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We present ALMA mosaic observations at 1.3 mm (223 GHz) of the Fomalhaut system with a sensitivity of 14 μJy/beam. These observations provide the first millimeter map of the continuum dust emission from the complete outer debris disk with uniform sensitivity, enabling the first conclusive detection of apocenter glow. We adopt an MCMC modeling approach that accounts for the eccentric orbital parameters of a collection of particles within the disk. The outer belt is radially confined with an inner edge of 136.3 ± 0.9 au and width of 13.5 ± 1.8 au. We determine a best-fit eccentricity of 0.12 ± 0.01. Assuming a size distribution power-law index of q = 3.46 ± 0.09, we constrain the dust absorptivity power-law index β to be 0.9 < β < 1.5. The geometry of the disk is robustly constrained with inclination 65.°6 ± 0.°3, position angle 337.°9 ± 0.°3, and argument of periastron 22.°5 ± 4.°3. Our observations do not confirm any of the azimuthal features found in previous imaging studies of the disk with Hubble Space Telescope, SCUBA, and ALMA. However, we cannot rule out structures ≤10 au in size or that only affect smaller grains. The central star is clearly detected with a flux density of 0.75 ± 0.02 mJy, significantly lower than predicted by current photospheric models. We discuss the implications of these observations for the directly imaged Fomalhaut b and the inner dust belt detected at infrared wavelengths.

Previous surveys in the far-infrared have found very few, if any, M-dwarf debris discs among their samples. It has been questioned whether M-dwarf discs are simply less common than earlier types, or whether the low detection rate derives from the wavelengths and sensitivities available to those studies. The highly sensitive, long-wavelength Atacama Large Millimetre/submillimetre Array (ALMA) can shed light on the problem. This paper presents a survey of M-dwarf stars in the young and nearby Beta Pictoris Moving Group with ALMA at Band 7 (880 μm). From the observational sample, we detect two new sub-mm excesses that likely constitute unresolved debris discs around GJ 2006 A and AT Mic A and model distributions of the disc fractional luminosities and temperatures. From the science sample of 36 M-dwarfs including AU Mic, we find a disc detection rate of 4/36 or 11.1 |$^{+7.4}_{-3.3}$|  per cent that rises to 23.1 |$^{+8.3}_{-5.5}$|  per cent when adjusted for completeness. We conclude that this detection rate is consistent with the detection rate of discs around G- and K-type stars and that the disc properties are also likely consistent with earlier type stars. We additionally conclude that M-dwarf stars are not less likely to host debris discs, but instead their detection requires longer wavelength and higher sensitivity observations than have previously been employed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kuiper-like belts of planetesimals orbiting stars other than the Sun are most commonly detected from the thermal emission of small dust produced in collisions. Emission from gas, most notably CO, highlights the cometary nature of these planetesimals. Here, we present models for the release of gas from comet-like bodies in these belts, both due to their thermophysical evolution, most notably the decay of long-lived radioactive nuclides, and collisional evolution, including catastrophic and gentler resurfacing collisions. We show that the rate of gas release is not proportional to the rate of dust release, if non-catastrophic collisions or thermal evolution dominate the release of CO gas. In this case, care must be taken when inferring the composition of comets. Non-catastrophic collisions dominate the gas production at earlier times than catastrophic collisions, depending on the properties of the planetesimal belt. We highlight the importance of the thermal evolution of comets, including crucially the decay of long-lived radioactive nuclides, as a source of CO gas around young (<50 Myr) planetary systems, if large (10–100 km) planetesimals are present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constraining the vertical and radial structure of debris discs is crucial to understanding their formation, evolution, and dynamics. To measure both the radial and vertical structure, a disc must be sufficiently inclined. However, if a disc is too close to edge-on, deprojecting its emission becomes non-trivial. In this paper we show how Frankenstein , a non-parametric tool to extract the radial brightness profile of circumstellar discs, can be used to deproject their emission at any inclination as long as they are optically thin and axisymmetric. Furthermore, we extend Frankenstein to account for the vertical thickness of an optically thin disc (H (r)) and show how it can be constrained by sampling its posterior probability distribution and assuming a functional form (e.g. constant h  = H / r), while fitting the radial profile non-parametrically. We use this new method to determine the radial and vertical structures of 16 highly inclined debris discs observed by ALMA. We find a wide range of vertical aspect ratios, h , ranging from 0.020 ± 0.002 (AU Mic) to 0.20 ± 0.03 (HD 110058), which are consistent with parametric models. We find a tentative correlation between h and the disc fractional width, as expected if wide discs were more stirred. Assuming discs are self-stirred, the thinnest discs would require the presence of at least 500-km-sized planetesimals. The thickest discs would likely require the presence of planets. We also recover previously inferred and new radial structures, including a potential gap in the radial distribution of HD 61005. Finally, our new extension of Frankenstein also allows constraining how h varies as a function of radius, which we test on 49 Ceti, finding that h is consistent with being constant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radial structure of debris discs can encode important information about their dynamical and collisional history. In this paper, we present a three-phase analytical model to analyse the collisional evolution of solids in debris discs, focusing on their joint radial and temporal dependence. Consistent with previous models, we find that