Is there really a debris disc around $ζ^2\,\mathrm{Reticuli}$ ?

Abstract

The presence of a debris disc around the Gyr-old solar-type star $ζ^2\,\mathrm{Reticuli}$ was suggested by the $\mathit{Spitzer}$ infrared excess detection. Follow-up observations with $\mathit{Herschel}$/PACS revealed a double-lobed feature, that displayed asymmetries both in brightness and position. Therefore, the disc was thought to be edge-on and significantly eccentric. Here we present ALMA/ACA observations in Band 6 and 7 which unambiguously reveal that these lobes show no common proper motion with $ζ^2\,\mathrm{Reticuli}$. In these observations, no flux has been detected around $ζ^2\,\mathrm{Reticuli}$ that exceeds the $3σ$ levels. We conclude that surface brightness upper limits of a debris disc around $ζ^2\,\mathrm{Reticuli}$ are $5.7\,\mathrm{μJy/arcsec^2}$ at 1.3 mm, and $26\,\mathrm{μJy/arcsec^2}$ at 870 microns. Our results overall demonstrate the capability of the ALMA/ACA to follow-up $\mathit{Herschel}$ observations of debris discs and clarify the effects of background confusion.

6 pages, 2 figures, 2 tables