The environment in which a star forms can potentially have a significant effect on the final planetary system that forms around it. We have recently carried out a WISE survey of the nearby, rich, young alpha Per cluster, a cluster essentially not observed with the Spitzer Space Telescope. Our findings suggest that this cluster is deficient in debris disks relative to other clusters in the same age range. We propose to use Herschel/PACS observations of WISE-detected alpha Per debris disks to determine if their distribution in semimajor axes is consistent with dynamical interactions as a principal cause of the low alpha Per debris disk fraction.
Publication
Instrument
PACS_PacsPhoto_largeScan
Temporal Coverage
2012-08-19T11:44:49Z/2012-09-11T01:12:51Z
Version
SPG v14.2.0
Mission Description
Herschel was launched on 14 May 2009! It is the fourth cornerstone mission in the ESA science programme. With a 3.5 m Cassegrain telescope it is the largest space telescope ever launched. It is performing photometry and spectroscopy in approximately the 55-671 µm range, bridging the gap between earlier infrared space missions and groundbased facilities.
European Space Agency, melis et al., 2013, 'Environmental impact on planetary systems in the rich alpha Per cluster', SPG v14.2.0, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-twfjd6i
