Transitional Disks Research Articles

Searching for low-mass companions at small separations in transition disks with aperture masking interferometry

Context. Transition disks have large central cavities that have been resolved by imaging surveys during recent years. Cavities and other substructures in circumstellar disks are often interpreted as signposts to massive companions. Detecting companions at small angular separations is challenging with coronagraphic imaging observations. Aims. We aim to search for stellar and substellar companions in the central regions of transition disks. Such companions could be responsible for the large dust-depleted cavities. We want to determine if these disks might be circumbinary in their nature, similar to the HD 142527 system. Methods. We observed four systems, HD 100453, HD 100546, HD 135344 B, and PDS 70, with the sparse aperture masking mode of VLT/SPHERE, also leveraging the star-hopping method with the adaptive optics system. We extracted the complex visibilities and bispectra from the H2 and H3 imaging data. A binary model was fit to the closure phases to search for companions and estimate detection limits. For validation, we also analyzed four archival datasets of HD 142527 and inferred the orbital elements and atmospheric parameters of its low-mass stellar companion. Results. We have not detected any significant point sources in the four observed systems. With a contrast sensitivity of ≈0.004, we can rule out stellar companions down to ≈2 au and partially explore the substellar regime at separations ≳3–5 au. The analysis of HD 142527 B revealed that its projected orbit is aligned with dust features in the extended inner disk and that the mutual inclination with the outer disk is close to coplanar for one of the two solutions. Atmospheric modeling confirms the low-gravity and slightly reddened spectral appearance (Teff ≈ 3300 K, log 𝑔 ≈ 3.7, and AV ≈ 0.7). The inferred and derived bulk parameters (log L*/L0 ≈ −0.65, M* ≈ 0.4 M⊙, and R* ≈ 1.46 R⊙) are in agreement with dynamical constraints and evolutionary tracks. Conclusions. In contrast to HD 142527, we find no evidence that a close-in stellar companion is responsible for the resolved disk features of HD 100453, HD 100546, HD 135344 B, and PDS 70. Instead of a dynamical effect by a stellar companion, the formation of giant planets or even low-mass brown dwarfs could be shaping the innermost environment (≲20 au) of these circumstellar disks, as is the case with the planetary system of PDS 70.

Study of the N126 dust bubble in the infrared wavelength range

In recent years, the researchof bubbles,partially circular structures in the interstellar medium, consisting of dust and gas, has received the considerable attention. The analysis of the structure and evolution of bubbles provides insight into the conditions under which stars and planets form inthe interstellar medium. Dust bubbles are inextricably linked with star formation regions and are powerful tools for studying the interaction of young stellar objects with their environment at various stages of evolution.The main goal of this articleisto study the region of the N126 dust bubble, search for and identify young stellar objects. Identification of young stellar objects by their fluxes at infrared wavelengths is relatively recent, and identification criteria are still at the stage of improvement. Therefore, in this article, the criteria for identifying young stellar objects were used according to the works of Koenig X.P. (2012), Koenig X.P. & Leisawitz D.V. (2014) and Fischer W.J. (2016), which are based on analysis of WISE observational datain the near-and mid-infrared bands W1 (3.4 μm), W2 (4.6 μm), W3 (12 μm), and W4 (22 μm). The datafrom the 2MASS and AllWISE catalogswith reliable non-zero fluxes of infrared radiation sourceswere used in that work. For the researched dust bubble, young stellar objects of class 0 (protostars) and class I were not detected. 4 objects of class II, 1 object of the class of transition disks and 48 objects of class III were identified. Energy distributions in the spectra for class II objectswere constructed, which also confirmed their evolutionary status. For all identified YSOs, color diagrams were constructed showing the locations of the found objects with their corresponding areas of evolution. Maps of the distribution of YSOs in space are analyzed, which indicate possible signs of an initiated star formation process in the N126 dust bubble.

