The Spitzer Space Telescope enabled the detection and characterization of infrared excess — attributed to thermal emission from circumstellar dust — towards more than 1,000 main-sequence stars and more than 40 white dwarfs. These systems have been dubbed ‘debris disks’ because they are believed to be planetary systems in which the observed dust is generated by collisions among otherwise undetected planetesimals, planetary embryos and planets. With its superb sensitivity and good spatial resolution, Spitzer revolutionized the study of debris disks, increasing the number of known systems by an order of magnitude and providing detailed disk demographics and properties for a substantial sample for the first time. In doing so, Spitzer set the stage for detailed characterization of the dust using Herschel, the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array and high-contrast imaging instruments such as the Hubble Space Telescope’s NICMOS and STIS, the Very Large Telescope’s SPHERE, and the Gemini Planet Imager. Spitzer played a vital role in demonstrating that planetary systems are present and active around white dwarfs. Specifically, it showed that the origin of pollution in white dwarfs is circumstellar material. Finally, Spitzer’s longevity enabled time-domain studies of young debris disks that are actively forming terrestrial planets and rejuvenized the study of dusty white dwarfs. Spitzer’s legacy will endure into the next decade with discoveries expected from new instruments on SOFIA, the James Webb Space Telescope and SPHEREx.

Spitzer太空望远镜可以探测和表征红外过量（归因于星际尘埃的热辐射），它指向1000多个主序星和40多个白矮星。这些系统之所以被称为“碎片盘”，是因为它们被认为是行星系统，其中观察到的尘埃是由原本未被发现的小行星，行星胚胎和行星之间的碰撞产生的。Spitzer凭借其出色的灵敏度和良好的空间分辨率，彻底革新了碎片磁盘的研究，将已知系统的数量增加了一个数量级，并首次为大量样本提供了详细的磁盘人口统计信息和属性。为此，斯必泽为使用赫歇尔（Herschel）详细表征灰尘奠定了基础，哈萨克太空望远镜的NICMOS和STIS，超大型望远镜的SPHERE和双子座行星成像仪等阿塔卡玛大型毫米/亚毫米阵列和高对比度成像仪器。斯皮策在证明行星系统存在并活跃在白矮星周围起着至关重要的作用。具体来说，它表明白矮星的污染源是绕星物质。最终，斯皮策的长寿使人们能够对活跃形成地面行星的年轻碎片盘进行时域研究，并使粉尘白矮星的研究焕然一新。Spitzer的遗产将持续到下一个十年，预计SOFIA的新仪器，James Webb太空望远镜和SPHEREx会发现这些发现。超大型望远镜的SPHERE和双子座行星成像仪。斯皮策在证明行星系统存在并活跃在白矮星周围起着至关重要的作用。具体来说，它表明白矮星的污染源是绕星物质。最终，斯皮策的长寿使人们能够对活跃形成地面行星的年轻碎片盘进行时域研究，并使粉尘白矮星的研究焕然一新。Spitzer的遗产将持续到下一个十年，预计SOFIA的新仪器，James Webb太空望远镜和SPHEREx会发现这些发现。超大型望远镜的SPHERE和双子座行星成像仪。斯皮策在证明行星系统存在并活跃在白矮星周围起着至关重要的作用。具体来说，它表明白矮星的污染源是绕星物质。最终，斯皮策的长寿使人们能够对活跃形成地面行星的年轻碎片盘进行时域研究，并使粉尘白矮星的研究焕然一新。Spitzer的遗产将持续到下一个十年，预计SOFIA的新仪器，James Webb太空望远镜和SPHEREx会发现这些发现。Spitzer的长寿使人们能够在时域上研究活跃形成地面行星的年轻碎片盘，并使粉尘白矮星的研究焕发青春。Spitzer的遗产将持续到下一个十年，预计SOFIA的新仪器，James Webb太空望远镜和SPHEREx会发现这些发现。Spitzer的长寿使人们能够在时域上研究活跃形成地面行星的年轻碎片盘，并使研究尘土飞扬的白矮星焕发青春。Spitzer的遗产将持续到下一个十年，预计SOFIA的新仪器，James Webb太空望远镜和SPHEREx会发现这些发现。