| 1. |
- Skaf, Nour, et al.
(författare)
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The β Pictoris system : Setting constraints on the planet and the disk structures at mid-IR wavelengths with NEAR
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 675
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. β Pictoris is a young nearby system hosting a well-resolved edge-on debris disk, along with at least two exoplanets. It offers key opportunities for carrying out detailed studies of the evolution of young planetary systems and their shaping soon after the end of the planetary formation phase. Aims. We analyzed high-contrast coronagraphic images of this system, obtained in the mid-infrared, taking advantage of the NEAR experiment using the VLT/VISIR instrument, which provides access to adaptive optics, as well as phase coronagraphy. The goal of our analysis is to investigate both the detection of the planet β Pictoris b and of the disk features at mid-IR wavelengths. In addition, by combining several epochs of observation, we expect to constrain the position of the known clumps and improve our knowledge on the dynamics of the disk. Methods. We observed the β Pictoris system over two nights in December 2019 in the 10- 12.5 μm coronagraphic filter. To evaluate the planet b flux contribution, we extracted the photometry at the expected position of the planet and compared it to the flux published in the literature. In addition, we used previous data from T-ReCS and VISIR in the mid-IR, updating the star's distance, to study the evolution of the position of the southwest clump that was initially observed in the planetary disk back in 2003. Results. While we did not detect the planet b, we were able to put constraints on the presence of circumplanetary material, ruling out the equivalent of a Saturn-like planetary ring around the planet. The disk presents several noticeable structures, including the known southwest clump. Using a 16-yr baseline, sampled with five epochs of observations, we were able to examine the evolution of the clump. We found that the clump orbits in a Keplerian motion with a semi-major axis of 56.1-0.3+0.4 au. In addition to the known clump, the images clearly show the presence of a second clump on the northeast side of the disk as well as possibly fainter and closer structures that are yet to be confirmed. Furthermore, we found correlations between the CO clumps detected with ALMA and the northeastern and southwestern clumps in the mid-IR images. Conclusions. If the circumplanetary material were located at the Roche radius, the maximum amount of dust determined from the flux upper limit around β Pictoris b would correspond to the mass of an asteroid of 5 km in diameter. Finally, the Keplerian motion of the southwestern clump is possibly indicative of a yet-to-be detected planet or signals the presence of a vortex.
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| 2. |
- Augereau, J, et al.
(författare)
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DIGIT, GASPS, DEBRIS and DUNES: four HERSCHEL Open Time Key Programs to survey the dust cycle in circumstellar disks
- 2008
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Ingår i: SF2A-2008.
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Four accepted HERSCHEL open time key programs, DIGIT, GASPS, DEBRIS and DUNES, will study the evolution of the dust grains in circumstellar disks around young and Main Sequence stars. There is a strong implication of the french community in these four projects which represent a total of 930 hours (>38 days) of her\ observing time. The DIGIT and GASPS projects will focus on the first stages of planet formation, while the DEBRIS and DUNES projects will search for extra-solar Kuiper Belt analogs around nearby Main Sequence stars. In this paper, we give an overview of the scientific goals of the four projects and of the numerical tools that we will be providing to the teams to model and interpret the her\ observations from these programs.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Cataldi, Gianni, et al.
(författare)
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Searching for Biosignatures in Exoplanetary Impact Ejecta
- 2017
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Ingår i: Astrobiology. - : Mary Ann Liebert Inc. - 1531-1074 .- 1557-8070. ; 17:8, s. 721-746
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- With the number of confirmed rocky exoplanets increasing steadily, their characterization and the search for exoplanetary biospheres are becoming increasingly urgent issues in astrobiology. To date, most efforts have concentrated on the study of exoplanetary atmospheres. Instead, we aim to investigate the possibility of characterizing an exoplanet (in terms of habitability, geology, presence of life, etc.) by studying material ejected from the surface during an impact event. For a number of impact scenarios, we estimate the escaping mass and assess its subsequent collisional evolution in a circumstellar orbit, assuming a Sun-like host star. We calculate the fractional luminosity of the dust as a function of time after the impact event and study its detectability with current and future instrumentation. We consider the possibility to constrain the dust composition, giving information on the geology or the presence of a biosphere. As examples, we investigate whether calcite, silica, or ejected microorganisms could be detected. For a 20km diameter impactor, we find that the dust mass escaping the exoplanet is roughly comparable to the zodiacal dust, depending on the exoplanet's size. The collisional evolution is best modeled by considering two independent dust populations, a spalled population consisting of nonmelted ejecta evolving on timescales of millions of years, and dust recondensed from melt or vapor evolving on much shorter timescales. While the presence of dust can potentially be inferred with current telescopes, studying its composition requires advanced instrumentation not yet available. The direct detection of biological matter turns out to be extremely challenging. Despite considerable difficulties (small dust masses, noise such as exozodiacal dust, etc.), studying dusty material ejected from an exoplanetary surface might become an interesting complement to atmospheric studies in the future.
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| 5. |
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| 6. |
- Grigorieva, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Collisional dust avalanches in debris discs
- 2007
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Ingår i: Astronomy & Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 461:2, s. 537-549
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We quantitatively investigate how collisional avalanches may develop in debris discs as the result of the initial breakup of a planetesimal or comet-like object, triggering a collisional chain reaction due to outward escaping small dust grains. We use a specifically developed numerical code that follows both the spatial distribution of the dust grains and the evolution of their size-frequency distribution due to collisions. We investigate how strongly avalanche propagation depends on different parameters (e.g., amount of dust released in the initial breakup, collisional properties of dust grains, and their distribution in the disc). Our simulations show that avalanches evolve on timescales of ~1000 years, propagating outwards following a spiral-like pattern, and that their amplitude exponentially depends on the number density of dust grains in the system. We estimate the probability of witnessing an avalanche event as a function of disc densities, for a gas-free case around an A-type star, and find that features created by avalanche propagation can lead to observable asymmetries for dusty systems with a β Pictoris-like dust content or higher. Characteristic observable features include: (i) a brightness asymmetry of the two sides for a disc viewed edge-on, and (ii) a one-armed open spiral or a lumpy structure in the case of face-on orientation. A possible system in which avalanche-induced structures might have been observed is the edge-on seen debris disc around HD 32297, which displays a strong luminosity difference between its two sides.
