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Hot and Cold [Dynamics of Cats]
Space based infrared observations find double planetesimal belts around Vega.
Vega
Su et al. (ApJ in press) got Spitzer and Herschel observations of Vega, and find emission consistent with an inner warm asteroid belt and an outer cool planetesimal belt, with a gap between.
Vega
This is similar to what we see in the Solar System but on a bigger scale around a younger, hotter, more massive star.
The inference is that the gap between the two belts is kept clear of tepid dust by multiple planets orbiting in the region.
Schematic of Vega system inferred from observations
This is a very cool result and an interesting additional piece of information on the structure of other planetary systems.
2013-01-09 13:01:18
Source: http://scienceblogs.com/catdynamics/2013/01/09/hot-and-cold/
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