Evolution of Molecular Abundance in Protoplanetary Disks

We investigate the evolution of molecular abundance in quiescent protoplanetary disks which are presumed to be around weak-line T Tauri stars. In the region of surface density less than $10^2$ g cm$^{-2}$ (distance from the star $\gtrsim 10$ AU in the minimum- mass solar nebula), cosmic rays are barely attenuated even in the midplane of the disk and produce chemically active ions such as He$^+$ and H$_{3}^+$. Through reactions with these ions CO and N$_2$ are finally transformed into CO$_2$, NH$_3$, and HCN. In the region where the temperature is low enough for these products to freeze onto grains, considerable amount of carbon and nitrogen is locked up in the ice mantle and is depleted from the gas phase in a time scale $\lesssim 3\times 10^6$ yr. Oxidized (CO$_2$) ice and reduced (NH$_3$ and hydrocarbon) ice naturally coexist in this part of the disk. The molecular abundance both in the gas phase and in ice mantle varies significantly with the distance from the central star.Comment: 7 pages latex file (using aas2pp4.sty), 3 figures (ps file), to appear in the Astrophysical Journal Letter

Magnetorotational Instability in Protoplanetary Disks. II. Ionization State and Unstable Regions

We investigate where in protoplanetary disks magnetorotational instability operates, which can cause angular momentum transport in the disks. We investigate the spatial distribution of various charged particles and the unstable regions for a variety of models for protoplanetary disks taking into account the recombination of ions and electrons at grain surfaces, which is an important process in most parts of the disks. We find that for all the models there is an inner region which is magnetorotationally stable due to ohmic dissipation. This must make the accretion onto the central star non-steady. For the model of the minimum-mass solar nebula, the critical radius, inside of which the disk is stable, is about 20 AU, and the mass accretion rate just outside the critical radius is 10^{-7} - 10^{-6} M_{\odot} yr^{-1}. The stable region is smaller in a disk of lower column density. Dust grains in protoplanetary disks may grow by mutual sticking and may sediment toward the midplane of the disks. We find that the stable region shrinks as the grain size increases or the sedimentation proceeds. Therefore in the late evolutionary stages, protoplanetary disks can be magnetorotationally unstable even in the inner regions.Comment: 23 pages + 16 figures + 3 tables, accepted for publication in Ap

Subaru near infrared coronagraphic images of T Tauri

High angular resolution near-infrared (JHK) adaptive optics images of T Tau were obtained with the infrared camera Coronagraphic Imager with Adaptive Optics (CIAO) mounted on the 8.2m Subaru Telescope in 2002 and 2004. The images resolve a complex circumstellar structure around a multiple system. We resolved T Tau Sa and Sb as well as T Tau N and S. The estimated orbit of T Tau Sb indicates that it is probably bound to T Tau Sa. The K band flux of T Tau S decreased by ˜ 1.7 Jy in 2002 November compared with that in 2001 mainly because T Tau Sa became fainter. The arc-like ridge detected in our near-infrared images is consistent with what is seen at visible wavelengths, supporting the interpretation in previous studies that the arc is part of the cavity wall seen relatively pole-on. Halo emission is detected out to ˜2\u27\u27from T Tau N. This may be light scattered off the common envelope surrounding the T Tauri multiple system

Polarimetric Imaging of Large Cavity Structures in the Pre-transitional Protoplanetary Disk around PDS 70: Observations of the disk

