HL Tau Disk Research Articles

Into the thick of it: ALMA 0.45 mm observations of HL Tau at a resolution of 2 au

To comprehend the efficiency of dust evolution within protoplanetary disks, it is crucial to conduct studies of these disks using high-resolution observations at multiple wavelengths with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). In this work, we present high-frequency ALMA observations of the HL Tau disk using its Band 9 centered at a wavelength of 0.45 mm. These observations achieve the highest angular resolution in a protoplanetary disk to date, 12 milliarcseconds (mas), allowing the study of the dust emission at scales of 2 au. We used these data to extend the previously published multiwavelength analysis of the HL Tau disk, constraining the dust temperature, dust surface density, and maximum grain size throughout the disk. We performed this modeling for compact solid dust particles as well as for porous particles. Our new 0.45 mm data mainly trace optically thick emission, providing a tight constraint to the dust temperature profile. We derive maximum particle sizes of $ cm from the inner disk to $ au. Beyond this radius, we find particles between 300 mu m and 1 mm. The total dust mass of the disk is 2.1 J $ with compact grains, and it increases to 6.3 M$_ J $ assuming porous particles. Moreover, an intriguing asymmetry is observed at 32 au in the northeast inner part of the HL Tau disk at 0.45 mm. We propose that this asymmetry is the outcome of a combination of factors, including the optically thick nature of the emission, the orientation of the disk, and a relatively large dust scale height of the grains that is preferentially traced at 0.45 mm. To validate this, we conducted a series of radiative transfer models using the software RADMC-3D. Our models varying dust masses and scale heights successfully replicate the observed asymmetry in the HL Tau disk. If this scenario is correct, our measured dust mass within 32 au would suggest a dust scale height H/R$>0.08$ for the inner disk. Finally, the unprecedented resolution allowed us to probe the dust emission down to scales of a few au for the first time. We observed an increase in brightness temperature inside the estimated water snowline, and we speculate whether this might indicate a traffic-jam effect in the inner disk. Our results show that 0.45 mm observations of protoplanetary disks can be used to robustly constrain the radial profile of their dust temperature. Additionally, the higher optical depths at this wavelength can be used to constrain the vertical scale height of the dust. Finally, these higher frequencies allow us to reach higher spatial resolutions, which have the potential to resolve the region within the water snowline in disks.

JWST/NIRCam Imaging of Young Stellar Objects. III. Detailed Imaging of the Nebular Environment around the HL Tau Disk

As part of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Guaranteed Time Observation program “Direct Imaging of YSOs” (program ID 1179), we use JWST NIRCam’s direct imaging mode in F187N, F200W, F405N, and F410M to perform high-contrast observations of the circumstellar structures surrounding the protostar HL Tau. The data reveal the known stellar envelope, outflow cavity, and streamers, but do not detect any companion candidates. We detect scattered light from an inflowing spiral streamer previously detected in HCO+ by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, and part of the structure connected to the c-shaped outflow cavity. For detection limits in planet mass we use BEX evolutionary tracks when M p < 2 M J and AMES-COND evolutionary tracks otherwise, assuming a planet age of 1 Myr (youngest available age). Inside the disk region, due to extended envelope emission, our point-source sensitivities are ∼5 mJy (37 M J) at 40 au in F187N and ∼0.37 mJy (5.2 M J) at 140 au in F405N. Outside the disk region, the deepest limits we can reach are ∼0.01 mJy (0.75 M J) at a projected separation ∼ 525 au.

Resolved ALMA observations of water in the inner astronomical units of the HL Tau disk

The water molecule is a key ingredient in the formation of planetary systems, with the water snowline being a favourable location for the growth of massive planetary cores. Here we present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array data of the ringed protoplanetary disk orbiting the young star HL Tauri that show centrally peaked, bright emission arising from three distinct transitions of the main water isotopologue (H216O\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${\\mathrm{H}}_{2}^{16}{\\mathrm{O}}$$\\end{document}). The spatially and spectrally resolved water content probes gas in a thermal range down to the water sublimation temperature. Our analysis implies a stringent lower limit of 3.7 Earth oceans of water vapour available within the inner 17 astronomical units of the system. We show that our observations are limited to probing the water content in the atmosphere of the disk, due to the high dust column density and absorption, and indicate that the main water isotopologue is the best tracer to spatially resolve water vapour in protoplanetary disks.

