C. H. Chen et al. 2006 ApJS 166 351 doi:10.1086/505751
C. H. Chen1,2, B. A. Sargent3, C. Bohac3, K. H. Kim3, E. Leibensperger4, M. Jura5, J. Najita1, W. J. Forrest3, D. M. Watson3, G. C. Sloan6 and L. D. Keller4
Show affiliationsWe have obtained Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) 5.5-35 μm spectra of 59 main-sequence stars that possess IRAS 60 μm excess. The spectra of five objects possess spectral features that are well-modeled using micron-sized grains and silicates with crystalline mass fractions 0%-80%, consistent with T Tauri and Herbig AeBe stars. With the exception of η Crv, these objects are young with ages ≤50 Myr. Our fits require the presence of a cool blackbody continuum, Tgr = 80-200 K, in addition to hot, amorphous, and crystalline silicates, Tgr = 290-600 K, suggesting that multiple parent body belts are present in some debris disks, analogous to the asteroid and Kuiper belts in our solar system. The spectra for the majority of objects are featureless, suggesting that the emitting grains probably have radii a > 10 μm. We have modeled the excess continua using a continuous disk with a uniform surface density distribution, expected if Poynting-Robertson and stellar wind drag are the dominant grain removal processes, and using a single-temperature blackbody, expected if the dust is located in a narrow ring around the star. The IRS spectra of many objects are better modeled with a single-temperature blackbody, suggesting that the disks possess inner holes. The distribution of grain temperatures, based on our blackbody fits, peaks at Tgr = 110-120 K. Since the timescale for ice sublimation of micron-sized grains with Tgr > 110 K is a fraction of a Myr, the lack of warmer material may be explained if the grains are icy. If planets dynamically clear the central portions of debris disks, then the frequency of planets around other stars is probably high. We estimate that the majority of debris disk systems possess parent body masses, MPB < 1 M⊕. The low inferred parent body masses suggest that planet formation is an efficient process.
circumstellar matter; infrared: stars; planetary systems: formation
Issue 1 (2006 September)
Received 2006 March 3, accepted for publication 2006 May 11
An Erratum for this article has been published in 2008 ApJS 177 417
C. H. Chen et al. 2006 ApJS 166 351
C. H. Chen and I. Kamp 2004 ApJ 602 985
Asa K Rennermalm et al 2009 Environ. Res. Lett. 4 024011
C. H. Chen and M. Jura 2003 ApJ 591 267
M. Jura et al 2006 ApJ 637 L45
K. R. Stapelfeldt et al. 2004 ApJS 154 458
R. A. Pinto and S. Flach 2007 EPL 79 66002
C. H. Chen et al. 2007 ApJ 666 466
C. H. Chen et al. 2005 ApJ 623 493
Larry Kirby 2009 ApJ 694 1056