arXiv subjects

Scott J. Kenyon

Publications and source records attributed to Scott J. Kenyon.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

arXiv2016

Disk Detective: Discovery of New Circumstellar Disk Candidates through Citizen Science

The Disk Detective citizen science project aims to find new stars with 22 micron excess emission from circumstellar dust using data from NASA's WISE mission. Initial cuts on the AllWISE catalog provide an input catalog of 277,686 sources. Volunteers then view images of each source online in 10 different bands to identify false-positives (galaxies, background stars, interstellar matter, image artifacts, etc.). Sources that survive this online vetting are followed up with spectroscopy on the FLWO Tillinghast telescope. This approach should allow us to unleash the full potential of WISE for finding new debris disks and protoplanetary disks. We announce a first list of 37 new disk candidates discovered by the project, and we describe our vetting and follow-up process. One of these systems appears to contain the first debris disk discovered around a star with a white dwarf companion: HD 74389. We also report four newly discovered classical Be stars (HD 6612, HD 7406, HD 164137, and HD 218546) and a new detection of 22 micron excess around a previously known debris disk host star, HD 22128.

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arXiv2016

EG Andromedae: A New Orbit and Additional Evidence for a Photoionized Wind

We analyze a roughly 20 yr set of spectroscopic observations for the symbiotic binary EG And. Radial velocities derived from echelle spectra are best-fit with a circular orbit having orbital period P = 483.3 +- 1.6 days and semi-amplitude K = 7.34 +- 0.07 km/sec. Combined with previous data, these observations rule out an elliptical orbit at the 10-sigma level. Equivalent widths of H~I Balmer emission lines and various absorption features vary in phase with the orbital period. Relative to the radius of the red giant primary, the apparent size of the H II region is consistent with a model where a hot secondary star with effective temperature of roughly 75,000 K ionizes the wind from the red giant.

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arXiv2016

The ELM Survey. VII. Orbital Properties of Low Mass White Dwarf Binaries

We present the discovery of 15 extremely low mass (5 < log{g} < 7) white dwarf candidates, 9 of which are in ultra-compact double-degenerate binaries. Our targeted ELM Survey sample now includes 76 binaries. The sample has a lognormal distribution of orbital periods with a median period of 5.4 hr. The velocity amplitudes imply that the binary companions have a normal distribution of mass with 0.76 Msun mean and 0.25 Msun dispersion. Thus extremely low mass white dwarfs are found in binaries with a typical mass ratio of 1:4. Statistically speaking, 95% of the white dwarf binaries have a total mass below the Chandrasekhar mass and thus are not Type Ia supernova progenitors. Yet half of the observed binaries will merge in less than 6 Gyr due to gravitational wave radiation; probable outcomes include single massive white dwarfs and stable mass transfer AM CVn binaries.

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arXiv2016

Most Double Degenerate Low Mass White Dwarf Binaries Merge

We estimate the merger rate of double degenerate binaries containing extremely low mass (ELM) <0.3 Msun white dwarfs in the Galaxy. Such white dwarfs are detectable for timescales of 0.1 Gyr -- 1 Gyr in the ELM Survey; the binaries they reside in have gravitational wave merger times of 0.001 Gyr -- 100 Gyr. To explain the observed distribution requires that most ELM white dwarf binary progenitors detach from the common envelope phase with <1 hr orbital periods. We calculate the local space density of ELM white dwarf binaries and estimate a merger rate of 3e-3/yr over the entire disk of the Milky Way; the merger rate in the halo is 10 times smaller. The ELM white dwarf binary merger rate exceeds by a factor of 40 the formation rate of stable mass transfer AM CVn binaries, marginally exceeds the rate of underluminous supernovae, and is identical to the formation rate of R CrB stars. On this basis, we conclude that ELM white dwarf binaries can be the progenitors of all observed AM CVn and possibly underluminous supernovae, however the majority of He+CO white dwarf binaries go through unstable mass transfer and merge, e.g. into single massive ~1 Msun white dwarfs.