Porous Dust Particles in Protoplanetary Disks: Application to the HL Tau Disk

Dust particle sizes constrained from dust continuum and polarization observations by radio interferometry are inconsistent by at least an order of magnitude. Motivated by porous dust observed in small solar system bodies (e.g., from the Rosetta mission), we explore how the dust particle’s porosity affects the estimated particle sizes from these two methods. Porous particles have lower refractive indices, which affect both opacity and polarization fraction. With weaker Mie interference patterns, the porous particles have lower opacity at millimeter wavelengths than the compact particles if the particle size exceeds several hundred microns. Consequently, the inferred dust mass using porous particles can be up to a factor of six higher. The most significant difference between compact and porous particles is their scattering properties. The porous particles have a wider range of particle sizes with high linear polarization from dust self-scattering, allowing millimeter- to centimeter-sized particles to explain polarization observations. With a Bayesian approach, we use porous particles to fit HL Tau disk’s multiwavelength continuum and millimeter-polarization observations from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the Very Large Array (VLA). The moderately porous particles with sizes from 1 mm–1 m can explain both continuum and polarization observations, especially in the region between 20 and 60 au. If the particles in HL Tau are porous, the porosity should be from 70%–97% from current polarization observations. We also predict that future observations of the self-scattering linear polarization at longer wavelengths (e.g., ALMA B1 and ngVLA) have the potential to further constrain the particle’s porosity and size.

Modeling the arc and ring structures in the HD 143006 disk

Rings and asymmetries in protoplanetary disks are considered as signposts of ongoing planet formation. In this work, we conduct three-dimensional radiative transfer simulations to model the intriguing disk around HD 143006 that has three dust rings and a bright arc. A complex geometric configuration, with a misaligned inner disk, is assumed to account for the asymmetric structures. The two-dimensional surface density is constructed by iteratively fitting the ALMA data. We find that the dust temperature displays a notable discontinuity at the boundary of the misalignment. The ring masses range from 0.6 to 16Mearth that are systematically lower than those inferred in the younger HL Tau disk. The arc occupies nearly 20% of the total dust mass. Such a high mass fraction of dust grains concentrated in a local region is consistent with the mechanism of dust trapping into vortices. Assuming a gas-to-dust mass ratio of 30 that is constant throughout the disk, the dense and cold arc is close to the threshold of being gravitationally unstable, with the Toomre parameter Q~1.3. Nevertheless, our estimate of Q relies on the assumption for the unknown gas-to-dust mass ratio. Adopting a lower gas-to-dust mass ratio would increase the inferred Q value. Follow-up high resolution observations of dust and gas lines are needed to clarify the origin of the substructures.

Impact of Differential Dust Settling on the SED and Polarization: Application to the Inner Region of the HL Tau Disk

Abstract The polarimetric observations of the protoplanetary disk around HL Tau have shown the scattering-induced polarization at ALMA Band 7, which indicates that the maximum dust size is ∼100 μm, while the spectral energy distribution (SED) has suggested that the maximum dust size is approximately a millimeter. To solve the contradiction, we investigate the impact of differential settling of dust grains on the SED and polarization. If the disk is optically thick, a longer observing wavelength traces more interior layers, which would be dominated by larger grains. We find that the SED of the center part of the HL Tau disk can be explained with millimeter-sized grains for a broad range of turbulence strength, while 160 μm–sized grains cannot be explained unless the turbulence strength parameter α t is lower than 10−5. We also find that the observed polarization fraction can be potentially explained with a maximum dust size of 1 mm if α t ≲ 10−5, although models with 160 μm–sized grains are also acceptable. However, if the maximum dust size is ∼3 mm, the simulated polarization fraction is too low to explain the observations even if the turbulence strength is extremely small, indicating a maximum dust size of ≲1 mm. The degeneracy between 100 μm– and millimeter-sized grains can be solved by improving the ALMA calibration accuracy or polarimetric observations at (sub)centimeter wavelengths.

Modeling of the ALMA HL Tau Polarization by Mixture of Grain Alignment and Self-scattering

Abstract Dust polarization at (sub)millimeter wavelengths has been observed for many protoplanetary disks. Theoretically, multiple origins potentially contribute to the polarized emission but it is still uncertain what mechanism is dominant in disk millimeter polarization. To quantitatively address the origin, we perform radiative transfer calculations of the mixture of alignment and self-scattering-induced polarization to reproduce the 3.1 mm polarization of the HL Tau disk, which shows azimuthal pattern in polarization vectors. We find that a mixture of the grain alignment and self-scattering is essential to reproduce the HL Tau 3.1 mm polarization properties. Our model shows that the polarization of the HL Tau at 3.1 mm can be decomposed to be the combination of the self-scattering parallel to the minor axis and the alignment-induced polarization parallel to the major axis, with the orders of ∼ 0.5% fraction for each component. This slightly eases the tight constraints on the grain size of ∼ 70 μm to be ∼ 130 μm in the previous studies but further modeling is needed. In addition, the grain alignment model requires effectively prolate grains but the physics to reproduce it in protoplanetary disks is still a mystery.

