AU In Diameter Research Articles

An Ionized Outflow in Orion-KL Source I?

We present images at 6 and 14 GHz of Source I (SrcI) in the Kleinmann–Low Nebula in Orion. At higher frequencies, from 43 to 340 GHz, images of this source are dominated by thermal emission from dust in a 100 au diameter circumstellar disk, but at 6 and 14 GHz the emission is elongated along the minor axis of the disk, aligned with the SiO bipolar outflow from the central object. Gaussian fits to the 6, 14, 43, and 99 GHz images find a component along the disk minor axis whose flux and length vary with frequency consistent with free–free emission from an ionized outflow. The data favor a broad outflow from a disk wind, rather than a narrow ionized jet. SrcI was undetected in higher-resolution 5 GHz e-MERLIN observations obtained in 2021. The 5–6 GHz structure of SrcI may be resolved out by the high sidelobe structure of the e-MERLIN synthesized beam, or be time variable.

η Geminorum: an eclipsing semiregular variable star orbited by a companion surrounded by an extended disc

ABSTRACT We report 11 yr of spectroscopic monitoring of the M-type asymptotic giant branch star η Gem, a semiregular variable and a known spectroscopic binary with a period of 8.2 yr. We combine our radial velocities with others from the literature to provide an improved spectroscopic orbital solution, giving a period of 2979 d, which we then use to predict past times of eclipse. We examine archival photometry from amateur variable star observers, and other sources, and find many instances of dimmings that occurred at the right time. This confirms previous indications that the system is eclipsing, and it now ranks among those with the longest known periods. No secondary eclipses are seen. The ∼0.4 mag eclipses that last about 5 months are much too deep to be produced by a stellar companion. We propose instead that the companion is surrounded by a large disc that is at least 1.5 au in diameter but is likely larger. We predict the centre of the next eclipse will occur on New Year’s Day, 2029.

Formation and evolution of protostellar accretion discs – I. Angular-momentum budget, gravitational self-regulation, and numerical convergence

ABSTRACT We investigate the formation and early evolution of a protostellar disc from a magnetized prestellar core using non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations including ambipolar diffusion and Ohmic dissipation. The dynamical contraction of the prestellar core ultimately leads to the formation of a first hydrostatic core, after ambipolar diffusion decouples the magnetic field from the predominantly neutral gas. The hydrostatic core accumulates angular momentum from the infalling material, evolving into a rotationally supported torus; this ‘first hydrostatic torus’ then forms an accreting protostar and a rotationally supported disc. The disc spreads out by gravitational instability, reaching ∼30 au in diameter at ∼3 kyr after protostar formation. The total mass and angular momentum of the protostar–disc system are determined mainly by accretion of gas from an infalling pseudo-disc, which has low specific angular momentum because of magnetic braking; their removal from the protostar–disc system by outflow and disc magnetic braking are negligible, in part because the magnetic field is poorly coupled there. The redistribution of angular momentum within the protostar–disc system is facilitated mainly by gravitational instability; this allows formation of relatively large discs even when the specific angular momentum of infalling material is low. We argue that such discs should remain marginally unstable as they grow (with Toomre Q ∼ 1–2), an idea that is broadly consistent with recent observational estimates for Class 0/I discs. We discuss the numerical convergence of our results, and show that properly treating the inner boundary condition is crucial for achieving convergence at an acceptable computational cost.

Kinematics around the B335 protostar down to au scales

Context. The relationship between outflow launching and the formation of accretion disks around young stellar objects is still not entirely understood, which is why spectrally and spatially resolved observations are needed. Recently, the Atacama Large Millimetre/sub-millimetre Array (ALMA) carried out long-baseline observations towards a handful of young sources, revealing connections between outflows and the inner regions of disks. Aims. Here we aim to determine the small-scale kinematical and morphological properties of the outflow from the isolated protostar B335 for which no Keplerian disk has, so far, been observed on scales down to 10 au. Methods. We used ALMA in its longest-baseline configuration to observe emission from CO isotopologues, SiO, SO2, and CH3OH. The proximity of B335 provides a resolution of ~3 au (0.03′′). We also combined our long-baseline data with archival observations to produce a high-fidelity image covering scales up to 700 au (7′′). Results. 12CO has an X-shaped morphology with arms ~50 au in width that we associate with the walls of an outflow cavity, similar to what is observed on larger scales. Long-baseline continuum emission is confined to <7 au from the protostar, while short-baseline continuum emission follows the 12CO outflow and cavity walls. Methanol is detected within ~30 au of the protostar. SiO is also detected in the vicinity of the protostar, but extended along the outflow. Conclusions. The 12CO outflow does not show any clear signs of rotation at distances ≳30 au from the protostar. SiO traces the protostellar jet on small scales, but without obvious rotation. CH3OH and SO2 trace a region <16 au in diameter, centred on the continuum peak, which is clearly rotating. Using episodic, high-velocity, 12CO features, we estimate the launching radius of the outflow to be <0.1 au and dynamical timescales of the order of a few years.