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arXiv2016

Making Planet Nine: Pebble Accretion at 250--750 AU in a Gravitationally Unstable Ring

We investigate the formation of icy super-Earth mass planets within a gravitationally unstable ring of solids orbiting at 250-750 AU around a 1 solar mass star. Coagulation calculations demonstrate that a system of a few large oligarchs and a swarm of pebbles generates a super-Earth within 100-200 Myr at 250 AU and within 1-2 Gyr at 750 AU. Systems with more than ten oligarchs fail to yield super-Earths over the age of the solar system. As these systems evolve, destructive collisions produce detectable debris disks with luminosities of $10^{-5}$ to $10^{-3}$ relative to the central star.

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arXiv2016

Making Planet Nine: A Scattered Giant in the Outer Solar System

Correlations in the orbits of several minor planets in the outer solar system suggest the presence of a remote, massive Planet Nine. With at least ten times the mass of the Earth and a perihelion well beyond 100 AU, Planet Nine poses a challenge to planet formation theory. Here we expand on a scenario in which the planet formed closer to the Sun and was gravitationally scattered by Jupiter or Saturn onto a very eccentric orbit in an extended gaseous disk. Dynamical friction with the gas then allowed the planet to settle in the outer solar system. We explore this possibility with a set of numerical simulations. Depending on how the gas disk evolves, scattered super-Earths or small gas giants settle on a range of orbits, with perihelion distances as large as 300 AU. Massive disks that clear from the inside out on million-year time scales yield orbits that allow a super-Earth or gas giant to shepherd the minor planets as observed. A massive planet can achieve a similar orbit in a persistent, low-mass disk over the lifetime of the solar system.

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arXiv2015

Variations on Debris Disks III. Collisional Cascades and Giant Impacts in the Terrestrial Zones of Solar-type Stars

We analyze two new sets of coagulation calculations for solid particles orbiting within the terrestrial zone of a solar-type star. In models of collisional cascades, numerical simulations demonstrate that the total mass, the mass in 1 mm and smaller particles, and the dust luminosity decline with time more rapidly than predicted by analytic models, $\propto t^{-n}$ with $n \approx$ 1.1-1.2 instead of 1. Size distributions derived from the numerical calculations follow analytic predictions at radii less than 0.1 km but are shallower than predicted at larger sizes. In simulations of planet formation, the dust luminosity declines more slowly than in pure collisional cascades, with $n \approx$ 0.5-0.8 instead of 1.1-1.2. Throughout this decline, giant impacts produce large, observable spikes in dust luminosity which last roughly 0.01-0.1 Myr and recur every 1-10 Myr. If most solar-type stars have Earth mass planets with $a \lesssim$ 1-2 AU, observations of debris around 1-100 Myr stars allow interesting tests of theory. Current data preclude theories where terrestrial planets form out of 1000 km or larger planetesimals. Although the observed frequency of debris disks among $\gtrsim$ 30 Myr old stars agrees with our calculations, the observed frequency of warm debris among 5-20 Myr old stars is smaller than predicted.

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arXiv2015

Resolving the HD 100546 Protoplanetary System with the Gemini Planet Imager: Evidence for Multiple Forming, Accreting Planets

We report Gemini Planet Imager H band high-contrast imaging/integral field spectroscopy and polarimetry of the HD 100546, a 10 $Myr$-old early-type star recently confirmed to host a thermal infrared bright (super)jovian protoplanet at wide separation, HD 100546 b. We resolve the inner disk cavity in polarized light, recover the thermal-infrared (IR) bright arm, and identify one additional spiral arm. We easily recover HD 100546 b and show that much of its emission originates an unresolved, point source. HD 100546 b likely has extremely red infrared colors compared to field brown dwarfs, qualitatively similar to young cloudy superjovian planets, however, these colors may instead indicate that HD 100546 b is still accreting material from a circumplanetary disk. Additionally, we identify a second point source-like peak at $r_{proj}$ $\sim$ 14 AU, located just interior to or at inner disk wall consistent with being a 10--20 $M_{J}$ candidate second protoplanet-- "HD 100546 c" -- and lying within a weakly polarized region of the disk but along an extension of the thermal IR bright spiral arm. Alternatively, it is equally plausible that this feature is a weakly polarized but locally bright region of the inner disk wall. Astrometric monitoring of this feature over the next 2 years and emission line measurements could confirm its status as a protoplanet, rotating disk hot spot that is possibly a signpost of a protoplanet, or a stationary emission source from within the disk.