Observational chemical signatures of the past FU Ori outbursts

Abstract FU Ori-type stars are young stellar objects (YSOs) experiencing luminosity outbursts by a few orders of magnitude, which last for ∼102 years. A dozen of FUors are known up to date, but many more currently quiescent YSOs could have experienced such outbursts in the last ∼103 years. To find observational signatures of possible past outbursts, we utilise ANDES, RADMC-3D code as well as CASA ALMA simulator to model the impact of the outburst on the physical and chemical structure of typical FU Ori systems and how it translates to the molecular lines’ fluxes. We identify several combinations of molecular lines that may trace past FU Ori objects both with and without envelopes. The most promising outburst tracers from an observational perspective are the molecular flux combinations of the N2H+J = 3 − 2, C18O J = 2 − 1, H2CO $(J_{\rm K_a, K_c}) = 4_{04}-3_{03}$, and HCN J = 3 − 2 lines. We analyse the processes leading to molecular flux changes and show that they are linked with either thermal desorption or enhanced chemical reactions in the molecular layer. Using observed CO, HCN, N2H+ and H2CO line fluxes from the literature, we identify ten nearby disc systems that might have undergone FU Ori outbursts in the past ∼103 years: [MGM2012] 556, [MGM2012] 371 and [MGM2012] 907 YSOs in L1641, Class II protoplanetary discs around CI Tau, AS 209 and IM Lup and transitional discs DM Tau, GM Aur, LkCa 15 and J1640-2130.

Millimeter emission in photoevaporating disks is determined by early substructures

Context. Photoevaporation and dust-trapping are individually considered to be important mechanisms in the evolution and morphology of protoplanetary disks. However, it is not yet clear what kind of observational features are expected when both processes operate simultaneously. Aims. We studied how the presence (or absence) of early substructures, such as the gaps caused by planets, affects the evolution of the dust distribution and flux in the millimeter continuum of disks that are undergoing photoevaporative dispersal. We also tested if the predicted properties resemble those observed in the population of transition disks. Methods. We used the numerical code Dustpy to simulate disk evolution considering gas accretion, dust growth, dust-trapping at substructures, and mass loss due to X-ray and EUV (XEUV) photoevaporation and dust entrainment. Then, we compared how the dust mass and millimeter flux evolve for different disk models. Results. We find that, during photoevaporative dispersal, disks with primordial substructures retain more dust and are brighter in the millimeter continuum than disks without early substructures, regardless of the photoevaporative cavity size. Once the photoevaporative cavity opens, the estimated fluxes for the disk models that are initially structured are comparable to those found in the bright transition disk population (Fmm > 30 mJy), while the disk models that are initially smooth have fluxes comparable to the transition disks from the faint population (Fmm < 30 mJy), suggesting a link between each model and population. Conclusions. Our models indicate that the efficiency of the dust trapping determines the millimeter flux of the disk, while the gas loss due to photoevaporation controls the formation and expansion of a cavity, decoupling the mechanisms responsible for each feature. In consequence, even a planet with a mass comparable to Saturn could trap enough dust to reproduce the millimeter emission of a bright transition disk, while its cavity size is independently driven by photoevaporative dispersal.

Sweeping secular resonances and giant planet inclinations in transition discs

ABSTRACT The orbits of some warm Jupiters are highly inclined (20°–50°) to those of their exterior companions. Comparable misalignments are inferred between the outer and inner portions of some transition discs. These large inclinations may originate from planet–planet and planet–disc secular resonances that sweep across interplanetary space as parent discs disperse. The maximum factor by which a seed mutual inclination can be amplified is of the order of the square root of the angular momentum ratio of the resonant pair. We identify those giant planet systems (e.g. Kepler-448 and Kepler-693) that may have crossed a secular resonance, and estimate the required planet masses and semimajor axes in transition discs needed to warp their innermost portions (e.g. in CQ Tau). Passage through an inclination secular resonance could also explain the hypothesized large mutual inclinations in apsidally-orthogonal warm Jupiter systems (e.g. HD 147018).