1-nm-Wide Hydrated Dipole Arrays Regulate AuNW Assembly on Striped Monolayers in Nonpolar Solvent

Summary We show that striped phases of horizontally oriented phospholipids presenting 1-nm-wide orientable dipole arrays can order and straighten flexible 2-nm-diameter gold nanowires (AuNWs) with lengths (up to 1 μm) that greatly exceed the template pitch (∼7.5 nm). AuNW ordering can extend over areas > 100 μm2. Whereas wires bundle in solution, with contact between ligand shells, wires adsorbing to the template separate to much larger center-to-center distances (e.g., 12–30 nm) near multiples of the template pitch, consistent with repulsive interactions between wires emerging during interactions with dipole arrays in the template. AuNW assembly was carried out in cyclohexane, a nonpolar solvent. Interestingly, we found that wire ordering was contingent on the extent of phospholipid headgroup hydration and the presence of excess oleylamine, which assembled into hemicylindrical micelles around the hydrated headgroups. Together, these components generated a protected polar environment that enabled the phospholipid headgroups to function collectively to regulate AuNW assembly.

High gas-to-dust size ratio indicating efficient radial drift in the mm-faint CX Tauri disk

The large majority of protoplanetary disks have very compact continuum emission (≲15 AU) at millimeter wavelengths. However, high angular resolution observations that resolve these small disks are still lacking, due to their intrinsically fainter emission compared with large bright disks. In this Letter we present 1.3 mm ALMA data of the faint disk (∼10 mJy) orbiting the TTauri star CX Tau at a resolution of ∼40 mas, ∼5 AU in diameter. The millimeter dust disk is compact, with a 68% enclosing flux radius of 14 AU, and the intensity profile exhibits a sharp drop between 10 and 20 AU, and a shallow tail between 20 and 40 AU. No clear signatures of substructure in the dust continuum are observed, down to the same sensitivity level of the DSHARP large program. However, the angular resolution does not allow us to detect substructures on the scale of the disk aspect ratio in the inner regions. The radial intensity profile closely resembles the inner regions of more extended disks imaged at the same resolution in DSHARP, but with no rings present in the outer disk. No inner cavity is detected, even though the disk has been classified as a transition disk from the spectral energy distribution in the near-infrared. The emission of 12CO is much more extended, with a 68% enclosing flux radius of 75 AU. The large difference of the millimeter dust and gas extents (> 5) strongly points to radial drift, and closely matches the predictions of theoretical models.

