the planet/planetesimal formation process. Spatially resolving these disks permits to constrain their architecture and thus that of the underlying planetary/planetesimal system. Aims. Our Herschel open time key program DUNES aims at detecting and characterizing debris disks around nearby, sun-like stars. In addition to the statistical analysis of the data, the detailed study of single objects through spatially resolving the disk and detailed modeling of the data is a main goal of the project. Methods. We obtained the first observations spatially resolving the debris disk around the sun-like star HIP 17439 (HD 23484) using the instruments PACS and SPIRE on board the Herschel Space Observatory. Simultaneous multi-wavelength modeling of these data together with ancillary data from the literature is presented. Results. A standard single component disk model fails to reproduce the major axis radial profiles at 70 μm, 100 μm, and 160 μm simultaneously. Moreover, the best-fit parameters derived from such a model suggest a very broad disk extending from few au up to few hundreds of au from the star with a nearly constant surface density which seems physically unlikely. However, the constraints from both the data and our limited theoretical investigation are not strong enough to completely rule out this model. An alternative, more plausible, and better fitting model of the system consists of two rings of dust at approx. 30 au and 90 au, respectively, while the constraints on the parameters of this model are weak due to its complexity and intrinsic degeneracies. Conclusions. The disk is probably composed of at least two components with different spatial locations (but not necessarily detached), while a single, broad disk is possible, but less likely. The two spatially well-separated rings of dust in our best-fit model suggest the presence of at least one high mass planet or several low-mass planets clearing the region between the two rings from planetesimals and dust.

sun-like stars↗
NASA NTRS2012

A Unique Gas-Rich Debris Disk: Herschel Imaging and Spectroscopy of 49 Ceti

Gas-poor debris disks represent a fundamentally different class of circumstellar disk than gas-rich protoplanetary disks. Their gas probably originates from the same source as the dust, i.e. planetesimal destruction, but the low gas densities make it difficult to detect. So far, Herschel has detected far-IR gas emission from only one or two debris disks, Beta Pictoris being one of them. Here we present Herschel GASPS observations of a well-known debris disk system, 49 Ceti. The dust disk is spatially resolved in thermal emission at 70 _m. Most interestingly, weak far-IR gas emission is detected. Preliminary modeling suggests that reconciling the sub-mm CO emission seen from this system with the far-IR gas detection and upper limits requires a low gas-to-dust ratio and possibly an unusual gas composition.

Roberge, Aki↗
NASA NTRS2017

Radial Surface Density Profiles of Gas and Dust in the Debris Disk Around 49 Ceti

We present approximately 0".4 resolution images of CO(3-2) and associated continuum emission from the gas-bearing debris disk around the nearby A star 49 Ceti, observed with the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA). We analyze the ALMA visibilities in tandem with the broadband spectral energy distribution to measure the radial surface density profiles of dust and gas emission from the system. The dust surface density decreases with radius between approximately 100 and 310 au, with a marginally significant enhancement of surface density at a radius of approximately 110 au. The SED requires an inner disk of small grains in addition to the outer disk of larger grains resolved by ALMA. The gas disk exhibits a surface density profile that increases with radius, contrary to most previous spatially resolved observations of circumstellar gas disks. While approximately 80% of the CO flux is well described by an axisymmetric power-law disk in Keplerian rotation about the central star, residuals at approximately 20% of the peak flux exhibit a departure from axisymmetry suggestive of spiral arms or a warp in the gas disk. The radial extent of the gas disk (approx. 220 au) is smaller than that of the dust disk (approx. 300 au), consistent with recent observations of other gasbearing debris disks. While there are so far only three broad debris disks with well characterized radial dust profiles at millimeter wavelengths, 49 Ceti's disk shows a markedly different structure from two radially resolved gas-poor debris disks, implying that the physical processes generating and sculpting the gas and dust are fundamentally different.

Atacama Large Millimeter Submillimeter Array(ALMA)↗
NASA NTRS2013

The Gemini Planet-Finding Campaign: The Frequency of Giant Planets Around Debris Disk Stars

We have completed a high-contrast direct imaging survey for giant planets around 57 debris disk stars as part of the Gemini NICI Planet-Finding Campaign. We achieved median H-band contrasts of 12.4 mag at 0farcs5 and 14.1 mag at 1'' separation. Follow-up observations of the 66 candidates with projected separation <500 AU show that all of them are background objects. To establish statistical constraints on the underlying giant planet population based on our imaging data, we have developed a new Bayesian formalism that incorporates (1) non-detections, (2) single-epoch candidates, (3) astrometric and (4) photometric information, and (5) the possibility of multiple planets per star to constrain the planet population. Our formalism allows us to include in our analysis the previously known β Pictoris and the HR 8799 planets. Our results show at 95% confidence that <13% of debris disk stars have a ≥5 M Jup planet beyond 80 AU, and <21% of debris disk stars have a ≥3 M Jup planet outside of 40 AU, based on hot-start evolutionary models. We model the population of directly imaged planets as d(sq.)N/dMda ∝ m(sub α) a(sup β), where m is planet mass and a is orbital semi-major axis (with a maximum value of a(sub max)). We find that β < -0.8 and/or α > 1.7. Likewise, we find that β < -0.8 and/or a(sub max) < 200 AU. For the case where the planet frequency rises sharply with mass (α > 1.7), this occurs because all the planets detected to date have masses above 5 M(sub Jup), but planets of lower mass could easily have been detected by our search. If we ignore the β Pic and HR 8799 planets (should they belong to a rare and distinct group), we find that <20% of debris disk stars have a ≥3 M(sub Jup) planet beyond 10 AU, and β < -0.8 and/or α < -1.5. Likewise, β < -0.8 and/or a(sub max) < 125 AU. Our Bayesian constraints are not strong enough to reveal any dependence of the planet frequency on stellar host mass. Studies of transition disks have suggested that about 20% of stars are undergoing planet formation; our non-detections at large separations show that planets with orbital separation >40 AU and planet masses >3 M(sub Jup) do not carve the central holes in these disks.

Bayesian formalism↗