Circumstellar Disk Lifetimes In Numerous Galactic Young Stellar Clusters

Science.gov (United States)

Richert, A. J. W.; Getman, K. V.; Feigelson, E. D.; Kuhn, M. A.; Broos, P. S.; Povich, M. S.; Bate, M. R.; Garmire, G. P.

2018-04-01

Photometric detections of dust circumstellar disks around pre-main sequence (PMS) stars, coupled with estimates of stellar ages, provide constraints on the time available for planet formation. Most previous studies on disk longevity, starting with Haisch, Lada & Lada (2001), use star samples from PMS clusters but do not consider datasets with homogeneous photometric sensitivities and/or ages placed on a uniform timescale. Here we conduct the largest study to date of the longevity of inner dust disks using X-ray and 1-8 {μ m} infrared photometry from the MYStIX and SFiNCs projects for 69 young clusters in 32 nearby star-forming regions with ages t ≤ 5 Myr. Cluster ages are derived by combining the empirical AgeJX method with PMS evolutionary models, which treat dynamo-generated magnetic fields in different ways. Leveraging X-ray data to identify disk-free objects, we impose similar stellar mass sensitivity limits for disk-bearing and disk-free YSOs while extending the analysis to stellar masses as low as M ˜ 0.1 M⊙. We find that the disk longevity estimates are strongly affected by the choice of PMS evolutionary model. Assuming a disk fraction of 100% at zero age, the inferred disk half-life changes significantly, from t1/2 ˜ 1.3 - 2 Myr to t1/2 ˜ 3.5 Myr when switching from non-magnetic to magnetic PMS models. In addition, we find no statistically significant evidence that disk fraction varies with stellar mass within the first few Myr of life for stars with masses <2 M⊙, but our samples may not be complete for more massive stars. The effects of initial disk fraction and star-forming environment are also explored.

Exploring Disks Around Planets

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Kohler, Susanna

2017-07-01

Giant planets are thought to form in circumstellar disks surrounding young stars, but material may also accrete into a smaller disk around the planet. Weve never detected one of these circumplanetary disks before but thanks to new simulations, we now have a better idea of what to look for.Image from previous work simulating a Jupiter-mass planet forming inside a circumstellar disk. The planet has its own circumplanetary disk of accreted material. [Frdric Masset]Elusive DisksIn the formation of giant planets, we think the final phase consists of accretion onto the planet from a disk that surrounds it. This circumplanetary disk is important to understand, since it both regulates the late gas accretion and forms the birthplace of future satellites of the planet.Weve yet to detect a circumplanetary disk thus far, because the resolution needed to spot one has been out of reach. Now, however, were entering an era where the disk and its kinematics may be observable with high-powered telescopes (like the Atacama Large Millimeter Array).To prepare for such observations, we need models that predict the basic characteristics of these disks like the mass, temperature, and kinematic properties. Now a researcher at the ETH Zrich Institute for Astronomy in Switzerland, Judit Szulgyi, has worked toward this goal.Simulating CoolingSzulgyi performs a series of 3D global radiative hydrodynamic simulations of 1, 3, 5, and 10 Jupiter-mass (MJ) giant planets and their surrounding circumplanetary disks, embedded within the larger circumstellar disk around the central star.Density (left column), temperature (center), and normalized angular momentum (right) for a 1 MJ planet over temperatures cooling from 10,000 K (top) to 1,000 K (bottom). At high temperatures, a spherical circumplanetary envelope surrounds the planet, but as the planet cools, the envelope transitions around 64,000 K to a flattened disk. [Szulgyi 2017]This work explores the effects of different planet temperatures and

Infrared radiative transfer in dense disks around young stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dent, W.R.F.

1988-01-01

A two-dimensional radiative transfer program has been used to determine the temperature distribution within cylindrically symmetric, centrally heated dust clouds. In particular, the disk-shaped structures observed around young luminous stars have been modeled. Changing the dust distribution in these disks primarily affected the observed morphology in the near-infrared and far-infrared, and at millimeter wavelengths. The overall cloud spectrum, however, was mainly determined by the characteristics of the grains themselves. Comparison with published far-infrared and molecular line data has indicated that the dust density can generally be modeled by a power-law distribution in r with index of -2 and an exponential in z with disk thickness proportional to 1/r. When observed nearly edge-on, scattered direct stellar radiation is observed in the polar regions in the form of comet-shaped lobes of emission. 26 references

Circumstellar and circumplanetary disks

Science.gov (United States)

Chiang, Eugene

2000-11-01

This thesis studies disks in three astrophysical contexts: (1)protoplanetary disks; (2)the Edgeworth-Kuiper Belt; and (3)planetary rings. We derive hydrostatic, radiative equilibrium models of passive protoplanetary disks surrounding T Tauri and Herbig Ae/Be stars. Each disk is encased by an optically thin layer of superheated dust grains. This layer is responsible for up to ~70% of the disk luminosity at wavelengths between ~5 and 60 μm. The heated disk flares and absorbs more stellar radiation at a given stellocentric distance than a flat disk would. Spectral energy distributions are computed and found to compare favorably with the observed flattish infrared excesses of several young stellar objects. Spectral features from dust grains in the superheated layer appear in emission if the disk is viewed nearly face-on. We present the results of a pencil-beam survey of the Kuiper Belt using the Keck 10-m telescope. Two new objects are discovered. Data from all surveys are pooled to construct the luminosity function from mR = 20 to 27. The cumulative number of objects per square degree, Σ(surface area but the largest bodies contain most of the mass. To order-of-magnitude, 0.2 M⊕ and 1 × 1010 comet progenitors lie between 30 and 50 AU. The classical Kuiper Belt appears truncated at a distance of 50 AU. We propose that rigid precession of narrow eccentric planetary rings surrounding Uranus and Saturn is maintained by a balance of forces due to ring self- gravity, planetary oblateness, and interparticle collisions. Collisional impulses play an especially dramatic role near ring edges. Pressure-induced accelerations are maximal near edges because there (1)velocity dispersions are enhanced by resonant satellite perturbations, and (2)the surface density declines steeply. Remarkably, collisional forces felt by material in the last ~100 m of a ~10 km wide ring can increase equilibrium masses up to a factor of ~100. New ring surface densities are derived which accord with

ALMA Dust Polarization Observations of Two Young Edge-on Protostellar Disks

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Lee, Chin-Fei; Li, Zhi-Yun; Ching, Tao-Chung; Lai, Shih-Ping; Yang, Haifeng

2018-02-01

Polarized emission is detected in two young nearly edge-on protostellar disks in 343 GHz continuum at ∼50 au (∼0.″12) resolution with Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. One disk is in HH 212 (Class 0) and the other in the HH 111 (early Class I) protostellar system. The polarization fraction is ∼1%. The disk in HH 212 has a radius of ∼60 au. The emission is mainly detected from the nearside of the disk. The polarization orientations are almost perpendicular to the disk major axis, consistent with either self-scattering or emission by grains aligned with a poloidal field around the outer edge of the disk because of the optical depth effect and temperature gradient; the presence of a poloidal field would facilitate the launching of a disk wind, for which there is already tentative evidence in the same source. The disk of HH 111 VLA 1 has a larger radius of ∼220 au and is thus more resolved. The polarization orientations are almost perpendicular to the disk major axis in the nearside, but more along the major axis in the farside, forming roughly half of an elliptical pattern there. It appears that toroidal and poloidal magnetic field may explain the polarization on the near and far sides of the disk, respectively. However, it is also possible that the polarization is due to self-scattering. In addition, alignment of dust grains by radiation flux may play a role in the farside. Our observations reveal a diversity of disk polarization patterns that should be taken into account in future modeling efforts.

Dusty disks around young stars

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Verhoeff, A.

2009-01-01

Stars are formed through the collapse of giant molecular clouds. During this contraction the matter spins up and naturally forms a circumstellar disk. Once accretion comes to a halt, these disks are relatively stable. Some disks are known to last up to 10 Myrs. Most disks however, dissipate on

THE SPINDLE: AN IRRADIATED DISK AND BENT PROTOSTELLAR JET IN ORION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bally, John; Youngblood, Allison; Ginsburg, Adam, E-mail: John.Bally@colorado.edu, E-mail: Allison.Youngblood@colorado.edu, E-mail: Adam.Ginsburg@colorado.edu [Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, UCB 389, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States)

2012-09-10

We present Hubble Space Telescope observations of a bent, pulsed Herbig-Haro jet, HH 1064, emerging from the young star Parenago 2042 embedded in the H II region NGC 1977 located about 30' north of the Orion Nebula. This outflow contains eight bow shocks in the redshifted western lobe and five bow shocks in the blueshifted eastern lobe. Shocks within a few thousand AU of the source star exhibit proper motions of {approx}160 km s{sup -1} but motions decrease with increasing distance. Parenago 2042 is embedded in a proplyd-a photoevaporating protoplanetary disk. A remarkable set of H{alpha} arcs resembling a spindle surround the redshifted (western) jet. The largest arc with a radius of 500 AU may trace the ionized edge of a circumstellar disk inclined by {approx}30 Degree-Sign . The spindle may be the photoionized edge of either a {approx}3 km s{sup -1} FUV-driven wind from the outer disk or a faster MHD-powered flow from an inner disk. The HH 1064 jet appears to be deflected north by photoablation of the south-facing side of a mostly neutral jet beam. V2412 Ori, located 1' west of Parenago 2042 drives a second bent flow, HH 1065. Both HH 1064 and 1065 are surrounded by LL Ori-type bows marking the boundary between the outflow cavity and the surrounding nebula.

DM ORI: A YOUNG STAR OCCULTED BY A DISTURBANCE IN ITS PROTOPLANETARY DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodriguez, Joseph E.; Stassun, Keivan G.; Lund, Michael B.; Weintraub, David A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, 6301 Stevenson Center, Nashville, TN 37235 (United States); Cargile, Phillip [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Shappee, Benjamin J. [Carnegie Observatories, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States); Siverd, Robert J. [Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, 6740 Cortona Drive, Suite 102, Santa Barbara, CA 93117 (United States); Pepper, Joshua [Department of Physics, Lehigh University, 16 Memorial Drive East, Bethlehem, PA 18015 (United States); Kochanek, Christopher S.; Gaudi, B. Scott; Stanek, Krzysztof Z.; Holoien, Thomas W.-S. [Department of Astronomy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); James, David [Cerro Tololo InterAmerican Observatory, Casilla 603, La Serena (Chile); Kuhn, Rudolf B. [South African Astronomical Observatory, P.O. Box 9, Observatory 7935 (South Africa); Beatty, Thomas G. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Prieto, Jose L. [Nucleo de Astronoma de la Facultad de Ingeniera, Universidad Diego Portales, Av. Ejercito 441, Santiago (Chile); Feldman, Daniel M.; Espaillat, Catherine C. [Department of Astronomy, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 (United States)

2016-11-01

In some planet formation theories, protoplanets grow gravitationally within a young star’s protoplanetary disk, a signature of which may be a localized disturbance in the disk’s radial and/or vertical structure. Using time-series photometric observations by the Kilodegree Extremely Little Telescope South project and the All-Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae, combined with archival observations, we present the discovery of two extended dimming events of the young star, DM Ori. This young system faded by ∼1.5 mag from 2000 March to 2002 August and then again in 2013 January until 2014 September (depth ∼1.7 mag). We constrain the duration of the 2000–2002 dimming to be < 860 days, and the event in 2013–2014 to be < 585 days, separated by ∼12.5 years. A model of the spectral energy distribution indicates a large infrared excess consistent with an extensive circumstellar disk. Using basic kinematic arguments, we propose that DM Ori is likely being periodically occulted by a feature (possibly a warp or perturbation) in its circumstellar disk. In this scenario, the occulting feature is located >6 au from the host star, moving at ∼14.6 km s{sup −1} and is ∼4.9 au in width. This localized structure may indicate a disturbance such as that which may be caused by a protoplanet early in its formation.

Gas Velocities Reveal Newly Born Planets in a Disk

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2018-06-01

Occasionally, science comes together beautifully for a discovery and sometimes this happens for more than one team at once! Today we explore how two independent collaborations of scientists simultaneously found the very first kinematic evidence for young planets forming in a protoplanetary disk. Though they explored the same disk, the two teams in fact discovered different planets.Evidence for PlanetsALMAs view of the dust in the protoplanetary disk surrounding the young star HD 163296. Todays studies explore not the dust, but the gas of this disk. [ALMA (ESO/NAOJ/NRAO); A. Isella; B. Saxton (NRAO/AUI/NSF)]Over the past three decades, weve detected around 4,000 fully formed exoplanets. Much more elusive, however, are the young planets still in the early stages of formation; only a handful of these have been discovered. More observations of early-stage exoplanets are needed in order to understand how these worlds are born in dusty protoplanetary-disk environments, how they grow their atmospheres, and how they evolve.Recent observations by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) have produced stunning images of protoplanetary disks. The unprecedented resolution of these images reveals substructure in the form of gaps and rings, hinting at the presence of planets that orbit within the disk and clear out their paths as they move. But there are also non-planet mechanisms that could produce such substructure, like grain growth around ice lines, or hydrodynamic instabilities in the disk.How can we definitively determine whether there are nascent planets embedded in these disks? Direct direction of a point source in a dust gap would be a strong confirmation, but now we have the next best thing: kinematic evidence for planets, from the motion of a disks gas.Observations of carbon monoxide line emission at +1km/s from the systemic velocity (left) vs. the outcome of a computer simulation (right) in the Pinte et al. study. A visible kink occurs in the flow

Angular Momentum in Disk Wind Revealed in the Young Star MWC 349A

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Qizhou; Claus, Brian; Watson, Linda; Moran, James, E-mail: qzhang@cfa.harvard.edu [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge MA 02138 (United States)

2017-03-01

Disk winds are thought to play a critical role in star birth. As winds extract excess angular momentum from accretion disks, matter in the disk can be transported inward to the star to fuel mass growth. However, observational evidence of wind carrying angular momentum has been very limited. We present Submillimeter Array (SMA) observations of the young star MWC 349A in the H26 α and H30 α recombination lines. The high signal-to-noise ratios made possible by the maser emission process allow us to constrain the relative astrometry of the maser spots to milli-arcsecond precision. Previous observations of the H30 α line with the SMA and the Plateau de Bure interferometer (PdBI) showed that masers are distributed in the disk and wind. Our new high-resolution observations of the H26 α line reveal differences in spatial distribution from that of the H30 α line. H26 α line masers in the disk are excited in a thin annulus with a radius of about 25 au, while the H30 α line masers are formed in a slightly larger annulus with a radius of 30 au. This is consistent with expectations for maser excitation in the presence of an electron density variation of approximately R {sup −4}. In addition, the H30 α and H26 α line masers arise from different parts in the wind. This difference is also expected from maser theory. The wind component of both masers exhibits line-of-sight velocities that closely follow a Keplerian law. This result provides strong evidence that the disk wind extracts significant angular momentum, thereby facilitating mass accretion in the young star.

Properties of Planet-Forming Prostellar Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Lindstrom, David (Technical Monitor); Lubow, Stephen

2005-01-01

The proposal achieved many of its objectives. The main area of investigation was the interaction of young planets with surrounding protostellar disks. The grant funds were used to support visits by CoIs and visitors: Gordon Ogilvie, Gennaro D Angelo, and Matthew Bate. Funds were used for travel and partial salary support for Lubow. We made important progress in two areas described in the original proposal: secular resonances (Section 3) and nonlinear waves in three dimensions (Section 5). In addition, we investigated several new areas: planet migration, orbital distribution of planets, and noncoorbital corotation resonances.