A resolved rotating disk wind from a young T Tauri star in the Bok globule CB 26

Context. The disk-outflow connection plays a key role in extracting excess angular momentum from a forming protostar. Although indications of jet rotation have been reported for a few objects, observational constraints of outflow rotation are still very scarce. We have previously reported the discovery of a small collimated molecular outflow from the edge-on T Tauri star-disk system in the Bok globule CB 26 that shows a peculiar velocity pattern, reminiscent of an outflow that corotates with the Keplerian disk. However, we could not ultimately exclude possible alternative explanations for the origin of the observed velocity field. Aims. We report new, high angular resolution millimeter-interferometric observations of CB 26 with the aim of revealing the morphology and kinematics of the outflow at the disk-outflow interface to unambiguously discriminate between the possible alternative explanations for the observed peculiar velocity pattern. Methods. The IRAM PdBI array and the 30 m telescope were used to observe HCO+(1–0) and H13CO+(1–0) at 3.3 mm and 12CO(2–1) at 1.3 mm in three configurations plus zerospacing, resulting in spectral line maps with angular resolutions of 3.″5 and 0.″5, respectively. The SMA was used to observe the HCO+(3–2) line at 1.1 mm with an angular resolution of 1.″35. Additional earlier observations of 13CO(1-0) at 2.7mm with an angular resolution of 1.″0, obtained with OVRO, are also used for the analysis. Using a physical model of the disk, which was derived from the dust continuum emission, we employed chemo-dynamical modeling combined with line radiative transfer calculations to constrain kinematic parameters of the system and to construct a model of the CO emission from the disk that allowed us to separate the emission of the disk from that of the outflow. Results. Our observations confirm the disk-wind nature of the rotating molecular outflow from CB 26 - YSO 1. The new high-resolution data reveal an X-shaped morphology of the CO emission close to the disk, and vertical streaks extending from the disk surface with a small half-opening angle of ≈7°, which can be traced out to vertical heights of ≈500 au. We interpret this emission as the combination of the disk atmosphere and a well-collimated disk wind, of which we mainly see the outer walls of the outflow cone. The decomposition of this emission into a contribution from the disk atmosphere and the disk wind allowed us to trace the disk wind down to vertical heights of ≈40 au, where it is launched from the surface of the flared disk at radii of RL ≈ 20–45 au. The disk wind is rotating with the same orientation and speed as the Keplerian disk and the velocity structure of the cone walls along the flow is consistent with angular momentum conservation. The observed CO outflow has a total gas mass of ≈ 10−3 M⊙, a dynamical age of τdyn ≈ 740 yr, and a total momentum flux of ṖCO ≈ 1.0 × 10−5 M⊙ km s−1 yr−1, which is nearly three orders of magnitude larger than the maximum thrust that can be provided by the luminosity of the central star. Conclusions. We conclude that photoevaporation cannot be the main driving mechanism for this outflow, but it must be predominantly a magnetohydrodynamic disk wind. It is thus far the best-resolved rotating disk wind observed to be launched from a circumstellar disk in Keplerian rotation around a low-mass young stellar object (YSO), albeit also the one with the largest launch radius. It confirms the observed trend that disk winds from Class I YSOs with transitional disks have much larger launch radii than jets ejected from Class 0 protostars.

Radio-continuum decrements associated to shadowing from the central warp in transition disc DoAr 44

ABSTRACT Warps have often been used to explain disc properties, but well-characterized examples are important due to their role in disc evolution. Scattered light images of discs with central gaps have revealed sharp warps, such that the outer rings are shadowed by tilted inner discs. The near-infrared intensity drops along the ring around T-Tauri star DoAr 44 have been interpreted in terms of a central warp. We report new ALMA observations of DoAr 44 in the continuum at 230 and 350 GHz (at ∼10 au), along with a new epoch of Spectro Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE)/Infrared Dual-band Imager and Spectrograph differential polarized imaging taken during excellent weather conditions. The ALMA observations resolve the ring and confirm the decrements proposed from deconvolution of coarse 336 GHz data. The scattered light image constrains the dips, which correspond to a misaligned inner disc with a relative inclination ξ = 21.4 $^{+6.7}_{-8.3}$ deg. The SPHERE intensity profile shows a morphological change compared to a previous epoch that may be interpreted as a variable orientation of the inner disc, from ξ ∼ 30 deg to ξ ∼ 20 deg. The intensity dips probably correspond to temperature decrements, as their mm-spectral index, $\alpha ^{230 \textrm {GHz}}_{350 \textrm {GHz}} \sim$ 2.0 ± 0.1, is indicative of optically thick emission. The azimuth of the two temperature decrements are leading clockwise relative to the infrared-dips, by η = 14.95 deg and η = 7.92 deg. For a retrograde disc, such shifts are expected from a thermal lag and imply gas surface densities of Σg = 117 ± 10 g cm−2 and Σg = 48 ± 10 g cm−2. A lopsided disc, with contrast ratio fr = 2.4 ± 0.5, is also consistent with the large continuum crescent.