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arXiv2015

The ELM Survey. VI. Eleven New Double Degenerates

We present the discovery of 11 new double degenerate systems containing extremely low-mass white dwarfs (ELM WDs). Our radial velocity observations confirm that all of the targets have orbital periods $\leq$ 1 day. We perform spectroscopic fits and provide a complete set of physical and binary parameters. We review and compare recent evolutionary calculations and estimate that the systematic uncertainty in our mass determinations due to differences in the evolutionary models is small ($\approx$ 0.01 M$_{\odot}$). Five of the new systems will merge due to gravitational wave radiation within a Hubble time, bringing the total number of merger systems found in the ELM Survey to 38. We examine the ensemble properties of the current sample of ELM WD binaries, including the period distribution as a function of effective temperature, and the implications for the future evolution of these systems. We also revisit the empirical boundaries of instability strip of ELM WDs and identify new pulsating ELM WD candidates. Finally, we consider the kinematic properties of our sample of ELM WDs and estimate that a significant fraction of the WDs from the ELM Survey are members of the Galactic halo.

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arXiv2015

Stellar Velocity Dispersion and Anisotropy of the Milky Way Inner Halo

We measure the three components of velocity dispersion, $σ_{R},σ_θ,σ_ϕ$, for stars within 6 < R < 30 kpc of the Milky Way using a new radial velocity sample from the MMT telescope. We combine our measurements with previously published data so that we can more finely sample the stellar halo. We use a maximum likelihood statistical method for estimating mean velocities, dispersions, and covariances assuming only that velocities are normally distributed. The alignment of the velocity ellipsoid is consistent with a spherically symmetric gravitational potential. From the spherical Jeans equation, the mass of the Milky Way is M(<12 kpc) = $1.3\times10^{11}$ M$_{\odot}$ with an uncertainty of 40%. We also find a region of discontinuity, 15 < R < 25 kpc, where the estimated velocity dispersions and anisotropies diverge from their anticipated values, confirming at high significance the break observed by others. We argue that this break in anisotropy is physically explained by coherent stellar velocity structure in the halo, such as the Sgr stream. To significantly improve our understanding of halo kinematics will require combining radial velocities with future Gaia proper motions.

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arXiv2015

Collisional Cascade Caclulations for Irregular Satellite Swarms in Fomalhaut b

We describe an extensive suite of numerical calculations for the collisional evolution of irregular satellite swarms around 1--300 M-earth planets orbiting at 120 AU in the Fomalhaut system. For 10--100 M-earth planets, swarms with initial masses of roughly 1% of the planet mass have cross-sectional areas comparable to the observed cross-sectional area of Fomalhaut b. Among 30--300 M-earth planets, our calculations yield optically thick swarms of satellites for ages of 1-10 Myr. Observations with HST and ground-based AO instruments can constrain the frequency of these systems around stars in the beta Pic moving group and possibly other nearby associations of young stars.

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arXiv2015

Direct Imaging and Spectroscopy of a Young Extrasolar Kuiper Belt in the Nearest OB Association

We describe the discovery of a bright, young Kuiper belt-like debris disk around HD 115600, a $\sim$ 1.4--1.5 M$_\mathrm{\odot}$, $\sim$ 15 Myr old member of the Sco-Cen OB Association. Our H-band coronagraphy/integral field spectroscopy from the \textit{Gemini Planet Imager} shows the ring has a (luminosity scaled) semi major axis of ($\sim$ 22 AU) $\sim$ 48 AU, similar to the current Kuiper belt. The disk appears to have neutral scattering dust, is eccentric (e $\sim$ 0.1--0.2), and could be sculpted by analogues to the outer solar system planets. Spectroscopy of the disk ansae reveal a slightly blue to gray disk color, consistent with major Kuiper belt chemical constituents, where water-ice is a very plausible dominant constituent. Besides being the first object discovered with the next generation of extreme adaptive optics systems (i.e. SCExAO, GPI, SPHERE), HD 115600's debris ring and planetary system provides a key reference point for the early evolution of the solar system, the structure and composition of the Kuiper belt, and the interaction between debris disks and planets.

