A Spitzer Space Telescope Study of the Debris Disks around four SDSS White Dwarfs

TL;DR

This study uses Spitzer data to detect and analyze infrared excesses around four white dwarfs with gaseous disks, revealing dusty extensions and coexisting gas and dust in these systems.

Contribution

First infrared observations of these white dwarfs confirm dusty disks, expanding understanding of debris disk composition and coexistence with gaseous components.

Findings

Infrared excesses indicate dusty disks around all four white dwarfs.

Measured IR excesses are consistent with thin, optically thick disk models.

Gas and dust coexist around relatively warm, young white dwarfs.

Abstract

We present Spitzer Space Telescope data of four isolated white dwarfs that were previously known to harbor circumstellar gaseous disks. IRAC photometry shows a significant infrared excess in all of the systems, SDSS0738+1835, SDSS0845+2257, SDSS1043+0855 and SDSS1617+1620, indicative of a dusty extension to those disks. The 4.5-micron excesses seen in SDSS0738, SDSS0845, and SDSS1617 are 7.5, 5.7 and 4.5 times the white dwarf contribution, respectively. In contrast, in SDSS1043, the measured flux density at 4.5 microns is only 1.7 times the white dwarf contribution. We compare the measured IR excesses in the systems to models of geometrically thin, optically thick disks, and find that we are able to match the measured SEDs to within 3 sigma of the uncertainties, although disks with unfeasibly hot inner dust temperatures generally provide a better fit than those below the dust sublimation temperature. Possible explanations for the dearth of dust around SDSS1043+0855 are briefly discussed. Including our previous study of SDSS1228+1040, all five white dwarfs with gaseous debris disks have significant amounts of dust around them. It is evident that gas and dust can coexist around these relatively warm, relatively young white dwarfs.