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Submitted to Springers Lecture Notes in Physics Series:
Small Bodies in Planetary Systems
The small bodies in planetary systems are indicative of the material evolution, the dynamical evolution, and the presence of planets in a system. Recent astronomical research, space research, laboratory research and numerical simulations brought a wealth of new and exciting findings on extra-solar planetary systems and on asteroids, comets, meteoroids, dust, and trans-Neptunian objects in the solar system. Progress in astronomical instrumentation led to the discovery and investigation of small bodies in the outer solar system and to observations of cosmic dust in debris disks of extra-solar planetary systems. Space research allowed for close studies of some of the small solar system bodies from spacecraft.
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This lecture series is intended as an introduction to the latest research results and to the key issues of future research. The chapters are mainly based on lectures given during a recent research school and on research activities within the 21th Century COE Program "Origin and Evolution of Planetary Systems" at Kobe University.
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Content - Authors - Editors
Content
1. From Protoplanetary Disks to Planetary Disks: Gas Dispersal and Dust Growth
by Taku Takeuchi [PDF]
In the first chapter, Taku Takeuchi discusses evolution of gas and dust from protoplanetary disks to planetary disks. Using a simple model, viscous evolution and photoevaporation are discussed as possible mechanisms of gas dispersal. He also discusses the growth of dust into planetesimals. Motion of dust particles induced by gas drag is described, and then using a simple analytic model, the dust growth timescale is discussed.
2. Dynamics of Small Bodies in Planetary Systems
by Mark Wyatt [PDF]
The second chapter by Mark Wyatt considers the interpretation of observations of small bodies in extrasolar planetary systems. While observations of debris disks trace the distribution of dust in these systems, they can be used to infer the distribution of larger bodies, such as planetesimals and planets. The chapter describes a theory for the dynamics of dust-planetesimal-planet interactions. Such a theory is essential for a successful interpretation of the observations, and is equally applicable to the study of dust originating in the asteroid and Kuiper belts in the solar system.
3. Asteroids and their Collisional Disruption
by Akiko Nakamura and Patrick Michel [PDF]
The collisional disruption of small bodies is a fundamental process in the formation and evolution of planetary systems. The current status of our knowledge on asteroids related to the collisional process and relevant laboratory studies are described in the third chapter by Akiko Nakamura and Patrick Michel. Information related to this process provided by the Hayabusa mission to the small asteroid 25143 Itokawa are also exposed.
4. On the Strength and Disruption Mechanisms of Small Bodies in the Solar System
by Patrick Michel [PDF]
Subsequently, Patrick Michel (in chapter 4) presents the different disruption mechanisms that can affect the physical properties of small bodies in planetary systems over their history. Our current but still very poor understanding of the concept of material strength of those bodies and its role in the action of those mechanisms are also described.
5. Meteoroids - Observations and Connection to Parent Bodies
by Sinsuke Abe
Chapter 5 (by Shinsuke Abe) discusses meteoroids, their observations and their connections to parent bodies. A meteoroid is a small rocky body traveling through interplanetary space. Meteors are phenomena of ablation process of meteoroids caused by the interaction with the Earth's upper atmosphere. The chapter focuses on optical observations of meteors and the derived characteristics of meteoroids, e.g., orbits, density, strength, and compositions. These characteristics bear potential information about the parent bodies of meteoroids, i.e. comets and asteroids.
6. Optical Properties of Dust
by Aigen Li [PDF]
Chapter 6 (by Aigen Li) focuses on the dust models, optical properties and material composition of dust in planetary systems. The underlying basic physics of light scattering and optical material properties is introduced. The connection to interstellar dust properties and to the properties of cometary dust is discussed.
7. Evolution of Dust and Small Bodies in Planetary Systems: Physical Processes
by Ingrid Mann [PDF]
The physical processes of the dust in planetary debris disks are discussed in chapter 7 (by Ingrid Mann). Planetary debris disks are exposed to the brightness of the central star, stellar wind and energetic particles originating from the system as well as galactic cosmic ray particles. Both stellar radiation and stellar wind give rise to a Poynting-Robertson effect, which limits the lifetime of the dust particles that are in bound orbit about the star (migration-dominated disks). In debris disks with high dust content lifetimes due to mutual collisions are even shorter (collision-dominated disks). Dust collisions are a potential source of second-generation gas in planetary debris disks. Finally the role of non-thermal alteration for dust material evolution is discussed.
8. Observational Studies of Interplanetary Dust
by Masateru Ishiguro and Muetaka Ueno [PDF]
In chapter 8 Masateru Ishiguro and Munetaka Ueno describe recent developments in observations of interplanetary dust particles. These developments are largely due to the introduction of cooled charge coupled device (CCD) detectors and two-dimensional infrared array detectors used with infrared space telescopes. The new observational data show not only the global structure of the interplanetary dust cloud, e.g., its symmetric plane, but also the faint structures, such as the asteroidal dust bands and the cometary dust trails seen as a brightness enhancement of a few percents above that of the smooth component. Spectrographic observations provide some knowledge about the dynamics and composition of these local components. They mention sources of interplanetary dust particles revealed by these observations. Finally ongoing and future projects related to the observational study of interplanetary dust are introduced.
9. Six Hot Topics in Planetary Astronomy
by David Jewitt [PDF]
The past 15 years have seen a renaissance in the study of the outer solar system, with the discovery of the Kuiper belt and the unveiling of previously unexpected connections between distinct sub-populations of small bodies throughout the system. In chapter 9 (by Dave Jewitt), attention is focused on six of the most research-active areas in planetary astronomy, including the analysis of lightcurves for information about structure and binarity, the systematics of the densities of small bodies, the color (composition) distribution of Kuiper belt objects, the crystalline state of ice and the nature of two little studied groups: the irregular satellites of the giant planets and the newly perceived main-belt comets. The synthesis of these and many other exciting studies will hopefully converge towards a better understanding of the contents and origin of our planetary system.
10. Detection of Extra-solar Planets and Circumstellar Disks
by Yoichi Itoh [PDF]
In the final and 10th chapter Yoichi Itoh reviews observational methods of searching for extrasolar planets and of studying circumstellar disks. The discussed observational methods include Doppler shift measurements, transit detection, astrometry, gravitational lensing, studies of spectral energy distributions, direct detection, and coronagraphy. Finally the observational perspectives for future studies are discussed.
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Authors
Shinsuke Abe
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
& Center for Planetary Science, Kobe University, Japan
Masateru Ishiguro
Department of Physics and Astronomy, Seoul National University, Korea
Yoichi Itoh
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
& Center for Planetary Science, Kobe University, Japan
David Jewitt
Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, USA
Aigen Li
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri, USA
Patrick Michel
Observatoire de la Cote d'Azur, France
Ingrid Mann
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
& Center for Planetary Science, Kobe University, Japan
Akiko Nakamura
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
& Center for Planetary Science, Kobe University, Japan
Taku Takeuchi
Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences
& Center for Planetary Science, Kobe University, Japan
Munetaka Ueno
Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, University of Tokyo, Japan
Mark C. Wyatt
Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, UK
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Editors
Ingrid Mann, Akiko Nakamura & Tadashi Mukai
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