Extra-Solar Kuiper Belt Dust Disks

Abstract

The dust disks observed around mature stars are evidence that plantesimals are present in these systems on spatial scales that are similar to that of the asteroids and the KBOs in the Solar System. These dust disks (a.k.a. ``debris disks'') present a wide range of sizes, morphologies and properties. It is inferred that their dust mass declines with time as the dust-producing planetesimals get depleted, and that this decline can be punctuated by large spikes that are produced as a result of individual collisional events. The lack of solid state features indicate that, generally, the dust in these disks have sizes larger than approximately 10 microns, but exceptionally, strong silicate features in some disks suggest the presence of large quantities of small grains, thought to be the result of recent collisions. Spatially resolved observations of debris disks show a diversity of structural features, such as inner cavities, warps, offsets, brightness asymmetries, spirals, rings and clumps. There is growing evidence that, in some cases, these structures are the result of the dynamical perturbations of a massive planet. Our Solar System also harbors a debris disk and some of its properties resemble those of extra-solar debris disks. From the cratering record, we can infer that its dust mass has decayed with time, and that there was at least one major ``spike'' in the past during the Late Heavy Bombardment. This offers a unique opportunity to use extra-solar debris disks to shed some light in how the Solar System might have looked in the past. Similarly, our knowledge of the Solar System is influencing our understanding of the types of processes which might be at play in the extra-solar debris disks.