KIC 8462852 - The Infrared Flux

TL;DR

This study used Spitzer/IRAC data to search for infrared excess around KIC 8462852, finding minimal evidence and thus constraining possible explanations for its unusual light curve.

Contribution

The paper provides the first infrared flux analysis of KIC 8462852 post-Kepler observations, constraining models of dust and debris around the star.

Findings

No significant infrared excess at 3.6 microns.

A small excess at 4.5 microns below detection threshold.

Results favor comet fragmentation scenarios over catastrophic collisions.

Abstract

We analyzed the warm Spitzer/IRAC data of KIC 8462852. We found no evidence of infrared excess at 3.6 micron and a small excess of 0.43 +/- 0.18 mJy at 4.5 micron, below the 3 sigma threshold necessary to claim a detection. The lack of strong infrared excess 2 years after the events responsible for the unusual light curve observed by Kepler, further disfavors the scenarios involving a catastrophic collision in a KIC 8462852 asteroid belt, a giant impact disrupting a planet in the system or a population of a dust-enshrouded planetesimals. The scenario invoking the fragmentation of a family of comets on a highly elliptical orbit is instead consistent with the lack of strong infrared excess found by our analysis.