Disk Evolution, Element Abundances and Cloud Properties of Young Gas Giant Planets

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Helling, Christiane; Woitke, Peter; Rimmer, Paul B.; Kamp, Inga; Thi, Wing-Fai; Meijerink, Rowin

We discuss the chemical pre-conditions for planet formation, in terms of gas and ice abundances in a protoplanetary disk, as function of time and position, and the resulting chemical composition and cloud properties in the atmosphere when young gas giant planets form, in particular discussing the

THE EDGE OF THE YOUNG GALACTIC DISK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carraro, Giovanni; Vazquez, Ruben A.; Costa, Edgardo; Perren, Gabriel; Moitinho, Andre

2010-01-01

In this work, we report and discuss the detection of two distant diffuse stellar groups in the third Galactic quadrant. They are composed of young stars, with spectral types ranging from late O to late B, and lie at galactocentric distances between 15 and 20 kpc. These groups are located in the area of two cataloged open clusters (VdB-Hagen 04 and Ruprecht 30), projected toward the Vela-Puppis constellations, and within the core of the Canis Major overdensity. Their reddening and distances have been estimated by analyzing their color-color and color-magnitude diagrams, derived from deep UBV photometry. The existence of young star aggregates at such extreme distances from the Galactic center challenges the commonly accepted scenario in which the Galactic disk has a sharp cutoff at about 14 kpc from the Galactic center and indicates that it extends to much greater distances (as also supported by the recent detection of CO molecular complexes well beyond this distance). While the groups we find in the area of Ruprecht 30 are compatible with the Orion and Norma-Cygnus spiral arms, respectively, the distant group we identify in the region of VdB-Hagen 04 lies in the external regions of the Norma-Cygnus arm, at a galactocentric distance (∼20 kpc) where no young stars have been detected so far in the optical.

Disk Evolution, Element Abundances and Cloud Properties of Young Gas Giant Planets

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christiane Helling

2014-04-01

Full Text Available We discuss the chemical pre-conditions for planet formation, in terms of gas and ice abundances in a protoplanetary disk, as function of time and position, and the resulting chemical composition and cloud properties in the atmosphere when young gas giant planets form, in particular discussing the effects of unusual, non-solar carbon and oxygen abundances. Large deviations between the abundances of the host star and its gas giants seem likely to occur if the planet formation follows the core-accretion scenario. These deviations stem from the separate evolution of gas and dust in the disk, where the dust forms the planet cores, followed by the final run-away accretion of the left-over gas. This gas will contain only traces of elements like C, N and O, because those elements have frozen out as ices. PRODIMO protoplanetary disk models are used to predict the chemical evolution of gas and ice in the midplane. We find that cosmic rays play a crucial role in slowly un-blocking the CO, where the liberated oxygen forms water, which then freezes out quickly. Therefore, the C/O ratio in the gas phase is found to gradually increase with time, in a region bracketed by the water and CO ice-lines. In this regions, C/O is found to approach unity after about 5 Myrs, scaling with the cosmic ray ionization rate assumed. We then explore how the atmospheric chemistry and cloud properties in young gas giants are affected when the non-solar C/O ratios predicted by the disk models are assumed. The DRIFT cloud formation model is applied to study the formation of atmospheric clouds under the influence of varying premordial element abundances and its feedback onto the local gas. We demonstrate that element depletion by cloud formation plays a crucial role in converting an oxygen-rich atmosphere gas into carbon-rich gas when non-solar, premordial element abundances are considered as suggested by disk models.

Probing Protoplanetary Disks: From Birth to Planets

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Cox, Erin Guilfoil

2018-01-01

Disks are very important in the evolution of protostars and their subsequent planets. How early disks can form has implications for early planet formation. In the youngest protostars (i.e., Class 0 sources) magnetic fields can control disk growth. When the field is parallel to the collapsing core’s rotation axis, infalling material loses angular momentum and disks form in later stages. Sub-/millimeter polarization continuum observations of Class 0 sources at ~1000 au resolution support this idea. However, in the inner (~100 au), denser regions, it is unknown if the polarization only traces aligned dust grains. Recent theoretical studies have shown that self-scattering of thermal emission in the disk may contribute significantly to the polarization. Determining the scattering contribution in these sources is important to disentangle the magnetic field. At older times (the Class II phase), the disk structure can both act as a modulator and signpost of planet formation, if there is enough of a mass reservoir. In my dissertation talk, I will present results that bear on disk evolution at both young and late ages. I will present 8 mm polarization results of two Class 0 protostars (IRAS 4A and IC348 MMS) from the VLA at ~50 au resolution. The inferred magnetic field of IRAS 4A has a circular morphology, reminiscent of material being dragged into a rotating structure. I will show results from SOFIA polarization data of the area surrounding IRAS 4A at ~4000 au. I will also present ALMA 850 micron polarization data of ten protostars in the Perseus Molecular Cloud. Most of these sources show very ordered patterns and low (~0.5%) polarization in their inner regions, while having very disordered patterns and high polarization patterns in their extended emission that may suggest different mechanisms in the inner/outer regions. Finally, I will present results from our ALMA dust continuum survey of protoplanetary disks in Rho Ophiuchus; we measured both the sizes and fluxes of

Alma Survey of Circumstellar Disks in the Young Stellar Cluster IC 348

Science.gov (United States)

Ruíz-Rodríguez, D.; Cieza, L. A.; Williams, J. P.; Andrews, S. M.; Principe, D. A.; Caceres, C.; Canovas, H.; Casassus, S.; Schreiber, M. R.; Kastner, J. H.

2018-05-01

We present a 1.3 mm continuum survey of the young (2-3 Myr) stellar cluster IC 348, which lies at a distance of 310 pc, and is dominated by low-mass stars (M⋆ ˜ 0.1-0.6 M⊙). We observed 136 Class II sources (disks that are optically thick in the infrared) at 0.8″ (200 au) resolution with a 3σ sensitivity of ˜ 0.45 mJy (Mdust ˜ 1.3 M⊕). We detect 40 of the targets and construct a mm-continuum luminosity function. We compare the disk mass distribution in IC 348 to those of younger and older regions, taking into account the dependence on stellar mass. We find a clear evolution in disk masses from 1 to 5-10 Myr. The disk masses in IC 348 are significantly lower than those in Taurus (1-3 Myr) and Lupus (1-3 Myr), similar to those of Chamaleon I, (2-3 Myr) and σ Ori (3-5 Myr) and significantly higher than in Upper Scorpius (5-10 Myr). About 20 disks in our sample (˜5% of the cluster members) have estimated masses (dust + gas) >1 MJup and hence might be the precursors of giant planets in the cluster. Some of the most massive disks include transition objects with inner opacity holes based on their infrared SEDs. From a stacking analysis of the 96 non-detections, we find that these disks have a typical dust mass of just ≲ 0.4 M⊕, even though the vast majority of their infrared SEDs remain optically thick and show little signs of evolution. Such low-mass disks may be the precursors of the small rocky planets found by Kepler around M-type stars.

Understanding Gas-Phase Ammonia Chemistry in Protoplanetary Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Chambers, Lauren; Oberg, Karin I.; Cleeves, Lauren Ilsedore

2017-01-01

Protoplanetary disks are dynamic regions of gas and dust around young stars, the remnants of star formation, that evolve and coagulate over millions of years in order to ultimately form planets. The chemical composition of protoplanetary disks is affected by both the chemical and physical conditions in which they develop, including the initial molecular abundances in the birth cloud, the spectrum and intensity of radiation from the host star and nearby systems, and mixing and turbulence within the disk. A more complete understanding of the chemical evolution of disks enables a more complete understanding of the chemical composition of planets that may form within them, and of their capability to support life. One element known to be essential for life on Earth is nitrogen, which often is present in the form of ammonia (NH3). Recent observations by Salinas et al. (2016) reveal a theoretical discrepancy in the gas-phase and ice-phase ammonia abundances in protoplanetary disks; while observations of comets and protostars estimate the ice-phase NH3/H2O ratio in disks to be 5%, Salinas reports a gas-phase NH3/H2O ratio of ~7-84% in the disk surrounding TW Hydra, a young nearby star. Through computational chemical modeling of the TW Hydra disk using a reaction network of over 5000 chemical reactions, I am investigating the possible sources of excess gas-phase NH3 by determining the primary reaction pathways of NH3 production; the downstream chemical effects of ionization by ultraviolet photons, X-rays, and cosmic rays; and the effects of altering the initial abundances of key molecules such as N and N2. Beyond providing a theoretical explanation for the NH3 ice/gas discrepancy, this new model may lead to fuller understanding of the gas-phase formation processes of all nitrogen hydrides (NHx), and thus fuller understanding of the nitrogen-bearing molecules that are fundamental for life as we know it.

Coevolution of Binaries and Circumbinary Gaseous Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Fleming, David; Quinn, Thomas R.

2018-04-01

The recent discoveries of circumbinary planets by Kepler raise questions for contemporary planet formation models. Understanding how these planets form requires characterizing their formation environment, the circumbinary protoplanetary disk, and how the disk and binary interact. The central binary excites resonances in the surrounding protoplanetary disk that drive evolution in both the binary orbital elements and in the disk. To probe how these interactions impact both binary eccentricity and disk structure evolution, we ran N-body smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulations of gaseous protoplanetary disks surrounding binaries based on Kepler 38 for 10^4 binary orbital periods for several initial binary eccentricities. We find that nearly circular binaries weakly couple to the disk via a parametric instability and excite disk eccentricity growth. Eccentric binaries strongly couple to the disk causing eccentricity growth for both the disk and binary. Disks around sufficiently eccentric binaries strongly couple to the disk and develop an m = 1 spiral wave launched from the 1:3 eccentric outer Lindblad resonance (EOLR). This wave corresponds to an alignment of gas particle longitude of periastrons. We find that in all simulations, the binary semi-major axis decays due to dissipation from the viscous disk.

MID-INFRARED SPECTRA OF TRANSITIONAL DISKS IN THE CHAMAELEON I CLOUD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, K. H.; Watson, Dan M.; Manoj, P.; Forrest, W. J.; Sargent, B.; McClure, M. K.; Green, J. D.; Harrold, Samuel T.; Furlan, E.; Najita, J.; Espaillat, C.; Calvet, N.; Luhman, K. L.

2009-01-01

We present 5-40 μm Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph spectra of a collection of transitional disks, objects for which the spectral energy distribution (SED) indicates central clearings (holes) or gaps in the dust distribution, in the Chamaeleon I star-forming region. Like their counterparts in the Taurus-Auriga star-forming region that we have previously observed, the spectra of these young objects (1-3 Myr old) reveal that the central clearings or gaps are very sharp-edged, and are surrounded by optically thick dusty disks similar to those around other classical T Tauri stars in the Chamaeleon I association. Also like the Taurus transitional disks, the Chamaeleon I transitional disks have extremely large depletion factors for small dust grains in their gaps, compared to the full accretion disks whose SEDs are represented by the median SED of Class II objects in the region. We find that the fraction of transitional disks in the Chamaeleon I cloud is somewhat higher than that in the Taurus-Auriga cloud, possibly indicating that the frequency of transitional disks, on average, increases with cluster age. We also find a significant correlation between the stellar mass and the radius of the outer edge of the gap. We discuss the disk structures implied by the spectra and the constraints they place on gap-formation mechanisms in protoplanetary disks.

A Study of Inner Disk Gas around Young Stars in the Lupus Complex

Science.gov (United States)

Arulanantham, Nicole Annemarie; France, Kevin; Hoadley, Keri

2018-06-01

We present a study of molecular hydrogen at the surfaces of the disks around five young stars in the Lupus complex: RY Lupi, RU Lupi, MY Lupi, Sz 68, and TYC 7851. Each system was observed with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) onboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), and we detect a population of fluorescent H2 in all five sources. The temperatures required for LyA fluorescence to proceed (T ~ 1500-2500 K) place the gas within ~15 AU of the central stars. We have used these features to extract the radial distribution of H2 in the inner disk, where planet formation may already be taking place. The objects presented here have very different outer disk morphologies, as seen by ALMA via 890 micron dust continuum emission, ranging from full disks with no signs of cavities to systems with large regions that are clearly depleted (e.g. TYC 7851, with a cavity extending to 75 and 60 AU in dust and gas, respectively). Our results are interpreted in conjunction with sub-mm data from the five systems in an effort to piece together a more complete picture of the overall disk structure. We have previously applied this multi-wavelength approach to RY Lupi, including 4.7 micron IR-CO emission in our analysis. These IR-CO and UV-H2 observations were combined with 10 micron silicate emission, the 890 micron dust continuum, and 1.3 mm CO observations from the literature to infer a gapped structure in the inner disk. This single system has served as a testing ground for the larger Lupus complex sample, which we compare here to examine any trends between the outer disk morphology and inner disk gas distributions.

Kinematics of the inner thousand AU region around the young massive star AFGL 2591-VLA3: a massive disk candidate?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wang, K. -S.; van der Tak, F. F. S.; Hogerheijde, M. R.

Context. Recent detections of disks around young high-mass stars support the idea of massive star formation through accretion rather than coalescence, but the detailed kinematics in the equatorial region of the disk candidates is not well known, which limits our understanding of the accretion

Dust in protoplanetary disks: observations*

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Waters L.B.F.M.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Solid particles, usually referred to as dust, are a crucial component of interstellar matter and of planet forming disks surrounding young stars. Despite the relatively small mass fraction of ≈1% (in the solar neighborhood of our galaxy; this number may differ substantially in other galaxies that interstellar grains represent of the total mass budget of interstellar matter, dust grains play an important role in the physics and chemistry of interstellar matter. This is because of the opacity dust grains at short (optical, UV wavelengths, and the surface they provide for chemical reactions. In addition, dust grains play a pivotal role in the planet formation process: in the core accretion model of planet formation, the growth of dust grains from the microscopic size range to large, cm-sized or larger grains is the first step in planet formation. Not only the grain size distribution is affected by planet formation. Chemical and physical processes alter the structure and chemical composition of dust grains as they enter the protoplanetary disk and move closer to the forming star. Therefore, a lot can be learned about the way stars and planets are formed by observations of dust in protoplanetary disks. Ideally, one would like to measure the dust mass, the grain size distribution, grain structure (porosity, fluffiness, the chemical composition, and all of these as a function of position in the disk. Fortunately, several observational diagnostics are available to derive constrains on these quantities. In combination with rapidly increasing quality of the data (spatial and spectral resolution, a lot of progress has been made in our understanding of dust evolution in protoplanetary disks. An excellent review of dust evolution in protoplanetary disks can be found in Testi et al. (2014.

Sporadic mass loss, spin-down, and element redistribution in young disk galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charlton, J.C.; Salpeter, E.E.

1989-01-01

Violent conditions in young spiral disks may be conducive to the high-velocity ejection of large blobs of material powered by the concerted action of supernovae. Using explicit numerical Monte Carlo models, treating ejected bobs as galactic cannonballs traveling with little interaction through the corona, several important consequences for galactic evolution are found. Preferential escape from the galaxy or objects with high specific angular momenta lead to a significant spin-down of the disk. In addition, this process may contribute to the production of an exponential column density distribution, and a metallicity gradient. The models predict a reversal in the sign of the metallicity gradient at large radii because the metal-rich objects that return to such a low column density region suffer relatively little dilution. 39 refs

Protoplanetary disks around intermediate-mass stars: the asset of imaging in the mid-infrared

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Doucet, Coralie

2006-01-01

The accrued efficiency of the instruments in many wavelengths has allowed to show that most young stellar objects were surrounded by circumstellar matter distributed in a disk. Direct imaging of such systems is very difficult because of their narrow angular size and their weak luminosity in comparison with the star. Nowadays, 50 % of low-mass pre-main sequence stars, i.e. T Tauri stars, are surrounded by a disk. This proportion is less obvious for intermediate-mass stars, like Herbig Ae stars, that are less numerous and whose direct disk detection is more difficult. Until now, only the interpretation of the Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) of such objects allows to have access to the geometry of the disk. But the solutions are degenerated and several parameters fit the same SED. It is essential to have direct images of the objects, the only evidence of the presence of disks. This PhD allows to show that mid-infrared imaging could rise a part of the degeneracy of the disk's parameters linked to the fit of the SED for several objects and gives constraints on the minimum external radius and inclination of the disk. We present a new observation mode with VISIR, the mid-infrared imager and spectrometer on the VLT (ESO, Chile): the so-called BURST mode. This mode allows to reach the diffraction limit of the telescope. Thanks to mid-infrared imaging with this instrument, we were able, for the first time, to have access to the geometry of a disk (flared structure) around a massive star that was, until now, only deduced from the SED modelling. (author) [fr

On Fallback Disks around Young Neutron Stars

Science.gov (United States)

Alpar, M. Ali; Ertan, Ü.; Erkut, M. H.

