On the Incidence of Wise Infrared Excess Among Solar Analog, Twin, and Sibling Stars

• Published in: The Astrophysical journal Vol. 837; no. 1; pp. 15 - 25
• Main Authors: Da Costa, A. D., Martins, B. L. Canto, Leão, I. C., Lima Jr, J. E., Silva, D. Freire da, Freitas, D. B. de, Medeiros, J. R. De
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia The American Astronomical Society 01.03.2017; IOP Publishing
• Subjects: Analogs; ASTEROIDS; Astrophysics; ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; circumstellar matter; Cosmic dust; DETECTION; Dust; DUSTS; INFRARED SURVEYS; infrared: stars; Photosphere; SOLAR SYSTEM; STARS; stars: individual (HD 86087); stars: solar-type; Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer
• ISSN: 0004-637X; 1538-4357
• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/837/1/15

This study presents a search for infrared (IR) excess in the 3.4, 4.6, 12, and 22 m bands in a sample of 216 targets, composed of solar sibling, twin, and analog stars observed by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission. In general, an IR excess suggests the existence of warm dust around a star. We detected 12 m and/or 22 m excesses at the 3 level of confidence in five solar analog stars, corresponding to a frequency of 4.1% of the entire sample of solar analogs analyzed, and in one out of 29 solar sibling candidates, confirming previous studies. The estimation of the dust properties shows that the sources with IR excesses possess circumstellar material with temperatures that, within the uncertainties, are similar to that of the material found in the asteroid belt in our solar system. No photospheric flux excess was identified at the W1 (3.4 m) and W2 (4.6 m) WISE bands, indicating that, in the majority of stars of the present sample, no detectable dust is generated. Interestingly, among the 60 solar twin stars analyzed in this work, no WISE photospheric flux excess was detected. However, a null-detection excess does not necessarily indicate the absence of dust around a star because different causes, including dynamic processes and instrument limitations, can mask its presence.