Design of Ka‐band, broadband, omnidirectional, with a top metal disk antenna

AbstractIn this report, a Ka‐band, broadband, omnidirectional, with a top metal disk antenna is proposed. The antenna is fed by an air waveguide. The TE10 mode of the waveguide can efficiently be converted into an air coaxial TEM mode by a compact waveguide air coaxial transition. After matching and adjusting, the dielectric substrate is loaded and then transited to the metal radiation structure loaded with a top metal disc to obtain omnidirectional electromagnetic waves efficiently converted to free space. By optimizing the sizes of waveguide to air‐coaxial transition structure and disk, and so on, a good broadband omnidirectional antenna performance is finally achieved. The measured fractional impedance bandwidth is larger than 30% with the reference of S11 dB, which fully verifies the rationality of the design. In addition, measured patterns at the plane of different azimuth angles almost coincide with each other, which shows an excellent omnidirectional pattern.

The Ca ii Lines as Tracers of Disk Structure in T Tauri Stars: The Chamaeleon I Region

We present a study of the Ca ii K and IR triplet lines in a sample of classical T Tauri stars in the Chamaeleon I star-forming region. We study X-shooter spectra of the stars in the sample and find that in some of these stars the Ca ii lines are much weaker than expected from their H line fluxes and mass accretion rates. Since the Ca ii K lines have characteristic magnetospheric accretion line profiles and the magnetospheric flows feed directly from the inner disk, we interpret the Ca deficiency in terms of depletion due to processes happening in the disk. To test this hypothesis, we define a coarse depletion indicator using the flux of the Ca ii K line and show that it correlates with disk properties. In particular, using indicators extracted from Spitzer/IRS spectra, we obtain that all the transitional and pretransitional disks of the sample show depletion, consistent with the trapping of refractories in pressure bumps created by planets and/or in the planets themselves. We find full disks with Ca depletion in the sample that also show indications of advanced dust evolution. We apply magnetospheric accretion models to fit the Balmer and Ca ii line fluxes of a star showing clear Ca depletion and derive a Ca abundance in its inner disk of about 17% solar.

Systematic Multiepoch Monitoring of LkCa 15: Dynamic Dust Structures on Solar System Scales

We present the highest-angular-resolution infrared monitoring of LkCa 15, a young solar analog hosting a transition disk. This system has been the subject of a number of direct-imaging studies from the millimeter through the optical, which have revealed multiple protoplanetary disk rings as well as three orbiting protoplanet candidates detected in infrared continuum emission (one of which was simultaneously seen at Hα). We use high-angular-resolution infrared imaging from 2014 to 2020 to systematically monitor these infrared signals and determine their physical origin. We find that three self-luminous protoplanets cannot explain the positional evolution of the infrared sources since the longer time baseline images lack the coherent orbital motion that would be expected for companions. However, the data still strongly prefer a time-variable morphology that cannot be reproduced by static scattered-light disk models. The multiepoch observations suggest the presence of complex and dynamic substructures moving through the forward-scattering side of the disk at ∼20 au or quickly varying shadowing by closer-in material. We explore whether the previous Hα detection of one candidate would be inconsistent with this scenario and in the process develop an analytical signal-to-noise penalty for Hα excesses detected near forward-scattered light. Under these new noise considerations, the Hα detection is not strongly inconsistent with forward scattering, making the dynamic LkCa 15 disk a natural explanation for both the infrared and Hα data.