Physical and chemical fingerprint of protostellar disc formation

Context. The structure and composition of emerging planetary systems are likely strongly influenced by their natal environment within the protoplanetary disc at the time when the star is still gaining mass. It is therefore essential to identify and study the physical processes at play in the gas and dust close to young protostars and investigate the chemical composition of the material that is inherited from the parental cloud. Aims. The purpose of this paper is to explore and compare the physical and chemical structure of Class I low-mass protostellar sources on protoplanetary disc scales. Methods. We present a study of the dust and gas emission towards a representative sample of 12 Class I protostars from the Ophiuchus molecular cloud with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The continuum at 0.87 mm and molecular transitions from C17O, C34S, H13CO+, CH3OH, SO2, and C2H were observed at high angular resolution (0.′′4, ~60 au diameter) towards each source. The spectrally and spatially resolved maps reveal the kinematics and the spatial distribution of each species. Moreover, disc and stellar masses are estimated from the continuum flux and position-velocity diagrams, respectively. Results. Six of the sources show disc-like structures in C17O, C34S, or H13CO+ emission. Towards the more luminous sources, compact emission and large line widths are seen for transitions of SO2 that probe warm gas (Eu ~ 200 K). In contrast, C17O emission is detected towards the least evolved and less luminous systems. No emission of CH3OH is detected towards any of the continuum peaks, indicating an absence of warm CH3OH gas towards these sources. Conclusions. A trend of increasing stellar mass is observed as the envelope mass decreases. In addition, a power-law relation is seen between the stellar mass and the bolometric luminosity, corresponding to a mass accretion rate of (2.4 ± 0.6) × 10−7 M⊙ yr−1 for the Class I sources, with a minimum and maximum value of 7.5 × 10−8 and 7.6 × 10−7 M⊙ yr−1, respectively. This mass accretion rate is lower than the expected value if the accretion is constant in time and rather points to a scenario of accretion occurring in bursts. The differentiation between C17O and SO2 suggests that they trace different physical components: C17O traces the densest and colder regions of the disc-envelope system, while SO2 may be associated with regions of higher temperature, such as accretion shocks. The lack of warm CH3OH emission suggests that there is no hot-core-like region around any of the sources and that the CH3OH column density averaged over the disc is low. Finally, the combination of bolometric temperature and luminosity may indicate an evolutionarytrend of chemical composition during these early stages.

The Disk Substructures at High Angular Resolution Project (DSHARP). IV. Characterizing Substructures and Interactions in Disks around Multiple Star Systems

Abstract To characterize the substructures induced in protoplanetary disks by the interaction between stars in multiple systems, we study the 1.25 mm continuum and the 12CO(J = 2–1) spectral line emission of the triple systems HT Lup and AS 205, at scales of ≈5 au, as part of the “Disk Substructures at High Angular Resolution Project” (DSHARP). In the continuum emission, we find two symmetric spiral arms in the disk around AS 205 N, with a pitch angle of 14°, while the southern component AS 205 S, itself a spectroscopic binary, is surrounded by a compact inner disk and a bright ring at a radius of 34 au. The 12CO line exhibits clear signatures of tidal interactions, with spiral arms, extended arc-like emission, and high velocity gas, possible evidence of a recent close encounter between the disks in the AS 205 system, as these features are predicted by hydrodynamic simulations of flyby encounters. In the HT Lup system, we detect continuum emission from all three components. The primary disk, HT Lup A, also shows a two-armed symmetric spiral structure with a pitch angle of 4°, while HT Lup B and C, located at 25 and 434 au in projected separation from HT Lup A, are barely resolved with ∼5 and ∼10 au in diameter, respectively. The gas kinematics for the closest pair indicates a different sense of rotation for each disk, which could be explained by either a counter rotation of the two disks in different, close to parallel, planes, or by a projection effect of these disks with a close to 90° misalignment between them.

The ALMA-PILS survey: isotopic composition of oxygen-containing complex organic molecules toward IRAS 16293–2422B

Context. One of the important questions of astrochemistry is how complex organic molecules, including potential prebiotic species, are formed in the envelopes around embedded protostars. The abundances of minor isotopologues of a molecule, in particular the D- and 13C-bearing variants, are sensitive to the densities, temperatures and timescales characteristic of the environment in which they form, and can therefore provide important constraints on the formation routes and conditions of individual species. Aims. The aim of this paper is to systematically survey the deuteration and the 13C content of a variety of oxygen-bearing complex organic molecules on solar system scales toward the “B component” of the protostellar binary IRAS16293–2422. Methods. We have used the data from an unbiased molecular line survey of the protostellar binary IRAS16293−2422 between 329 and 363 GHz from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The data probe scales of 60 AU (diameter) where most of the organic molecules are expected to have sublimated off dust grains and be present in the gas phase. The deuterated and 13C isotopic species of ketene, acetaldehyde and formic acid, as well as deuterated ethanol, are detected unambiguously for the first time in the interstellar medium. These species are analysed together with the 13C isotopic species of ethanol, dimethyl ether and methyl formate along with mono-deuterated methanol, dimethyl ether and methyl formate. Results. The complex organic molecules can be divided into two groups with one group, the simpler species, showing a D/H ratio of ≈2% and the other, the more complex species, D/H ratios of 4–8%. This division may reflect the formation time of each species in the ices before or during warm-up/infall of material through the protostellar envelope. No significant differences are seen in the deuteration of different functional groups for individual species, possibly a result of the short timescale for infall through the innermost warm regions where exchange reactions between different species may be taking place. The species show differences in excitation temperatures between 125 and 300 K. This likely reflects the binding energies of the individual species, in good agreement with what has previously been found for high-mass sources. For dimethyl ether, the 12C/13C ratio is found to be lower by up to a factor of 2 compared to typical ISM values similar to what has previously been inferred for glycolaldehyde. Tentative identifications suggest that the same may apply for 13C isotopologues of methyl formate and ethanol. If confirmed, this may be a clue to their formation at the late prestellar or early protostellar phases with an enhancement of the available 13C relative to 12C related to small differences in binding energies for CO isotopologues or the impact of FUV irradiation by the central protostar. Conclusions. The results point to the importance of ice surface chemistry for the formation of these complex organic molecules at different stages in the evolution of embedded protostars and demonstrate the use of accurate isotope measurements for understanding the history of individual species.