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arXiv2015

Proper Motions and Trajectories for 16 Extreme Runaway and Hypervelocity Stars

We measure proper motions with the Hubble Space Telescope for 16 extreme radial velocity stars, mostly unbound B stars in the Milky Way halo. Twelve of these stars have proper motions statistically consistent with zero, and thus have radial trajectories statistically consistent with a Galactic center "hypervelocity star" origin. The trajectory of HE 0437-5439 is consistent with both Milky Way and Large Magellanic Cloud origins. A Galactic center origin is excluded at 3-sigma confidence for two of the lowest radial velocity stars in our sample, however. These two stars are probable disk runaways and provide evidence for ~500 km/s ejections from the disk. We also measure a significant proper motion for the unbound sdO star US 708. Its 1,000 km/s motion is in some tension with proposed supernova ejection models, but can be explained if US 708 was ejected from the stellar halo. In the future, we expect Gaia will better constrain the origin of these remarkable unbound stars.

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arXiv2014

The Fate of Scattered Planets

As gas giant planets evolve, they may scatter other planets far from their original orbits to produce hot Jupiters or rogue planets that are not gravitationally bound to any star. Here, we consider planets cast out to large orbital distances on eccentric, bound orbits through a gaseous disk. With simple numerical models, we show that super-Earths can interact with the gas through dynamical friction to settle in the remote outer regions of a planetary system. Outcomes depend on planet mass, the initial scattered orbit, and the evolution of the time-dependent disk. Efficient orbital damping by dynamical friction requires planets at least as massive as the Earth. More massive, longer-lived disks damp eccentricities more efficiently than less massive, short-lived ones. Transition disks with an expanding inner cavity can circularize orbits at larger distances than disks that experience a global (homologous) decay in surface density. Thus, orbits of remote planets may reveal the evolutionary history of their primordial gas disks. A remote planet with an orbital distance ~100 AU from the Sun is plausible and might explain correlations in the orbital parameters of several distant trans-Neptunian objects.

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arXiv2014

Deep Thermal Infrared Imaging of HR 8799 bcde: New Atmospheric Constraints and Limits on a Fifth Planet

We present new $L^\prime$ (3.8 $μm$) and Br-$α$ (4.05 $μm$) data and reprocessed archival $L^\prime$ data for the young, planet-hosting star HR 8799 obtained with Keck/NIRC2, VLT/NaCo and Subaru/IRCS. We detect all four HR 8799 planets in each dataset at a moderate to high signal-to-noise (SNR $\gtrsim$ 6-15). We fail to identify a fifth planet, "HR 8799 f", at $r$ $<$ 15 $AU$ at a 5-$σ$ confidence level: one suggestive, marginally significant residual at 0.2" is most likely a PSF artifact. Assuming companion ages of 30 $Myr$ and the Baraffe (Spiegel \& Burrows) planet cooling models, we rule out an HR 8799 f with mass of 5 $M_{J}$ (7 $M_{J}$), 7 $M_{J}$ (10 $M_{J}$), and 12 $M_{J}$ (13 $M_{J}$) at $r_{proj}$ $\sim$ 12 $AU$, 9 $AU$, and 5 $AU$, respectively. All four HR 8799 planets have red early T dwarf-like $L^\prime$ - [4.05] colors, suggesting that their SEDs peak in between the $L^\prime$ and $M^\prime$ broadband filters. We find no statistically significant difference in HR 8799 cde's colors. Atmosphere models assuming thick, patchy clouds appear to better match HR 8799 bcde's photometry than models assuming a uniform cloud layer. While non-equilibrium carbon chemistry is required to explain HR 8799 bc's photometry/spectra, evidence for it from HR 8799 de's photometry is weaker. Future, deep IR spectroscopy/spectrophotometry with the Gemini Planet Imager, SCExAO/CHARIS, and other facilities may clarify whether the planets are chemically similar or heterogeneous.