Quantitative polarimetry for the transition disk in RX J1604.3-213010

Context. The characterization of the dust in protoplanetary disks is important for a better understanding of the resulting composition of forming planets and the dust particle evolution in these systems. Aims. We aim to accurately characterize the properties of the dust in the face-on transition disk around RX J1604.3–213010 (RX J1604) by analyzing the multiwavelength scattered light intensity and polarization images obtained with the ZIMPOL and IRDIS subinstruments of VLT/SPHERE. Methods. We used archival data of RX J1604 from the ESO archive and carefully corrected the polarization signal for instrumental effects, also taking the interstellar polarization into account. We measured the radial profiles of the disk for the azimuthal polarization, Qφ(r), in the R, J, and H bands and describe variations in our data due to the seeing and other effects. We derived the intrinsic polarization profiles of the disk, Q^φ(r), by comparing the data with rotationally symmetric models convolved with the point spread functions of the observations. We also measured the disk intensity, Idisk(r), with reference star differential imaging for the J and H bands. This provides the disk-integrated polarized intensity, Q^φ/I⋆, for the R, J, and H bands and the averaged fractional polarization, 〈p^φ〉, for the J and H bands. We investigated the azimuthal dependence of the scattered light and the shadows produced by hot dust near the star. The derived results were finally compared with model calculations to constrain the scattering properties of the reflecting dust in RX J1604. Results. RX J1604 is a dipper source, and the data show different kinds of variability. However, a detailed analysis of repeated measurements shows that the results are not affected by dipping events or atmospheric seeing variations. We derive accurate radial disk profiles for the intrinsic polarized intensity, Q^φ(r)/I⋆, and measure different profile peak radii for different bands because of the wavelength dependence of the dust opacity. The disk-integrated polarization is Q^φ/I⋆ = 0.92 ± 0.04% for the R band and 1.51 ± 0.11% for the J band, indicating a red color for the polarized reflectivity of the disk. The intensity of the disk is Idisk|I* = 3.9 ± 0.5% in the J band, and the fractional polarization is 〈p^φ〉 = 38 ± 4% for the J band and 42 ± 2% for the H band. The comparison with the IR excess for RX J1604 yields an apparent disk albedo of about ΛΙ ≈ 0.16 ± 0.08. We also find that previously described shadows seen in the R band data are likely affected by calibration errors. We derive, using dust scattering models for transition disks, approximate J band values for the scattering albedo ω ≈ 0.5, scattering asymmetry g ≈ 0.5, and scattering polarization pmax ≈ 0.7 for the dust. Conclusions. The bright disk of RX J1604 has a very simple axisymmetric structure and is therefore well suited as a benchmark object for accurate photo-polarimetric measurements. We derive values for the disk polarization, 〈p^φ〉, and the apparent disk albedo, ΛΙ, for the J band. Because 〈p^φ〉 and ΛΙ depend predominantly on dust scattering parameters and only weakly on the disk geometry, these parameters define tight relations for the dust scattering parameters between ω and pmax and between ω and g. The positive R to J band color for the polarized reflectivity, (Q^/I⋆)J ≈ 1.64 ⋅ (Q^/I⋆)R, is mainly a result of the wavelength dependence of dust parameters because the scattering geometry is expected to be very similar for different colors. This work demonstrates the potential of accurate photo-polarimetric measurements of the circumstellar disk RX J1604 for the determination of dust scattering parameters that strongly constrain the physical properties of the dust.

Second-generation protoplanetary discs around evolved binaries: a high-resolution polarimetric view with SPHERE/IRDIS

ABSTRACT Binary post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) stars are products of a poorly understood binary interaction process that occurs during the AGB phase. These systems comprise a post-AGB primary star, a main-sequence secondary companion and a stable circumbinary disc. Studying the structure and properties of these circumbinary discs is crucial for gaining insight into the binary interaction process that governs post-AGB binaries as well as comprehending the disc’s creation, evolution, and its interaction with the post-AGB binary system. We aim to use near-infrared polarimetric imaging to investigate the morphology and potential substructures of circumbinary discs around eight representative post-AGB binary stars. To achieve this, we performed polarimetric differential imaging in H and Y bands using the high-angular resolution capabilities of the European Southern Observatory-Very Large Telescope/SPHERE-Infra-Red Dual-beam Imaging and Spectroscopy instrument. We resolved the extended circumbinary disc structure for a diverse sample of eight post-AGB binary systems. Our analysis provided the first estimates of the disc scale height for two of the systems: IW Car and IRAS 15469–5311. We also investigated the morphological differences between the full discs (with the inner rim at the dust sublimation radius) and transition discs (which are expected to have larger inner cavities), as well as similarities to protoplanetary discs around young stellar objects. We found that the transition discs displayed a more intricate and asymmetric configuration. Surprisingly, no correlation was found between the overresolved flux in near-infrared interferometric data and the polarimetric observations, suggesting that scattering of light on the disc surface may not be the primary cause of the observed overresolved flux component.