Detection of a high-mass prestellar core candidate in W43-MM1

Aims. To constrain the physical processes that lead to the birth of high-mass stars it is mandatory to study the very first stages of their formation. We search for high-mass analogs of low-mass prestellar cores in W43-MM1. Methods. We conducted a 1.3 mm ALMA mosaic of the complete W43-MM1 cloud, which has revealed numerous cores with ~2000 au FWHM sizes. We investigated the nature of cores located at the tip of the main filament, where the clustering is minimum. We used the continuum emission to measure the core masses and the 13CS(5-4) line emission to estimate their turbulence level. We also investigated the prestellar or protostellar nature of these cores by searching for outflow signatures traced by CO(2-1) and SiO(5-4) line emission, and for molecular complexity typical of embedded hot cores. Results. Two high-mass cores of ~1300 au diameter and ~60 M⊙ mass are observed to be turbulent but gravitationally bound. One drives outflows and is associated with a hot core. The other core, W43-MM1#6, does not yet reveal any star formation activity and thus is an excellent high-mass prestellar core candidate.

Preparation of gold clusters on metal oxides by deposition-precipitation with microwave drying and their catalytic performance for CO and sulfide oxidation

Gold clusters and small nanoparticles supported on metal oxides could be prepared by deposition-precipitation followed by microwave irradiation as a drying method and then calcination. The drying method influenced the size of the Au particles. Au(III) was partly reduced during conventional oven drying, resulting in Au aggregates. In contrast, Au(III) was preserved during microwave drying owing to rapid and uniform heating, and the Au diameter was minimized to 1.4 nm on Al2O3. This method can be applied to several metal oxide supports having different microwave absorption efficiencies, such as MnO2, Al2O3, and TiO2. These catalysts exhibited higher catalytic activities for CO oxidation at low temperature and for selective aerobic oxidation of sulfide than those prepared by conventional methods.

The ALMA-PILS survey: First detections of ethylene oxide, acetone and propanal toward the low-mass protostar IRAS 16293-2422

One of the open questions in astrochemistry is how complex organic and prebiotic molecules are formed. Aims. Our aim is to start the process of compiling an inventory of oxygen-bearing complex organic molecules toward the solar-type Class 0 protostellar binary IRAS16293-2422 from an unbiased spectral survey with ALMA (PILS). Here we focus on the new detections of ethylene oxide (c-C$_2$H$_4$O), acetone (CH$_3$COCH$_3$), and propanal (C$_2$H$_5$CHO). Methods. With ALMA, we surveyed the spectral range from 329 to 363 GHz at 0.5$"$ (60 AU diameter) resolution. Using a simple model for the molecular emission in LTE, the excitation temperatures and column densities of each species were constrained. Results. We successfully detect propanal (44 lines), ethylene oxide (20 lines) and acetone (186 lines) toward one component of the protostellar binary, IRAS16293B. The high resolution maps demonstrate that the emission for all investigated species originates from the compact central region close to the protostar. This, along with a derived common excitation temperature of $\sim$ 125 K, is consistent with a coexistence of these molecules in the same gas. Conclusions. The observations mark the first detections of acetone, propanal and ethylene oxide toward a low-mass protostar. The relative abundance ratios of the two sets of isomers (CH$_3$COCH$_3$/C$_2$H$_5$CHO $\sim$ 8 and CH$_3$CHO/c-C$_2$H$_4$O $\sim$ 12) are comparable to previous observations toward high-mass protostars. The majority of observed abundance ratios from these results as well as those measured toward high-mass protostars are up to an order of magnitude above the predictions from chemical models. This may reflect either missing reactions or uncertain rates in the chemical networks. The physical conditions, such as temperatures or densities, used in the models, may not be applicable to solar-type protostars either.