2006-08-01

Some bound matter in the form of a fallback disk may be an initial parameter of isolated neutron stars at birth, which, along with the initial rotation rate and dipole (and higher multipole) magnetic moments, determines the evolution of neutron stars and the categories into which they fall. This talk reviews the possibilities of fallback disk models in explaining properties of isolated neutron stars of different categories. Recent observations of a fallback disk and observational limits on fallback disks will also be discussed.

CLUSTER DYNAMICS LARGELY SHAPES PROTOPLANETARY DISK SIZES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vincke, Kirsten; Pfalzner, Susanne, E-mail: kvincke@mpifr-bonn.mpg.de [Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Auf dem Hügel 69, D-53121 Bonn (Germany)

2016-09-01

To what degree the cluster environment influences the sizes of protoplanetary disks surrounding young stars is still an open question. This is particularly true for the short-lived clusters typical for the solar neighborhood, in which the stellar density and therefore the influence of the cluster environment change considerably over the first 10 Myr. In previous studies, the effect of the gas on the cluster dynamics has often been neglected; this is remedied here. Using the code NBody6++, we study the stellar dynamics in different developmental phases—embedded, expulsion, and expansion—including the gas, and quantify the effect of fly-bys on the disk size. We concentrate on massive clusters (M {sub cl} ≥ 10{sup 3}–6 ∗ 10{sup 4} M {sub Sun}), which are representative for clusters like the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) or NGC 6611. We find that not only the stellar density but also the duration of the embedded phase matters. The densest clusters react fastest to the gas expulsion and drop quickly in density, here 98% of relevant encounters happen before gas expulsion. By contrast, disks in sparser clusters are initially less affected, but because these clusters expand more slowly, 13% of disks are truncated after gas expulsion. For ONC-like clusters, we find that disks larger than 500 au are usually affected by the environment, which corresponds to the observation that 200 au-sized disks are common. For NGC 6611-like clusters, disk sizes are cut-down on average to roughly 100 au. A testable hypothesis would be that the disks in the center of NGC 6611 should be on average ≈20 au and therefore considerably smaller than those in the ONC.

The Building History of XUV disks of M83& NGC2403 with TRGB Archaeology

Science.gov (United States)

Koda, Jin

2015-06-01

We propose deep HSC g & i-band imaging of two extended ultraviolet (XUV) disks of M83 and NGC2403. These galaxies have the prototype XUV disks with the largest size ( 1 deg and 30 arcmin). The Subaru HSC permits unprecedentedly deep imaging over these gigantic XUV disks, including sufficient surrounding areas which are used for sky subtraction and statistical estimation of background contamination. This project probes the building history of the XUV disks using archeological stellar populations, especially the tip of red giant branch (TRGB) stars (age 2-14 Gyr). Their presence and distribution over the XUV disks will reveal any star formation (SF) occurring over the past 2 Gyr, 4-6 Gyr, and beyond - i.e., the epochs preceding the recent (UV-traced) state of SF. Their color depends strongly on metallicity, thus providing an additional measure of star-gas recycling during the evolution of the XUV disks. In addition, we will detect young & massive main sequence stars (<100 Myr) and He-burning stars (100-500 Myr). Comparing various generations of stars, in terms of number densities and spatial distributions, will reveal the much-unexplored SF history in the XUV disks.

An infrared view of (candidate accretion) disks around massive young stars

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bik, A.; Lenorzer, A.; Thi, W.F.; Puga Antolín, E.; Waters, L.B.F.M.; Kaper, L.; Martín-Hernández, L.N.

2008-01-01

Near-infrared surveys of high-mass star-forming regions start to shed light onto their stellar content. A particular class of objects found in these regions, the so-called massive Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) are surrounded by dense circumstellar material. Several near- and mid-infrared diagnostic

DEEP MIPS OBSERVATIONS OF THE IC 348 NEBULA: CONSTRAINTS ON THE EVOLUTIONARY STATE OF ANEMIC CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS AND THE PRIMORDIAL-TO-DEBRIS DISK TRANSITION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Currie, Thayne; Kenyon, Scott J.

2009-01-01

We describe new, deep MIPS photometry and new high signal-to-noise optical spectroscopy of the 2.5 Myr old IC 348 Nebula. To probe the properties of the IC 348 disk population, we combine these data with previous optical/infrared photometry and spectroscopy to identify stars with gas accretion, to examine their mid-IR colors, and to model their spectral energy distributions. IC 348 contains many sources in different evolutionary states, including protostars and stars surrounded by primordial disks, two kinds of transitional disks, and debris disks. Most disks surrounding early/intermediate spectral-type stars (>1.4 M sun at 2.5 Myr) are debris disks; most disks surrounding solar and subsolar-mass stars are primordial disks. At the 1-2 σ level, more massive stars also have a smaller frequency of gas accretion and smaller mid-IR luminosities than lower-mass stars. These trends are suggestive of a stellar mass-dependent evolution of disks, where most disks around high/intermediate-mass stars shed their primordial disks on rapid, 2.5 Myr timescales. The frequency of MIPS-detected transitional disks is ∼15%-35% for stars plausibly more massive than 0.5 M sun . The relative frequency of transitional disks in IC 348 compared to that for 1 Myr old Taurus and 5 Myr old NGC 2362 is consistent with a transition timescale that is a significant fraction of the total primordial disk lifetime.

GRAIN GROWTH IN THE CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS OF THE YOUNG STARS CY Tau AND DoAr 25

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pérez, Laura M.; Chandler, Claire J. [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box O, Socorro, NM 87801 (United States); Isella, Andrea [Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 (United States); Carpenter, John M.; Sargent, Anneila I. [California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Andrews, Sean M.; Ricci, Luca [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Calvet, Nuria [University of Michigan, 830 Dennison Building, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Corder, Stuartt A. [Joint ALMA Observatory, Av. Alonso de Córdova 3107, Vitacura, Santiago (Chile); Deller, Adam T. [The Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy (ASTRON), 7990-AA Dwingeloo (Netherlands); Dullemond, Cornelis P. [Heidelberg University, Center for Astronomy, Albert Ueberle Str 2, Heidelberg (Germany); Greaves, Jane S. [University of St. Andrews, Physics and Astronomy, North Haugh, St. Andrews KY16 9SS (United Kingdom); Harris, Robert J. [University of Illinois, 1002 West Green St., Urbana, IL 61801 (United States); Henning, Thomas; Linz, Hendrik [Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Kwon, Woojin [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, 776 Daedeok-daero, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34055 (Korea, Republic of); Lazio, Joseph [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Dr, Pasadena, CA 91106 (United States); Mundy, Lee G.; Storm, Shaye [University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Tazzari, Marco [European Southern Observatory, Karl Schwarzschild str. 2, D-85748 Garching (Germany); and others

2015-11-01

We present new results from the Disks@EVLA program for two young stars: CY Tau and DoAr 25. We trace continuum emission arising from their circusmtellar disks from spatially resolved observations, down to tens of AU scales, at λ = 0.9, 2.8, 8.0, 9.8 mm for DoAr 25 and at λ = 1.3, 2.8, 7.1 mm for CY Tau. Additionally, we constrain the amount of emission whose origin is different from thermal dust emission from 5 cm observations. Directly from interferometric data, we find that observations at 7 mm and 1 cm trace emission from a compact disk while millimeter-wave observations trace an extended disk structure. From a physical disk model, where we characterize the disk structure of CY Tau and DoAr 25 at wavelengths shorter than 5 cm, we find that (1) dust continuum emission is optically thin at the observed wavelengths and over the spatial scales studied, (2) a constant value of the dust opacity is not warranted by our observations, and (3) a high-significance radial gradient of the dust opacity spectral index, β, is consistent with the observed dust emission in both disks, with low-β in the inner disk and high-β in the outer disk. Assuming that changes in dust properties arise solely due to changes in the maximum particle size (a{sub max}), we constrain radial variations of a{sub max} in both disks, from cm-sized particles in the inner disk (R < 40 AU) to millimeter sizes in the outer disk (R > 80 AU). These observational constraints agree with theoretical predictions of the radial-drift barrier, however, fragmentation of dust grains could explain our a{sub max}(R) constraints if these disks have lower turbulence and/or if dust can survive high-velocity collisions.

DETECTION OF CH{sub 4} IN THE GV TAU N PROTOPLANETARY DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gibb, Erika L. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Missouri -St Louis, 503 Benton Hall, One University Blvd, St Louis, MO 63121 (United States); Horne, David, E-mail: gibbe@umsl.edu [Department of Physics, Marietta College, Marietta, OH 45750 (United States)

2013-10-20

T Tauri stars are low mass young stars that may serve as analogs to the early solar system. Observations of organic molecules in the protoplanetary disks surrounding T Tauri stars are important for characterizing the chemical and physical processes that lead to planet formation. Searches for undetected molecules, particularly in the inner, planet forming regions of these disks are important for testing protoplanetary disk chemical models and for understanding the evolution of volatiles through the star and planet formation process. We used NIRSPEC on Keck 2 to perform a high resolution (λ/Δλ ∼ 25,000) L-band survey of T Tauri star GV Tau N. This object is one of two in which the simple organic molecules HCN and C{sub 2}H{sub 2} have been reported in absorption in the warm molecular layer of the protoplanetary disk. In this Letter, we report the first detection of methane, CH{sub 4}, in a protoplanetary disk. Specifically, we detected the ν{sub 3} band in absorption. We determined a rotational temperature of 750 ± 50 K and column density of (2.8 ± 0.2) × 10{sup 17} cm{sup –2}. Our results imply that CH{sub 4} originates in the warm molecular layer of the inner protoplanetary disk.

Differences in the Gas and Dust Distribution in the Transitional Disk of a Sun-like Young Star, PDS 70

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Zachary C.; Akiyama, Eiji; Sitko, Michael; Fernandes, Rachel B.; Assani, Korash; Grady, Carol A.; Cure, Michel; Danchi, William C.; Dong, Ruobing; Fukagawa, Misato; Hasegawa, Yasuhiro; Hashimoto, Jun; Henning, Thomas; Inutsuka, Shu-Ichiro; Kraus, Stefan; Kwon, Jungmi; Lisse, Carey M.; Baobabu Liu, Hauyu; Mayama, Satoshi; Muto, Takayuki; Nakagawa, Takao; Takami, Michihiro; Tamura, Motohide; Currie, Thayne; Wisniewski, John P.; Yang, Yi

2018-05-01

We present ALMA 0.87 mm continuum, HCO+ J = 4–3 emission line, and CO J = 3–2 emission line data of the disk of material around the young, Sun-like star PDS 70. These data reveal the existence of a possible two-component transitional disk system with a radial dust gap of 0.″42 ± 0.″05, an azimuthal gap in the HCO+ J = 4–3 moment zero map, as well as two bridge-like features in the gas data. Interestingly these features in the gas disk have no analog in the dust disk making them of particular interest. We modeled the dust disk using the Monte Carlo radiative transfer code HOCHUNK3D using a two-disk component. We find that there is a radial gap that extends from 15 to 60 au in all grain sizes, which differs from previous work.

IDENTIFYING NEARBY, YOUNG, LATE-TYPE STARS BY MEANS OF THEIR CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schneider, Adam; Song, Inseok; Melis, Carl; Zuckerman, B.; Bessell, Mike

2012-01-01

It has recently been shown that a significant fraction of late-type members of nearby, very young associations (age ∼<10 Myr) display excess emission at mid-IR wavelengths indicative of dusty circumstellar disks. We demonstrate that the detection of mid-IR excess emission can be utilized to identify new nearby, young, late-type stars including two definite new members ('TWA 33' and 'TWA 34') of the TW Hydrae Association (TWA). Both new TWA members display mid-IR excess emission in the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer catalog and they show proper motion and youthful spectroscopic characteristics—namely, Hα emission, strong lithium absorption, and low surface gravity features consistent with known TWA members. We also detect mid-IR excess—the first unambiguous evidence of a dusty circumstellar disk—around a previously identified UV-bright, young, accreting star (2M1337) that is a likely member of the Lower-Centaurus Crux region of the Scorpius-Centaurus Complex.

Extraplanar H II Regions in Spiral Galaxies. I. Low-metallicity Gas Accreting through the Disk-halo Interface of NGC 4013

Science.gov (United States)

Howk, J. Christopher; Rueff, Katherine M.; Lehner, Nicolas; Wotta, Christopher B.; Croxall, Kevin; Savage, Blair D.

2018-04-01

The interstellar thick disks of galaxies serve as the interface between the thin star-forming disk, where feedback-driven outflows originate, and the distant halo, the repository for accreted gas. We present optical emission line spectroscopy of a luminous, thick disk H II region located at z = 860 pc above the plane of the spiral galaxy NGC 4013 taken with the Multi-Object Double Spectrograph on the Large Binocular Telescope. This nebula, with an Hα luminosity ∼4–7 times that of the Orion nebula, surrounds a luminous cluster of young, hot stars that ionize the surrounding interstellar gas of the thick disk, providing a measure of the properties of that gas. We demonstrate that strong emission line methods can provide accurate measures of relative abundances between pairs of H II regions. From our emission line spectroscopy, we show that the metal content of the thick disk H II region is a factor of ≈2 lower than gas in H II regions at the midplane of this galaxy (with the relative abundance of O in the thick disk lower by ‑0.32 ± 0.09 dex). This implies incomplete mixing of material in the thick disk on small scales (hundreds of parsecs) and that there is accretion of low-metallicity gas through the thick disks of spirals. The inclusion of low-metallicity gas this close to the plane of NGC 4013 is reminiscent of the recently proposed “fountain-driven” accretion models.

Possible Analog for Early Solar System Disk Found

Science.gov (United States)

1998-10-01

, although tiny when compared to some suspected planet-forming systems recently discovered by other astronomical techniques, contains several compact clusters of water molecules that amplify microwave radio emissions in a manner similar to the way a laser amplifies light. By tracking the motions of these powerful, naturally occurring amplifiers, or "masers," the researchers could determine that a mass about the size of our Sun lies at the center of this disk. The researchers also detected a powerful radio jet, centered on the disk of water masers but perpendicular to it, shooting out of NGC 2071. Theorists have speculated that such jets are produced by accretion disks around very young stars, where flowing winds are driven outward by material that fails to fall onto the star. This may represent the smallest -- and perhaps earliest -- example of this disk-jet phenomenon seen to date. "We're pretty sure that systems like this, with disks of gas and dust surrounding a young star, turn into solar systems containing planets, moons and comets, but we don't know exactly how they do it," said Dr. Luis Rodriguez of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. "This particular object, because we can see all these phenomena and measure the rotation speeds and masses, is going to provide us an ideal laboratory for studying the mysterious process of planet formation." In addition to Torrelles and Ho, the other authors of the report published in the 1 October 1998 issue of the Astrophysical Journal were Drs. Jose F. Gomez of the Laboratory for Space and Astrophysics, Guillem Anglada of the Institute of Astrophysics of Andalucia, Spain, and Rodriguez and Dr. Salvador Curiel of the National Autonomous University of Mexico. The VLA is an instrument of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by the Associated Universities, Inc.