Transition disc nature of post-AGB binary systems confirmed by mid-infrared interferometry

Context. Many properties of circumbinary discs around evolved post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) binary systems are similar to those of protoplanetary discs around young stars. The deficits of near-infrared (near-IR) flux in the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of these systems hints towards large dust-free cavities that are reminiscent of transition discs as are commonly observed around young stars. Aims. We aim to assess the size of the inner rim of six post-AGB binary systems with lack in the near-IR like this. We used resolved mid-infrared (mid-IR) high-angular resolution observations of VLTI/MATISSE and VLTI/MIDI. The inner rim of only one such system was previously resolved. We compared these inner rim sizes to five systems with available MATISSE data that were identified to host a disc starting at the dust sublimation radius. Methods. We used geometric ring models to estimate the inner rim sizes, the relative flux contributions of the star, the ring, and an over-resolved emission, the orientation of the ring, and the spectral dependences of the components. Results. We find that the inner dust rims of the targets with a lack of near-IR excess in their SEDs are ∼2.5 to 7.5 times larger than the theoretical dust sublimation radii, and inner rim sizes of the systems that do not show this deficit are similar to those of their theoretical dust sublimation radii. The physical radii of the inner rims of these transition discs around post-AGB binaries are 3–25 au, which are larger than the disc sizes inferred for transition discs around young stars with VLTI/MIDI. This is due to the higher stellar luminosities of post-AGB systems compared to young stars, implying larger dust sublimation radii and thus larger physical inner radii of the transition disc. Conclusions. With mid-IR interferometric data, we directly confirm the transition disc nature of six circumbinary discs around post-AGB binary systems. Future observational and modelling efforts are needed to progress in our understanding of the structure, origin, and evolution of these transition discs.

Three-dimensional Orbit of AC Her Determined: Binary-induced Truncation Cannot Explain the Large Cavity in This Post-AGB Transition Disk

Some evolved binaries, namely post–asymptotic giant branch (AGB) binaries, are surrounded by stable and massive circumbinary disks similar to protoplanetary disks found around young stars. Around 10% of these disks are transition disks: they have a large inner cavity in the dust. Previous interferometric measurements and modeling have ruled out these cavities being formed by dust sublimation and suggested that they are due to massive circumbinary planets that trap dust in the disk and produce the observed depletion of refractory elements on the surfaces of the post-AGB stars. In this study, we test an alternative scenario in which the large cavities could be due to dynamical truncation from the inner binary. We performed near-infrared interferometric observations with the CHARA Array on the archetype of such a transition disk around a post-AGB binary: AC Her. We detect the companion at ten epochs over 4 yr and determine the three-dimensional orbit using these astrometric measurements in combination with a radial velocity time series. This is the first astrometric orbit constructed for a post-AGB binary system. We derive the best-fit orbit with a semimajor axis of 2.01 ± 0.01 mas (2.83 ± 0.08 au), inclination (142.9 ± 1.1)°, and longitude of the ascending node (155.1 ± 1.8)°. We find that the theoretical dynamical truncation and dust sublimation radii are at least ∼3× smaller than the observed inner disk radius (∼21.5 mas or 30 au). This strengthens the hypothesis that the origin of the cavity is due to the presence of a circumbinary planet.

