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Published on: July 1, 2019
The Origins & Reservoirs of Exocomets
Michele Bannister1, Susanne Pfalzner2, Tim Pearce3
1School of Physical and Chemical Sciences - Te Kura Matū, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch, 8140 New Zealand.
None:
Small bodies exist in distinct populations within their planetary systems. These reservoir populations hold a range of compositions, which to first order are dependent on formation location relative to their star. We provide a general overview of the nature of the reservoirs that source exocomets, from the influence of the stellar environment through planetesimal formation to comparisons with Solar System populations. Once transitioned from a young protoplanetary disc to a debris disc, a star can expect to be rained with exocomets. While exocomets are predominantly detected to date at A-type stars, planetesimals plausibly exist across a range of stellar masses, based on exoplanet abundance, debris disc occurrence and white dwarf infall.
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