JWST Imaging of Edge-on Protoplanetary Disks. II. Appearance of Edge-on Disks with a Tilted Inner Region: Case Study of IRAS04302+2247

Abstract

We present James Webb Space Telescope imaging from 2 to 21 μm of the edge-on protoplanetary disk around the embedded young star IRAS04302+2247. The structure of the source shows two reflection nebulae separated by a dark lane. The source extent is dominated by the extended filamentary envelope at ∼4.4 μm and shorter wavelengths, transitioning at 7.7 μm and longer wavelengths to more compact lobes of scattered light from the disk itself. The dark lane thickness does not vary significantly with wavelength, which we interpret as an indication for intermediate-sized (∼10 μm) grains in the upper layers of the disk. Intriguingly, we find that the brightest nebula of IRAS40302 switches side between 12.8 and 21 μm. We explore the effect of a tilted inner region on the general appearance of edge-on disks. We find that radiative transfer models of a disk including a tilted inner region can reproduce an inversion in the brightest nebula. In addition, for specific orientations, the model predicts strong lateral asymmetries, which can occur for more than half possible viewing azimuths. A large number of edge-on protoplanetary disks observed in scattered light show such lateral asymmetries (15/20), which suggests that a large fraction of protoplanetary disks might host a tilted inner region. Stellar spots may also induce lateral asymmetries, which are expected to vary over a significantly shorter timescale. Variability studies of edge-on disks would allow us to test the dominant scenario for the origin of these asymmetries.