as the largest planetesimals reach collisional equilibrium in the inner regions, the surface density of dust and solids becomes proportional to ∼ r 2 within a certain critical radius. We present simple equations to estimate the critical radius and surface density of dust as a function of the maximum planetesimal size and initial surface density in solids (and vice versa). We apply this model to Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations of seven wide debris discs. We use both parametric and non-parametric modelling to test if their inner edges are shallow and consistent with collisional evolution. We find that four out of seven have inner edges consistent with collisional evolution. Three of these would require small maximum planetesimal sizes below 10 km, with HR 8799's disc potentially lacking solids larger than a few centimetres. The remaining systems have inner edges that are much sharper, which requires maximum planetesimal sizes ≳ 10 km. Their sharp inner edges suggest they could have been truncated by planets, which JWST could detect. In the context of our model, we find that the seven discs require surface densities below a Minimum Mass Solar Nebula, avoiding the so-called disc mass problem. Finally, during the modelling of HD 107146 we discover that its wide gap is split into two narrower ones, which could be due to two low-mass planets formed within the disc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ϵ Eridani is the closest star to our Sun known to host a debris disc. Prior observations in the (sub-)millimetre regime have potentially detected clumpy structure in the disc and attributed this to interactions with an (as yet) undetected planet. However, the prior observations were unable to distinguish between structure in the disc and background confusion. Here, we present the first ALMA image of the entire disc, which has a resolution of 1.6 × 1.2 arcsec2. We clearly detect the star, the main belt, and two-point sources. The resolution and sensitivity of this data allow us to clearly distinguish background galaxies (that show up as point sources) from the disc emission. We show that the two-point sources are consistent with background galaxies. After taking account of these, we find that resolved residuals are still present in the main belt, including two clumps with a >3σ significance – one to the east of the star and the other to the north-west. We perform N -body simulations to demonstrate that a migrating planet can form structures similar to those observed by trapping planetesimals in resonances. We find that the observed features can be reproduced by a migrating planet trapping planetesimals in the 2:1 mean motion resonance and the symmetry of the most prominent clumps means that the planet should have a position angle of either ∼10° or ∼190°. Observations over multiple epochs are necessary to test whether the observed features rotate around the star. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present new ALMA Band 7 observations of the edge-on debris disc around the M1V star GSC 07396-00759. At ∼20 Myr old and in the β Pictoris Moving Group along with AU Mic, GSC 07396-00759 joins it in the handful of low-mass M-dwarf discs to be resolved in the sub-mm. With previous VLT/SPHERE scattered light observations, we present a multiwavelength view of the dust distribution within the system under the effects of stellar wind forces. We find the mm dust grains to be well described by a Gaussian torus at 70 au with a full width at half-maximum of 48 au and we do not detect the presence of CO in the system. Our ALMA model radius is significantly smaller than the radius derived from polarimetric scattered light observations, implying complex behaviour in the scattering phase function. The brightness asymmetry in the disc observed in scattered light is not recovered in the ALMA observations, implying that the physical mechanism only affects smaller grain sizes. High-resolution follow-up observations of the system would allow investigation into its unique dust features as well as provide a true coeval comparison for its smaller sibling AU Mic, singularly well-observed amongst M-dwarfs systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extrasolar analogues of the Solar System's Kuiper belt offer unique constraints on outer planetary system architecture. Radial features such as the sharpness of disc edges and substructures such as gaps may be indicative of embedded planets within a disc. Vertically, the height of a disc can constrain the mass of embedded bodies. Edge-on debris discs offer a unique opportunity to simultaneously access the radial and vertical distribution of material; however, recovering either distribution in an unbiased way is challenging. In this study, we present a non-parametric method to recover the surface brightness profile (face-on surface brightness as a function of radius) and height profile (scale height as a function of radius) of azimuthally symmetric, edge-on debris discs. The method is primarily designed for observations at thermal emission wavelengths, but is also applicable to scattered light observations under the assumption of isotropic scattering. By removing assumptions on underlying functional forms, this algorithm provides more realistic constraints on disc structures. We also apply this technique to Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations of the AU Mic debris disc and derive a surface brightness profile consistent with estimates from parametric approaches, but with a more realistic range of possible models that is independent of parametrization assumptions. Our results are consistent with a uniform scale height of 0.8 au, but a scale height that increases linearly with radius is also possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Models of the zodiacal cloud's thermal emission and sporadic meteoroids suggest Jupiter-family comets (JFCs) as the dominant source of interplanetary dust. However, comet sublimation is insufficient to sustain the quantity of dust presently in the inner Solar system, suggesting that spontaneous disruptions of JFCs may supply the zodiacal cloud. We present a model for the dust produced in comet fragmentations and its evolution. Using