The Application of Secular Perturbation Theory to Explain Warping in the Circumstellar Disk of Beta Pictoris
Abstract
This research is a numerical investigation into the dynamical influences of planets on the dust disks surrounding young main sequence stars. Motivating this research effort are the observations of the Beta Pictoris circumstellar disk made by the UF Department of Astronomy's mid-IR team. These IR images show with unprecedented clarity the features and asymmetries of the inner < 100 AU, portion of the Beta Pictoris disk; the most interesting of which is the dramatic warping of the disk's mid-plane. Analyses of prior observations have suggested that the features are attributed to the presence of a planet or a planetary system. Past dynamic analysis has focused primarily on the presence of a single planet and the resulting perturbations on the dust disk through hydrodynamic or N-body analysis. This research will show that the type of features observed in these images, specifically the warping of the disk, can also be explained with a system of two (or more) planets and secular perturbation theory while using more plausible assumptions than did other models.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2003
- Accession Number
- ADA420047
Entities
People
- Steven J. Novotny Jr
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology