  Context. Structures in debris disks induced by planetdisk interaction are
promising to provide valuable constraints on the existence and properties of
embedded planets. Aims. We investigate the observability of structures in
debris disks induced by planet-disk interaction. Methods. The observability of
debris disks with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) is
studied on the basis of a simple analytical disk model. Furthermore, N-body
simulations are used to model the spatial dust distribution in debris disks
under the influence of planet-disk interaction. Images at optical scattered
light to millimeter thermal re-emission are computed. Available information
about the expected capabilities of ALMA and the James Webb Space Telescope
(JWST) are used to investigate the observability of characteristic disk
structures through spatially resolved imaging. Results. Planet-disk interaction
can result in prominent structures. This provides the opportunity of detecting
and characterizing extrasolar planets in a range of masses and radial distances
from the star that is not accessible to other techniques. Facilities that will
be available in the near future are shown to provide the capabilities to
spatially resolve and characterize structures in debris disks. Limitations are
revealed and suggestions for possible instrument setups and observing
strategies are given. In particular, ALMA is limited by its sensitivity to
surface brightness, which requires a trade-off between sensitivity and spatial
resolution. Space-based midinfrared observations will be able to detect and
spatially resolve regions in debris disks even at a distance of several tens of
AU from the star, where the emission from debris disks in this wavelength range
is expected to be low. [Abridged]