results from dynamical simulations, the model follows individual comets drawn from a size distribution as they evolve and undergo recurrent splitting events. The resulting dust is followed with a kinetic model which accounts for the effects of collisional evolution, Poynting–Robertson drag, and radiation pressure. This allows to model the evolution of both the size distribution and radial profile of dust, and we demonstrate the importance of including collisions (both as a source and sink of dust) in zodiacal cloud models. With physically motivated free parameters this model provides a good fit to zodiacal cloud observables, supporting comet fragmentation as the plausibly dominant dust source. The model implies that dust in the present zodiacal cloud likely originated primarily from disruptions of ∼50-km comets, since larger comets are ejected before losing all their mass. Thus much of the dust seen today was likely deposited as larger grains ∼0.1 Myr in the past. The model also finds the dust level to vary stochastically; e.g. every ∼50 Myr large (>100 km) comets with long dynamical lifetimes inside Jupiter cause dust spikes with order of magnitude increases in zodiacal light brightness lasting ∼1 Myr. If exozodiacal dust is cometary in origin, our model suggests it should be similarly variable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debris belts on the periphery of planetary systems, encompassing the region occupied by planetary orbits, are massive analogues of the Solar system's Kuiper belt. They are detected by thermal emission of dust released in collisions amongst directly unobservable larger bodies that carry most of the debris disc mass. We estimate the total mass of the discs by extrapolating up the mass of emitting dust with the help of collisional cascade models. The resulting mass of bright debris discs appears to be unrealistically large, exceeding the mass of solids available in the systems at the preceding protoplanetary stage. We discuss this 'mass problem' in detail and investigate possible solutions to it. These include uncertainties in the dust opacity and planetesimal strength, variation of the bulk density with size, steepening of the size distribution by damping processes, the role of the unknown 'collisional age' of the discs, and dust production in recent giant impacts. While we cannot rule out the possibility that a combination of these might help, we argue that the easiest solution would be to assume that planetesimals in systems with bright debris discs were 'born small', with sizes in the kilometre range, especially at large distances from the stars. This conclusion would necessitate revisions to the existing planetesimal formation models, and may have a range of implications for planet formation. We also discuss potential tests to constrain the largest planetesimal sizes and debris disc masses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gas detection around main-sequence stars is becoming more common with around 20 systems showing the presence of CO. However, more detections are needed, especially around later spectral type stars to better understand the origin of this gas and refine our models. To do so, we carried out a survey of 10 stars with predicted high likelihoods of secondary CO detection using ALMA in band 6. We looked for continuum emission of mm-dust as well as gas emission (CO and CN transitions). The continuum emission was detected in 9/10 systems for which we derived the discs' dust masses and geometrical properties, providing the first mm-wave detection of the disc around HD 106906, the first mm-wave radius for HD 114082, 117214, HD 15745, HD 191089, and the first radius at all for HD 121191. A crucial finding of our paper is that we detect CO for the first time around the young 10–16 Myr old G1V star HD 129590, similar to our early Sun. The gas seems colocated with its planetesimal belt and its total mass is likely in the range of (2–10) × 10−5 M⊕. This first gas detection around a G-type main-sequence star raises questions as to whether gas may have been released in the Solar system as well in its youth, which could potentially have affected planet formation. We also detected CO gas around HD 121191 at a higher signal-to-noise ratio than previously and find that the CO lies much closer-in than the planetesimals in the system, which could be evidence for the previously suspected CO viscous spreading owing to shielding preventing its photodissociation. Finally, we make estimates for the CO content in planetesimals and the HCN/CO outgassing rate (from CN upper limits), which we find are below the level seen in Solar system comets in some systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectral energy distributions of some nearby stars show mid-infrared (IR) excesses from warm habitable zone dust, known as exozodiacal dust. This dust may originate in collisions in a planetesimal belt before being dragged inwards. This paper presents an analytical model for the size distribution of particles at different radial locations in such a scenario, considering evolution due to destructive collisions and Poynting–Robertson (P–R) drag. Results from more accurate but computationally expensive numerical simulations of this process are used to validate the model and fit its free parameters. The model predicts 11 μm excesses (R 11) for discs with a range of dust masses and planetesimal belt radii using realistic grain properties. We show that P–R drag should produce exozodiacal dust levels detectable with the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer (LBTI) (⁠|$R_{11} \gt 0.1{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$|⁠) in systems with known outer belts; non-detection may indicate dust depletion, e.g. by an intervening planet. We also find that LBTI could detect exozodiacal dust dragged in from a belt too faint to detect at far-IR wavelengths, with fractional luminosity f  ∼ 10−7 and radius ∼10–80 au. Application to systems observed with LBTI shows that P–R drag can likely explain most (5/9) of the exozodiacal dust detections in systems with known outer belts; two systems (β Uma and η Corvi) with bright exozodi may be due to exocomets. We suggest that the three systems with exozodiacal dust