| Description |
We propose to conduct a protoplanetary and debris disk survey of 14 recently-identified members of the benchmark (10 Myr) TW Hya Association (TWA). Our new sample expands the member census by tripling of the low-mass population (>M5; <0.2 M_sun). TWA represents a critical age where the longest-lived protoplanetary disks and the youngest debris disks overlap in the same population, so it offers a critical window into the formation and evolution of planetary systems. We specifically propose a PACS 70/160 micron photometric census to identify new disks, and followed by SPIRE 200/250/350 micron photometric observations of all newly-identified disk systems to characterize their SEDs and determine the nature of their circumstellar disks (protoplanetary or debris). Based on the disk fraction among known late-type members (3/6 = 50%), we estimate that 6-7 of our targets are likely to host circumstellar disks; these disks have been incredibly rare until now, so each will be a prime target for future studies of accretion, disk evolution, and planet formation. |
| Keywords |
Herschel Space Observatory data, ESA Herschel mission dataset, far-infrared astronomy observations, submillimeter astronomy data, infrared space telescope observations, PACS photometer data, PACS spectrometer data, SPIRE photometer data, SPIRE Fourier transform spectrometer data, HIFI heterodyne spectroscopy data, far-infrared spectroscopy dataset, submillimeter spectral line observations, cold universe observations dataset, star formation infrared data, molecular cloud far-infrared observations, interstellar medium spectroscopy data, protoplanetary disk infrared observations, galaxy evolution far-infrared data, dust emission submillimeter observations, cosmic infrared background measurements, extragalactic infrared survey data, calibrated level 2 data products, FITS files astronomy, spectral cubes far-infrared, flux-calibrated maps, continuum photometry data, spectral energy distribution measurements, ESA Herschel Science Archive data |
