The Geometry of Resonant Signatures in Debris Disks with Planets

Abstract

Using simple geometrical arguments, we paint an overview of the variety of resonant structures a single planet with moderate eccentricity (e < ~0.6) can create in a dynamically cold, optically thin dust disk. This overview may serve as a key for interpreting images of perturbed debris disks and inferring the dynamical properties of the planets responsible for the perturbations. We compare the resonant geometries found in the solar system dust cloud with observations of dust clouds around Vega and other stars and we discuss a new model for the asymmetries in the Epsilon Eridani cloud.