# Rave: A non-parametric method for recovering the surface brightness and height profiles of edge-on debris disks

**Authors:** Yinuo Han, Mark C. Wyatt, Luca Matra  
**arXiv:** [2202.04475](https://arxiv.org/abs/2202.04475)  
**Date:** 2022-02-09  
**Summary page:** https://www.summarizepaper.com/en/paper/2202.04475v1/

## Key points

- Debris disks in extrasolar systems provide insights into outer planetary system architecture
- Radial features and substructures within debris disks can indicate the presence of embedded planets
- Height profile of a debris disk can provide information on the mass of embedded bodies
- Recovering unbiased distributions of material in edge-on debris disks is challenging
- Yinuo Han et al. present Rave, a non-parametric method for recovering surface brightness and height profiles of azimuthally symmetric, edge-on debris disks
- Rave algorithm is designed for observations at thermal emission wavelengths but also applicable to scattered light observations under isotropic scattering assumption
- Rave provides more realistic constraints on disk structures than traditional parametric approaches by removing assumptions on underlying functional forms
- Authors apply technique to ALMA observations of AU Mic debris disk and derive a surface brightness profile consistent with estimates from parametric approaches but with a more realistic range of possible models independent of parametrization assumptions.
- Results suggest uniform scale height of 0.8 au, although linearly increasing scale height with radius is also possible.
- Height profile reveals dynamical state of debris disks and reflects level of dynamical stirring within them; this information can be used to constrain presence of large embedded bodies within these disks.
- Previous studies have often assumed simple functional forms for scale height; however, Rave's non-parametric approach allows for more flexible modeling options which enable an unbiased recovery of distributions in edge-on debris disks and provide new insights into their structure and dynamics.
- Overall, Rave offers an innovative solution for uncovering valuable information about extrasolar systems from debris disk observations.

## Summary

Debris disks in extrasolar systems offer unique insights into the architecture of outer planetary systems. Radial features and substructures within these disks can indicate the presence of embedded planets, while the height profile of a disk can provide information on the mass of such bodies. However, recovering unbiased distributions of material in edge-on debris disks is challenging. In a recent study published in MNRAS, Yinuo Han et al. present Rave, a non-parametric method for recovering both the surface brightness profile and height profile of azimuthally symmetric, edge-on debris disks. The Rave algorithm 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 approach provides more realistic constraints on disk structures than traditional parametric approaches. The authors apply their technique to ALMA observations of the AU Mic debris disk 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. The results suggest a uniform scale height of 0.8 au, although a linearly increasing scale height with radius is also possible. Moreover, the height profile reveals the dynamical state of debris disks and reflects the level of dynamical stirring within them; this information can be used to constrain the presence of large embedded bodies within these disks. Previous studies have often assumed that the scale height follows simple functional forms; however, Rave's non-parametric approach allows for more flexible modeling options which enable an unbiased recovery of distributions in edge-on debris disks and provide new insights into their structure and dynamics. Overall, Rave offers an innovative solution for uncovering valuable information about extrasolar systems from debris disk observations.