Rave: a non-parametric method for recovering the surface brightness and height profiles of edge-on debris discs

Abstract

ABSTRACT Extrasolar analogues of the Solar System’s Kuiper belt offer unique constraints on outer planetary system architecture. Radial features such as the sharpness of disc edges and substructures such as gaps may be indicative of embedded planets within a disc. Vertically, the height of a disc can constrain the mass of embedded bodies. Edge-on debris discs offer a unique opportunity to simultaneously access the radial and vertical distribution of material; however, recovering either distribution in an unbiased way is challenging. In this study, we present a non-parametric method to recover the surface brightness profile (face-on surface brightness as a function of radius) and height profile (scale height as a function of radius) of azimuthally symmetric, edge-on debris discs. The method is primarily designed for observations at thermal emission wavelengths, but is also applicable to scattered light observations under the assumption of isotropic scattering. By removing assumptions on underlying functional forms, this algorithm provides more realistic constraints on disc structures. We also apply this technique to Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations of the AU Mic debris disc and derive a surface brightness profile consistent with estimates from parametric approaches, but with a more realistic range of possible models that is independent of parametrization assumptions. Our results are consistent with a uniform scale height of 0.8 au, but a scale height that increases linearly with radius is also possible.