Episode 54: Dusting off the Disks

We recorded this episode a few months ago and are dusting it off today. We’re leaving a bit of dust though, because that’s what makes debris disks so exciting! Malena tells us about a disk that is both beautiful in appearance and in its scientific potential to reveal planetary dynamics. Alex tells us about a disk that might have as much water as the solar system, but unfortunately none of it is liquid (or confirmed). Will brings us a space sound that makes the episode a little more trashy.

Astrobites:

astrobites.org/2019/07/09/potential-comets-water-vapor-around-beta-pic/

astrobites.org/2017/06/30/a-ring-of-ice-and-glows-around-fomalhaut/

The “fabulous four”: 

Vega (https://www.star-facts.com/vega/vega-debris-disk/), 

Beta Pictoris (https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/hubble-gets-best-view-of-circumstellar-debris-disk-distorted-by-planet), 

Fomalhaut (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/hubble/science/rogue-fomalhaut.html), Epsilon Eridani (https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/spitzer/multimedia/20081027b.html).

Space Sound https://space.physics.uiowa.edu/plasma-wave/space-audio/sounds/ (Don Gurnett)

(Sounds from BBC Sounds and Mixkit)