Presentation Information
[PPS04-P35]Detecting water ice and vapor in debris disks around white dwarfs with future PRIMA observations
Ayaka Okuya1, *Hideko Nomura2 (1.Department of Physics, University of Warwick, 2.Division of Science, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan)
Keywords:
Debris Disks,White Dwarfs,Planetary Materials
Observations of polluted white dwarf atmospheres can measure the elemental composition of accreted exoplanetary bodies. However, due to the intrinsic properties of white dwarf atmospheres, accurately constraining their volatile content remains challenging. To address this, we propose a complementary approach focusing on water vapor and ice discs expected from the tidal disruption of icy bodies, and carried out simulated observations with PRIMA, a far-infrared space telescope planned for launch in the 2030s. We find that the 44 µm water ice feature is particularly promising, and that water-vapor rotational lines emerge abundantly within the PRIMA’s band. Our results indicate that, for systems within ~20 pc, water vapor and ice discs of typical masses would be detectable within a few hours of integration. Since volatile abundances provide crucial insights into the temperature conditions during planet formation, such observations could probe the origins and diversity of planetary systems.