We present high resolution H-band polarized intensity (PI; FWHM = 0."1: 14 AU) and L'-band imaging data (FWHM = 0."11: 15 AU) of the circumstellar disk around the weak-lined T Tauri star PDS 70 in Centaurus at a radial distance of 28 AU (0."2) up to 210 AU (1."5). In both images, a giant inner gap is clearly resolved for the first time, and the radius of the gap is ~70 AU. Our data show that the geometric center of the disk shifts by ~6 AU toward the minor axis. We confirm that the brown dwarf companion candidate to the north of PDS 70 is a background star based on its proper motion. As a result of SED fitting by Monte Carlo radiative transfer modeling, we infer the existence of an optically thick inner disk at a few AU. Combining our observations and modeling, we classify the disk of PDS 70 as a pre-transitional disk. Furthermore, based on the analysis of L'-band imaging data, we put an upper limit mass of companions at ~30 to ~50MJ within the gap. Taking account of the presence of the large and sharp gap, we suggest that the gap could be formed by dynamical interactions of sub-stellar companions or multiple unseen giant planets in the gap.Comment: accepted by APJ

A Young Brown Dwarf Companion to DH Tauri

We present the detection of a young brown dwarf companion DH Tau B associated with the classical T Tauri star DH Tau. Near-infrared coronagraphic observations with CIAO on the Subaru Telescope have revealed DH Tau B with H = \~15 mag located at 2.3" (330 AU) away from the primary DH Tau A. Comparing its position with a Hubble Space Telescope archive image, we confirmed that DH Tau A and B share the common proper motion, suggesting that they are physically associated with each other. The near-infrared color of DH Tau B is consistent with those of young stellar objects. The near-infrared spectra of DH Tau B show deep water absorption bands, a strong K I absorption line, and a moderate Na I absorption line. We derived its effective temperature and surface gravity of Teff = 2700 -- 2800 K and log g = 4.0--4.5, respectively, by comparing the observed spectra with synthesized spectra of low-mass objects. The location of DH Tau B on the HR diagram gives its mass of 30 -- 50 M_Jupiter.Comment: 10 pages, 14 figures, 1 table, accepted for publication in Ap

Constraining the Movement of the Spiral Features and the Locations of Planetary Bodies within the AB Aur System

We present new analysis of multi-epoch, H-band, scattered light images of the AB Aur system. We used a Monte Carlo, radiative transfer code to simultaneously model the system's SED and H-band polarized intensity imagery. We find that a disk-dominated model, as opposed to one that is envelope dominated, can plausibly reproduce AB Aur's SED and near-IR imagery. This is consistent with previous modeling attempts presented in the literature and supports the idea that at least a subset of AB Aur's spirals originate within the disk. In light of this, we also analyzed the movement of spiral structures in multi-epoch H-band total light and polarized intensity imagery of the disk. We detect no significant rotation or change in spatial location of the spiral structures in these data, which span a 5.8 year baseline. If such structures are caused by disk-planet interactions, the lack of observed rotation constrains the location of the orbit of planetary perturbers to be >47 AU.Comment: 8 pages, 3 figures, 1 table, Accepted to Ap

Coincidence analysis to search for inspiraling compact binaries using TAMA300 and LISM data

Japanese laser interferometric gravitational wave detectors, TAMA300 and LISM, performed a coincident observation during 2001. We perform a coincidence analysis to search for inspiraling compact binaries. The length of data used for the coincidence analysis is 275 hours when both TAMA300 and LISM detectors are operated simultaneously. TAMA300 and LISM data are analyzed by matched filtering, and candidates for gravitational wave events are obtained. If there is a true gravitational wave signal, it should appear in both data of detectors with consistent waveforms characterized by masses of stars, amplitude of the signal, the coalescence time and so on. We introduce a set of coincidence conditions of the parameters, and search for coincident events. This procedure reduces the number of fake events considerably, by a factor $\sim 10^{-4}$ compared with the number of fake events in single detector analysis. We find that the number of events after imposing the coincidence conditions is consistent with the number of accidental coincidences produced purely by noise. We thus find no evidence of gravitational wave signals. We obtain an upper limit of 0.046 /hours (CL $= 90$) to the Galactic event rate within 1kpc from the Earth. The method used in this paper can be applied straightforwardly to the case of coincidence observations with more than two detectors with arbitrary arm directions.Comment: 28 pages, 17 figures, Replaced with the version to be published in Physical Review