Architecture of Three-planet Systems Predicted from the Observed Protoplanetary Disk of HL Tau

Abstract A number of protoplanetary disks (PPDs) observed with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array potentially provide direct examples of initial conditions for planetary systems. In particular, the HL Tau disk has been intensively studied, and its rings/gaps are conventionally interpreted to be a result of unseen massive planets embedded in the gaps. Based on this interpretation, we carried out N-body simulations to investigate the orbital evolution of planets within the PPD and after disk dispersal. Before disk dispersal, our N-body simulations include both migration and mass growth of the planet coupled with the evolution of the disk. By varying the disk parameters, we produce a variety of widely separated planetary systems consisting of three super-Jupiters at the end of disk dispersal. We found that the outer planet is more massive than the inner one, and the migration of the innermost planet is inefficient due to the accretion of outer planet(s). We also showed how the final configuration and the final planetary mass depend on disk parameters. The migration is found to be convergent, and no planet pair has a period ratio less than 2. After disk dispersal, we switch to purely gravitational N-body simulations and integrate the orbits up to 10 Gyr. Most simulated systems remain stable for at least 10 Gyr. We discuss the implications of our result in terms of the observed widely separated planetary systems HR 8799 and PDS 70.

Exploring the Grain Properties in the Disk of HL Tau with an Evolutionary Model

Abstract We model the ALMA and Very Large Array (VLA) millimeter radial profiles of the disk around HL Tau to constrain the properties of the dust grains. We adopt the disk evolutionary models of Lynden-Bell &amp; Pringle and calculate their temperature and density structure and emission. These disks are heated by the internal viscosity and irradiated by the central star and a warm envelope. We consider a dust size distribution n(a) da ∝ a −3.5 da, and vary the maximum grain size in the atmosphere and the midplane, a max = 100 μm, 1 mm, and 1 cm. We also include dust settling and vary the dust-to-gas mass ratio from 1 to 9 times the ISM value. We find that the models that can fit the observed level of emission along the profiles at all wavelengths have an atmosphere with a maximum grain size a max = 100 μm, and a midplane with a max = 1 cm. The disk substructure, with a deficit of emission in the gaps, can be due to dust properties in these regions that are different from those in the rings. We test an opacity effect (different a max) and a dust mass deficit (smaller dust-to-gas mass ratio) in the gaps. We find that the emission profiles are better reproduced by models with a dust deficit in the gaps, although a combined effect is also possible. These models have a global dust-to-gas mass ratio twice the ISM value, needed to reach the level of emission of the 7.8 mm VLA profile.

Nonideal MHD Simulation of HL Tau Disk: Formation of Rings

Abstract Recent high-resolution observations unveil ring structures in circumstellar disks. The origin of these rings has been widely investigated under various theoretical scenarios. In this work we perform global 3D nonideal MHD simulations including effects from both ohmic resistivity and ambipolar diffusion (AD) to model the HL Tau disk. The nonideal MHD diffusion profiles are calculated based on the global dust evolution calculation including sintering effects. Disk ionization structure changes dramatically across the snow line due to the change of dust size distribution close to the snow line of major volatiles. We find that accretion is mainly driven by disk wind. Gaps and rings can be quickly produced from different accretion rates across the snow line. Furthermore, AD leads to highly preferential accretion at the midplane, followed by magnetic reconnection. This results in a local zone of decretion that drains the mass in the field reconnection area, which leaves a gap and an adjacent ring just outside of it. Overall, under favorable conditions, both snow lines and nonideal MHD effects can lead to gaseous gaps and rings in protoplanetary disks.

