White Dwarf Debris Disks: The Fate of Planetary Systems?

Details White Dwarf Debris Disks: The Fate of Planetary Systems? White Dwarf Debris Disks: The Fate of Planetary Systems?

Dec 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009aspc..420...71v&link_type=abstract

Bioastronomy 2007: Molecules, Microbes and Extraterrestrial Life ASP Conference Series, Vol. 420, proceedings of a workshop held

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

White dwarfs may offer new insights into how common extrasolar minor bodies such as asteroids are. One quarter of all white dwarfs appear to have heavy elements such as Ca, Mg, Si, and Fe in their atmospheres, despite the fact that the extreme gravity of these stars causes heavy elements to sink through their atmospheres on a timescale of weeks to years. These white dwarfs are currently accreting from their circumstellar environments, and we argue that they are all accreting from debris disks left over from tidally disrupted asteroids, comets, or other minor rocky bodies. This interpretation leads to the tentative conclusion that ≥ 25% of all stars have planetary systems composed of at least minor, rocky bodies.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

White Dwarf Debris Disks: The Fate of Planetary Systems? does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with White Dwarf Debris Disks: The Fate of Planetary Systems?, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and White Dwarf Debris Disks: The Fate of Planetary Systems? will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1112218