Planetesimals in Debris Disks of Sun-like Stars

TL;DR

This study uses debris disk observations around Sun-like stars to infer properties of planetesimals, revealing higher densities than expected and favoring specific size distribution slopes, challenging existing coagulation models.

Contribution

It provides new constraints on planetesimal size distribution and density in debris disks, questioning current coagulation theories based on observational data.

Findings

Observed disks favor a size spectrum slope q between 3.5 and 4.

Planetesimal densities are 100-1000 times higher than in the Kuiper belt.

Higher densities challenge existing coagulation models and assumptions.

Abstract

Observations of dusty debris disks can be used to test theories of planetesimal coagulation. Planetesimals of sizes up to a couple thousand kms are embedded in these disks and their mutual collisions generate the small dust grains that are observed. The dust luminosities, when combined with information on the dust spatial extent and the system age, can be used to infer initial masses in the planetesimal belts. Carrying out such a procedure for a sample of debris disks around Sun-like stars, we reach the following two conclusions. First, if we assume that colliding planetesimals satisfy a primordial size spectrum of the form dn/ds ~ s^{-q}, observed disks strongly favor a value of q between 3.5 and 4, while both current theoretical expectations and statistics of Kuiper belt objects favor a somewhat larger value. Second, number densities of planetesimals are two to three orders of magnitude higher in detected disks than in the Kuiper belt, for comparably-sized objects. This is a surprise for the coagulation models. It would require a similar increase in the solid surface density of the primordial disk over that of the Minimum Mass Solar Nebula, which is unreasonable. Both of our conclusions are driven by the need to explain the presence of bright debris disks at a few Gyrs of age.