Explorations of Dusty Debris Disk Geometry

Abstract

As the sample of white dwarfs with signatures of planetary systems has grown, statistical studies have begun to suggest our picture of compact debris disk formation from disrupted planetary bodies is incomplete. Here we present the results of an effort to extend the preferred dust disk model introduced by \citet{jur03} to include elliptical geometries. We apply this model the observed distribution of fractional infrared luminosities, and explore the difference in preferred parameter spaces for a circular and highly elliptical model on a well-studied dusty white dwarf.