Title: Debris Disk Morphologies

Abstract: Like the asteroid and Kuiper belts of our solar system, extrasolar debris disks are sculpted by embedded planets and can be used to infer their formation and dynamical histories --- if only we could decipher that record. Certain debris disks have morphologies that have resisted explanation. HD 61005 and HD 32297 sport swept-back ansae likened to "Moth'' wings; HD 106906, HD 15115, and HD 111520 host lopsided ''Needles''; and AU Mic features a twisting firehose spraying dust at super-escape speeds. We explore whether these phenomena might stem from the same underlying event: the catastrophic disruption of a single, Vesta-class body. The collision site marks a singularity that continuously generates dust on apsidally aligned orbits. We synthesize scattered light images for comparison with the HST images, connect with mm-wave observations, and constrain the properties of disrupted bodies.

Host: Bekki Dawson

Seminar held in 538 Davey or please email CEHW-SEMINAR-QUESTIONS@lists.psu.edu to attend virtually.