Spectral Energy Distributions of Circumstellar Debris Disks I. Analytic Disk Density Distributions

Abstract

We present results of a study aimed at deriving fundamental properties of circumstellar debris disks from observed infrared to submillimeter spectral energy distributions. This investigation is motivated by increasing telescope/detector sensitivity, in particular the expected availability of the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) followed by the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), which will enable detailed studies with large source samples of late stage circumstellar disk and planetary system evolution. We base our study on an analytic model of the disk density distribution and geometry, taking into account existing constraints from observations and results of theoretical investigations of debris disks. We also outline the effects of the most profound characteristics of circumstellar dust including the grain size distribution and dust chemical composition.