439 research outputs found
A dust disk surrounding the young A star HR4796A
We report the codiscovery of the spatially-resolved dust disk of the
Vega-like star HR 4796A. Images of the thermal dust emission at m show an elongated structure approximately 200 AU in diameter surrounding
the central A0V star. The position angle of the disk, , is consistent to the position angle of the M companion star,
, suggesting that the disk-binary system is being seen nearly
along its orbital plane. The surface brightness distribution of the disk is
consistent with the presence of an inner disk hole of approximately 50 AU
radius, as was originally suggested by Jura et al. on the basis of the infrared
spectrum. HR 4796 is a unique system among the Vega-like or Pictoris
stars in that the M star companion (a weak-emission T Tauri star) shows that
the system is relatively young, Myr. The inner disk hole may
provide evidence for coagulation of dust into larger bodies on a timescale
similar to that suggested for planet formation in the solar system.Comment: 12 pages, 3 PostScript figures, accepted for publication in
Astrophysical Journal Letter
The cool atmospheres of the binary brown dwarf eps Indi B
We have imaged Indi B, the closest brown dwarf binary known, with
VISIR at the VLT in three narrow-band mid-infrared bandpasses located around
8.6m, 10.5m and 11.3m. We are able to spatially resolve both
components, and determine accurate mid-infrared photometry for both components
independently. In particular, our VISIR observations probe the NH feature
in the atmospheres of the cooler and warmer brown dwarfs. For the first time,
we can disentangle the contributions of the two components, and find that % our
photometry of IndiBb is in good agreement with recent ``cloud-free''
atmosphere models having an effective temperature of K.
With an assumed age of 1 Gyr for the Indi system, component Ba
agrees more with K rather than with
K, as suggested by SPITZER spectroscopic observations of
the combined Indi B system (Roellig et al., 2004). Even higher
effective temperatures appear inconsistent with our absolute photometry, as
they would imply an unphysical small size of the brown dwarf IndiBa.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure
The Inner Rings of Beta Pictoris
We present Keck images of the dust disk around Beta Pictoris at 17.9 microns
that reveal new structure in its morphology. Within 1" (19 AU) of the star, the
long axis of the dust emission is rotated by more than 10 degrees with respect
to that of the overall disk. This angular offset is more pronounced than the
warp detected at 3.5" by HST, and in the opposite direction. By contrast, the
long axis of the emission contours at ~ 1.5" from the star is aligned with the
HST warp. Emission peaks between 1.5" and 4" from the star hint at the presence
of rings similar to those observed in the outer disk at ~ 25" with HST/STIS. A
deconvolved image strongly suggests that the newly detected features arise from
a system of four non-coplanar rings. Bayesian estimates based on the primary
image lead to ring radii of 14+/-1 AU, 28+/-3 AU, 52+/-2 AU and 82+/-2 AU, with
orbital inclinations that alternate in orientation relative to the overall disk
and decrease in magnitude with increasing radius. We believe these new results
make a strong case for the existence of a nascent planetary system around Beta
Pic.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures, PDF format. Published in ApJL, December 20,200
Structural and compositional properties of brown dwarf disks: the case of 2MASS J04442713+2512164
In order to improve our understanding of substellar formation, we have
performed a compositional and structural study of a brown dwarf disk.
We present the result of photometric, spectroscopic and imaging observations
of 2MASS J04442713+2512164, a young brown dwarf (M7.25) member of the Taurus
association. Our dataset, combined with results from the literature, provides a
complete coverage of the spectral energy distribution from the optical to the
millimeter including the first photometric measurement of a brown dwarf disk at
3.7mm, and allows us to perform a detailed analysis of the disk properties.
The target was known to have a disk. High resolution optical spectroscopy
shows that it is intensely accreting, and powers a jet and an outflow. The disk
structure is similar to that observed for more massive TTauri stars. Spectral
decomposition models of Spitzer/IRS spectra suggest that the mid-infrared
emission from the optically thin disk layers is dominated by grains with
intermediate sizes (1.5micron). Crystalline silicates are significantly more
abondant in the outer part and/or deeper layers of the disk, implying very
efficient mixing and/or additional annealing processes. Sub-millimeter and
millimeter data indicate that most of the disk mass is in large grains (>1mm)Comment: 17 pages, 10 figures, 7 tables, accepted for A&
An overview of the mid-infrared spectro-interferometer MATISSE: science, concept, and current status
MATISSE is the second-generation mid-infrared spectrograph and imager for the
Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) at Paranal. This new interferometric
instrument will allow significant advances by opening new avenues in various
fundamental research fields: studying the planet-forming region of disks around
young stellar objects, understanding the surface structures and mass loss
phenomena affecting evolved stars, and probing the environments of black holes
in active galactic nuclei. As a first breakthrough, MATISSE will enlarge the
spectral domain of current optical interferometers by offering the L and M
bands in addition to the N band. This will open a wide wavelength domain,
ranging from 2.8 to 13 um, exploring angular scales as small as 3 mas (L band)
/ 10 mas (N band). As a second breakthrough, MATISSE will allow mid-infrared
imaging - closure-phase aperture-synthesis imaging - with up to four Unit
Telescopes (UT) or Auxiliary Telescopes (AT) of the VLTI. Moreover, MATISSE
will offer a spectral resolution range from R ~ 30 to R ~ 5000. Here, we
present one of the main science objectives, the study of protoplanetary disks,
that has driven the instrument design and motivated several VLTI upgrades
(GRA4MAT and NAOMI). We introduce the physical concept of MATISSE including a
description of the signal on the detectors and an evaluation of the expected
performances. We also discuss the current status of the MATISSE instrument,
which is entering its testing phase, and the foreseen schedule for the next two
years that will lead to the first light at Paranal.Comment: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes and Instrumentation conference, June
2016, 11 pages, 6 Figure
Stellar Encounters with the Beta Pictoris Planetesimal System
We use data from the Hipparcos Catalog and the Barbier-Brossat & Figon (2000)
catalog of stellar radial velocities to test the hypothesis that the Beta Pic
planetesimal disk was disrupted by a close stellar encounter. We trace the
space motions of 21,497 stars and discover 18 that have passed within 5 pc of
Beta Pic in the past 1 Myr. Beta Pic's closest encounter is with the K2III star
HIP 27628 (0.6 pc), but dynamically the most important encounter is with the
F7V star HIP 23693 (0.9 pc). We calculate the velocity and eccentricity changes
induced by the 18 perturbations and conclude that they are dynamically
significant if planetesimals exist in a Beta Pic Oort cloud. We provide a
first-order estimate for the evolutionary state of a Beta Pic Oort cloud and
conclude that the primary role of these stellar perturbations would be to help
build a comet cloud rather than destroy a pre-existing structure. The stellar
sample is 20% complete and motivates future work to identify less common close
interactions that would significantly modify the observed circumstellar disk.