The Radial Distribution of Dust Particles in the HL Tau Disk from ALMA and VLA Observations

Abstract Understanding planet formation requires one to discern how dust grows in protoplanetary disks. An important parameter to measure in disks is the maximum dust grain size present. This is usually estimated through measurements of the dust opacity at different millimeter wavelengths assuming optically thin emission and dust opacity dominated by absorption. However, Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations have shown that these assumptions might not be correct in the case of protoplanetary disks, leading to overestimation of particle sizes and to underestimation of the disk’s mass. Here, we present an analysis of high-quality ALMA and Very Large Array images of the HL Tau protoplanetary disk, covering a wide range of wavelengths, from 0.8 mm to 1 cm, and with a physical resolution of ∼7.35 au. We describe a procedure to analyze a set of millimeter images without any assumption about the optical depth of the emission, and including the effects of absorption and scattering in the dust opacity. This procedure allows us to obtain the dust temperature, the dust surface density, and the maximum particle size at each radius. In the HL Tau disk, we found that particles have already grown to a few millimeters in size. We detect differences in the dust properties between dark and bright rings, with dark rings containing low dust density and small dust particles. Different features in the HL Tau disk seem to have different origins. Planet–disk interactions can explain substructure in the external half of the disk, but the internal rings seem to be associated with the presence of snow lines of several molecules.

Revised Description of Dust Diffusion and a New Instability Creating Multiple Rings in Protoplanetary Disks

Abstract Various instabilities have been proposed as a promising mechanism for accumulating dust. Moreover, some of them are expected to lead to multiple-ring structure formation and planetesimal formation in protoplanetary disks. In a turbulent gaseous disk, the growth of the instabilities and the dust accumulation are quenched by the turbulent diffusion of dust grains. The diffusion process has often been modeled by a diffusion term in the continuity equation for the dust density. The dust diffusion model, however, does not guarantee conservation of angular momentum in a disk. In this study, we first formulate equations that describe dust diffusion and also conserve the total angular momentum of a disk. Second, we perform a linear perturbation analysis on the secular gravitational instability (GI) using the equations. The results show that the secular GI is a monotonically growing mode, contrary to the result of previous analyses that found it overstable. We find that the overstability is caused by the nonconservation of the angular momentum. Third, we find a new axisymmetric instability due to the combination of dust–gas friction and turbulent gas viscosity, which we refer to as two-component viscous gravitational instability (TVGI). The most unstable wavelength of TVGI is comparable to or smaller than the gas scale height. TVGI accumulates dust grains efficiently, which indicates that TVGI is a promising mechanism for the formation of multiple-ring-like structures and planetesimals. Finally, we examine the validity of the ring formation via the secular GI and TVGI in the HL Tau disk and find both instabilities can create multiple rings whose width is about 10 au at orbital radii larger than 50 au.

HL Tau Disk in HCO+ (3–2) and (1–0) with ALMA: Gas Density, Temperature, Gap, and One-arm Spiral

We present our observational results of the 1.1 mm continuum and the HCO+ (3-2) line in HL Tau at angular resolutions of 0.1" obtained with ALMA and our data analysis of the 2.9 mm and 1.1 mm continuum and the HCO+ (3-2) and (1-0) lines of the HL Tau disk. The Keplerian rotation of the HL Tau disk is well resolved in the HCO+ (3-2) emission, and the stellar mass is estimated to be 2.1+/-0.2 Msun with a disk inclination angle of 47 deg. The radial profiles of the HCO+ column density and excitation temperature are measured with the LTE analysis of the two transitions of the HCO+ emission. An HCO+ gas gap at a radius of 30 au, where the column density drops by a factor of 4-8, is found in the HCO+ column density profile, coincident with the dust gap traced by the continuum emission. No other clear HCO+ gas gap is seen. This HCO+ gas gap can be opened by a planet with mass of 0.5-0.8 Mj, which is comparable to the planet mass adopted in numerical simulations to form the dust gap at the same radius in the HL Tau disk. In addition to the disk component, a one-arm spiral with a length of ~3" (520 au) stretching out from the inner disk is observed in the HCO+ (3-2) emission. The observed velocity structures along the spiral suggest an infalling and rotating gas stream toward the inner disk.

Nonsticky Ice at the Origin of the Uniformly Polarized Submillimeter Emission from the HL Tau Disk

Abstract Recent (sub)millimeter polarimetric observations toward the young star HL Tau have successfully detected polarization emission from its circumstellar disk. The polarization pattern observed at 0.87 mm is uniform and parallel to the disk’s minor axis, consistent with the self-scattering of thermal emission by dust particles whose maximum radius is ≈100 μm. However, this maximum size is considerably smaller than anticipated from dust evolution models that assume a high sticking efficiency for icy particles. Here we show that the unexpectedly small particle size can be explained if CO2 ice covers the particles in the outer region of the HL Tau disk. CO2 ice is one of the most major interstellar ices, and laboratory experiments show that it is poorly sticky. Based on dust evolution models accounting for CO2 ice mantles, as well as aggregate sintering, we simulate the polarimetric observation of HL Tau at 0.87 mm. We find that the models with CO2 ice mantles better match the observation. These models also predict that only particles lying between the H2O and CO2 snow lines can grow to millimeter to centimeter sizes and that their rapid inward drift results in a local dust gap similar to the 10 au gap of the HL Tau disk. We also suggest that the millimeter spectral index for the outer part of the HL Tau disk is largely controlled by the optical thickness of this region and does not necessarily indicate dust growth to millimeter sizes.

