2010A&A...509L...6M -
Astronomy and Astrophysics, volume 509, L6-6 (2010/1-1)
The lunar phases of dust grains orbiting Fomalhaut.
MIN M., KAMA M., DOMINIK C. and WATERS L.B.F.M.
Abstract (from CDS):
Optical images of the nearby star Fomalhaut show a ring of dust orbiting the central star. This dust is in many respects expected to be similar to the zodiacal dust in the solar system. The ring displays a clear brightness asymmetry, attributed to asymmetric scattering of the central starlight by the circumstellar dust grains. Recent measurements show that the bright side of the Fomalhaut ring is oriented away from us. This implies that the grains in this system scatter most of the light in the backward direction, in sharp contrast to the forward-scattering nature of the grains in the solar system. In this letter, we show that grains considerably larger than those dominating the solar system zodiacal dust cloud provide a natural explanation for the apparent backward scattering behavior. In fact, we see the phases of the dust grains in the same way as we can observe the phases of the Moon and other large solar system bodies. We outline how the theory of the scattering behavior of planetesimals can be used to explain the Fomalhaut dust properties. This indicates that the Fomalhaut dust ring is dominated by very large grains. The material orbiting Fomalhaut, which is at the transition between dust and planetesimals, can, with respect to their optical behavior, best be described as micro-asteroids.
Abstract Copyright:
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Journal keyword(s):
scattering - circumstellar matter - interplanetary medium
(Ref) Object type as listed in the reference "Ref"
(acronym) Object type linked to the acronym according to the original reference
() Anterior to 2007, before we can link the objet type to a reference, or given by the CDS team in some particular cases
Syntax of coordinates is : "ra dec (wtype) [error ellipse] quality bibcode" :
ra dec : right ascension and declination (unit and frame defined according to your Output Options)
Grey values are increasing the original precision due to the computation of frame transformations
(wtype) : wavelength class for the origin of the coordinates (Rad, mm, IR, Optical, UV, Xray, Gam)
[error ellipse] : measurement uncertainty, on (ra,dec) if the positional angle is 90 degrees, on (majaxis,minaxis) otherwise (in mas at defined epoch in the original catalogue),
position angle (in degrees North celestial pole to East)
Syntax of coordinates is : "ra dec (wtype) [error ellipse] quality bibcode" :
ra dec : right ascension and declination (unit and frame defined according to your Output Options)
Grey values are increasing the original precision due to the computation of frame transformations
(wtype) : wavelength class for the origin of the coordinates (Rad, mm, IR, Optical, UV, Xray, Gam)
[error ellipse] : measurement uncertainty, on (ra,dec) if the positional angle is 90 degrees, on (majaxis,minaxis) otherwise (in mas at defined epoch in the original catalogue),
position angle (in degrees North celestial pole to East)
quality : flag of quality
E ≥ 10"
D : 1-10" (and some old data)
C : 0.1-1"
B : 0.01-0.1" + 2MASS, Tyc
A : VLBI, Hipparcos
bibcode : bibcode of the coordinates reference
FK4
coord.
(ep=B1950 eq=1950) :
22 54 53.52695 -29 53 15.7305
[
4.39 3.08 90
]
Syntax of coordinates is : "ra dec (wtype) [error ellipse] quality bibcode" :
ra dec : right ascension and declination (unit and frame defined according to your Output Options)
Grey values are increasing the original precision due to the computation of frame transformations
(wtype) : wavelength class for the origin of the coordinates (Rad, mm, IR, Optical, UV, Xray, Gam)
[error ellipse] : measurement uncertainty, on (ra,dec) if the positional angle is 90 degrees, on (majaxis,minaxis) otherwise (in mas at defined epoch in the original catalogue),
position angle (in degrees North celestial pole to East)
quality : flag of quality
E ≥ 10"
D : 1-10" (and some old data)
C : 0.1-1"
B : 0.01-0.1" + 2MASS, Tyc
A : VLBI, Hipparcos
bibcode : bibcode of the coordinates reference
Gal
coord.
(ep=J2000) :
020.48814538 -64.90960178
[
4.39 3.08 90
]
Syntax of proper motions is : "pm-ra pm-dec [error ellipse] quality bibcode"
pm-ra : mu-ra*cos(dec) (expressed in the ICRS system in mas/yr)
pm-dec : mu-dec (expressed in the ICRS system in mas/yr)
[error ellipse] : error major axis and minor axis (in mas), orientation angle (in deg)
quality : flag of quality (A=best quality -> E=worst quality, {� } =unknown quality)
Syntax of radial velocity (or/and redshift) is : "value [error] (wavelength) quality bibcode"
value : radial velocity or/and redshift (Heliocentric frame) according to your Output Options
(redshift may be not displayed if the data value is <0 and the database inside value is a radial velocity)
[error] : error of the corresponding value displayed before
(wavelength) : wavelength range of the measurement : Rad, mm, IR, Opt, UV, Xray, Gam or '∼'(unknown)
quality : flag of quality ( A=best quality -> E=worst quality, ∼=unknown quality)
References (1236 between 1850 and 2024) (Total 1236)
Simbad bibliographic survey began in 1850 for stars (at least bright stars) and in 1983 for all other objects (outside the solar system).
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