Debris Disks

Debris disk is a catch-all term that can be used to refer to any component of a planetary system which is not an actual planet. In the Solar System this refers to the asteroids and comets in the Asteroid and Kuiper belts as well as the dust and gas derived from them, such as the zodiacal cloud. Studying the structure of extrasolar debris disks provides unique constraints on the underlying planetary system and on the processes of planet formation and protoplanetary disk evolution. Debris disks also have important implications for processes affecting the planets, such as impact events that may strip an atmosphere or deliver volatiles. Their presence or absence also has consequences both positive and negative for the detectability of exoplanets in the system. Here I describe five of the most important ways in which debris disks will contribute to our understanding of extrasolar planetary systems in the coming years.