KIC 8462852: The Infrared Flux
Abstract
We analyzed the warm Spitzer/IRAC data of KIC 8462852. We found no evidence of infrared excess at 3.6 μm and a small excess of 0.43 ± 0.18 mJy at 4.5 μm below the 3σ threshold necessary to claim a detection. The lack of strong infrared excess 2 years after the events responsible for the unusual light curve observed by Kepler further disfavors the scenarios involving a catastrophic collision in a KIC 8462852 asteroid belt, a giant impact disrupting a planet in the system or a population of dust-enshrouded planetesimals. The scenario invoking the fragmentation of a family of comets on a highly elliptical orbit is instead consistent with the lack of strong infrared excess found by our analysis.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- November 2015
- DOI:
- 10.1088/2041-8205/814/1/L15
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1511.07908
- Bibcode:
- 2015ApJ...814L..15M
- Keywords:
-
- infrared: stars;
- stars: individual: KIC 8462852;
- Astrophysics - Solar and Stellar Astrophysics;
- Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- Published on The Astrophysical Journal Letters