For future radial velocity study we identify six stars in the Hipparcos Catalog
that may have approached Beta Pic to within 0.1 pc and therefore remain as
candidate disk perturbers.Comment: 23 pages, 5 figures, Accepted for publication in Ap
Investigating point sources in MWC 758 with SPHERE
Context. Spiral arms in protoplanetary disks could be shown to be the
manifestation of density waves launched by protoplanets and propagating in the
gaseous component of the disk. At least two point sources have been identified
in the L band in the MWC 758 system as planetary mass object candidates. Aims.
We used VLT/SPHERE to search for counterparts of these candidates in the H and
K bands, and to characterize the morphology of the spiral arms . Methods. The
data were processed with now-standard techniques in high-contrast imaging to
determine the limits of detection, and to compare them to the luminosity
derived from L band observations. Results. In considering the evolutionary,
atmospheric, and opacity models we were not able to confirm the two former
detections of point sources performed in the L band. In addition, the analysis
of the spiral arms from a dynamical point of view does not support the
hypothesis that these candidates comprise the origin of the spirals.
Conclusions. Deeper observations and longer timescales will be required to
identify the actual source of the spiral arms in MWC 758.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic
Adaptive Optics Nulling Interferometric Constraints on the Mid-Infrared Exozodiacal Dust Emission around Vega
We present the results of mid-infrared nulling interferometric observations
of the main-sequence star alpha Lyr (Vega) using the 6.5 m MMT with its
adaptive secondary mirror. From the observations at 10.6 microns, we find that
there is no resolved emission from the circumstellar environment (at
separations greater than 0.8 AU) above 2.1% (3 sigma limit) of the level of the
stellar photospheric emission. Thus, we are able to place an upper limit on the
density of dust in the inner system of 650 times that of our own solar system's
zodiacal cloud. This limit is roughly 2.8 times better than those determined
with photometric excess observations such as those by IRAS. Comparison with
far-infrared observations by IRAS shows that the density of warm dust in the
inner system (< 30 AU) is significantly lower than cold dust at larger
separations. We consider two scenarios for grain removal, the sublimation of
ice grains and the presence of a planetary mass "sweeper." We find that if
sublimation of ice grains is the only removal process, a large fraction (> 80%)
of the material in the outer system is ice.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, Accepted to The Astrophysical Journal Letter
Gas Lines from the 5-Myr old Optically Thin Disk around HD141569A
At the distance of 99-116 pc, HD141569A is one of the nearest HerbigAe stars that is surrounded by a tenuous disk, probably in transition between a massive primordial disk and a debris disk. We observed the fine-structure lines of OI at 63 and 145 micron and the CII line at 157 micron with the PACS instrument onboard the Herschel Space Telescope as part of the open-time large programme GASPS. We complemented the atomic line observations with archival Spitzer spectroscopic and photometric continuum data, a ground-based VLT-VISIR image at 8.6 micron, and 12CO fundamental ro-vibrational and pure rotational J=3-2 observations. We simultaneously modeled the continuum emission and the line fluxes with the Monte Carlo radiative transfer code MCFOST and the thermo-chemical code ProDiMo to derive the disk gas- and dust properties assuming no dust settling. The models suggest that the oxygen lines are emitted from the inner disk around HD141569A, whereas the [CII] line emission is more extended. The CO submillimeter flux is emitted mostly by the outer disk. Simultaneous modeling of the photometric and line data using a realistic disk structure suggests a dust mass derived from grains with a radius smaller than 1 mm of 2.1E-7 MSun and from grains with a radius of up to 1 cm of 4.9E-6 MSun. We constrained the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) mass to be between 2E-11 and 1..4E-10 MSun assuming circumcircumcoronene (C150H30) as the representative PAH. The associated PAH abundance relative to hydrogen is lower than those found in the interstellar medium (3E-7) by two to three orders of magnitude. The disk around HD141569A is less massive in gas (2.5 to 4.9E-4 MSun or 67 to 164 MEarth) and has a flat opening angle (\u3c10%). [abridged
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