Unbound grains in gaseous debris discs

Abstract

Context. Some debris discs contain cold molecular gas. The origin of this gas is one of the key questions in our understanding of the evolution of planetary systems. The effect of gas on the smallest dust grains, which are expected to be unbound due to radiation pressure, is not well understood. The unbound grains contribute to the brightness of scattered light and thermal emission from the disc halo at short wavelengths. Aims. We explored the conditions under which gas can prevent or slow down the escape of unbound grains and increase their number density in the disc halo sufficiently to affect its brightness and reveal properties of the gas. Methods. We numerically integrated the equations of motion of dust grains released on unbound orbits in optically thin, gaseous debris discs, taking into account stellar gravity, radiation pressure, Poynting-Robertson drag, and gas drag. Results. We find that gas drag can significantly slow down the escape of unbound grains only for very high gas masses, such as those expected if the gas is remnant protoplanetary gas and not of secondary origin. We also present an analytical model for estimating the density of unbound grains in gaseous discs. Conclusions. If a difference in the abundance of unbound grains between gaseous and non-gaseous debris discs were observed, it would imply that the gas in debris discs is protoplanetary. Currently, there is no evidence of such a difference, suggesting that the gas detected in debris discs is either secondary or strongly depleted protoplanetary gas.