The mid-infrared polarization of the Herbig Ae star WL 16: an interstellar origin?

We present high-resolution (0".4) mid-infrared (mid-IR) polarimetric images and spectra of WL 16, a Herbig Ae star at a distance of 125 pc. WL 16 is surrounded by a protoplanetary disk of $\sim$ 900 AU in diameter, making it one of the most extended Herbig Ae/Be disks as seen in the mid-IR. The star is behind, or embedded in, the $\rho$ Ophiuchus molecular cloud, and obscured by 28 magnitudes of extinction at optical wavelengths by the foreground cloud. Mid-IR polarization of WL 16, mainly arises from aligned elongated dust grains present along the line of sight, suggesting a uniform morphology of polarization vectors with an orientation of 33\degr (East from North) and a polarization fraction of $\sim$ 2.0\%. This orientation is consistent with previous polarimetric surveys in the optical and near-IR bands to probe large-scale magnetic fields in the Ophiuchus star formation region, indicating that the observed mid-IR polarization toward WL 16 is produced by the dichroic absorption of magnetically aligned foreground dust grains by a uniform magnetic field. Using polarizations of WL 16 and Elias 29, a nearby polarization standard star, we constrain the polarization efficiency, \textit{$p_{10.3}/A_{10.3}$}, for the dust grains in the $\rho$ Ophiuchus molecular cloud to be $\sim$ 1.0\% mag$^{-1}$. WL 16 has polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emission features detected at 8.6, 11.2, 12.0, and 12.7 $\mu$m by our spectroscopic data, and we find an anti-correlation between the PAH surface brightness and the PAH ionization fraction between the NW and SW sides of the disk.

Hot methanol from the inner region of the HH 212 protostellar system

The mechanisms leading to the formation of disks around young stellar objects (YSOs) and to the launching of the associated jets are crucial to the understanding of the earliest stages of star and planet formation. HH 212 is a privileged laboratory to study a pristine jet-disk system. Therefore we investigate the innermost region ($<100$ AU) around the HH 212-MM1 protostar through ALMA band\,7 observations of methanol. The 8 GHz bandwidth spectrum towards the peak of the continuum emission of the HH 212 system reveals at least 19 transitions of methanol. Several of these lines (among which several vibrationally excited lines in the v$_{\rm t}=1,2$ states) have upper energies above 500 K. They originate from a compact ($<135$ AU in diameter), hot ($\sim 295$ K) region elongated along the direction of the SiO jet. We performed a fit in the $uv$ plane of various velocity channels of the strongest high-excitation lines. The blue- and red-shifted velocity centroids are shifted roughly symmetrically on either side of the jet axis, indicating that the line-of-sight velocity beyond 0.7 km s$^{-1}$ from systemic is dominated by rotational motions. The velocity increases moving away from the protostar further indicating that the emission of methanol is not associated with a Keplerian disk or rotating-infalling cavity, and it is more likely associated with outflowing gas. We speculate that CH$_3$OH traces a disk wind gas accelerated at the base. The launching region would be at a radius of a few astronomical units from the YSO.