Subaru/SCExAO First-light Direct Imaging of a Young Debris Disk around HD 36546

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Currie, Thayne; Guyon, Olivier; Kudo, Tomoyuki; Jovanovic, Nemanja; Lozi, Julien [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Subaru Telescope, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Tamura, Motohide; Kuzuhara, Masayuki [Astrobiology Center, National Institutes of Natural Sciences, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo (Japan); Schlieder, Joshua E. [IPAC-NExScI, Mail Code 100-22, Caltech, 1200 E. California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Brandt, Timothy D. [Astrophysics Department, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ (United States); Kuhn, Jonas [Institute for Astronomy, ETH-Zurich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Str. 27, 8093 Zurich (Switzerland); Serabyn, Eugene; Singh, Garima [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA (United States); Janson, Markus [Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, AlbaNova University Center, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Carson, Joseph [Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Charleston, 66 George Street, Charleston, SC (United States); Groff, Tyler; Kasdin, N. Jeremy [Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ (United States); McElwain, Michael W.; Grady, Carol [Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory, Code 667, NASA-Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD (United States); Uyama, Taichi [Department of Astronomy, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo (Japan); Akiyama, Eiji [Chile Observatory, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo (Japan); and others

2017-02-10

We present H -band scattered light imaging of a bright debris disk around the A0 star HD 36546 obtained from the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics (SCExAO) system with data recorded by the HiCIAO camera using the vector vortex coronagraph. SCExAO traces the disk from r ∼ 0.″3 to r ∼1″ (34–114 au). The disk is oriented in a near east–west direction (PA ∼ 75°), is inclined by i ∼ 70°–75°, and is strongly forward-scattering (g > 0.5). It is an extended disk rather than a sharp ring; a second, diffuse dust population extends from the disk’s eastern side. While HD 36546 intrinsic properties are consistent with a wide age range (t ∼ 1–250 Myr), its kinematics and analysis of coeval stars suggest a young age (3–10 Myr) and a possible connection to Taurus-Auriga’s star formation history. SCExAO’s planet-to-star contrast ratios are comparable to the first-light Gemini Planet Imager contrasts; for an age of 10 Myr, we rule out planets with masses comparable to HR 8799 b beyond a projected separation of 23 au. A massive icy planetesimal disk or an unseen super-Jovian planet at r > 20 au may explain the disk’s visibility. The HD 36546 debris disk may be the youngest debris disk yet imaged, is the first newly identified object from the now-operational SCExAO extreme AO system, is ideally suited for spectroscopic follow-up with SCExAO/CHARIS in 2017, and may be a key probe of icy planet formation and planet–disk interactions.

Subaru/SCExAO First-light Direct Imaging of a Young Debris Disk around HD 36546

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Currie, Thayne; Guyon, Olivier; Kudo, Tomoyuki; Jovanovic, Nemanja; Lozi, Julien; Tamura, Motohide; Kuzuhara, Masayuki; Schlieder, Joshua E.; Brandt, Timothy D.; Kuhn, Jonas; Serabyn, Eugene; Singh, Garima; Janson, Markus; Carson, Joseph; Groff, Tyler; Kasdin, N. Jeremy; McElwain, Michael W.; Grady, Carol; Uyama, Taichi; Akiyama, Eiji

2017-01-01

We present H -band scattered light imaging of a bright debris disk around the A0 star HD 36546 obtained from the Subaru Coronagraphic Extreme Adaptive Optics (SCExAO) system with data recorded by the HiCIAO camera using the vector vortex coronagraph. SCExAO traces the disk from r ∼ 0.″3 to r ∼1″ (34–114 au). The disk is oriented in a near east–west direction (PA ∼ 75°), is inclined by i ∼ 70°–75°, and is strongly forward-scattering (g > 0.5). It is an extended disk rather than a sharp ring; a second, diffuse dust population extends from the disk’s eastern side. While HD 36546 intrinsic properties are consistent with a wide age range (t ∼ 1–250 Myr), its kinematics and analysis of coeval stars suggest a young age (3–10 Myr) and a possible connection to Taurus-Auriga’s star formation history. SCExAO’s planet-to-star contrast ratios are comparable to the first-light Gemini Planet Imager contrasts; for an age of 10 Myr, we rule out planets with masses comparable to HR 8799 b beyond a projected separation of 23 au. A massive icy planetesimal disk or an unseen super-Jovian planet at r > 20 au may explain the disk’s visibility. The HD 36546 debris disk may be the youngest debris disk yet imaged, is the first newly identified object from the now-operational SCExAO extreme AO system, is ideally suited for spectroscopic follow-up with SCExAO/CHARIS in 2017, and may be a key probe of icy planet formation and planet–disk interactions.

A deeply embedded young protoplanetary disk around L1489 IRS observed by the Submillimeter Array

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brinch, C.; Crapsi, A.; Jørgensen, J. K.

2007-01-01

Context. Circumstellar disks are expected to form early in the process that leads to the formation of a young star, during the collapse of the dense molecular cloud core. Currently, it is not well understood at what stage of the collapse the disk is formed or how it subsequently evolves. Aims. We....... This misalignment of the angular momentum axes may be caused by a gradient within the angular momentum in the parental cloud, or if L1489 IRS is a binary system rather than just a single star. In the latter case, future observations looking for variability at sub-arcsecond scales may be able to constrain...

DISCOVERY OF CRYSTALLIZED WATER ICE IN A SILHOUETTE DISK IN THE M43 REGION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Terada, Hiroshi [Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 650 North A' ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Tokunaga, Alan T., E-mail: terada@subaru.naoj.org [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu 96822 (United States)

2012-07-01

We present the 1.9-4.2 {mu}m spectra of the five bright (L {<=} 11.2) young stars associated with silhouette disks with a moderate to high inclination angle of 39 Degree-Sign -80 Degree-Sign in the M42 and M43 regions. The water ice absorption is seen toward d121-1925 and d216-0939, while the spectra of d182-316, d183-405, and d218-354 show no water ice feature around 3.1 {mu}m within the detection limits. By comparing the water ice features toward nearby stars, we find that the water ice absorption toward d121-1925 and d216-0939 most likely originates from the foreground material and the surrounding disk, respectively. The angle of the disk inclination is found to be mainly responsible for the difference of the optical depth of the water ice among the five young stars. Our results suggest that there is a critical inclination angle between 65 Degree-Sign and 75 Degree-Sign for the circumstellar disk where the water ice absorption becomes strong. The average density at the disk surface of d216-0939 was found to be 6.38 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup -18} g cm{sup -3}. The water ice absorption band in the d216-0939 disk is remarkable in that the maximum optical depth of the water ice band is at a longer wavelength than detected before. It indicates that the primary carrier of the feature is purely crystallized water ice at the surface of the d216-0939 disk with characteristic size of {approx}0.8 {mu}m, which suggests grain growth. This is the first direct detection of purely crystallized water ice in a silhouette disk.

DISK BRAKING IN YOUNG STARS: PROBING ROTATION IN CHAMAELEON I AND TAURUS-AURIGA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duy Cuong Nguyen; Jayawardhana, Ray; Van Kerkwijk, Marten H.; Damjanov, Ivana; Brandeker, Alexis; Scholz, Alexander

2009-01-01

We present a comprehensive study of rotation, disk, and accretion signatures for 144 T Tauri stars in the young (∼2 Myr old) Chamaeleon I and Taurus-Auriga star-forming regions based on multi-epoch high-resolution optical spectra from the Magellan Clay 6.5 m telescope supplemented by mid-infrared photometry from the Spitzer Space Telescope. In contrast to previous studies in the Orion Nebula Cluster and NGC 2264, we do not see a clear signature of disk braking in Tau-Aur and Cha I. We find that both accretors and non-accretors have similar distributions of vsin i. This result could be due to different initial conditions, insufficient time for disk braking, or a significant age spread within the regions. The rotational velocities in both regions show a clear mass dependence, with F-K stars rotating on average about twice as fast as M stars, consistent with results reported for other clusters of similar age. Similarly, we find the upper envelope of the observed values of specific angular momentum j varies as M 0.5 for our sample which spans a mass range of ∼0.16-3 M sun . This power law complements previous studies in Orion which estimated j ∝ M 0.25 for ∼ sun . Furthermore, the overall specific angular momentum of this ∼10 Myr population is five times lower than that of non-accretors in our sample, and implies a stellar braking mechanism other than disk braking could be at work. For a subsample of 67 objects with mid-infrared photometry, we examine the connection between accretion signatures and dusty disks: in the vast majority of cases (63/67), the two properties correlate well, which suggests that the timescale of gas accretion is similar to the lifetime of inner disks.

CN rings in full protoplanetary disks around young stars as probes of disk structure

Science.gov (United States)

Cazzoletti, P.; van Dishoeck, E. F.; Visser, R.; Facchini, S.; Bruderer, S.

2018-01-01

Aims: Bright ring-like structure emission of the CN molecule has been observed in protoplanetary disks. We investigate whether such structures are due to the morphology of the disk itself or if they are instead an intrinsic feature of CN emission. With the intention of using CN as a diagnostic, we also address to which physical and chemical parameters CN is most sensitive. Methods: A set of disk models were run for different stellar spectra, masses, and physical structures via the 2D thermochemical code DALI. An updated chemical network that accounts for the most relevant CN reactions was adopted. Results: Ring-shaped emission is found to be a common feature of all adopted models; the highest abundance is found in the upper outer regions of the disk, and the column density peaks at 30-100 AU for T Tauri stars with standard accretion rates. Higher mass disks generally show brighter CN. Higher UV fields, such as those appropriate for T Tauri stars with high accretion rates or for Herbig Ae stars or for higher disk flaring, generally result in brighter and larger rings. These trends are due to the main formation paths of CN, which all start with vibrationally excited H_2^* molecules, that are produced through far ultraviolet (FUV) pumping of H2. The model results compare well with observed disk-integrated CN fluxes and the observed location of the CN ring for the TW Hya disk. Conclusions: CN rings are produced naturally in protoplanetary disks and do not require a specific underlying disk structure such as a dust cavity or gap. The strong link between FUV flux and CN emission can provide critical information regarding the vertical structure of the disk and the distribution of dust grains which affects the UV penetration, and could help to break some degeneracies in the SED fitting. In contrast with C2H or c-C3H2, the CN flux is not very sensitive to carbon and oxygen depletion.

Cold disks : Spitzer spectroscopy of disks around young stars with large gaps

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Blake, G. A.; Dullemond, C. P.; Merin, B.; Augereau, J. C.; Boogert, A. C. A.; Evans, N. J.; Geers, V. C.; Lahuis, F.; Kessler-Silacci, J. E.; Pontoppidan, K. M.; van Dishoeck, E. F.; Brown, J.M.

2007-01-01

We have identified four circumstellar disks with a deficit of dust emission from their inner 15-50 AU. All four stars have F-G spectral type and were uncovered as part of the Spitzer Space Telescope "Cores to Disks" Legacy Program Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) first-look survey of similar to 100 pre -

Cold CO Gas in the Envelopes of FU Orionis-type Young Eruptive Stars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kóspál, Á.; Ábrahám, P.; Moór, A. [Konkoly Observatory, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Konkoly-Thege Miklós út 15-17, 1121 Budapest (Hungary); Csengeri, T.; Güsten, R. [Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, D-53121 Bonn (Germany); Henning, Th. [Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany)

2017-02-20

FU Orionis-type objects (FUors) are young stellar objects experiencing large optical outbursts due to highly enhanced accretion from the circumstellar disk onto the star. FUors are often surrounded by massive envelopes, which play a significant role in the outburst mechanism. Conversely, the subsequent eruptions might gradually clear up the obscuring envelope material and drive the protostar on its way to become a disk-only T Tauri star. Here we present an APEX {sup 12}CO and {sup 13}CO survey of eight southern and equatorial FUors. We measure the mass of the gaseous material surrounding our targets, locate the source of the CO emission, and derive physical parameters for the envelopes and outflows, where detected. Our results support the evolutionary scenario where FUors represent a transition phase from envelope-surrounded protostars to classical T Tauri stars.

A Search for Debris Disks Around Variable Pulsars

Science.gov (United States)

Shannon, Ryan; Cordes, J.; Lazio, J.; Kramer, M.; Lyne, A.

2009-01-01

After a supernova explosion, a modest amount of material will fall back and form a disk surrounding the resultant neutron star. This material can aggregate into rocky debris and the disk can be stable for the entire 10 million year lifetime of a canonical (non-recycled) radio pulsar. Previously, we developed a model that unifies the different classes of radio variability observed in many older pulsars. In this model, rocky material migrates inwards towards the neutron star and is ablated inside the pulsar magnetosphere. This material alters the electrodynamics in the magnetosphere which can cause the observed quiescent and bursting states observed in nulling pulsars, intermittent pulsars, and rotating radio transients. With this model in mind, we observed three nulling pulsars and one intermittent pulsar that are good candidates to host debris disks detectable by the Spitzer IRAC. Here we report how our IRAC observations constrain disk geometry, with particular emphasis on configurations that can provide the in-fall rate to cause the observed radio variability. We place these observations in the context of other searches for debris disks around neutron stars, which had studied either very young or very old (recycled) pulsars. By observing older canonical pulsars, all major classes of radio pulsars have been observed, and we can assess the presence of debris disks as a function of pulsar type. This work is based in part on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under a contract with NASA. Support for this work was provided by NASA through an award issued by JPL/Caltech.

TRANSITIONAL DISKS AND THEIR ORIGINS: AN INFRARED SPECTROSCOPIC SURVEY OF ORION A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, K. H.; Watson, Dan M.; Manoj, P.; Forrest, W. J.; Arnold, Laura; Najita, Joan; Furlan, Elise; Sargent, Benjamin; Espaillat, Catherine; Muzerolle, James; Megeath, S. T.; Calvet, Nuria; Green, Joel D.

2013-01-01

Transitional disks are protoplanetary disks around young stars, with inner holes or gaps which are surrounded by optically thick outer, and often inner, disks. Here we present observations of 62 new transitional disks in the Orion A star-forming region. These were identified using the Spitzer Space Telescope's Infrared Spectrograph and followed up with determinations of stellar and accretion parameters using the Infrared Telescope Facility's SpeX. We combine these new observations with our previous results on transitional disks in Taurus, Chamaeleon I, Ophiuchus, and Perseus, and with archival X-ray observations. This produces a sample of 105 transitional disks of ''cluster'' age 3 Myr or less, by far the largest hitherto assembled. We use this sample to search for trends between the radial structure in the disks and many other system properties, in order to place constraints on the possible origins of transitional disks. We see a clear progression of host-star accretion rate and the different disk morphologies. We confirm that transitional disks with complete central clearings have median accretion rates an order of magnitude smaller than radially continuous disks of the same population. Pre-transitional disks—those objects with gaps that separate inner and outer disks—have median accretion rates intermediate between the two. Our results from the search for statistically significant trends, especially related to M-dot , strongly support that in both cases the gaps are far more likely to be due to the gravitational influence of Jovian planets or brown dwarfs orbiting within the gaps, than to any of the photoevaporative, turbulent, or grain-growth processes that can lead to disk dissipation. We also find that the fraction of Class II YSOs which are transitional disks is large, 0.1-0.2, especially in the youngest associations.

ALMA OBSERVATIONS OF THE DEBRIS DISK AROUND THE YOUNG SOLAR ANALOG HD 107146

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ricci, L.; Carpenter, J. M.; Fu, B. [Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, MC 249-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Hughes, A. M. [Department of Astronomy, Wesleyan University, Van Vleck Observatory, 96 Foss Hill Drive, Midletown, CT 06457 (United States); Corder, S. [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903 (United States); Isella, A., E-mail: lricci@astro.caltech.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, 6100 South Main, Houston, TX 77521-1892 (United States)

2015-01-10

We present the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) continuum observations at a wavelength of 1.25 mm of the debris disk surrounding the ∼100 Myr old solar analog HD 107146. The continuum emission extends from about 30 to 150 AU from the central star with a decrease in the surface brightness at intermediate radii. We analyze the ALMA interferometric visibilities using debris disk models with radial profiles for the dust surface density parameterized as (1) a single power law, (2) a single power law with a gap, and (3) a double power law. We find that models with a gap of radial width ∼8 AU at a distance of ∼80 AU from the central star, as well as double power-law models with a dip in the dust surface density at ∼70 AU provide significantly better fits to the ALMA data than single power-law models. We discuss possible scenarios for the origin of the HD 107146 debris disk using models of planetesimal belts in which the formation of Pluto-sized objects trigger disruptive collisions of large bodies, as well as models that consider the interaction of a planetary system with a planetesimal belt and spatial variation of the dust opacity across the disk. If future observations with higher angular resolution and sensitivity confirm the fully depleted gap structure discussed here, a planet with a mass of approximately a few Earth masses in a nearly circular orbit at ∼80 AU from the central star would be a possible explanation for the presence of the gap.

