The Dynamical Influence of a Planet at Semimajor Axis 3.4 AU on the Dust around ε Eridani

Precise-Doppler experiments suggest that a massive (m sin i=0.86 M_J) planetorbits at semimajor axis a=3.4 AU around Epsilon Eridani, a nearby star with amassive debris disk. The dynamical perturbations from such a planet would moldthe distribution of dust around this star. We numerically integrated the orbitsof dust grains in this system to predict the central dust cloud structure. Fora supply of grains that begin in low-inclination, low-eccentricity orbits at 15AU, the primary feature of the dust distribution is a pair of dense clumps,containing dust particles trapped in mean-motion resonances of the form n:1.These clumps appear to revolve around the star once every two planetrevolutions. Future observations with the IRAM Plateau de Bure Interferometer,the SMA, or ALMA could detect these clumps, confirming the existence of theplanet and revealing its location.Comment: 22 pages, 9 figures, accepted by ApJ 05/13/0