Context. Debris disks are thought to be extrasolar analogs to the solar system planetesimal belts. The star Fomalhaut harbors a cold debris belt at 140 AU comparable to the Edgeworth-Kuiper belt, as well as evidence of a warm dust component, unresolved by singledish telescopes, which is suspected of being a bright analog to the solar system's zodiacal dust. Aims. Interferometric observations obtained with the VLTI/VINCI instrument and the Keck Interferometer Nuller have identified nearand mid-infrared excesses attributed respectively to hot and warm exozodiacal dust residing in the inner few AU of the Fomalhaut environment. We aim to characterize the properties of this double inner dust belt and to unveil its origin. Methods. We performed parametric modeling of the exozodiacal disk ("exozodi") using the GRaTeR radiative transfer code to reproduce the interferometric data, complemented by mid-to far-infrared photometric measurements from Spitzer and Herschel . A detailed treatment of sublimation temperatures was introduced to explore the hot population at the size-dependent sublimation rim. We then used an analytical approach to successively testing several source mechanisms for the dust and suspected parent bodies. Results. A good fit to the multiwavelength data is found by two distinct dust populations: (1) a population of very small (0.01 to 0.5 μm), hence unbound, hot dust grains confined in a narrow region (∼0.1-0.3 AU) at the sublimation rim of carbonaceous material; (2) a population of bound grains at ∼2 AU that is protected from sublimation and has a higher mass despite its fainter flux level. We propose that the hot dust is produced by the release of small carbon grains following the disruption of dust aggregates that originate in the warm component. A mechanism, such as gas braking, is required to further confine the small grains for a long enough time. In situ dust production could hardly be ensured for the age of the star, so we conclude that the observed amount of dust is triggered by intense dynamical activity. Conclusions. Fomalhaut may be representative of exozodis that are currently being surveyed at near and mid-infrared wavelengths worldwide. We propose a framework for reconciling the "hot exozodi phenomenon" with theoretical constraints: the hot component of Fomalhaut is likely the "tip of the iceberg" since it could originate in the more massive, but fainter, warm dust component residing near the ice line. This inner disk exhibits interesting morphology and can be considered a prime target for future exoplanet research.

Context. Hot exozodiacal dust is thought to be responsible for excess near-infrared (NIR) emission emanating from the innermost parts of some debris disks. The origin of this dust, however, is still a matter of debate. Aims. We test whether hot exozodiacal dust can be supplied from an exterior parent belt by Poynting-Robertson (P-R) drag, paying special attention to the pile-up of dust that occurs owing to the interplay of P-R drag and dust sublimation. Specifically, we investigate whether pile-ups still occur when collisions are taken into account, and if they can explain the observed NIR excess. Methods. We computed the steady-state distribution of dust in the inner disk by solving the continuity equation. First, we derived an analytical solution under a number of simplifying assumptions. Second, we developed a numerical debris disk model that for the first time treats the complex interaction of collisions, P-R drag, and sublimation in a self-consistent way. From the resulting dust distributions, we generated thermal emission spectra and compare these to observed excess NIR fluxes. Results. We confirm that P-R drag always supplies a small amount of dust to the sublimation zone, but find that a fully consistent treatment yields a maximum amount of dust that is about 7 times lower than that given by analytical estimates. The NIR excess due to this material is much less ( < ∼ 10 −3 for A-type stars with parent belts at > ∼ 1 AU) than the values derived from interferometric observations (∼10 −2 ). Pile-up of dust still occurs when collisions are considered, but its effect on the NIR flux is insignificant. Finally, the cross-section in the innermost regions is clearly dominated by barely bound grains.

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