ALMA OBSERVATIONS OF THE DEBRIS DISK AROUND THE YOUNG SOLAR ANALOG HD 107146

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ricci, L.; Carpenter, J. M.; Fu, B.; Hughes, A. M.; Corder, S.; Isella, A.

2015-01-01

We present the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) continuum observations at a wavelength of 1.25 mm of the debris disk surrounding the ∼100 Myr old solar analog HD 107146. The continuum emission extends from about 30 to 150 AU from the central star with a decrease in the surface brightness at intermediate radii. We analyze the ALMA interferometric visibilities using debris disk models with radial profiles for the dust surface density parameterized as (1) a single power law, (2) a single power law with a gap, and (3) a double power law. We find that models with a gap of radial width ∼8 AU at a distance of ∼80 AU from the central star, as well as double power-law models with a dip in the dust surface density at ∼70 AU provide significantly better fits to the ALMA data than single power-law models. We discuss possible scenarios for the origin of the HD 107146 debris disk using models of planetesimal belts in which the formation of Pluto-sized objects trigger disruptive collisions of large bodies, as well as models that consider the interaction of a planetary system with a planetesimal belt and spatial variation of the dust opacity across the disk. If future observations with higher angular resolution and sensitivity confirm the fully depleted gap structure discussed here, a planet with a mass of approximately a few Earth masses in a nearly circular orbit at ∼80 AU from the central star would be a possible explanation for the presence of the gap

A Resolved and Asymmetric Ring of PAHs within the Young Circumstellar Disk of IRS 48

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schworer, Guillaume; Lacour, Sylvestre; Du Foresto, Vincent Coudé [LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Sorbonne Universits, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, Univ. Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité (France); Huélamo, Nuria [Dpto. Astrofísica, Centro de Astrobiología (INTA-CSIC), ESAC Campus, P.O. Box 78, E-28691, Villanueva de la Cañada (Spain); Pinte, Christophe; Chauvin, Gaël [Univ. Grenoble Alpes, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble, France CNRS, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Ehrenreich, David [Observatoire de l’Université de Genève, 51 chemin des Maillettes, 1290 Versoix (Switzerland); Girard, Julien [European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Casilla 19001 Vitacura, Santiago 19 (Chile); Tuthill, Peter [Sydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, The University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia)

2017-06-20

For one decade, the spectral type and age of the ρ Oph object IRS-48 were subject to debate and mystery. Modeling its disk with mid-infrared to millimeter observations led to various explanations to account for the complex intricacy of dust holes and gas-depleted regions. We present multi-epoch high-angular-resolution interferometric near-infrared data of spatially resolved emissions in the first 15 au of IRS-48, known to have very strong polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) emissions within this dust-depleted region. We make use of new Sparse-Aperture-Masking data to instruct a revised radiative-transfer model, where spectral energy distribution fluxes and interferometry are jointly fitted. Neutral and ionized PAH, very small grains (VSG), and classical silicates are incorporated into the model; new stellar parameters and extinction laws are explored. A bright (42 L {sub ⊙}) and hence large (2.5 R {sub ⊙}) central star with A {sub v} = 12.5 mag and R {sub v} = 6.5 requires less near-infrared excess: the inner-most disk at ≈1 au is incompatible with the interferometric data. The revised stellar parameters place this system on a 4 Myr evolutionary track, four times younger than the previous estimations, which is in better agreement with the surrounding ρ Oph region and disk-lifetime observations. The disk-structure solution converges to a classical-grain outer disk from 55 au combined with an unsettled and fully resolved VSG and PAH ring, between 11 and 26 au. We find two overluminosities in the PAH ring at color-temperatures consistent with the radiative transfer simulations; one follows a Keplerian circular orbit at 14 au. We show a depletion of a factor of ≈5 of classical dust grains up to 0.3 mm compared to very small particles: the IRS-48 disk is nearly void of dust grains in the first 55 au. A 3.5 M {sub Jup} planet on a 40 au orbit can qualitatively explain the new disk structure.

SDP_golofs01_3: Stellar Disk Evolution

Science.gov (United States)

Olofsson, G.

2010-03-01

n a collaboration between the HSC, P. Harvey (Mission Scientist) and the three instrument consortia we propose to apply the full power of Herschel to investigate the properties of circum-stellar disks. The versatility of Herschel allows us to address several key questions: How do the disks evolve with time? Planets clearly form out of circum-stellar disks and there is growing evidence that the time scale is short, 1 - 10 Myr, for the main accretion phase. During this time period, the stellar radiation and stellar winds clean the disks from most of their dust and gas, eventually making them transparent. However, collisions and evaporation from comet- like bodies will continue to produce dust and gas. This activity declines with time, and we will pursue this scenario by observing a sample of IR excess stars of known age, ranging from a few million years to the age of the sun. Are there analogues to our Kuiper belt around nearby stars? The Kuiper belt is a dust belt surrounding the Sun, located outside the orbit of Neptune, which has a key role in stabilizing orbits of the KE-objects and this dynamical aspect makes it particularly interesting to search for stars that may host KE-belt analogues. Herschel offers a unique sensitivity beyond 100 m and we propose an extensive survey of nearby stars seeking cold dust emission. What will a closer IR look at the "Fabulous Four" (and some other resolved disks) reveal? Several nearby MS stars with IR excesses have circumstellar dust structures that can be resolved by Herschel. Imaging these structures in the six PACS+SPIRE bands will enable us to explore the dust properties, notably the size distribution and albedo.. What is the composition of young disks? We propose a detailed spectroscopic investigation of four bright disks, including a full spectral scan with PACS, an FTS scan at full resolution and HIFI observations of selected frequencies. The aim is to constrain the properties of both the dust and gas components.

CO Gas Inside the Protoplanetary Disk Cavity in HD 142527: Disk Structure from ALMA

OpenAIRE

Perez, S.; Casassus, S.; Ménard, F.; Roman, P.; van der Plas, G.; Cieza, L.; Pinte, C.; Christiaens, Valentin; Hales, A. S.

2014-01-01

Inner cavities and annular gaps in circumstellar disks are possible signposts of giant planet formation. The young star HD 142527 hosts a massive protoplanetary disk with a large cavity that extends up to 140 AU from the central star, as seen in continuum images at infrared and millimeter wavelengths. Estimates of the survival of gas inside disk cavities are needed to discriminate between clearing scenarios. We present a spatially and spectrally resolved carbon monoxide isotopologue 2-1 line ...

GIANT PLANET MIGRATION, DISK EVOLUTION, AND THE ORIGIN OF TRANSITIONAL DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alexander, Richard D.; Armitage, Philip J.

2009-01-01

We present models of giant planet migration in evolving protoplanetary disks. Our disks evolve subject to viscous transport of angular momentum and photoevaporation, while planets undergo Type II migration. We use a Monte Carlo approach, running large numbers of models with a range in initial conditions. We find that relatively simple models can reproduce both the observed radial distribution of extrasolar giant planets, and the lifetimes and accretion histories of protoplanetary disks. The use of state-of-the-art photoevaporation models results in a degree of coupling between planet formation and disk clearing, which has not been found previously. Some accretion across planetary orbits is necessary if planets are to survive at radii ∼<1.5 AU, and if planets of Jupiter mass or greater are to survive in our models they must be able to form at late times, when the disk surface density in the formation region is low. Our model forms two different types of 'transitional' disks, embedded planets and clearing disks, which show markedly different properties. We find that the observable properties of these systems are broadly consistent with current observations, and highlight useful observational diagnostics. We predict that young transition disks are more likely to contain embedded giant planets, while older transition disks are more likely to be undergoing disk clearing.

ABSENCE OF SIGNIFICANT COOL DISKS IN YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS EXHIBITING REPETITIVE OPTICAL OUTBURSTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Hauyu Baobab; Hirano, Naomi; Takami, Michihiro; Dong, Ruobing [Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, P.O. Box 23-141, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Galván-Madrid, Roberto; Rodríguez, Luis F.; Carrasco-González, Carlos [Instituto de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, UNAM, A.P. 3-72, Xangari, Morelia, 58089 (Mexico); Vorobyov, Eduard I. [Department of Astrophysics, University of Vienna, Tuerkenschanzstrasse 17, A-1180, Vienna (Austria); Kóspál, Ágnes [Konkoly Observatory, Research Centre for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 67, 1525 Budapest (Hungary); Dunham, Michael M. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, MS 78, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Henning, Thomas [Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie Königstuhl, 17 D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Hashimoto, Jun [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 Japan (Japan); Hasegawa, Yasuhiro, E-mail: baobabyoo@gmail.com [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States)

2016-01-10

We report Submillimeter Array 1.3 mm high angular resolution observations toward the four EXor-type outbursting young stellar objects VY Tau, V1118 Ori, V1143 Ori, and NY Ori. The data mostly show low dust masses M{sub dust} in the associated circumstellar disks. Among the sources, NY Ori possesses a relatively massive disk with M{sub dust} ∼ 9 × 10{sup −4}M{sub ⊙}. V1118 Ori has a marginal detection equivalent to M{sub dust} ∼ 6 × 10{sup −5}M{sub ⊙}. V1143 Ori has a non-detection also equivalent to M{sub dust} < 6 × 10{sup −5}M{sub ⊙}. For the nearest source, VY Tau, we get a surprising non-detection that provides a stringent upper limit M{sub dust} < 6 × 10{sup −6}M{sub ⊙}. We interpret our findings as suggesting that the gas and dust reservoirs that feed the short-duration, repetitive optical outbursts seen in some EXors may be limited to the small-scale, innermost region of their circumstellar disks. This hot dust may have escaped our detection limits. Follow-up, more sensitive millimeter observations are needed to improve our understanding of the triggering mechanisms of EXor-type outbursts.

ALMA Survey of Lupus Protoplanetary Disks. II. Gas Disk Radii

Science.gov (United States)

Ansdell, M.; Williams, J. P.; Trapman, L.; van Terwisga, S. E.; Facchini, S.; Manara, C. F.; van der Marel, N.; Miotello, A.; Tazzari, M.; Hogerheijde, M.; Guidi, G.; Testi, L.; van Dishoeck, E. F.

2018-05-01

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/Sub-Millimeter Array (ALMA) Band 6 observations of a complete sample of protoplanetary disks in the young (∼1–3 Myr) Lupus star-forming region, covering the 1.33 mm continuum and the 12CO, 13CO, and C18O J = 2–1 lines. The spatial resolution is ∼0.″25 with a medium 3σ continuum sensitivity of 0.30 mJy, corresponding to M dust ∼ 0.2 M ⊕. We apply Keplerian masking to enhance the signal-to-noise ratios of our 12CO zero-moment maps, enabling measurements of gas disk radii for 22 Lupus disks; we find that gas disks are universally larger than millimeter dust disks by a factor of two on average, likely due to a combination of the optically thick gas emission and the growth and inward drift of the dust. Using the gas disk radii, we calculate the dimensionless viscosity parameter, α visc, finding a broad distribution and no correlations with other disk or stellar parameters, suggesting that viscous processes have not yet established quasi-steady states in Lupus disks. By combining our 1.33 mm continuum fluxes with our previous 890 μm continuum observations, we also calculate the millimeter spectral index, α mm, for 70 Lupus disks; we find an anticorrelation between α mm and millimeter flux for low-mass disks (M dust ≲ 5), followed by a flattening as disks approach α mm ≈ 2, which could indicate faster grain growth in higher-mass disks, but may also reflect their larger optically thick components. In sum, this work demonstrates the continuous stream of new insights into disk evolution and planet formation that can be gleaned from unbiased ALMA disk surveys.

Time-dependent simulations of disk-embedded planetary atmospheres

Science.gov (United States)

Stökl, A.; Dorfi, E. A.

2014-03-01

At the early stages of evolution of planetary systems, young Earth-like planets still embedded in the protoplanetary disk accumulate disk gas gravitationally into planetary atmospheres. The established way to study such atmospheres are hydrostatic models, even though in many cases the assumption of stationarity is unlikely to be fulfilled. Furthermore, such models rely on the specification of a planetary luminosity, attributed to a continuous, highly uncertain accretion of planetesimals onto the surface of the solid core. We present for the first time time-dependent, dynamic simulations of the accretion of nebula gas into an atmosphere around a proto-planet and the evolution of such embedded atmospheres while integrating the thermal energy budget of the solid core. The spherical symmetric models computed with the TAPIR-Code (short for The adaptive, implicit RHD-Code) range from the surface of the rocky core up to the Hill radius where the surrounding protoplanetary disk provides the boundary conditions. The TAPIR-Code includes the hydrodynamics equations, gray radiative transport and convective energy transport. The results indicate that diskembedded planetary atmospheres evolve along comparatively simple outlines and in particular settle, dependent on the mass of the solid core, at characteristic surface temperatures and planetary luminosities, quite independent on numerical parameters and initial conditions. For sufficiently massive cores, this evolution ultimately also leads to runaway accretion and the formation of a gas planet.

Constraining the age of the NGC 4565 H I disk WARP: Determining the origin of gas WARPS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Radburn-Smith, David J.; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Stilp, Adrienne M. [Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195 (United States); De Jong, Roelof S.; Streich, David [Leibniz-Institut für Astrophysik Potsdam, D-14482 Potsdam (Germany); Bell, Eric F.; Monachesi, Antonela [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Dolphin, Andrew E. [Raytheon, 1151 East Hermans Road, Tucson, AZ 85756 (United States); Holwerda, Benne W. [European Space Agency, ESTEC, 2200 AG Noordwijk (Netherlands); Bailin, Jeremy [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 (United States)

2014-01-01

We have mapped the distribution of young and old stars in the gaseous H I warp of NGC 4565. We find a clear correlation of young stars (<600 Myr) with the warp but no coincident old stars (>1 Gyr), which places an upper limit on the age of the structure. The formation rate of the young stars, which increased ∼300 Myr ago relative to the surrounding regions, is (6.3{sub −1.5}{sup +2.5})×10{sup −5} M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} kpc{sup –2}. This implies a ∼60 ± 20 Gyr depletion time of the H I warp, similar to the timescales calculated for the outer H I disks of nearby spiral galaxies. While some stars associated with the warp fall into the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) region of the color-magnitude diagram, where stars could be as old as 1 Gyr, further investigation suggests that they may be interlopers rather than real AGB stars. We discuss the implications of these age constraints for the formation of H I warps and the gas fueling of disk galaxies.

Veiling and Accretion Around the Young Binary Stars S and VV Corona Australis

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan, Kendall; Prato, Lisa; Avilez, Ian

2018-01-01

S CrA and VV CrA are two young binary star systems with separations of 170 AU and 250 AU, respectively, in the southern star-forming region Corona Australis. The spectral types of the four stars in these two systems are similar, approximately K7 to M1, hence the stellar masses are also similar. The study of young stars just emerging from their natal cloud cores at the very limits of observability allows us to probe the extreme environments in which planet formation begins to occur. Stars in this early evolutionary stage can have circumstellar or circumbinary disks, and sometimes remnants of the envelopes which surrounded them during the protostellar stage. Envelopes accrete onto disks and disks in turn accrete onto the central stars, triggering elevated continuum emission, line emission, outflows, and stellar winds. This violent stage marks the onset of the epoch of planet formation. Using high-resolution near-infrared, H-band spectroscopy from the Keck II telescope using the NIRSPEC instrument over 4-6 epochs, we are probing the chaotic environment surrounding the four stars in these systems. We determine the spectral types for VV CrA A and B for the first time, and examine the variable veiling and emission occurring around each of these stars. This research was supported in part by NSF grants AST-1461200 and AST-1313399.