detections but no known belt may have cold planetesimal belts too faint to be detectable in the far-IR. Even systems without outer belt detections could have exozodiacal dust levels |$R_{11} \gt 0.04{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| which are problematic for exo-Earth imaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite being >10 Myr, there are ∼10 debris discs with as much CO gas as in protoplanetary discs. Such discs have been assumed to be 'hybrid', i.e. with secondary dust but primordial gas. Here, we show that both the dust and gas in such systems could instead be secondary, with the high CO content caused by accumulation of neutral carbon (C0) that shields CO from photodissociating; i.e. these could be 'shielded secondary discs'. New ALMA observations are presented of HD131835 that detect ∼3 × 10−3 M⊕ of C0, the majority 40–200 au from the star, in sufficient quantity to shield the previously detected CO. A simple semi-analytic model for the evolution of CO, C, and O originating in a volatile-rich planetesimal belt shows how CO shielding becomes important when the viscous evolution is slow (low α parameter) and/or the CO production rate is high. Shielding by C0 may also cause the CO content to reach levels at which CO self-shields, and the gas disc may become massive enough to affect the dust evolution. Application to the HD 131835 observations shows these can be explained if α ∼ 10−3; an inner cavity in C0 and CO may also mean the system has yet to reach steady state. Application to other debris discs with high CO content finds general agreement for α = 10−3 to 0.1. The shielded secondary nature of these gas discs can be tested by searching for C0, as well as CN, N2, and CH+, which are also expected to be shielded by C0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We compile a sample of 341 binary and multiple star systems with the aim of searching for and characterizing Kuiper belt-like debris discs. The sample is assembled by combining several smaller samples studied in previously published work with targets from two unpublished Herschel surveys. We find that 38 systems show excess emission at 70 or 100  |$\mu$| m suggestive of a debris disc. While nine of the discs appear to be unstable to perturbations from their host binary based on a simple analysis of their inferred radii, we argue that the evidence for genuine instability is not strong, primarily because of uncertainty in the true disc radii, uncertainty in the boundaries of the unstable regions, and orbital projection effects. The binary separation distributions of the disc-bearing and disc-free systems are different at a confidence level of |$99.4{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$|⁠ , indicating that binary separation strongly influences the presence of detectable levels of debris. No discs are detected for separations between ∼25 and 135 au; this is likely a result of binaries whose separations are comparable with typical disc radii clearing out their primordial circumstellar or circumbinary material via dynamical perturbations. The disc detection rate is |$19^{+5}_{-3}{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| for binaries wider than 135 au, similar to the published results for single stars. Only |$8^{+2}_{-1}{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$| of systems with separations below 25 au host a detectable disc, which may suggest that planetesimal formation is inhibited in binaries closer than a few tens of au, similar to the conclusions of studies of known planet-hosting binaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper discusses an algorithm for detecting single transits in photometric time-series data. Specifically, we aim to identify asymmetric transits with ingress that is more rapid than egress, as expected for cometary bodies with a significant tail. The algorithm is automated, so can be applied to large samples and only a relatively small number of events need to be manually vetted. We applied this algorithm to all long-cadence light curves from the Kepler mission, finding 16 candidate transits with significant asymmetry, 11 of which were found to be artefacts or symmetric transits after manual inspection. Of the five remaining events, four are the 0.1 per cent depth events previously identified for KIC 3542116 and 11084727. We identify HD 182952 (KIC 8027456) as a third system showing a potential comet transit. All three stars showing these events have H–R diagram locations consistent with ∼100 Myr-old open cluster stars, as might be expected given that cometary source regions deplete with age, and giving credence to the comet hypothesis. If these events are part of the same population of events as seen for KIC 8462852, the small increase in detections at 0.1 per cent depth compared to 10 per cent depth suggests that future work should consider whether the distribution is naturally flat, or if comets with symmetric transits in this depth range remain undiscovered. Future searches relying on asymmetry should be more successful if they focus on larger samples and young stars, rather than digging further into the noise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exocomets scattered by planets have been invoked to explain observations in multiple contexts, including the frequently found near- and mid-infrared excess around nearby stars arising from exozodiacal dust. Here we investigate how the process of inward scattering of comets originating in an outer belt is affected by the architecture of a planetary system, to determine whether this could lead to observable exozodi levels or deliver volatiles to inner planets. Using N-body simulations, we model systems with different planet mass and orbital spacing distributions in the 1–50 au region. We find that tightly packed (Δap < 20RH, m) low-mass planets are the most efficient at delivering material to exozodi regions ( 5–7 per cent of scattered exocomets end up within 0.5 au at some point), although the exozodi levels do not vary by more than a factor of ∼7 for the architectures studied here. We suggest that emission from scattered dusty material in between the planets could provide a potential test for this delivery mechanism. We show that the surface density of scattered material can vary by two orders of magnitude (being highest for systems of low-mass planets with medium spacing), while the exozodi delivery rate stays roughly constant, and that future instruments such as JWST could detect it. In fact for η Corvi, the current Herschel upper limit rules out the scattering scenario by a chain of ≲30 M⊕ planets. Finally, we show that exocomets could be efficient at delivering cometary material to inner planets ( 0.1–1 per cent of scattered comets are accreted per inner planet). Overall, the best systems at delivering comets to inner planets are the ones that have low-mass outer planets and medium spacing (∼20RH, m). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The young A0V star HR 4796A is host to a bright and narrow ring of dust, thought to originate in collisions between planetesimals within a belt analogous to the Solar system's Edgeworth-Kuiper belt. Here we present high spatial resolution 880 µm continuum images from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array. The 80 au radius dust ring is resolved radially with a characteristic width of 10 au, consistent with the narrow profile seen in scattered light. Our modelling consistently finds that the disc is also vertically resolved with a similar extent. However, this extent is less than the beam size, and a disc that is dynamically very cold (i.e. vertically thin) provides a better theoretical explanation for the narrowscattered light profile, so we remain cautious about this conclusion. We do not detect 12CO J=3-2 emission, concluding that unless the disc is dynamically cold the CO+CO2 ice content of the planetesimals is of order a few per cent or less. We consider the range of semi-major axes and masses of an interior planet supposed to cause the ring's eccentricity, finding that such a planet should be more massive than Neptune and orbit beyond 40 au. Independent of our ALMA observations, we note a conflict between mid-IR pericentre-glow and scattered light imaging interpretations, concluding that models where the spatial dust density and grain size vary around the ring should be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debris discs are evidence of the ongoing destructive collisions between planetesimals and their presence around stars also suggests that planets exist in these systems. In this paper, we present submillimetre images of the thermal emission from debris discs that formed the SCUBA-2 Observations of Nearby Stars (SONS) survey, one of seven legacy surveys undertaken on the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope between 2012 and 2015. The overall results of the survey are presented in the form of 850 μm (and 450 μm, where possible) images and fluxes for the observed fields. Excess thermal emission, over that expected from the stellar photosphere, is detected around 49 stars out of the 100 observed fields. The discs are characterized in terms of their flux density, size (radial distribution of the dust) and derived dust properties from their spectral energy distributions. The results show discs over a range of sizes, typically 1–10 times the diameter of the Edgeworth–Kuiper Belt in our Solar system. The mass of a disc, for particles up to a few millimetres in size, is uniquely obtainable with submillimetre observations and this quantity is presented as a function of the host stars’ age, showing a tentative decline in mass with age. Having doubled the number of imaged discs at submillimetre wavelengths from ground-based, single-dish telescope observations, one of the key legacy products from the SONS survey is to provide a comprehensive target list to observe at high angular resolution using submillimetre/millimetre interferometers (e.g. Atacama Large Millimeter Array, Smithsonian Millimeter Array). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses observations of dusty debris discs, including a growing number of gas detections in these systems, to test our understanding of the origin and evolution of this gaseous component. It is assumed that all debris discs with icy planetesimals create second generation CO, C and O gas at some level, and the aim of this paper is to predict that level and assess its observability. We present a new semi-analytical equivalent of the numerical model of Kral et al. allowing application to large numbers of systems. That model assumes CO is produced from volatile-rich solid bodies at a rate that can be predicted from the debris discs fractional luminosity. CO photodissociates rapidly into C and O that then evolve by viscous spreading. This model provides a good qualitative explanation of all current observations, with a few exceptional systems that likely have primordial gas. The radial location of the debris and stellar luminosity explain some non-detections, e.g. close-in debris (like HD 172555) is too warm to retain CO, while high stellar luminosities (like η Tel) result in short CO lifetimes. We list the most promising targets for gas detections, predicting >15 CO detections and >30 C I detections with ALMA, and tens of C II and OI detections with future far-IR missions. We find that CO, C I, CII and OI gas should be modelled in non-LTE for most stars, and that CO, CI and OI lines will be optically thick for the most gas-rich systems. Finally, we find that radiation pressure, which can blow out C I around early-type stars, can be suppressed by self-shielding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infrared excesses around metal-polluted white dwarfs have been associated with the accretion of dusty planetary material. This work analyses the available infrared data for an unbiased sample of white dwarfs and demonstrates that no more than 3.3 per cent can have a wide, flat, opaque dust disc, extending to the Roche radius, with a temperature at the disc inner edge of Tin = 1400 K, the standard model for the observed excesses. This is in stark contrast to the incidence of pollution of about 30 per cent.We present four potential reasons for the absence of an infrared excess in polluted white dwarfs, depending on their stellar properties and inferred accretion rates: (i) their dust discs are opaque, but narrow, thus evading detection if more than 85 per cent of polluted white dwarfs have dust discs narrower than δr < 0.04r, (ii) their dust discs have been fully consumed, which only works for the oldest white dwarfs with sinking time-scales longer than hundreds of years, (iii) their dust is optically thin, which can supply low accretion rates of <107 gs-1 if dominated by (Poynting-Robertson) PR-drag, and higher accretion rates, if inwards transport of material is enhanced, e.g. due to the presence of gas, (iv) their accretion is supplied by a pure gas disc, which could result from the sublimation of optically thin dust for T* > 20 000 K. Future observations sensitive to faint infrared excesses or the presence of gas can test the scenarios presented here, thereby better constraining the nature of the material fuelling accretion in polluted white dwarfs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the general interaction between an eccentric planet and a coplanar debris disc of the same mass, using analytical theory and N-body simulations. Such an interaction could result from a planet-planet scattering or merging event. We show that when the planet mass is comparable to that of the disc, the former is often circularized with little change to its semimajor axis. The secular effect of such a planet can cause debris to apsidally antialign with the planet's orbit (the opposite of what may be naıvely expected), leading to the counter-intuitive result that a low-mass planet may clear a larger region of debris than a higher mass body would. The interaction generally results in a double-ringed debris disc, which is comparable to those observed in HD 107146 and HD 92945. As an example we apply our results to HD 107146, and show that the disc's morphology and surface brightness profile can be well reproduced if the disc is interacting with an eccentric planet of comparable mass (~10-100 Earth masses). This hypothetical planet had a pre-interaction semimajor axis of 30 or 40 au (similar to its present-day value) and an eccentricity of 0.4 or 0.5 (which would since have reduced to ~0.1). Thus the planet (if it exists) presently resides near the inner edge of the disc, rather than between the two debris peaks as may otherwise be expected. Finally, we show that disc self-gravity can be important in this mass regime and, whilst it would not affect these results significantly, it should be considered when probing the interaction between a debris disc and a planet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work considers debris disks whose spectra can be modelled by dust emission at two different temperatures. These disks are typically assumed to be a sign of multiple belts, but only a few cases have been confirmed via high resolution observations. We derive the properties of a sample of two-temperature disks, and explore whether this emission can arise from dust in a single narrow belt. While some two-temperature disks arise from single belts, it is probable that most have multiple spatial components. These disks are plausibly similar to the outer Solar System's configuration of Asteroid and Edgeworth-Kuiper belts separated by giant planets. Alternatively, the inner component could arise from inward scattering of material from the outer belt, again due to intervening planets. For either scenario, the ratio of warm/cool component temperatures is indicative of the scale of outer planetary systems, which typically span a factor of about ten in radius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present new observations of the Kuiper belt analogues around HD 38858 and HD 20794, hosts of super-Earth mass planets within 1 au. As two of the four nearby G-type stars (with HD 69830 and 61 Vir) that form the basis of a possible correlation between low-mass planets and debris disc brightness, these systems are of particular interest. The disc around HD 38858 is well resolved with Herschel and we constrain the disc geometry and radial structure. We also present a probable James Clerk Maxwell Telescope sub-mm continuum detection of the disc and a CO J = 2-1 upper limit. The disc around HD 20794 is much fainter and appears marginally resolved with Herschel, and is constrained to be less extended than the discs around 61 Vir and HD 38858. We also set limits on the radial location of hot dust recently detected around HD 20794 with near-IR interferometry. We present High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher upper limits on unseen planets in these four systems, ruling out additional super-Earths within a few au, and Saturn-mass planets within 10 au. We consider the disc structure in the three systems with Kuiper belt analogues (HD 69830 has only a warm dust detection), concluding that 61 Vir and HD 38858 have greater radial disc extent than HD 20794. We speculate that the greater width is related to the greater minimum planet masses (10-20 M⊕ versus 3-5 M⊕), arising from an eccentric planetesimal population analogous to the Solar system's scattered disc. We discuss alternative scenarios and possible means to distinguish among them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

RZ Psc is a young Sun-like star, long associated with the UXor class of variable stars, which is partially or wholly dimmed by dust clumps several times each year. The system has a bright and variable infrared excess, which has been interpreted as evidence that the dimming events are the passage of asteroidal fragments in front of the host star. Here, we present a decade of optical photometry of RZ Psc and take a critical look at the asteroid belt interpretation. We show that the distribution of light curve gradients is non-uniform for deep events, which we interpret as possible evidence for an asteroidal fragment-like clump structure. However, the clumps are very likely seen above a high optical depth midplane, so the disc’s bulk clumpiness is not revealed. While circumstantial evidence suggests an asteroid belt is more plausible than a gas-rich transition disc, the evolutionary status remains uncertain. We suggest that the rarity of Sun-like stars showing disc-related variability may arise because (i) any accretion streams are transparent and/or (ii) turbulence above the inner rim is normally shadowed by a flared outer disc.