Signs of outflow feedback from a nearby young stellar object on the protostellar envelope around HL Tauri

Aims. HL Tau is a Class I–II protostar embedded in an infalling and rotating envelope and possibly associated with a planet forming disk, and it is co-located in a 0.1 pc molecular cloud with two nearby young stellar objects with projected distance of ~20′′–30′′ (2800–4200 au) to HL Tau. Our observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) revealed two arc-like structures on a 1000 au scale connected to the disk, and their kinematics could not be explained with any conventional model of infalling and rotational motions. In this work, we investigate the nature of these arc-like structures connected to the HL Tau disk. Methods. We carried out new observations in the 13CO and C18O (3–2; 2–1) lines with the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope and the IRAM 30m telescope, and obtained the data with the 7-m array of the Atacama Compact Array (ACA). With the single-dish, ACA, and ALMA data, we analyzed the gas motions on both 0.1 pc and 1000 au scales in the HL Tau region. We constructed new kinematical models of an infalling and rotating envelope with the consideration of relative motion between HL Tau and the envelope. Results. By including the relative motion between HL Tau and its protostellar envelope, our kinematical model can explain the observed velocity features in the arc-like structures. The morphologies of the arc-like structures can also be explained with an asymmetric initial density distribution in our model envelope. In addition, our single-dish results support the scenario that HL Tau is located at the edge of a largescale (0.1 pc) expanding shell driven by the wind or outflow from XZ Tau, as suggested in the literature. The estimated expanding velocity of the shell is comparable to the relative velocity between HL Tau and its envelope in our kinematical model. These results hint that the largescale expanding motion likely impacts the protostellar envelope around HL Tau and affects its gas kinematics. We found that the mass infalling rate from the envelope onto the HL Tau disk can be decreased by a factor of two due to this impact by the largescale expanding shell.

Protoplanetary Disk Rings and Gaps across Ages and Luminosities

Abstract Since the discovery of the multiring structure of the HL Tau disk, ALMA data suggest that the dust continuum emission of many, if not all, protoplanetary disks consists of rings and gaps, no matter their spectral type or age. The origin of these gaps so far remains unclear. We present a sample study of 16 disks with multiple ring-like structures in the continuum, using published ALMA archival data, to compare their morphologies and gap locations in a systematic way. The 16 targets range from early- to late-type stars, from &lt;0.5 Myr to &gt;10 Myr and from ∼0.2 to 40 L ⊙, and include both full and transitional disks with cleared inner dust cavities. Stellar ages are revised using new Gaia distances. Gap locations are derived using a simple radial fit to the intensity profiles. Using a radiative transfer model, the temperature profiles are computed. The gap radii generally do not correspond to the orbital radii of snow lines of the most common molecules. A snow line model can likely be discarded as a common origin of multiring systems. In addition, there are no systematic trends in the gap locations that could be related to resonances of planets. Finally, the outer radius of the disks decreases for the oldest disks in the sample, indicating that if multiring disks evolve in a similar way, outer dust rings either dissipate with the gas or grow into planetesimal belts.

Does HL Tau disc polarization in ALMA band 3 come from radiatively aligned grains?

Disk polarization in (sub)millimeter dust continuum is a rapidly growing field in the ALMA era. It opens up the exciting possibility of detecting and characterizing magnetic fields and grain growth in disks around young stellar objects. However, to use polarization for probing the disk properties, its production mechanism must be ascertained first. To date, the conventional mechanism involving magnetically aligned grains fails to explain the polarization patterns detected in most disks. This is especially true for the inclined disk of HL Tau in ALMA Band 3 (wavelength $\sim 3$ mm), which has an elliptical polarization pattern. The elliptical pattern was taken as evidence for polarized emission by dust grains aligned with their long axes perpendicular the direction of the radiative flux. We show that the radiatively aligned grains produce a circular, rather than elliptical, polarization pattern even in inclined disks such as HL Tau. An elliptical polarization pattern can be produced if the grains are aligned aerodynamically by the difference in rotation speed between the dust and gas through the Gold mechanism. However, a strong azimuthal variation in polarized intensity is expected for both the radiative and aerodynamic alignment, but not observed in the HL Tau disk in ALMA Band 3. We conclude that neither of these two mechanisms alone can explain the data and the origin of the 3 mm polarization remains a mystery. We speculate that this mystery may be resolved by a combination of both direct emission and scattering by aerodynamically aligned grains.

