James Webb Space Telescope Feed Post

Arxiv: JWST/NIRCam Detection of the Fomalhaut C Debris Disk in Scattered Light Published: 5/1/2024 6:22:36 PM Updated: 5/1/2024 6:22:36 PM

Paper abstract: Observations of debris disks offer important insights into the formation andevolution of planetary systems. Though M dwarfs make up approximately 80% ofnearby stars, very few M-dwarf debris disks have been studied in detail --making it unclear how or if the information gleaned from studying debris disksaround more massive stars extends to the more abundant M dwarf systems. Wereport the first scattered-light detection of the debris disk around the M4star Fomalhaut C using JWST's Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam; 3.6~\mum and4.4~\mum). This result adds to the prior sample of only four M-dwarf debrisdisks with detections in scattered light, and marks the latest spectral typeand oldest star among them. The size and orientation of the disk in these dataare generally consistent with the prior ALMA sub-mm detection. Though nocompanions are identified, these data provide strong constraints on theirpresence -- with sensitivity sufficient to recover sub-Saturn mass objects inthe vicinity of the disk. This result illustrates the unique capability of JWSTfor uncovering elusive M-dwarf debris disks in scattered light, and lays thegroundwork for deeper studies of such objects in the 2--5~\mum regime.