The low-mass stellar population in the young cluster Tr 37. Disk evolution, accretion, and environment

Science.gov (United States)

Sicilia-Aguilar, Aurora; Kim, Jinyoung Serena; Sobolev, Andrej; Getman, Konstantin; Henning, Thomas; Fang, Min

2013-11-01

Aims: We present a study of accretion and protoplanetary disks around M-type stars in the 4 Myr-old cluster Tr 37. With a well-studied solar-type population, Tr 37 is a benchmark for disk evolution. Methods: We used low-resolution spectroscopy to identify and classify 141 members (78 new ones) and 64 probable members, mostly M-type stars. Hα emission provides information about accretion. Optical, 2MASS, Spitzer, and WISE data are used to trace the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and search for disks. We construct radiative transfer models to explore the structures of full-disks, pre-transition, transition, and dust-depleted disks. Results: Including the new members and the known solar-type stars, we confirm that a substantial fraction (~2/5) of disks show signs of evolution, either as radial dust evolution (transition/pre-transition disks) or as a more global evolution (with low small-dust masses, dust settling, and weak/absent accretion signatures). Accretion is strongly dependent on the SED type. About half of the transition objects are consistent with no accretion, and dust-depleted disks have weak (or undetectable) accretion signatures, especially among M-type stars. Conclusions: The analysis of accretion and disk structure suggests a parallel evolution of dust and gas. We find several distinct classes of evolved disks, based on SED type and accretion status, pointing to different disk dispersal mechanisms and probably different evolutionary paths. Dust depletion and opening of inner holes appear to be independent processes: most transition disks are not dust-depleted, and most dust-depleted disks do not require inner holes. The differences in disk structure between M-type and solar-type stars in Tr 37 (4 Myr old) are not as remarkable as in the young, sparse, Coronet cluster (1-2 Myr old), suggesting that other factors, like the environment/interactions in each cluster, are likely to play an important role in the disk evolution and dispersal. Finally, we

THE VLA VIEW OF THE HL TAU DISK: DISK MASS, GRAIN EVOLUTION, AND EARLY PLANET FORMATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carrasco-González, Carlos; Rodríguez, Luis F.; Galván-Madrid, Roberto [Instituto de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica UNAM, Apartado Postal 3-72 (Xangari), 58089 Morelia, Michoacán, México (Mexico); Henning, Thomas; Linz, Hendrik; Birnstiel, Til; Boekel, Roy van; Klahr, Hubert [Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie Heidelberg, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Chandler, Claire J.; Pérez, Laura [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, P.O. Box O, 1003 Lopezville Road, Socorro, NM 87801-0387 (United States); Anglada, Guillem; Macias, Enrique; Osorio, Mayra [Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC), Apartado 3004, E-18080 Granada (Spain); Flock, Mario [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Menten, Karl [Jansky Fellow of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (United States); Testi, Leonardo [European Southern Observatory, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, D-85748 Garching bei München (Germany); Torrelles, José M. [Institut de Ciències de l’Espai (CSIC-IEEC) and Institut de Ciències del Cosmos (UB-IEEC), Martí i Franquès 1, E-08028 Barcelona (Spain); Zhu, Zhaohuan, E-mail: c.carrasco@crya.unam.mx, E-mail: l.rodriguez@crya.unam.mx, E-mail: r.galvan@crya.unam.mx, E-mail: henning@mpia.de, E-mail: linz@mpia.de [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

2016-04-10

The first long-baseline ALMA campaign resolved the disk around the young star HL Tau into a number of axisymmetric bright and dark rings. Despite the very young age of HL Tau, these structures have been interpreted as signatures for the presence of (proto)planets. The ALMA images triggered numerous theoretical studies based on disk–planet interactions, magnetically driven disk structures, and grain evolution. Of special interest are the inner parts of disks, where terrestrial planets are expected to form. However, the emission from these regions in HL Tau turned out to be optically thick at all ALMA wavelengths, preventing the derivation of surface density profiles and grain-size distributions. Here, we present the most sensitive images of HL Tau obtained to date with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array at 7.0 mm wavelength with a spatial resolution comparable to the ALMA images. At this long wavelength, the dust emission from HL Tau is optically thin, allowing a comprehensive study of the inner disk. We obtain a total disk dust mass of (1–3) × 10{sup −3} M {sub ⊙}, depending on the assumed opacity and disk temperature. Our optically thin data also indicate fast grain growth, fragmentation, and formation of dense clumps in the inner densest parts of the disk. Our results suggest that the HL Tau disk may be actually in a very early stage of planetary formation, with planets not already formed in the gaps but in the process of future formation in the bright rings.

THE VLA VIEW OF THE HL TAU DISK: DISK MASS, GRAIN EVOLUTION, AND EARLY PLANET FORMATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carrasco-González, Carlos; Rodríguez, Luis F.; Galván-Madrid, Roberto; Henning, Thomas; Linz, Hendrik; Birnstiel, Til; Boekel, Roy van; Klahr, Hubert; Chandler, Claire J.; Pérez, Laura; Anglada, Guillem; Macias, Enrique; Osorio, Mayra; Flock, Mario; Menten, Karl; Testi, Leonardo; Torrelles, José M.; Zhu, Zhaohuan

2016-01-01

The first long-baseline ALMA campaign resolved the disk around the young star HL Tau into a number of axisymmetric bright and dark rings. Despite the very young age of HL Tau, these structures have been interpreted as signatures for the presence of (proto)planets. The ALMA images triggered numerous theoretical studies based on disk–planet interactions, magnetically driven disk structures, and grain evolution. Of special interest are the inner parts of disks, where terrestrial planets are expected to form. However, the emission from these regions in HL Tau turned out to be optically thick at all ALMA wavelengths, preventing the derivation of surface density profiles and grain-size distributions. Here, we present the most sensitive images of HL Tau obtained to date with the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array at 7.0 mm wavelength with a spatial resolution comparable to the ALMA images. At this long wavelength, the dust emission from HL Tau is optically thin, allowing a comprehensive study of the inner disk. We obtain a total disk dust mass of (1–3) × 10 −3 M ⊙ , depending on the assumed opacity and disk temperature. Our optically thin data also indicate fast grain growth, fragmentation, and formation of dense clumps in the inner densest parts of the disk. Our results suggest that the HL Tau disk may be actually in a very early stage of planetary formation, with planets not already formed in the gaps but in the process of future formation in the bright rings

SURVIVAL OF INTERSTELLAR MOLECULES TO PRESTELLAR DENSE CORE COLLAPSE AND EARLY PHASES OF DISK FORMATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hincelin, U.; Wakelam, V.; Hersant, F.; Guilloteau, S.; Commerçon, B.

2013-01-01

An outstanding question of astrobiology is the link between the chemical composition of planets, comets, and other solar system bodies and the molecules formed in the interstellar medium. Understanding the chemical and physical evolution of the matter leading to the formation of protoplanetary disks is an important step for this. We provide some new clues to this long-standing problem using three-dimensional chemical simulations of the early phases of disk formation: we interfaced the full gas-grain chemical model Nautilus with the radiation-magnetohydrodynamic model RAMSES, for different configurations and intensities of the magnetic field. Our results show that the chemical content (gas and ices) is globally conserved during the collapsing process, from the parent molecular cloud to the young disk surrounding the first Larson core. A qualitative comparison with cometary composition suggests that comets are constituted of different phases, some molecules being direct tracers of interstellar chemistry, while others, including complex molecules, seem to have been formed in disks, where higher densities and temperatures allow for an active grain surface chemistry. The latter phase, and its connection with the formation of the first Larson core, remains to be modeled

Misaligned disks in the binary protostar IRS 43

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brinch, Christian; Jørgensen, Jes Kristian; Hogerheijde, Michiel R.

2016-01-01

and position angle and also with respect to the binary orbital plane. Each stellar component has an associated circumstellar disk while the binary is surrounded by a circumbinary disk. Together with archival VLA measurements of the stellar positions over 25 years, and assuming a circular orbit, we use our...

IMAGING OF A TRANSITIONAL DISK GAP IN REFLECTED LIGHT: INDICATIONS OF PLANET FORMATION AROUND THE YOUNG SOLAR ANALOG LkCa 15

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thalmann, C.; Goto, M.; Henning, T.; Carson, J.; Brandner, W.; Feldt, M.; Grady, C. A.; Wisniewski, J. P.; Janson, M.; Fukagawa, M.; Honda, M.; Mulders, G. D.; Min, M.; Moro-MartIn, A.; McElwain, M. W.; Hodapp, K. W.; Abe, L.; Egner, S.; Golota, T.; Fukue, T.

2010-01-01

We present H- and K s -band imaging data resolving the gap in the transitional disk around LkCa 15, revealing the surrounding nebulosity. We detect sharp elliptical contours delimiting the nebulosity on the inside as well as the outside, consistent with the shape, size, ellipticity, and orientation of starlight reflected from the far-side disk wall, whereas the near-side wall is shielded from view by the disk's optically thick bulk. We note that forward scattering of starlight on the near-side disk surface could provide an alternate interpretation of the nebulosity. In either case, this discovery provides confirmation of the disk geometry that has been proposed to explain the spectral energy distributions of such systems, comprising an optically thick disk with an inner truncation radius of ∼46 AU enclosing a largely evacuated gap. Our data show an offset of the nebulosity contours along the major axis, likely corresponding to a physical pericenter offset of the disk gap. This reinforces the leading theory that dynamical clearing by at least one orbiting body is the cause of the gap. Based on evolutionary models, our high-contrast imagery imposes an upper limit of 21 M Jup on companions at separations outside of 0.''1 and of 13 M Jup outside of 0.''2. Thus, we find that a planetary system around LkCa 15 is the most likely explanation for the disk architecture.

From circumstellar disks to planetary systems: observation and modeling of protoplanetary disks

OpenAIRE

Macías Quevedo, Enrique

2016-01-01

The existence of exoplanetary systems was first predicted after the discovery of accretion disks around young stars. Nowadays, with nearly 3500 exoplanets discovered, and almost 5000 more candidates identified by the Kepler space mission, planetary systems are now known to be ubiquitous around low-mass stars. The formation of these systems takes place during the stellar formation itself, from the dust and gas orbiting around the star in the protoplanetary disks. However, the process that lead...

Disks around Failed Stars - a Question of Age

Science.gov (United States)

2002-08-01

compared to normal stars - even the most nearby Brown Dwarfs shine so faintly that they can only be observed with relatively large telescopes. As they are rather cool objects, they emit mostly in the infrared spectral region; hence they are best observed with astronomical instruments that operate at those wavelengths. With improved techniques, however, more and more Brown Dwarfs have been found and the count has now reached several hundred. Many of these are located in the well-known Orion Nebula. Others move through interstellar space, like the lonely KELU-1 first discovered in 1997 at the ESO La Silla Observatory by Chilean astronomers, cf. ESO PR 07/97.With a distance of only 33 light-years from the Sun, it was one of the closest Brown Dwarfs known at that time. Formation of Brown Dwarfs Astronomers are still doubtful about the way Brown Dwarfs form. Among the numerous suggestions are the star-like contraction from an interstellar cloud of gas and dust and also another based on "ejected stellar embryos" . This latter scenario says that very young stars that are still accreting material are "kicked out of the nest" by their more massive brothers in multiple stellar systems. In this dramatic process, the unlucky objects are stripped of their surrounding disks. This effectively halts their further growth by accretion and they end up as underweight Brown Dwarfs. Recent observations at ESO have shown that the Brown Dwarfs in the Orion Nebula most likely have formed as stars do, i.e. by contraction in a cloud of dust and gas, cf. ESO PR 14/01. The clue to this was the observation of an excess of near-infrared radiation from many of these objects, interpreted as the presence of dusty disks around them. The astronomers then argued that if the young Brown Dwarfs possess such disks exactly like real stars do, then they must also form in the same way. Infrared observations of Brown Dwarfs Those observations were carried out in the near-infrared spectral region (in the 1.2 - 2

WL 17: A Young Embedded Transition Disk

OpenAIRE

Sheehan, Patrick D.; Eisner, Josh A.

2017-01-01

We present the highest spatial resolution ALMA observations to date of the Class I protostar WL 17 in the $\\rho$ Ophiuchus L1688 molecular cloud complex, which show that it has a 12 AU hole in the center of its disk. We consider whether WL 17 is actually a Class II disk being extincted by foreground material, but find that such models do not provide a good fit to the broadband SED and also require such high extinction that it would presumably arise from dense material close to the source such...

A deep Spitzer survey of circumstellar disks in the young double cluster, h and χ Persei

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cloutier, Ryan; Currie, Thayne; Jayawardhana, Ray [University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 2J7 (Canada); Rieke, George H. [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065 (United States); Kenyon, Scott J. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02140 (United States); Balog, Zoltan, E-mail: cloutier@cita.utoronto.ca, E-mail: currie@astro.utoronto.ca, E-mail: grieke@as.arizona.edu, E-mail: skenyon@cfa.harvard.edu [Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany)

2014-12-01

We analyze very deep Infrared Array Camera and Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS) photometry of ∼12, 500 members of the 14 Myr old Double Cluster, h and χ Persei, building upon our earlier, shallower Spitzer Cycle 1 studies. Numerous likely members show infrared (IR) excesses at 8 μm and 24 μm, indicative of circumstellar dust. The frequency of stars with 8 μm excess is at least 2% for our entire sample, slightly lower (higher) for B/A stars (later type, lower mass stars). Optical spectroscopy also identifies gas in about 2% of systems, but with no clear trend between the presence of dust and gas. Spectral energy distribution modeling of 18 sources with detections at optical wavelengths through MIPS 24 μm reveals a diverse set of disk evolutionary states, including a high fraction of transitional disks, though similar data for all disk-bearing members would provide constraints. Using Monte Carlo simulations, we combine our results with those for other young clusters to study the global evolution of dust/gas disks. For nominal cluster ages, the e-folding times (τ{sub 0}) for the frequency of warm dust and gas are 2.75 Myr and 1.75 Myr, respectively. Assuming a revised set of ages for some clusters, these timescales increase to 5.75 and 3.75 Myr, respectively, implying a significantly longer typical protoplanetary disk lifetime than previously thought. In both cases, the transitional disk duration, averaged over multiple evolutionary pathways, is ≈1 Myr. Finally, 24 μm excess frequencies for 4-6 M {sub ☉} stars appear lower than for 1-2.5 M {sub ☉} stars in other 10-30 Myr old clusters.

The Gaia-ESO Survey and CSI 2264: Substructures, disks, and sequential star formation in the young open cluster NGC 2264

Science.gov (United States)

Venuti, L.; Prisinzano, L.; Sacco, G. G.; Flaccomio, E.; Bonito, R.; Damiani, F.; Micela, G.; Guarcello, M. G.; Randich, S.; Stauffer, J. R.; Cody, A. M.; Jeffries, R. D.; Alencar, S. H. P.; Alfaro, E. J.; Lanzafame, A. C.; Pancino, E.; Bayo, A.; Carraro, G.; Costado, M. T.; Frasca, A.; Jofré, P.; Morbidelli, L.; Sousa, S. G.; Zaggia, S.

2018-01-01

Context. Reconstructing the structure and history of young clusters is pivotal to understanding the mechanisms and timescales of early stellar evolution and planet formation. Recent studies suggest that star clusters often exhibit a hierarchical structure, possibly resulting from several star formation episodes occurring sequentially rather than a monolithic cloud collapse. Aims: We aim to explore the structure of the open cluster and star-forming region NGC 2264 ( 3 Myr), which is one of the youngest, richest and most accessible star clusters in the local spiral arm of our Galaxy; we link the spatial distribution of cluster members to other stellar properties such as age and evolutionary stage to probe the star formation history within the region. Methods: We combined spectroscopic data obtained as part of the Gaia-ESO Survey (GES) with multi-wavelength photometric data from the Coordinated Synoptic Investigation of NGC 2264 (CSI 2264) campaign. We examined a sample of 655 cluster members, with masses between 0.2 and 1.8 M⊙ and including both disk-bearing and disk-free young stars. We used Teff estimates from GES and g,r,i photometry from CSI 2264 to derive individual extinction and stellar parameters. Results: We find a significant age spread of 4-5 Myr among cluster members. Disk-bearing objects are statistically associated with younger isochronal ages than disk-free sources. The cluster has a hierarchical structure, with two main blocks along its latitudinal extension. The northern half develops around the O-type binary star S Mon; the southern half, close to the tip of the Cone Nebula, contains the most embedded regions of NGC 2264, populated mainly by objects with disks and ongoing accretion. The median ages of objects at different locations within the cluster, and the spatial distribution of disked and non-disked sources, suggest that star formation began in the north of the cluster, over 5 Myr ago, and was ignited in its southern region a few Myr later

On the signatures of companion formation in the spectral energy distributions of Sz54 and Sz59—the young stars with protoplanetary disks

Science.gov (United States)

Zakhozhay, O. V.

