Science with an ngVLA: Stellar Emission as a Source of Flux Bias in Debris Disks

TL;DR

This paper discusses how stellar emission at submillimeter to centimeter wavelengths can bias debris disk observations and emphasizes the ngVLA's role in improving stellar emission models for better understanding of circumstellar debris.

Contribution

It highlights the importance of ngVLA observations in constraining stellar emission models to accurately characterize debris disks and planetary system architectures.

Findings

ngVLA can observe a wide range of stellar types efficiently

Stellar emission impacts debris disk detection and analysis

Improved models will refine debris occurrence estimates

Abstract

Our understanding of stellar atmospheres and our ability to infer architectures of extrasolar planetary systems rely on understanding the emission of stars at submillimeter to centimeter wavelengths. In this chapter we describe how unconstrained stellar emission can interfere with the accurate characterization of circumstellar debris. The ngVLA is the only facility with the sensitivity that allows for the observations of a broad range of stellar spectral types in a feasible amount of time. The observations will enable the building and testing of accurate models of stellar emission, which in turn are required for evaluating both the occurrence and abundance of debris over the proposed wavelength range of the ngVLA