OPTICAL SETI OBSERVATIONS OF THE ANOMALOUS STAR KIC 8462852

ABSTRACT To explore the hypothesis that KIC 8462852's aperiodic dimming is caused by artificial megastructures in orbit, rather than a natural cause such as cometary fragments in a highly elliptical orbit, we searched for electromagnetic signals from KIC 8462852 indicative of extraterrestrial intelligence. The primary observations were in the visible optical regime using the Boquete Optical SETI Observatory in Panama. In addition, as a recommended preparatory exercise for the possible future detection of a candidate signal, three of six observing runs simultaneously searched radio frequencies at the Allen Telescope Array in California. No periodic optical signals greater than 67 photons m−2 within a time frame of 25 ns were seen. If, for example, any inhabitants of KIC 8462852 were targeting our solar system with 5 MJ laser pulses, locally illuminating an approximately 3 au diameter disk, the signal could have been detected at the Boquete Observatory. The limits on narrowband radio signals were 180–300 Jy Hz at 1 and 8 GHz, respectively. While the power requirement for a detectable, isotropic narrowband radio transmission from KIC 8462852 is quite high, even modest targeting on the part of the putative extraterrestrials can lower this power substantially.

AMBER/VLTI high spectral resolution observations of the Brγemitting region in HD 98922

We analyse the main physical parameters and the circumstellar environment of the young Herbig Be star HD 98922. We present AMBER/VLTI high spectral resolution (R =12000) interferometric observations across the Br$\gamma$ line, accompanied by UVES high-resolution spectroscopy and SINFONI-AO assisted near-infrared integral field spectroscopic data. To interpret our observations, we develop a magneto-centrifugally driven disc-wind model. Our analysis of the UVES spectrum shows that HD 98922 is a young (~5x10^5 yr) Herbig Be star (SpT=B9V), located at a distance of 440(+60-50) pc, with a mass accretion rate of ~9+/-3x10^(-7) M_sun yr^(-1). SINFONI K-band AO-assisted imaging shows a spatially resolved circumstellar disc-like region (~140 AU in diameter) with asymmetric brightness distribution. Our AMBER/VLTI UT observations indicate that the Br$\gamma$ emitting region (radius ~0.31+/-0.04 AU) is smaller than the continuum emitting region (inner dust radius ~0.7+/-0.2 AU), showing significant non-zero V-shaped differential phases (i.e. non S-shaped, as expected for a rotating disc). The value of the continuum-corrected pure Br$\gamma$ line visibility at the longest baseline (89 m) is ~0.8+/-0.1, i.e. the Br$\gamma$ emitting region is partially resolved. Our modelling suggests that the observed Br$\gamma$ line-emitting region mainly originates from a disc wind with a half opening angle of 30deg, and with a mass-loss rate of ~2x10(-7) M_sun yr^(-1). The observed V-shaped differential phases are reliably reproduced by combining a simple asymmetric continuum disc model with our Br$\gamma$ disc-wind model. The Br$\gamma$ emission of HD 98922 can be modelled with a disc wind that is able to approximately reproduce all interferometric observations if we assume that the intensity distribution of the dust continuum disc is asymmetric.

ALMA OBSERVATIONS OF THE LARGEST PROTO-PLANETARY DISK IN THE ORION NEBULA, 114–426: A CO SILHOUETTE

We present ALMA observations of the largest protoplanetary disk in the Orion Nebula, 114-426. Detectable 345 GHz (856 micron) dust continuum is produced only in the 350 AU central region of the ~1000 AU diameter silhouette seen against the bright H-alpha background in HST images. Assuming optically thin dust emission at 345 GHz, a gas-to-dust ratio of 100, and a grain temperature of 20 K, the disk gas-mass is estimated to be 3.1 +/- 0.6 Jupiter masses. If most solids and ices have have been incorporated into large grains, however, this value is a lower limit. The disk is not detected in dense-gas tracers such as HCO+ J=4-3, HCN J=4-3, or CS =7-6. These results may indicate that the 114-426 disk is evolved and depleted in some light organic compounds found in molecular clouds. The CO J=3-2 line is seen in absorption against the bright 50 to 80 K background of the Orion A molecular cloud over the full spatial extent and a little beyond the dust continuum emission. The CO absorption reaches a depth of 27 K below the background CO emission at VLSR ~6.7 km/s about 0.52 arcseconds (210 AU) northeast and 12 K below the background CO emission at VLSR ~ 9.7 km/s about 0.34 arcseconds (140 AU) southwest of the suspected location of the central star, implying that the embedded star has a mass less than 1 Solar mass .