We investigate the interaction between an eccentric planet and a less massive external debris disc. This scenario could occur after planet–planet scattering or merging events. We characterize the evolution over a wide range of initial conditions, using a suite of n-body integrations combined with theory. Planets near the disc mid-plane remove the inner debris region, and surviving particles form an eccentric disc apsidally aligned with the planet. The inner disc edge is elliptical and lies just beyond the planet's orbit. Moderately inclined planets (iplt ≳ 20° for eplt = 0.8) may instead sculpt debris into a bell-shaped structure enveloping the planet's orbit. Finally, some highly inclined planets (iplt ∼ 90°) can maintain a disc orthogonal to the planet's plane. In all cases, disc particles undergo rapid evolution, whilst the overall structures evolve more slowly. The shapes of these structures and their density profiles are characterized. The width of the chaotic zone around the planet's orbit is derived in the coplanar case using eccentric Hill radius arguments. This zone is cleared within approximately 10 secular or diffusion times (whichever is longer), and debris assumes its final shape within a few secular times. We quantify the planet's migration and show that it will almost always be small in this mass regime. Our results may be used to characterize unseen eccentric planets using observed debris features. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

We consider the observational signatures of giant impacts between planetary embryos. While the debris released in the impact remains in a clump for only a single orbit, there is a much longer lasting asymmetry caused by the fact that all debris must pass through the collision-point. The resulting asymmetry is stationary, it does not orbit the star. The debris is concentrated in a clump at the collision-point, with a more diffuse structure on the opposite side. The asymmetry lasts for typically around 1000 orbital periods of the progenitor, which can be several Myr at distances of ∼50 au. We describe how the appearance of the asymmetric disc depends on the mass and eccentricity of the progenitor, as well as viewing orientation. The wavelength of observation, which determines the grain sizes probed, is also important. Notably, the increased collision rate of the debris at the collision-point makes this the dominant production site for any secondary dust and gas created. For dust small enough to be removed by radiation pressure, and gas with a short lifetime, this causes their distribution to resemble a jet emanating from the (stationary) collision-point. We suggest that the asymmetries seen at large separations in some debris discs, like Beta Pictoris, could be the result of giant impacts. If so, this would indicate that planetary embryos are present and continuing to grow at several tens of au at ages of up to tens of Myr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The majority of debris discs discovered so far have only been detected through infrared excess emission above stellar photospheres. While disc properties can be inferred from unresolved photometry alone under various assumptions for the physical properties of dust grains, there is a degeneracy between disc radius and dust temperature that depends on the grain size distribution and optical properties. By resolving the disc we can measure the actual location of the dust. The launch of Herschel, with an angular resolution superior to previous far-infrared telescopes, allows us to spatially resolve more discs and locate the dust directly. Here we present the nine resolved discs around A stars between 20 and 40 pc observed by the Disc Emission via a Bias-free Reconnaissance in the Infrared/Submillimetre (DEBRIS) survey. We use these data to investigate the disc radii by fitting narrow ring models to images at 70, 100 and 160 μm and by fitting blackbodies to full spectral energy distributions. We do this with the aim of finding an improved way of estimating disc radii for unresolved systems. The ratio between the resolved and blackbody radii varies between 1 and 2.5. This ratio is inversely correlated with luminosity and any remaining discrepancies are most likely explained by differences to the minimum size of grain in the size distribution or differences in composition. We find that three of the systems are well fit by a narrow ring, two systems are borderline cases and the other four likely require wider or multiple rings to fully explain the observations, reflecting the diversity of planetary systems. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Detectable debris discs are thought to require dynamical excitation (‘stirring’), so that planetesimal collisions release large quantities of dust. We investigate the effects of the secular perturbations of a planet, which may lie at a significant distance from the planetesimal disc, to see if these perturbations can stir the disc, and if so over what time-scale. The secular perturbations cause orbits at different semimajor axes to precess at different rates, and after some time initially non-intersecting orbits begin to cross. We show that , where and are the mass, eccentricity and semimajor axis of the planet, and is the semimajor axis of the disc. This time-scale can be faster than that for the growth of planetesimals to Pluto's size within the outer disc. We also calculate the magnitude of the relative velocities induced among planetesimals and infer that a planet's perturbations can typically cause destructive collisions out to 100 s of au. Recently formed planets can thus have a significant impact on planet formation in the outer disc which may be curtailed by the formation of giant planets much closer to the star. The presence of an observed debris disc does not require the presence of Pluto-sized objects within it, since it can also have been stirred by a planet not in the disc. For the star ε Eridani, we find that the known radial velocity planet can excite the planetesimal belt at 60 au sufficiently to cause destructive collisions of bodies up to 100 km in size, on a time-scale of 40 Myr. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nice model of Gomes et al. suggests that the migration of the giant planets caused a planetesimal clearing event, which led to the late heavy bombardment (LHB) at 880 Myr. Here, we investigate the infrared emission from the Kuiper belt during the history of the Solar system as described by the Nice model. We describe a method for easily converting the results of N-body planetesimal simulations into observational properties (assuming blackbody grains and a single size distribution) and further modify this method to improve its realism (using realistic grain properties and a three-phase size distribution). We compare our results with observed debris discs and evaluate the plausibility of detecting an LHB-like process in extrasolar systems. Recent surveys have shown that 4 per cent of stars exhibit 24 μm excess and 16 per cent exhibit 70 μm excess. We show that the Solar system would have been amongst the brightest of these systems before the LHB at both 24 and 70 μm. We find a significant increase in 24 μm emission during the LHB, which rapidly drops off and becomes undetectable within 30 Myr, whereas the 70 μm emission remains detectable until 360 Myr after the LHB. Comparison with the statistics of debris disc evolution shows that such depletion events must be rare occurring around less than 12 per cent of Sun-like stars and with this level of incidence we would expect approximately one of the 413 Sun-like field stars so far detected to have a 24 μm excess to be currently going through an LHB. We also find that collisional processes are important in the Solar system before the LHB and that parameters for weak Kuiper belt objects are inconsistent with the Nice model interpretation of the LHB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circumstellar dust exists around several hundred main sequence stars. For the youngest stars, that dust could be a remnant of the protoplanetary disk. Mostly it is inferred to be continuously replenished through collisions between planetesimals in belts analogous to the Solar System's asteroid and Kuiper belts, or in collisions between growing protoplanets. The evolution of a star's debris disk is indicative of the evolution of its planetesimal belts and may be influenced by planet formation processes, which can continue throughout the first gigayear as the planetary system settles to a stable configuration and planets form at large radii. Evidence for that evolution comes from infrared photometry of large numbers of debris disks, providing snapshots of the dust present at different evolutionary phases, as well as from images of debris disk structure. This review describes the theoretical framework within which debris disk evolution takes place and shows how that framework has been constrained by observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Planetary systems are made up of objects with sizes ranging from gas giant planets down to asteroids and on to micron sized dust. Dust in the zodiacal cloud in the solar system originates in the break-up of asteroids and comets and then migrates in toward the Sun due to P-R drag. The dynamical evolution of the dust is also affected by the gravitational perturbations of the solar system's planets, and the consequence of those perturbations is evident in the asymmetric and clumpy structure of the zodiacal cloud. In the last couple of years features in the cloud have been identified with asteroid collisions which occurred just a few Myr ago implying that steady state models for the zodiacal cloud will have to be reconsidered. Many extrasolar systems also harbor massive dust belts and the structures of those dust belts have been linked to perturbations from unseen planets. This paper reviews the dominant physical processes affecting the evolution of dust grains and describes the techniques which have been developed to model their dynamics and identify the sources of dust structures in both the solar system and extrasolar systems.To search for other articles by the author(s) go to: http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abstract_service.html [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Using photometry at just two wavelengths it is possible to fit a blackbody to the spectrum of infrared excess that is the signature of a debris disc. From this the location of the dust can be inferred. However, it is well known that dust in debris discs is not a perfect blackbody. By resolving debris discs we can find the actual location of the dust and compare this to that inferred from the blackbody fit. Using the Herschel Space Observatory we resolved many systems as part of the DEBRIS survey. Here we discuss a sample of 9 discs surrounding A stars and find that the discs are actually located between 1 and 2.5 times further from their star than predicted by blackbody fits to the spectral energy distribution (SED). The variation in this ratio is due to differences in stellar luminosities, location of the dust, size distribution and composition of the dust. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Large impacts in the outer parts of a planetary system will produce debris discs that display a strong, distinctive, asymmetry, which will last for 105 year timescales. Debris resulting from a large impact may be able to explain the asymmetries in some known debris discs that have hitherto been difficult to understand. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]