IRTF Data Archive Program Information

# # Program information file # PROGRAM_ID 2023B056 PROGRAM_TITLE Searching and Characterizing Infrared Disk Variability for Extreme Debris Disks PROGRAM_INV1 Kate Su PROGRAM_INV2 Attila Moor PROGRAM_INV3 Mike Sitko PROGRAM_INV4 George Rieke PROGRAM_INV5 PROGRAM_SCICAT extra-solar planets PROGRAM_ABSTRACT_BEG Variable extreme debris disks [EDDs], discovered by Spitzer, give new insights into the collisional processes between planetary embryos and oligarchs in the terrestrial planet region over a period of about 200 Myr after protoplanetary disks have cleared. They have let us set timescales for the clearing of collisional debris, critical to understand the duty cycle of infrared excesses and the incidence of major planetesimal collisions by monitoring the orbital evolution of the initially optically thick clouds released in collisions. We propose to search and characterize short-term disk variability for eight newly-identified EDDs, and continue monitoring the post-impact behavior of the youngest and brightest EDD around HD 166191. PROGRAM_ABSTRACT_END