Our knowledge of planetary systems outside of ours is confined almost entirely to cases where the planets are close to the star. A critical stage in the development of the Solar System was the stabilization of the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn far from the Sun. What are the characteristics of other planetary systems at large radii? Planetary debris disks provide our best tool to answer this question. However, our interpretation of these systems is currently crippled by the lack, in most cases, of more information beyond a few photometric points on a spectral energy distribution. Such data can be fitted by a broad variety of quite different disk models. Resolved Herschel images of disks can provide much better constraints on models and can lead to sufficient understanding of the general behavior to help interpret even those systems where resolved images are not possible.
We have identified 17 bright disks that show marginally resolved structures in Spitzer data, suggesting a radial size of cold planetesimal belt 3 to 10 times larger than our own Kuiper Belt. Since the disk mass is proportional to the disk diameter and covering factor of the dust, these systems are likely to be associated with the most massive planetary systems, making them the possible sites where the richest, most massive and extended families of planets will form. We propose to image these disks that can be resolved well at PACS 70 micron but not in any existing Herschel programs. We will use the resolved images as well as the photometric data obtained with SPIRE to probe: (1) the properties of cold planetesimal belts as signposts of ice giants at large orbits, and (2) the diversity of outermost planetesimal zones around other stars and the underlying causes.
Publication
A statistically significant lack of debris discs in medium separation binary systems | Yelverton Ben et al. | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society | null | null | 2019MNRAS.488.3588Y |
Constraints on HD 113337 fundamental parameters and planetary system. Combining long-base visible interferometry disc imaging and high-contrast imaging | Borgniet S. et al. | Astronomy and Astrophysics | null | null | 2019A&A...627A..44B |
Mutual inclinations between giant planets and their debris discs in HD 113337 and HD 38529 | Xuan Jerry W. et al. | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society | null | null | 2020MNRAS.499.5059X |
No significant correlation between radial velocity planet presence and debris disc properties | Yelverton Ben et al. | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society | null | null | 2020MNRAS.495.1943Y |
A search for trends in spatially resolved debris discs at far-infrared wavelengths | Marshall J. P. et al. | Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society | null | null | 2021MNRAS.501.6168M |
Instrument
PACS_PacsPhoto_largeScan, SPIRE_SpirePhoto_small
Temporal Coverage
2012-03-23T09:06:49Z/2013-04-23T16:12:57Z
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, su et al., 2013, 'Characterization of Outer Exoplanetary Systems With Herschel Imaging', SPG v14.2.0, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-oiol1gn
