Herschel detects oxygen in the beta Pictoris debris disk
A. Brandeker, G. Cataldi, G. Olofsson, B. Vandenbussche, B. Acke, M., J. Barlow, J. A. D. L. Blommaert, M. Cohen, W. R. F. Dent, C. Dominik, J. Di, Francesco, M. Fridlund, W. K. Gear, A. M. Glauser, J. S. Greaves, P. M., Harvey, A. M. Heras, M. R. Hogerheijde, W. S. Holland

TL;DR
This study uses Herschel space telescope observations to detect oxygen in the beta Pictoris debris disk, revealing a more complex gas distribution and challenging previous assumptions about its composition.
Contribution
First detection of oxygen emission in the beta Pictoris debris disk using Herschel, suggesting a denser gas region and implications for gas production and distribution models.
Findings
Detected oxygen emission consistent with a dense gas region
Revised understanding of the gas distribution in the disk
Implications for the origin and evolution of disk gas
Abstract
The young star beta Pictoris is well known for its dusty debris disk, produced through the grinding down by collisions of planetesimals, kilometre-sized bodies in orbit around the star. In addition to dust, small amounts of gas are also known to orbit the star, likely the result from vaporisation of violently colliding dust grains. The disk is seen edge on and from previous absorption spectroscopy we know that the gas is very rich in carbon relative to other elements. The oxygen content has been more difficult to assess, however, with early estimates finding very little oxygen in the gas at a C/O ratio 20x higher than the cosmic value. A C/O ratio that high is difficult to explain and would have far-reaching consequences for planet formation. Here we report on observations by the far-infrared space telescope Herschel, using PACS, of emission lines from ionised carbon and neutral oxygen.…
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