A VLA Survey For Faint Compact Radio Sources in the Orion Nebula Cluster

We present Karl G. Janksy Very Large Array (VLA) 1.3 cm, 3.6 cm, and 6 cm continuum maps of compact radio sources in the Orion Nebular Cluster. We mosaicked 34 square arcminutes at 1.3 cm, 70 square arcminutes at 3.6 cm and 109 square arcminutes at 6 cm, containing 778 near-infrared detected YSOs and 190 HST-identified proplyds (with significant overlap between those characterizations). We detected radio emission from 175 compact radio sources in the ONC, including 26 sources that were detected for the first time at these wavelengths. For each detected source we fit a simple free-free and dust emission model to characterize the radio emission. We extrapolate the free-free emission spectrum model for each source to ALMA bands to illustrate how these measurements could be used to correctly measure protoplanetary disk dust masses from sub-millimeter flux measurements. Finally, we compare the fluxes measured in this survey with previously measured fluxes for our targets, as well as four separate epochs of 1.3 cm data, to search for and quantify variability of our sources.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, 4 tables, ApJ, in pres

AB Aurigae Resolved: Evidence for Spiral Structure

We obtained high angular resolution (~2") images of the 13CO(J=1-0) line and 2.7 millimeter continuum emission, and slightly lower resolution images of 12CO(J=1-0) and C18O(J=1-0) line emission toward the Herbig Ae star AB Aurigae. We resolve a circumstellar disk of diameter 780 AU (FWHM) with a velocity pattern consistent with a purely rotational disk at inclination 21.5 degrees and position angle 58.6 degrees. Using Keplerian disk models, we find a central source dynamical mass of 2.8+-0.1 Msun and a cutoff radius of 615 AU for the 13CO emission. Inclination, mass, and radius determined from 12CO and C18O observations agree with those values, given optical depth and abundance effects. As a result of the high angular resolution of our observations, we confirm the existence of spiral structure suggested by near-IR scattered light images and show that the spiral arms represent density contrasts in the disk.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, accepted ApJ Letter

Simultaneous Exoplanet Characterization and deep wide-field imaging with a diffractive pupil telescope

High-precision astrometry can identify exoplanets and measure their orbits and masses, while coronagraphic imaging enables detailed characterization of their physical properties and atmospheric compositions through spectroscopy. In a previous paper, we showed that a diffractive pupil telescope (DPT) in space can enable sub-microarcsecond accuracy astrometric measurements from wide-field images by creating faint but sharp diffraction spikes around the bright target star. The DPT allows simultaneous astrometric measurement and coronagraphic imaging, and we discuss and quantify in this paper the scientific benefits of this combination for exoplanet science investigations: identification of exoplanets with increased sensitivity and robustness, and ability to measure planetary masses to high accuracy. We show how using both measurements to identify planets and measure their masses offers greater sensitivity and provides more reliable measurements than possible with separate missions, and therefore results in a large gain in mission efficiency. The combined measurements reliably identify potentially habitable planets in multiple systems with a few observations, while astrometry or imaging alone would require many measurements over a long time baseline. In addition, the combined measurement allows direct determination of stellar masses to percent-level accuracy, using planets as test particles. We also show that the DPT maintains the full sensitivity of the telescope for deep wide-field imaging, and is therefore compatible with simultaneous scientific observations unrelated to exoplanets. We conclude that astrometry, coronagraphy, and deep wide-field imaging can be performed simultaneously on a single telescope without significant negative impact on the performance of any of the three techniques.Comment: 15 pages, 6 figures. This second paper, following the paper describing the diffractive pupil telescope (DPT) astrometric technique, shows how simultaneous astrometry and coronagraphy observations, enabled by the DPT concept, constrain the orbital parameters and mass of exoplanet

Isolating Dust and Free-Free Emission in ONC Proplyds with ALMA Band 3 Observations

The Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) hosts protoplanetary disks experiencing external photoevaporation by the cluster's intense UV field. These ``proplyds" are comprised of a disk surrounded by an ionization front. We present ALMA Band 3 (3.1 mm) continuum observations of 12 proplyds. Thermal emission from the dust disks and free-free emission from the ionization fronts are both detected, and the high-resolution (0.057") of the observations allows us to spatially isolate these two components. The morphology is unique compared to images at shorter (sub)millimeter wavelengths, which only detect the disks, and images at longer centimeter wavelengths, which only detect the ionization fronts. The disks are small ($r_d$ = 6.4--38 au), likely due to truncation by ongoing photoevaporation. They have low spectral indices ($\alpha \lesssim 2.1$) measured between Bands 7 and 3, suggesting the dust emission is optically thick. They harbor tens of Earth masses of dust as computed from the millimeter flux using the standard method, although their true masses may be larger due to the high optical depth. We derive their photoevaporative mass-loss rates in two ways: first, by invoking ionization equilibrium, and second using the brightness of the free-free emission to compute the density of the outflow. We find decent agreement between these measurements and $\dot M$ = 0.6--18.4 $\times$ 10$^{-7}$ $M_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$. The photoevaporation timescales are generally shorter than the $\sim$1 Myr age of the ONC, underscoring the known ``proplyd lifetime problem." Disk masses that are underestimated due to being optically thick remains one explanation to ease this discrepancy.Comment: 17 pages, 12 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Imaging protoplanets: observing transition disks with non-redundant masking

Transition disks, protoplanetary disks with inner clearings, are promising objects in which to directly image forming planets. The high contrast imaging technique of non-redundant masking is well posed to detect planetary mass companions at several to tens of AU in nearby transition disks. We present non-redundant masking observations of the T Cha and LkCa 15 transition disks, both of which host posited sub-stellar mass companions. However, due to a loss of information intrinsic to the technique, observations of extended sources (e.g. scattered light from disks) can be misinterpreted as moving companions. We discuss tests to distinguish between these two scenarios, with applications to the T Cha and LkCa 15 observations. We argue that a static, forward-scattering disk can explain the T Cha data, while LkCa 15 is best explained by multiple orbiting companions.Comment: SPIE conference proceedin

Astrometry with the Keck-Interferometer: the ASTRA project and its science

The sensitivity and astrometry upgrade ASTRA of the Keck Interferometer is introduced. After a brief overview of the underlying interferometric principles, the technology and concepts of the upgrade are presented. The interferometric dual-field technology of ASTRA will provide the KI with the means to observe two objects simultaneously, and measure the distance between them with a precision eventually better than 100 uas. This astrometric functionality of ASTRA will add a unique observing tool to fields of astrophysical research as diverse as exo-planetary kinematics, binary astrometry, and the investigation of stars accelerated by the massive black hole in the center of the Milky Way as discussed in this contribution.Comment: 22 pages, 10 figures (low resolution), contribution to the summerschool "Astrometry and Imaging with the Very Large Telescope Interferometer", 2 - 13 June, 2008, Keszthely, Hungary, corrected authorlis