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SUMMARY:Collisional evolution of debris disks: Unraveling planetesimals an
 d planets - Krivov\, A (Friedrich-Schiller-Universitt Jena)
DTSTART:20091110T160000Z
DTEND:20091110T165000Z
UID:TALK21407@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Mustapha Amrani
DESCRIPTION:Debris disks around main-sequence stars are believed to derive
  from planetesimal populations that have accreted at early epochs and surv
 ived possible planet formation processes. Being stirred by the largest emb
 edded bodies and/or giant planets\, these planetesimals undergo a collisio
 nal cascade that grinds them to smaller objects of all sizes down to tiny 
 dust\, until the latter is removed by direct radiation pressure\, drag for
 ces\, and various erosive processes. I will briefly review essential physi
 cs of debris disks and modeling methods. I will then concentrate on the ce
 ntral question of debris disk studies: how do observations of debris dust\
 , interpreted through collisional and dynamical models\, constrain the inv
 isible planetesimals\, known or alleged planets in the systems\, and the h
 istory of planetesimals and planets? Specifically\, what can we learn abou
 t the current mass\, location\, extension\, and dynamical excitation of pl
 anetesimals\, optical and mechanical properties of solids\, and the collis
 ional processes that grind them to dust? To what extent can we infer the i
 nitial size distribution of the planetesimal belt at the onset of the coll
 isional cascade and find out what and when may have ignited it? These ques
 tions will be addressed from the perspective of (i) the observed statistic
 s of a large number of unresolved debris disks\, (ii) SEDs of individual u
 nresolved systems\, and (iii) detailed datasets on selected resolved disks
 .
LOCATION:Satellite
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