TRANSIENT CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) ABSORPTION AND PERSISTENT BRACKETT ALPHA (Brα) EMISSION IN THE SPECTRUM OFϵAURIGAE

We obtained high-resolution infrared spectroscopy of the long period binary, Aurigae, in the vicinity of the near-infrared overtone band of CO, at four epochs during 2011–2012. These observations span the period from late phase of the recent eclipse, to after the eclipse. Lines of both 12CO and 13CO were observed, confirming the report from the 1983 eclipse that these features were present during the second half of the eclipse. The bands were absent post-eclipse, consistent with their formation only in the several AU diameter disk that has been shown to cause the eclipse. We fitted the eclipse spectra with CO column densities 8 × 1019 cm−2 at 1275 K when nearer to mid-eclipse, and 1.5 × 1020 cm−2 at 1050 K during third contact. We also found that 12C/13C = 5 ± 1 in the disk. Assuming that mass transfer from the primary star formed the disk, this implies a helium core burning evolutionary state for the primary star. We also obtained a high-resolution post-eclipse spectrum of the 4.05 μm Brackett α emission line. The small radial velocity difference of the emission, relative to a nearby photospheric line of primary star origin, indicates that the emission may arise from nearer the system center of mass, such as a recombination region larger than the immediate vicinity of the unseen companion star surrounded by the disk. The combination of CO and Brα lines provides important diagnostics for resolving ongoing questions about the evolutionary state of this system.

Nature or nurture of coplanar Tatooines: the aligned circumbinary Kuiper belt analogue around HD 131511

Abstract A key discovery of the Kepler mission is of the circumbinary planets known as ‘Tatooines’, which appear to be well aligned with their host stars’ orbits. Whether this alignment is due to initially coplanar circumbinary planet-forming discs (i.e. nature), or subsequent alignment of initially misaligned discs by warping the inner disc or torquing the binary (i.e. nurture), is not known. Tests of which scenario dominates may be possible by observing circumbinary Kuiper belt analogues (‘debris discs’), which trace the plane of the primordial disc. Here, the 140 au diameter circumbinary debris disc around HD 131511 is shown to be aligned to within 10° of the plane of the near edge-on 0.2 au binary orbit. The stellar equator is also consistent with being in this plane. If the primordial disc was massive enough to pull the binary into alignment, this outcome should be common and distinguishing nature versus nurture will be difficult. However, if only the inner disc becomes aligned with the binary, the HD 131511 system was never significantly misaligned. Given an initial misalignment, the ∼ Gyr main-sequence lifetime of the star allows secular perturbations to align the debris disc out to 100 au at the cost of an increased scaleheight. The observed debris disc scaleheight limits any misalignment to less than 25°. With only a handful known, many more such systems need to be characterized to help test whether the alignment of circumbinary planets is nature or nurture.

RECOVERY OF THE CANDIDATE PROTOPLANET HD 100546 b WITH GEMINI/NICI AND DETECTION OF ADDITIONAL (PLANET-INDUCED?) DISK STRUCTURE AT SMALL SEPARATIONS

We report the first independent, second-epoch (re-)detection of a directly-imaged protoplanet candidate. Using $L^\prime$ high-contrast imaging of HD 100546 taken with the Near-Infrared Coronagraph and Imager (NICI) on Gemini South, we recover `HD 100546 b' with a position and brightness consistent with the original VLT/NaCo detection from Quanz et al, although data obtained after 2013 will be required to decisively demonstrate common proper motion. HD 100546 b may be spatially resolved, up to $\approx$ 12-13 AU in diameter, and is embedded in a finger of thermal IR bright, polarized emission extending inwards to at least 0.3". Standard hot-start models imply a mass of $\approx$ 15 $M_{J}$. But if HD 100546 b is newly formed or made visible by a circumplanetary disk, both of which are plausible, its mass is significantly lower (e.g. 1--7 $M_{J}$). Additionally, we discover a thermal IR-bright disk feature, possibly a spiral density wave, at roughly the same angular separation as HD 100546 b but 90 degrees away. Our interpretation of this feature as a spiral arm is not decisive, but modeling analyses using spiral density wave theory implies a wave launching point exterior to $\approx$ 0.45" embedded within the visible disk structure: plausibly evidence for a second, hitherto unseen wide-separation planet. With one confirmed protoplanet candidate and evidence for 1--2 others, HD 100546 is an important evolutionary precursor to intermediate-mass stars with multiple super-jovian planets at moderate/wide separations like HR 8799.