2017-07-01

We study spectral energy distributions of two young systems Sz54 and Sz59, that belong to Chameleon II star forming region. The results of the modeling indicate that protoplanetary disks of these systems contain gaps in the dust component. These gaps could be a result of a planetary or brown dwarf companion formation, because the companion would accumulate a disk material, moving along its orbit. In a present work we have determined physical characteristics of the disks. We also discuss possible companion characteristics, based on the geometrical parameters of the gaps.

OT1_ipascucc_1: Understanding the Origin of Transition Disks via Disk Mass Measurements

Science.gov (United States)

Pascucci, I.

2010-07-01

Transition disks are a distinguished group of few Myr-old systems caught in the phase of dispersing their inner dust disk. Three different processes have been proposed to explain this inside-out clearing: grain growth, photoevaporation driven by the central star, and dynamical clearing by a forming giant planet. Which of these processes lead to a transition disk? Distinguishing between them requires the combined knowledge of stellar accretion rates and disk masses. We propose here to use 43.8 hours of PACS spectroscopy to detect the [OI] 63 micron emission line from a sample of 21 well-known transition disks with measured mass accretion rates. We will use this line, in combination with ancillary CO millimeter lines, to measure their gas disk mass. Because gas dominates the mass of protoplanetary disks our approach and choice of lines will enable us to trace the bulk of the disk mass that resides beyond tens of AU from young stars. Our program will quadruple the number of transition disks currently observed with Herschel in this setting and for which disk masses can be measured. We will then place the transition and the ~100 classical/non-transition disks of similar age (from the Herschel KP "Gas in Protoplanetary Systems") in the mass accretion rate-disk mass diagram with two main goals: 1) reveal which gaps have been created by grain growth, photoevaporation, or giant planet formation and 2) from the statistics, determine the main disk dispersal mechanism leading to a transition disk.

Identifying gaps in flaring Herbig Ae/Be disks using spatially resolved mid-infrared imaging. Are all group I disks transitional?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maaskant, K.M.; Honda, M.; Waters, L.; Tielens, A.G.G.M.; Dominik, C.; Min, M.; Verhoeff, A.; Meeus, G.; Ancker, van den M.

2013-01-01

Context. The evolution of young massive protoplanetary disks toward planetary systems is expected to correspond to structural changes in observational appearance, which includes the formation of gaps and the depletion of dust and gas. Aims: A special group of disks around Herbig Ae/Be stars do not

Identifying gaps in flaring Herbig Ae/Be disks using spatially resolved mid-infrared imaging. Are all group I disks transitional?

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Maaskant, K.M.; Honda, M.; Waters, L.B.F.M.; Tielens, A.G.G.M.; Dominik, C.; Min, M.; Verhoeff, A.; Meeus, G.; van den Ancker, M.

2013-01-01

Context. The evolution of young massive protoplanetary disks toward planetary systems is expected to correspond to structural changes in observational appearance, which includes the formation of gaps and the depletion of dust and gas. Aims. A special group of disks around Herbig Ae/Be stars do not

Gravitational Instabilities in a Young Protoplanetary Disk with Embedded Objects

Science.gov (United States)

Desai, Karna M.; Steiman-Cameron, Thomas Y.; Durisen, Richard H.

2018-01-01

Gravitational Instabilities (GIs), a mechanism for angular momentum transport, are more prominent during the early phases of protoplanetary disk evolution when the disk is relatively massive. In my dissertation work, I performed radiative 3D hydrodynamics simulations (by employing the code, CHYMERA) and extensively studied GIs by inserting different objects in the ‘control disk’ (a 0.14 M⊙ protoplanetary disk around a 1 M⊙ star).Studying planetary migration helps us better constrain planet formation models. To study the migration of Jovian planets, in 9 separate simulations, each of the 0.3 MJ, 1 MJ, and 3 MJ planets was inserted near the Inner and Outer Lindblad Resonances and the Corotation Radius (CR) of the dominant GI-induced two-armed spiral density wave in the disk. I found the migration timescales to be longer in a GI-active disk when compared to laminar disks. The 3 MJ planet controls its own orbital evolution, while the migration of a 0.3 MJ planet is stochastic in nature. I defined a ‘critical mass’ as the mass of an arm of the dominant two-armed spiral density wave within the planet’s Hill diameter. Planets above this mass control their own destiny, and planets below this mass are scattered by the disk. This critical mass could provide a recipe for predicting the migration behavior of planets in GI-active disks.To understand the stochastic migration of low-mass planets, I performed a simulation of 240 zero-mass planet-tracers (hereafter, planets) by inserting these at a range of locations in the control disk (an equivalent of 240 simulations of Saturn-mass or lower-mass objects). I calculated a Diffusion Coefficient (3.6 AU2/ 1000 yr) to characterize the stochastic migration of planets. I analyzed the increase in the eccentricity dispersion and compared it with the observed exoplanet eccentricities. The diffusion of planets can be a slow process, resulting in the survival of small planetary cores. Stochastic migration of planets is

ON THE TRANSITIONAL DISK CLASS: LINKING OBSERVATIONS OF T TAURI STARS AND PHYSICAL DISK MODELS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Espaillat, C.; Andrews, S.; Qi, C.; Wilner, D.; Ingleby, L.; Calvet, N.; Hernández, J.; Furlan, E.; D'Alessio, P.; Muzerolle, J.

2012-01-01

Two decades ago 'transitional disks' (TDs) described spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of T Tauri stars with small near-IR excesses, but significant mid- and far-IR excesses. Many inferred this indicated dust-free holes in disks possibly cleared by planets. Recently, this term has been applied disparately to objects whose Spitzer SEDs diverge from the expectations for a typical full disk (FD). Here, we use irradiated accretion disk models to fit the SEDs of 15 such disks in NGC 2068 and IC 348. One group has a 'dip' in infrared emission while the others' continuum emission decreases steadily at all wavelengths. We find that the former have an inner disk hole or gap at intermediate radii in the disk and we call these objects 'transitional disks' and 'pre-transitional disks' (PTDs), respectively. For the latter group, we can fit these SEDs with FD models and find that millimeter data are necessary to break the degeneracy between dust settling and disk mass. We suggest that the term 'transitional' only be applied to objects that display evidence for a radical change in the disk's radial structure. Using this definition, we find that TDs and PTDs tend to have lower mass accretion rates than FDs and that TDs have lower accretion rates than PTDs. These reduced accretion rates onto the star could be linked to forming planets. Future observations of TDs and PTDs will allow us to better quantify the signatures of planet formation in young disks.

The Vela pulsar with an active fallback disk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Özsükan, Gökçe; Ekşi, K. Yavuz [Faculty of Science and Letters, Department of Physics, İstanbul Technical University, Maslak 34469, İstanbul (Turkey); Hambaryan, Valeri; Neuhäuser, Ralph; Hohle, Markus M.; Ginski, Christian [Astrophysikalisches Institut und Universitäts-Sternwarte, Universität Jena, Schillergäßchen 2-3, 07745 Jena (Germany); Werner, Klaus, E-mail: eksi@itu.edu.tr [Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Kepler Center for Astro and Particle Physics, Eberhard Karls University, Sand 1, D-72076 Tübingen (Germany)

2014-11-20

Fallback disks are expected to form around young neutron stars. The presence of these disks can be revealed by their blackbody spectrum in the infrared, optical, and UV bands. We present a re-reduction of the archival optical and infrared data of the Vela pulsar, together with the existing infrared and UV spectrum of Vela, and model their unpulsed components with the blackbody spectrum of a supernova debris disk. We invoke the quiescent disk solution of Sunyaev and Shakura for the description of the disk in the propeller stage and find the inner radius of the disk to be inside the light cylinder radius. We perform a high-resolution X-ray analysis with XMM-Newton and find a narrow absorption feature at 0.57 keV that can be interpreted as the K {sub α} line of He-like oxygen (O VII). The strength of the line indicates an element over-abundance in our line of sight exceeding the amounts that would be expected from interstellar medium. The spectral feature may originate from the pulsar wind nebula and may be partly caused by the reprocessed X-ray radiation by the fallback disk. We discuss the lower-than-three braking index of Vela as partially due to the contribution of the propeller torques. Our results suggest that the pulsar mechanism can work simultaneously with the propeller processes and that the debris disks can survive the radiation pressure for at least ∼10{sup 4} yr. As Vela is a relatively close object, and a prototypical pulsar, the presence of a disk, if confirmed, may indicate the ubiquity of debris disks around young neutron stars.

Herniated disk disease

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ross, J.S.; Masaryk, T.J.; Modic, M.T.; Bohlman, H.; Wilber, G.; Carter, J.

1988-01-01

Thirty patients with symptoms of disk herniation and no previous surgery were examined with Gd-DTPA-enhanced MR imaging. Studies obtained before and after administration of Gd-DTPA included the following sequences: sagittal and axial spin echo (SE) 500/17 (repetition time, msec/echo time, msec), sagittal SE 2,000/60, sagittal FLASH 200/13/60. Studies were interpreted separately for presence of extradural disease (EDD) characterized by morphology, mass effect, and enhancement. Post Gd-DTPA diagnoses were: normal, n = 1; herniation, n = 28; neoplasm, n = 1. Tissue diagnosis was obtained in 13. The Gd-DTPA examination correctly changed the diagnosis in one case, provided increased confidence in the diagnosis in four, and was equivalent to the precontrast study in eight. Increased conspicuity of EDD with Gd-DTPA was related to the enhancement of epidural space analogous to IV CT and enhancement of scar surrounding disk herniation. Histologically, this scar was identical to that seen in postoperative spines, Gd-DTPA appears to be a useful adjunct in cervical and thoracic degenerative disk disease

Selections from 2016: Gaps in HL Tau's Protoplanetary Disk

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-12-01

Editors note:In these last two weeks of 2016, well be looking at a few selections that we havent yet discussed on AAS Nova from among the most-downloaded paperspublished in AAS journals this year. The usual posting schedule will resume after the AAS winter meeting.Gas Gaps in the Protoplanetary Disk Around the Young Protostar HL TauPublished March 2016The dust (left) and gas (right) emission from HL Tau show that the gaps in its disk match up. [Yen et al. 2016]Main takeaway:At the end of last year, the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array released some of its first data including a spectacular observation of a dusty protoplanetary disk around the young star HL Tau. In this follow-up study, a team led by Hsi-Wei Yen (Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Taiwan) analyzed the ALMA data and confirmed the presence of two gaps in the gas of HL Taus disk, at radii of 28 and 69 AU.Why its interesting:The original ALMA image of HL Taus disk suggests the presence of gaps in disk, but scientists werent sure if they were caused by effects like gravitational instabilities or dust clumping, or if the gaps were created by the presence of young planets. Yen and collaborators showed that gaps in the disks gas line up with gaps in its dust, supporting the model in which these gaps have been carved out by newly formed planets.Added intrigue:The evidence for planets in this disk came as a bit of a surprise, since it was originally believed that it takes tens of millions of years to form planets from the dust of protoplanetary disks but HL Tau is only a million years old. These observations therefore suggest that planets start to form much earlier than we thought.CitationHsi-Wei Yen et al 2016 ApJL 820 L25. doi:10.3847/2041-8205/820/2/L25

A SPITZER c2d LEGACY SURVEY TO IDENTIFY AND CHARACTERIZE DISKS WITH INNER DUST HOLES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Merin, Bruno; Brown, Joanna M.; Herczeg, Gregory J.; Van Dishoeck, Ewine F.; Oliveira, Isa; Lahuis, Fred; Bottinelli, Sandrine; Augereau, Jean-Charles; Olofsson, Johan; Evans, Neal J.; Harvey, Paul M.; Cieza, Lucas; Spezzi, Loredana; Prusti, Timo; Alcala, Juan M.; Blake, Geoffrey A.; Bayo, Amelia; Geers, Vincent G.; Walter, Frederick M.; Chiu, Kuenley

2010-01-01

Understanding how disks dissipate is essential to studies of planet formation. However, identifying exactly how dust and gas dissipate is complicated due to the difficulty of finding objects that are clearly in the transition phase of losing their surrounding material. We use Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) spectra to examine 35 photometrically selected candidate cold disks (disks with large inner dust holes). The infrared spectra are supplemented with optical spectra to determine stellar and accretion properties and 1.3 mm photometry to measure disk masses. Based on detailed spectral energy distribution modeling, we identify 15 new cold disks. The remaining 20 objects have IRS spectra that are consistent with disks without holes, disks that are observed close to edge-on, or stars with background emission. Based on these results, we determine reliable criteria to identify disks with inner holes from Spitzer photometry, and examine criteria already in the literature. Applying these criteria to the c2d surveyed star-forming regions gives a frequency of such objects of at least 4% and most likely of order 12% of the young stellar object population identified by Spitzer. We also examine the properties of these new cold disks in combination with cold disks from the literature. Hole sizes in this sample are generally smaller than in previously discovered disks and reflect a distribution in better agreement with exoplanet orbit radii. We find correlations between hole size and both disk and stellar masses. Silicate features, including crystalline features, are present in the overwhelming majority of the sample, although the 10 μm feature strength above the continuum declines for holes with radii larger than ∼7 AU. In contrast, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are only detected in 2 out of 15 sources. Only a quarter of the cold disk sample shows no signs of accretion, making it unlikely that photoevaporation is the dominant hole-forming process in most cases.

Signatures of Young Planets in the Continuum Emission from Protostellar Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Isella, Andrea; Turner, Neal J.

2018-06-01

Many protostellar disks show central cavities, rings, or spiral arms likely caused by low-mass stellar or planetary companions, yet few such features are conclusively tied to bodies embedded in the disks. We note that even small features on the disk surface cast shadows, because the starlight grazes the surface. We therefore focus on accurately computing the disk thickness, which depends on its temperature. We present models with temperatures set by the balance between starlight heating and radiative cooling, which are also in vertical hydrostatic equilibrium. The planet has 20, 100, or 1000 M ⊕, ranging from barely enough to perturb the disk significantly, to clearing a deep tidal gap. The hydrostatic balance strikingly alters the appearance of the model disk. The outer walls of the planet-carved gap puff up under starlight heating, throwing a shadow across the disk beyond. The shadow appears in scattered light as a dark ring that could be mistaken for a gap opened by another more distant planet. The surface brightness contrast between outer wall and shadow for the 1000 M ⊕ planet is an order of magnitude greater than a model neglecting the temperature disturbances. The shadow is so deep that it largely hides the planet-launched outer arm of the spiral wave. Temperature gradients are such that outer low-mass planets undergoing orbital migration will converge within the shadow. Furthermore, the temperature perturbations affect the shape, size, and contrast of features at millimeter and centimeter wavelengths. Thus radiative heating and cooling are key to the appearance of protostellar disks with embedded planets.

Physical processes in circumstellar disks around young stars

CERN Document Server

2011-01-01

Circumstellar disks are vast expanses of dust that form around new stars in the earliest stages of their birth. Predicted by astronomers as early as the eighteenth century, they weren't observed until the late twentieth century, when interstellar imaging technology enabled us to see nascent stars hundreds of light years away. Since then, circumstellar disks have become an area of intense study among astrophysicists, largely because they are thought to be the forerunners of planetary systems like our own-the possible birthplaces of planets.            This volume brings

The excess infrared emission of Herbig Ae/Be stars - Disks or envelopes?

Science.gov (United States)

Hartmann, Lee; Kenyon, Scott J.; Calvet, Nuria

1993-01-01

It is suggested that the near-IR emission in many Herbig Ae/Be stars arises in surrounding dusty envelopes, rather than circumstellar disks. It is shown that disks around Ae/Be stars are likely to remain optically thick at the required accretion rates. It is proposed that the IR excesses of many Ae/Be stars originate in surrounding dust nebulae instead of circumstellar disks. It is suggested that the near-IR emission of the envelope is enhanced by the same processes that produce anomalous strong continuum emission at temperatures of about 1000 K in reflection nebulae surrounding hot stars. This near-IR emission could be due to small grains transiently heated by UV photons. The dust envelopes could be associated with the primary star or a nearby companion star. Some Ae/Be stars show evidence for the 3.3-6.3-micron emission features seen in reflection nebulae around hot stars, which lends further support to this suggestion.