Observability of photoevaporation signatures in the dust continuum emission of transition discs

ABSTRACT Photoevaporative disc winds play a key role in our understanding of circumstellar disc evolution, especially in the final stages, and they might affect the planet formation process and the final location of planets. The study of transition discs (i.e. discs with a central dust cavity) is central for our understanding of the photoevaporation process and disc dispersal. However, we need to distinguish cavities created by photoevaporation from those created by giant planets. Theoretical models are necessary to identify possible observational signatures of the two different processes, and models to find the differences between the two processes are still lacking. In this paper, we study a sample of transition discs obtained from radiation–hydrodynamic simulations of internally photoevaporated discs, and focus on the dust dynamics relevant for current Atacama Large Millimetre Array observations. We then compared our results with gaps opened by a super-Earth/giant planets, finding that the photoevaporated cavity steepness depends mildly on gap size, and it is similar to that of a ${1}\, {\rm M_J}$ planet. However, the dust density drops less rapidly inside the photoevaporated cavity compared to the planetary case due to the less efficient dust filtering. This effect is visible in the resulting spectral index, which shows a larger spectral index at the cavity edge and a shallower increase inside it with respect to the planetary case. The combination of cavity steepness and spectral index might reveal the true nature of transition discs.

The Giant Accreting Protoplanet Survey (GAPlanetS)—Results from a 6 yr Campaign to Image Accreting Protoplanets

Accreting protoplanets are windows into planet formation processes, and high-contrast differential imaging is an effective way to identify them. We report results from the Giant Accreting Protoplanet Survey (GAPlanetS), which collected Hα differential imagery of 14 transitional disk host stars with the Magellan Adaptive Optics System. To address the twin challenges of morphological complexity and point-spread function instability, GAPlanetS required novel approaches for frame selection and optimization of the Karhounen–Loéve Image Processing algorithm pyKLIP. We detect one new candidate, CS Cha “c,” at a separation of 68 mas and a modest Δmag of 2.3. We recover the HD 142527 B and HD 100453 B accreting stellar companions in several epochs, and the protoplanet PDS 70 c in 2017 imagery, extending its astrometric record by nine months. Though we cannot rule out scattered light structure, we also recover LkCa 15 “b,” at Hα; its presence inside the disk cavity, absence in Continuum imagery, and consistency with a forward-modeled point source suggest that it remains a viable protoplanet candidate. Through targeted optimization, we tentatively recover PDS 70 c at two additional epochs and PDS 70 b in one epoch. Despite numerous previously reported companion candidates around GAplanetS targets, we recover no additional point sources. Our moderate Hα contrasts do not preclude most protoplanets, and we report limiting Hα contrasts at unrecovered candidate locations. We find an overall detection rate of ∼36, considerably higher than most direct imaging surveys, speaking to both GAPlanetS’s highly targeted nature and the promise of Hα differential imaging for protoplanet identification.

Mapping Protoplanetary Disk Vertical Structure with CO Isotopologue Line Emission

High-spatial-resolution observations of CO isotopologue line emission in protoplanetary disks at mid-inclinations (≈30°–75°) allow us to characterize the gas structure in detail, including radial and vertical substructures, emission surface heights and their dependencies on source characteristics, and disk temperature profiles. By combining observations of a suite of CO isotopologues, we can map the two-dimensional (r, z) disk structure from the disk upper atmosphere, as traced by CO, to near the midplane, as probed by less abundant isotopologues. Here, we present high-angular-resolution (≲0.″1 to ≈0.″2; ≈15–30 au) observations of CO, 13CO, and C18O in either or both J = 2–1 and J = 3–2 lines in the transition disks around DM Tau, Sz 91, LkCa 15, and HD 34282. We derived line emission surfaces in CO for all disks and in 13CO for the DM Tau and LkCa 15 disks. With these observations, we do not resolve the vertical structure of C18O in any disk, which is instead consistent with C18O emission originating from the midplane. Both the J = 2–1 and J = 3–2 lines show similar heights. Using the derived emission surfaces, we computed radial and vertical gas temperature distributions for each disk, including empirical temperature models for the DM Tau and LkCa 15 disks. After combining our sample with literature sources, we find that 13CO line emitting heights are also tentatively linked with source characteristics, e.g., stellar host mass, gas temperature, disk size, and show steeper trends than seen in CO emission surfaces.

