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S.B. Fajardo-Acosta (SSC), M.W. Werner (JPL), C.A. Beichman, R.M. Cutri (IPAC/Caltech), I. McNabb (U. Denver)
We report on an on-going Spitzer Guaranteed Time Observations program (led by Principal Investigator M.\ Werner) in which we search for warm (temperature of order 300 K) circumstellar dust debris disks in main-sequence stars. We selected candidate systems using 2MASS J, H, Ks photometry, to estimate photospheric SEDs, and IRAS FSC 12 \mum photometry. Dust emitting at 12 \mum can be located at about 1--10 AU from the stars, in possible asteroidal clouds. We are obtaining IRAC 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, and 8 \mum photometry to search for the hottest dust, and therefore the innermost edge, of the disks. Through IRS 5.3--21.8 \mum spectroscopy we are searching for PAH 6.2, 7.7, 8.6, and 11.3 \mum features, and 10 and 20 \mum silicate emission features. We also probe colder dust, more distant from the stars, in Kuiper Belt-like regions, through MIPS 24 \mum photometry.
This work is based on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under NASA contract 1407. Support for this work was provided by NASA through an award issued by JPL/Caltech.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 5
© 2004. The American Astronomical Society.