Exploring the Effects of Stellar Rotation and Wind Clearing: Debris Disks Around F Stars

TL;DR

This study investigates debris disks around F stars, analyzing their correlation with stellar rotation and winds, and finds no significant relationship, suggesting other factors like age may influence disk presence.

Contribution

It provides new infrared photometry data for a large sample of F stars and assesses the correlation between stellar rotation, winds, and debris disks, finding no significant link.

Findings

8% disk detection rate consistent with previous studies

No correlation between rotation speed and infrared excess

No difference in disk presence between early and late-type F stars

Abstract

We have conducted a study of debris disks around F stars in order to explore correlations between rotation, stellar winds, and circumstellar disks. We obtained new 24 micron photometry from Spitzer's Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS) camera for a sample of 188 relatively nearby F dwarfs with various rotation rates and optical colors, and combined it with archival MIPS data for 66 more F stars, as well as Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) data for the entire sample, plus 9 more F stars. Based on the objects' K_s-[24] and [3.4]-[22] colors, we identify 22 stars in our sample as having 22 and/or 24 micron excesses above our detection limit, 13 of which are new discoveries. Our overall disk detection rate is 22/263, or 8%, consistent with previous determinations of disk fractions in the Solar neighborhood. While fast rotating stars are expected to have strong winds capable of efficiently removing dust, we find no correlation between rotational velocity and infrared excess. Similarly, we find no significant difference in excess detection rate between late-type F stars, which have convective surfaces, and early-type F stars, which have fully radiative envelopes. However, the essentially unknown range of ages in this sample may be washing out any effects relating rotation, winds, and disks.