Eccentric Dust Ring in the IRS 48 Transition Disk

Crescent-shaped structures in transition disks hold the key to studying the putative companions to the central stars. The dust dynamics, especially that of different grain sizes, is important to understanding the role of pressure bumps in planet formation. In this work, we present deep dust continuum observation with high resolution toward the Oph IRS 48 system. For the first time, we are able to significantly trace and detect emission along 95% of the ring crossing the crescent-shaped structure. The ring is highly eccentric with an eccentricity of 0.27. The flux density contrast between the peak of the flux and its counterpart along the ring is ∼270. In addition, we detect a compact emission toward the central star. If the emission is an inner circumstellar disk inside the cavity, it has a radius of at most a couple of astronomical units with a dust mass of 1.5 × 10−8 M ⊙, or 0.005 M ⊕. We also discuss the implications of the potential eccentric orbit on the proper motion of the crescent, the putative secondary companion, and the asymmetry in velocity maps.

Stable accretion and episodic outflows in the young transition disk system GM Aurigae

Context. Young stellar systems actively accrete from their circumstellar disk and simultaneously launch outflows. The physical link between accretion and ejection processes remains to be fully understood. Aims. We investigate the structure and dynamics of magnetospheric accretion and associated outflows on a scale smaller than 0.1 au around the young transitional disk system GM Aur. Methods. We devised a coordinated observing campaign to monitor the variability of the system on timescales ranging from days to months, including partly simultaneous high-resolution optical and near-infrared spectroscopy, multiwavelength photometry, and low-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy, over a total duration of six months, covering 30 rotational cycles. We analyzed the photometric and line profile variability to characterize the accretion and ejection processes. Results. The optical and near-infrared light curves indicate that the luminosity of the system is modulated by surface spots at the stellar rotation period of 6.04 ± 0.15 days. Part of the Balmer, Paschen, and Brackett hydrogen line profiles as well as the HeI 5876 Å and HeI 10830 Å line profiles are modulated on the same period. The Paβ line flux correlates with the photometric excess in the u′ band, which suggests that most of the line emission originates from the accretion process. High-velocity redshifted absorptions reaching below the continuum periodically appear in the near-infrared line profiles at the rotational phase in which the veiling and line fluxes are the largest. These are signatures of a stable accretion funnel flow and associated accretion shock at the stellar surface. This large-scale magnetospheric accretion structure appears fairly stable over at least 15 and possibly up to 30 rotational periods. In contrast, outflow signatures randomly appear as blueshifted absorption components in the Balmer and HeI 10830 Å line profiles. They are not rotationally modulated and disappear on a timescale of a few days. The coexistence of a stable, large-scale accretion pattern and episodic outflows supports magnetospheric ejections as the main process occurring at the star-disk interface. Conclusions. Long-term monitoring of the variability of the GM Aur transitional disk system provides clues to the accretion and ejection structure and dynamics close to the star. Stable magnetospheric accretion and episodic outflows appear to be physically linked on a scale of a few stellar radii in this system.

Biomechanical comparisons of dynamic fixators with rod-rod and screw-spacer joints on lumbar hybrid fixation

BackgroundHybrid fixators with quite different joint design concepts have been widely to suppress adjacent segment degeneration problems. The kinematic and kinetic responses of the adjacent and transition segments and contact behaviors at the bone-screw interfaces served as the objective of this study. MethodsThe moderately degenerated L4/L5 and mildly degenerative L3/L4 segments were respectively immobilized by a static fixator and further bridged by the rod-rod (Isobar) and screw-spacer (Dynesys) fixator. The joint stiffness and mobility of the rod-rod system and the cable pretension of the screw-spacer system were systematically varied. FindingsThe flexion of the screw-spacer system provided higher mobility to the transition segment, reducing adjacent-segment problems. The cable pretension had a minor effect on the construct behavior. However, due to limited joint mobility, the rod-rod system showed higher constraints to the transition segment and induced more adjacent-segment compensations. The increased mobility of the rod-rod joint caused it to behave as a more dynamic fixator that increased adjacent-segment compensations at the transition segment. Comparatively, increasing the joint mobility showed more significant effects on the construct behaviors than decreasing the joint stiffness. Furthermore, increased constraint by the rod-rod joint induced higher stress and risk of loosening at the bone-screw interfaces InterpretationIf the protection of the transition segment is the major concern, the rod-rod system can be used to constrain the intervertebral motion and share the higher loads through the fixator. Otherwise, the screw-spacer system is recommended in situations where higher loads onto the transition disc are allowable.