Multiple Gaps in the Disk of the Class I Protostar GY 91

Abstract We present the highest spatial resolution Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations to date of the Class I protostar GY 91 in the ρ Ophiuchus L1688 molecular cloud complex. Our 870 μm and 3 mm dust continuum maps show that the GY 91 disk has a radius of ∼80 au, and an inclination of ∼40°, but most interestingly that the disk has three dark lanes located at 10, 40, and 70 au. We model these features assuming they are gaps in the disk surface density profile and find that their widths are 7, 30, and 10 au. These gaps bear a striking resemblance to the gaps seen in the HL Tau disk, suggesting that there may be Saturn-mass planets hiding in the disk. To constrain the relative ages of GY 91 and HL Tau, we also model the disk and envelope of HL Tau and find that they are of similar ages, although GY 91 may be younger. Although snow lines and magnetic dead zones can also produce dark lanes, if planets are indeed carving these gaps then Saturn-mass planets must form within the first ∼0.5 Myr of the lifetime of protoplanetary disks.

Applying a Particle-only Model to the HL Tau Disk

Abstract Observations have revealed rich structures in protoplanetary disks, offering clues about their embedded planets. Due to the complexities introduced by the abundance of gas in these disks, modeling their structure in detail is computationally intensive, requiring complex hydrodynamic codes and substantial computing power. It would be advantageous if computationally simpler models could provide some preliminary information on these disks. Here we apply a particle-only model (that we developed for gas-poor debris disks) to the gas-rich disk, HL Tauri, to address the question of whether such simple models can inform the study of these systems. Assuming three potentially embedded planets, we match HL Tau’s radial profile fairly well and derive best-fit planetary masses and orbital radii (0.40, 0.02, 0.21 Jupiter masses for the planets orbiting a 0.55 M ⊙ star at 11.22, 29.67, 64.23 au). Our derived parameters are comparable to those estimated by others, except for the mass of the second planet. Our simulations also reproduce some narrower gaps seen in the ALMA image away from the orbits of the planets. The nature of these gaps is debated but, based on our simulations, we argue they could result from planet–disk interactions via mean-motion resonances, and need not contain planets. Our results suggest that a simple particle-only model can be used as a first step to understanding dynamical structures in gas disks, particularly those formed by planets, and determine some parameters of their hidden planets, serving as useful initial inputs to hydrodynamic models which are needed to investigate disk and planet properties more thoroughly.

ALMA Reveals Transition of Polarization Pattern with Wavelength in HL Tau’s Disk

Abstract The mechanism for producing polarized emission from protostellar disks at (sub)millimeter wavelengths is currently uncertain. Classically, polarization is expected from non-spherical grains aligned with the magnetic field. Recently, two alternatives have been suggested. One polarization mechanism is caused by self-scattering from dust grains of sizes comparable with the wavelength, while the other mechanism is due to grains aligned with their short axes along the direction of radiation anisotropy. The latter has recently been shown as a likely mechanism for causing the dust polarization detected in HL Tau at 3.1 mm. In this paper, we present ALMA polarization observations of HL Tau for two more wavelengths: 870 μm and 1.3 mm. The morphology at 870 μm matches the expectation for self-scattering, while that at 1.3 mm shows a mix between self-scattering and grains aligned with the radiation anisotropy. The observations cast doubt on the ability of (sub)millimeter continuum polarization to probe disk magnetic fields for at least HL Tau. By showing two distinct polarization morphologies at 870 μm and 3.1 mm and a transition between the two at 1.3 mm, this paper provides definitive evidence that the dominant (sub)millimeter polarization mechanism transitions with wavelength. In addition, if the polarization at 870 μm is due to scattering, the lack of polarization asymmetry along the minor axis of the inclined disk implies that the large grains responsible for the scattering have already settled into a geometrically thin layer, and the presence of asymmetry along the major axis indicates that the HL Tau disk is not completely axisymmetric.