DUSTY DEBRIS DISKS: FIRST LIGHT FROM EXOSOLAR PLANETARY SYSTEMS

摘要

For stars with ages ≥ 10 Myr, circumstellar disks are domi-nated by a population of optically thin dust grains most likely associ-ated with the erosion of a planetesimal population in a system that may have also formed planets. The key goal of this chapter is to provide a core introduction to circumstellar debris disks that will allow the reader to more easily grasp the vast literature. We review key concepts in-volving the thermal and scattered light detection of debris disks, stellar age determinations, dust destruction mechanisms, and the connection between debris disks and exosolar planets. The material is presented at a level suitable for the non-astronomy graduate students attending the Les Houches winter school, but also includes tables and previously unpublished figures that will interest advanced astronomers.