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| 7. |
- Grigorieva, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Survival of icy grains in debris discs. The role of photosputtering
- 2007
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Annan publikation (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- We put theoretical constraints on the presence and survival of icy grains in debris discs. Particular attention is paid to UV sputtering of water ice, which has so far not been studied in detail in this context. We present a photosputtering model based on available experimental and theoretical studies. We quantitatively estimate the erosion rate of icy and ice-silicate grains, under the influence of both sublimation and photosputtering, as a function of grain size, composition and distance from the star. The effect of erosion on the grain's location is investigated through numerical simulations coupling the grain size to its dynamical evolution. Our model predicts that photodesorption efficiently destroy ice in optically thin discs, even far beyond the sublimation snow line. For the reference case of beta Pictoris, we find that only > 5mm grains can keep their icy component for the age of the system in the 50-150AU region. When taking into account the collisional reprocessing of grains, we show that the water ice survival on grains improves (grains down to ~ 20 um might be partially icy). However, estimates of the amount of gas photosputtering would produce on such a hypothetical population of big icy grains lead to values for the OI column density that strongly exceed observational constraints for beta Pic, thus ruling out the presence of a significant amount of icy grains in this system. Erosion rates and icy grains survival timescales are also given for a set of 11 other debris disc systems. We show that, with the possible exception of M stars, photosputtering cannot be neglected in calculations of icy grain lifetimes.
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| 8. |
- Grigorieva, Anna, et al.
(författare)
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Survival of icy grains in debris discs. The role of photosputtering
- 2007
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 475:2, s. 755-764
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims.We put theoretical constraints on the presence and survival of icy grains in debris discs. Particular attention is paid to UV sputtering of water ice, which has so far not been studied in detail in this context. Methods: We present a photosputtering model based on available experimental and theoretical studies. We quantitatively estimate the erosion rate of icy and ice-silicate grains, under the influence of both sublimation and photosputtering, as a function of grain size, composition and distance from the star. The effect of erosion on the grain's location is investigated through numerical simulations coupling the grain size to its dynamical evolution. Results: Our model predicts that photodesorption efficiently destroy ice in optically thin discs, even far beyond the sublimation snow line. For the reference case of β Pictoris, we find that only ⪆5 mm grains can keep their icy component for the age of the system in the 50-150 AU region. When taking into account the collisional reprocessing of grains, we show that the water ice survival on grains improves (grains down to ≃20 μm might be partially icy). However, estimates of the amount of gas photosputtering would produce on such a hypothetical population of big icy grains lead to values for the O I column density that strongly exceed observational constraints for β Pic, thus ruling out the presence of a significant amount of icy grains in this system. Erosion rates and icy grains survival timescales are also given for a set of 11 other debris disc systems. We show that, with the possible exception of M stars, photosputtering cannot be neglected in calculations of icy grain lifetimes.
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| 9. |
- Krivov, A. V., et al.
(författare)
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Can gas in young debris disks be constrained by their radial brightness profiles?
- 2009
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 507:3, s. 1503-1516
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Disks around young stars are known to evolve from optically thick, gas-dominated protoplanetary disks to optically thin, almost gas-free debris disks. It is thought that the primordial gas is largely removed at ages of ~10 Myr and indeed, only little amounts of gas have been deduced from observations for debris disks at ages of ⪆10 Myr. However, gas detections are difficult and often indirect, not allowing one to discern the true gas densities. This suggests using dynamical arguments: it has been argued that gas, if present with higher densities, would lead to flatter radial profiles of the dust density and brightness than those actually observed. In this paper, we systematically study the influence of gas on the radial profiles of brightness. We assume that dust is replenished by planetesimals orbiting in a “birth ring” and model the dust distribution and scattered-light brightness profile in the outer part of the disk exterior to the birth ring, under different assumptions about the gas component. Our numerical simulations, supported with an analytic model, show that the radial profile of dust density and the surface brightness are surprisingly insensitive to variation of the parameters of a central star, location of the dust-producing planetesimal belt, dustiness of the disk and - most importantly - the parameters of the ambient gas. The radial brightness slopes in the outer disks are all typically in the range -3...-4. This result holds for a wide range of gas densities (three orders of magnitude), for different radial profiles of the gas temperature, both for gas of solar composition and gas of strongly non-solar composition. The slopes of -3...-4 we find are the same that were theoretically found for gas-free debris disks, and they are the same as actually retrieved from observations of many debris disks. Our specific results for three young (10-30 Myr old), spatially resolved, edge-on debris disks (β Pic, HD 32297, and AU Mic) show that the observed radial profiles of the surface brightness do not pose any stringent constraints on the gas component of the disk. We cannot exclude that outer parts of the systems may have retained substantial amounts of primordial gas which is not evident in the gas observations (e.g. as much as 50 Earth masses for β Pic). However, the possibility that gas, most likely secondary, is only present in little to moderate amounts, as deduced from gas detections (e.g. ~0.05 Earth masses in the β Pic disk or even less), remains open, too.
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