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arXiv2014

Predicted Space Motions for Hypervelocity and Runaway Stars: Proper Motions and Radial Velocities for the GAIA Era

We predict the distinctive three dimensional space motions of hypervelocity stars (HVSs) and runaway stars moving in a realistic Galactic potential. For nearby stars with distances less than 10~kpc, unbound stars are rare; proper motions alone rarely isolate bound HVSs and runaways from indigenous halo stars. At large distances of 20-100 kpc, unbound HVSs are much more common than runaways; radial velocities easily distinguish both from indigenous halo stars. Comparisons of the predictions with existing observations are encouraging. Although the models fail to match observations of solar-type HVS candidates from SEGUE, they agree well with data for B-type HVS and runaways from other surveys. Complete samples of g <= 20 stars with GAIA should provide clear tests of formation models for HVSs and runaways and will enable accurate probes of the shape of the Galactic potential.

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arXiv2014

A Deep Spitzer Survey of Circumstellar Disks in the Young Double Cluster, h and chi Persei

We analyze very deep IRAC and MIPS photometry of $\sim$ 12,500 members of the 14 Myr old Double Cluster, h and $χ$ Persei, building upon on our earlier, shallower Spitzer studies (Currie et al. 2007a, 2008a). Numerous likely members show infrared (IR) excesses at 8 μm and 24 $μ$m indicative of circumstellar dust. The frequency of stars with 8 $μ$m excess is at least 2% for our entire sample, slightly lower (higher) for B/A stars (later type, lower-mass stars). Optical spectroscopy also identifies gas in about 2% of systems but with no clear trend between the presence of dust and gas. Spectral energy distribution (SED) modeling of 18 sources with detections at optical wavelengths through MIPS 24 $μm$ reveals a diverse set of disk evolutionary states, including a high fraction of transitional disks, although similar data for all disk-bearing members would provide better constraints. We combine our results with those for other young clusters to study the global evolution of dust/gas disks. For nominal cluster ages, the e-folding times ($τ_{o}$) for the frequency of warm dust and gas are 2.75 Myr and 1.75 Myr respectively. Assuming a revised set of ages for some clusters (e.g. Bell et al. 2013), these timescales increase to 5.75 and 3.75 Myr, respectively, implying a significantly longer typical protoplanetary disk lifetime. The transitional disk duration, averaged over multiple evolutionary pathways, is $\sim$ 1 Myr. Finally, 24 $μ$m excess frequencies for 4-6 M$_{\odot}$ stars appear lower than for 1-2.5 M$_{\odot}$ stars in other 10-30 Myr old clusters.

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arXiv2014

Discovery of a Transiting Planet Near the Snow-Line

In most theories of planet formation, the snow-line represents a boundary between the emergence of the interior rocky planets and the exterior ice giants. The wide separation of the snow-line makes the discovery of transiting worlds challenging, yet transits would allow for detailed subsequent characterization. We present the discovery of Kepler-421b, a Uranus-sized exoplanet transiting a G9/K0 dwarf once every 704.2 days in a near-circular orbit. Using public Kepler photometry, we demonstrate that the two observed transits can be uniquely attributed to the 704.2 day period. Detailed light curve analysis with BLENDER validates the planetary nature of Kepler-421b to >4 sigmas confidence. Kepler-421b receives the same insolation as a body at ~2AU in the Solar System and for a Uranian albedo would have an effective temperature of ~180K. Using a time-dependent model for the protoplanetary disk, we estimate that Kepler-421b's present semi-major axis was beyond the snow-line after ~3Myr, indicating that Kepler-421b may have formed at its observed location.

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