The evolution of dusty debris disks around solar type stars

Abstract

We used chromospheric activity to determine the ages of 2820 field stars. We searched these stars for excess emission at 22 μm with the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer. Such excess emission is indicative of a dusty debris disk around a star. We investigated how disk incidence trends with various stellar parameters, and how these parameters evolve with time. We found 22 μm excesses around 98 stars (a detection rate of 3.5%). Of these 98 excess sources, 74 are presented here for the first time. We also measured the abundance of lithium in eight dusty stars in order to test our stellar age estimates. © 2014. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved..