The Rise and Fall of Debris Disks: MIPS Observations of h and chi Persei and the Evolution of Mid-IR Emission from Planet Formation

TL;DR

This study uses Spitzer/MIPS observations of the h and χ Persei clusters to analyze mid-infrared emission from circumstellar disks, revealing how debris disk emission evolves over time and indicating inside-out disk clearing.

Contribution

It provides new observational evidence of debris disk evolution around young stars, highlighting the age-dependent behavior of mid-IR excess emission from planet-forming disks.

Findings

IR excess frequency increases with wavelength, indicating disk evolution.

Debris disk emission peaks at 10-15 Myr and declines by 1 Gyr.

Inside-out clearing of circumstellar disks is observed.

Abstract

We describe Spitzer/MIPS observations of the double cluster, h and $\chi$ Persei, covering a $\sim$ 0.6 square-degree area surrounding the cores of both clusters. The data are combined with IRAC and 2MASS data to investigate $\sim$ 616 sources from 1.25-24 $\mu m$. We use the long-baseline $K_{s}$-[24] color to identify two populations with IR excess indicative of circumstellar material: Be stars with 24 $\mu m$ excess from optically-thin free free emission and 17 fainter sources (J$\sim$ 14-15) with [24] excess consistent with a circumstellar disk. The frequency of IR excess for the fainter sources increases from 4.5 $\mu m$ through 24 $\mu m$. The IR excess is likely due to debris from the planet formation process. The wavelength-dependent behavior is consistent with an inside-out clearing of circumstellar disks. A comparison of the 24 $\mu m$ excess population in h and $\chi$ Per sources with results for other clusters shows that 24 $\mu m$ emission from debris disks 'rises' from 5 to 10 Myr, peaks at $\sim$ 10-15 Myr, and then 'falls' from $\sim$ 15/20 Myr to 1 Gyr.