Circumstellar disks around binary stars in Taurus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akeson, R. L.; Jensen, E. L. N.

2014-01-01

We have conducted a survey of 17 wide (>100 AU) young binary systems in Taurus with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) at two wavelengths. The observations were designed to measure the masses of circumstellar disks in these systems as an aid to understanding the role of multiplicity in star and planet formation. The ALMA observations had sufficient resolution to localize emission within the binary system. Disk emission was detected around all primaries and 10 secondaries, with disk masses as low as 10 –4 M ☉ . We compare the properties of our sample to the population of known disks in Taurus and find that the disks from this binary sample match the scaling between stellar mass and millimeter flux of F mm ∝M ∗ 1.5--2.0 to within the scatter found in previous studies. We also compare the properties of the primaries to those of the secondaries and find that the secondary/primary stellar and disk mass ratios are not correlated; in three systems, the circumsecondary disk is more massive than the circumprimary disk, counter to some theoretical predictions.

A SPITZER SURVEY OF PROTOPLANETARY DISK DUST IN THE YOUNG SERPENS CLOUD: HOW DO DUST CHARACTERISTICS EVOLVE WITH TIME?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliveira, Isa; Van Dishoeck, Ewine F.; Lahuis, Fred; Pontoppidan, Klaus M.; MerIn, Bruno; Geers, Vincent C.; Joergensen, Jes K.; Olofsson, Johan; Augereau, Jean-Charles; Brown, Joanna M.

2010-01-01

We present Spitzer InfraRed Spectrograph (IRS) mid-infrared (5-35 μm) spectra of a complete flux-limited sample (≥3 mJy at 8 μm) of young stellar object (YSO) candidates selected on the basis of their infrared colors in the Serpens Molecular Cloud. Spectra of 147 sources are presented and classified. Background stars (with slope consistent with a reddened stellar spectrum and silicate features in absorption), galaxies (with redshifted polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) features), and a planetary nebula (with high ionization lines) amount to 22% of contamination in this sample, leaving 115 true YSOs. Sources with rising spectra and ice absorption features, classified as embedded Stage I protostars, amount to 18% of the sample. The remaining 82% (94) of the disk sources are analyzed in terms of spectral energy distribution shapes, PAHs, and silicate features. The presence, strength, and shape of these silicate features are used to infer disk properties for these systems. About 8% of the disks have 30/13 μm flux ratios consistent with cold disks with inner holes or gaps, and 3% of the disks show PAH emission. Comparison with models indicates that dust grains in the surface of these disks have sizes of at least a few μm. The 20 μm silicate feature is sometimes seen in the absence of the 10 μm feature, which may be indicative of very small holes in these disks. No significant difference is found in the distribution of silicate feature shapes and strengths between sources in clusters and in the field. Moreover, the results in Serpens are compared with other well-studied samples: the c2d IRS sample distributed over five clouds and a large sample of disks in the Taurus star-forming region. The remarkably similar distributions of silicate feature characteristics in samples with different environment and median ages-if significant-imply that the dust population in the disk surface results from an equilibrium between dust growth and destructive collision processes

A High-mass Protobinary System with Spatially Resolved Circumstellar Accretion Disks and Circumbinary Disk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kraus, S.; Kluska, J.; Kreplin, A.; Bate, M.; Harries, T. J.; Hone, E.; Anugu, A. [School of Physics, Astrophysics Group, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QL (United Kingdom); Hofmann, K.-H.; Weigelt, G. [Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, D-53121 Bonn (Germany); Monnier, J. D. [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 311 West Hall, 1085 South University Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); De Wit, W. J. [ESO, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Vitacura, Santiago 19 (Chile); Wittkowski, M., E-mail: skraus@astro.ex.ac.uk [ESO, Karl-Schwarzschild-Str. 2, D-85748 Garching bei München (Germany)

2017-01-20

High-mass multiples might form via fragmentation of self-gravitational disks or alternative scenarios such as disk-assisted capture. However, only a few observational constraints exist on the architecture and disk structure of high-mass protobinaries and their accretion properties. Here, we report the discovery of a close (57.9 ± 0.2 mas = 170 au) high-mass protobinary, IRAS17216-3801, where our VLTI/GRAVITY+AMBER near-infrared interferometry allows us to image the circumstellar disks around the individual components with ∼3 mas resolution. We estimate the component masses to ∼20 and ∼18 M {sub ⊙} and find that the radial intensity profiles can be reproduced with an irradiated disk model, where the inner regions are excavated of dust, likely tracing the dust sublimation region in these disks. The circumstellar disks are strongly misaligned with respect to the binary separation vector, which indicates that the tidal forces did not have time to realign the disks, pointing toward a young dynamical age of the system. We constrain the distribution of the Br γ and CO-emitting gas using VLTI/GRAVITY spectro-interferometry and VLT/CRIRES spectro-astrometry and find that the secondary is accreting at a higher rate than the primary. VLT/NACO imaging shows L ′-band emission on (3–4)× larger scales than the binary separation, matching the expected dynamical truncation radius for the circumbinary disk. The IRAS17216-3801 system is ∼3× more massive and ∼5× more compact than other high-mass multiplies imaged at infrared wavelength and the first high-mass protobinary system where circumstellar and circumbinary dust disks could be spatially resolved. This opens exciting new opportunities for studying star–disk interactions and the role of multiplicity in high-mass star formation.

STELLAR MASS DEPENDENT DISK DISPERSAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kennedy, Grant M.; Kenyon, Scott J.

2009-01-01

We use published optical spectral and infrared (IR) excess data from nine young clusters and associations to study the stellar mass dependent dispersal of circumstellar disks. All clusters older than ∼3 Myr show a decrease in disk fraction with increasing stellar mass for solar to higher mass stars. This result is significant at about the 1σ level in each cluster. For the complete set of clusters we reject the null hypothesis-that solar and intermediate-mass stars lose their disks at the same rate-with 95%-99.9% confidence. To interpret this behavior, we investigate the impact of grain growth, binary companions, and photoevaporation on the evolution of disk signatures. Changes in grain growth timescales at fixed disk temperature may explain why early-type stars with IR excesses appear to evolve faster than their later-type counterparts. Little evidence that binary companions affect disk evolution suggests that photoevaporation is the more likely mechanism for disk dispersal. A simple photoevaporation model provides a good fit to the observed disk fractions for solar and intermediate-mass stars. Although the current mass-dependent disk dispersal signal is not strong, larger and more complete samples of clusters with ages of 3-5 Myr can improve the significance and provide better tests of theoretical models. In addition, the orbits of extra-solar planets can constrain models of disk dispersal and migration. We suggest that the signature of stellar mass dependent disk dispersal due to photoevaporation may be present in the orbits of observed extra-solar planets. Planets orbiting hosts more massive than ∼1.6 M sun may have larger orbits because the disks in which they formed were dispersed before they could migrate.

Radiative Transfer Modeling in Proto-planetary Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Kasper, David; Jang-Condell, Hannah; Kloster, Dylan

2016-01-01

Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) are rich astronomical research environments. Planets form in circumstellar disks of gas and dust around YSOs. With ever increasing capabilities of the observational instruments designed to look at these proto-planetary disks, most notably GPI, SPHERE, and ALMA, more accurate interfaces must be made to connect modeling of the disks with observation. PaRTY (Parallel Radiative Transfer in YSOs) is a code developed previously to model the observable density and temperature structure of such a disk by self-consistently calculating the structure of the disk based on radiative transfer physics. We present upgrades we are implementing to the PaRTY code to improve its accuracy and flexibility. These upgrades include: creating a two-sided disk model, implementing a spherical coordinate system, and implementing wavelength-dependent opacities. These upgrades will address problems in the PaRTY code of infinite optical thickness, calculation under/over-resolution, and wavelength-independent photon penetration depths, respectively. The upgraded code will be used to better model disk perturbations resulting from planet formation.

Circumstellar disks around binary stars in Taurus

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Akeson, R. L. [NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, IPAC/Caltech, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Jensen, E. L. N. [Swarthmore College, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Swarthmore, PA 19081 (United States)

2014-03-20

We have conducted a survey of 17 wide (>100 AU) young binary systems in Taurus with the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) at two wavelengths. The observations were designed to measure the masses of circumstellar disks in these systems as an aid to understanding the role of multiplicity in star and planet formation. The ALMA observations had sufficient resolution to localize emission within the binary system. Disk emission was detected around all primaries and 10 secondaries, with disk masses as low as 10{sup –4} M {sub ☉}. We compare the properties of our sample to the population of known disks in Taurus and find that the disks from this binary sample match the scaling between stellar mass and millimeter flux of F{sub mm}∝M{sub ∗}{sup 1.5--2.0} to within the scatter found in previous studies. We also compare the properties of the primaries to those of the secondaries and find that the secondary/primary stellar and disk mass ratios are not correlated; in three systems, the circumsecondary disk is more massive than the circumprimary disk, counter to some theoretical predictions.

Star formation rates and abundance gradients in disk galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wyse, R.F.G.; Silk, J.

1989-01-01

Analytic models for the evolution of disk galaxies are presented, placing special emphasis on the radial properties. These models are straightforward extensions of the original Schmidt (1959, 1963) models, with a dependence of star formation rate on gas density. The models provide successful descriptions of several measures of galactic disk evolution, including solar neighborhood chemical evolution, the presence and amplitude of metallicity and color gradients in disk galaxies, and the global rates of star formation in disk galaxies, and aid in the understanding of the apparent connection between young and old stellar populations in spiral galaxies. 67 refs

NIRCam Coronagraphic Observations of Disks and Planetary Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Beichman, Charles A.; Ygouf, Marie; Gaspar, Andras; NIRCam Science Team

2017-06-01

The NIRCam coronagraph offers a dramatic increase in sensitivity at wavelengths of 3-5 um where young planets are brightest. While large ground-based telescopes with Extreme Adaptive Optics have an advantage in inner working angle, NIRCam's sensitivity will allow high precision photometry for known planets and searches for planets with masses below that of Saturn. For debris disk science NIRCam observations will address the scattering properties of dust, look for evidence of ices and tholins, and search for planets which affect the structure of the disk itself.The NIRCam team's GTO program includes medium-band filter observations of known young planets having 1-5 Jupiter masses. A collaborative program with the MIRI team will provide coronagraphic observations at longer wavelengths. The combined dataset will yield the exoplanet’s total luminosity and effective temperature, an estimate of the initial entropy of the newly-formed planet, and the retrieval of atmospheric properties.The program will also make deep searches for lower mass planets toward known planetary systems, nearby young M stars and debris disk systems. Achievable mass limits range from ~1 Jupiter mass beyond 20 AU for the brightest A stars to perhaps a Uranus mass within 10 AU for the closest M stars.We will discuss details of the coronagraphic program for both the exoplanet and debris disk cases with an emphasis on using APT to optimize the observations of target and reference stars.

Childhood to adolescence: dust and gas clearing in protoplanetary disks

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Joanna Margaret

Disks are ubiquitous around young stars. Over time, disks dissipate, revealing planets that formed hidden by their natal dust. Since direct detection of young planets at small orbital radii is currently impossible, other tracers of planet formation must be found. One sign of disk evolution, potentially linked to planet formation, is the opening of a gap or inner hole in the disk. In this thesis, I have identified and characterized several cold disks with large inner gaps but retaining massive primordial outer disks. While cold disks are not common, with ~5% of disks showing signs of inner gaps, they provide proof that at least some disks evolve from the inside-out. These large gaps are equivalent to dust clearing from inside the Earth's orbit to Neptune's orbit or even the inner Kuiper belt. Unlike more evolved systems like our own, the central star is often still accreting and a large outer disk remains. I identified four cold disks in Spitzer 5-40 μm spectra and modeled these disks using a 2-D radiative transfer code to determine the gap properties. Outer gap radii of 20-45 AU were derived. However, spectrophotometric identification is indirect and model-dependent. To validate this interpretation, I observed three disks with a submillimeter interferometer and obtained the first direct images of the central holes. The images agree well with the gap sizes derived from the spectrophotometry. One system, LkH&alpha 330, has a very steep outer gap edge which seems more consistent with gravitational perturbation rather than gradual processes, such as grain growth and settling. Roughly 70% of cold disks show CO v=1&rarr 0 gas emission from the inner 1 AU and therefore are unlikely to have evolved due to photoevaporation. The derived rotation temperatures are significantly lower for the cold disks than disks without gaps. Unresolved (sub)millimeter photometry shows that cold disks have steeper colors, indicating that they are optically thin at these wavelengths, unlike

The Dynamics and Implications of Gap Clearing via Planets in Planetesimal (Debris) Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Morrison, Sarah Jane

Exoplanets and debris disks are examples of solar systems other than our own. As the dusty reservoirs of colliding planetesimals, debris disks provide indicators of planetary system evolution on orbital distance scales beyond those probed by the most prolific exoplanet detection methods, and on timescales 10 r to 10 Gyr. The Solar System possesses both planets and small bodies, and through studying the gravitational interactions between both, we gain insight into the Solar System's past. As we enter the era of resolved observations of debris disks residing around other stars, I add to our theoretical understanding of the dynamical interactions between debris, planets, and combinations thereof. I quantify how single planets clear material in their vicinity and how long this process takes for the entire planetary mass regime. I use these relationships to assess the lowest mass planet that could clear a gap in observed debris disks over the system's lifetime. In the distant outer reaches of gaps in young debris systems, this minimum planet mass can exceed Neptune's. To complement the discoveries of wide-orbit, massive, exoplanets by direct imaging surveys, I assess the dynamical stability of high mass multi-planet systems to estimate how many high mass planets could be packed into young, gapped debris disks. I compare these expectations to the planet detection rates of direct imaging surveys and find that high mass planets are not the primary culprits for forming gaps in young debris disk systems. As an alternative model for forming gaps in planetesimal disks with planets, I assess the efficacy of creating gaps with divergently migrating pairs of planets. I find that migrating planets could produce observed gaps and elude detection. Moreover, the inferred planet masses when neglecting migration for such gaps could be expected to be observable by direct imaging surveys for young, nearby systems. Wide gaps in young systems would likely still require more than two

Experimental chemonucleolysis with chymopapain in canine intervertebral disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kudo, T.; Sumi, A.; Hashimoto, A.

1993-01-01

The present study describes the radiological and histological changes in the canine intervertebral disk after the experimental injection of chymopapain as the chemical reagent, and determines the appropriate dose of the enzyme for treatment of herniated disks. By radiography, narrowing of the disk space was observed within 2 weeks after the injection of chymopapain, and recovered to 74.1% in the 0.1 mg group, 61.1% in the 1.0 mg group and 71.7% in the 10.0 mg group at 12 weeks. The disk space recovery showed a tendency to delay with aging. Microscopically, proteoglycan positive matrix appeared and the nuclear space was reduced in each disk at 2 weeks after chymopapain injection. The nucleus pulposus contained an irregularly-defined mass consisting of clusters of degenerated notochordal cells surrounded by proliferated chondrocytes and collagen matrix. In each disk at 12 weeks after chymopapain injection, the center of the nucleus pulposus was replaced by fibrocartilage tissue. In the disk into which 10.0 mg chymopapain was injected, the nuclear space filled with dense fibrocartilage tissue without a regenerated matrix component and narrowing of the disk were maintained. It is suggested that canine chemonucleolysis with 10.0 mg of chymopapain reduces the interdiskal pressure. This treatment may therefore relieve the signs and symptoms of herniation of the nucleus pulposus, and may effect chemical disk decompression

Far-IR Observations of Gas and Dust in the Unusual 49 Ceti Disk

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roberge, Aki; Kamp, I.; Augereau, J.; Montesinos, B.; Meeus, G.; Olofsson, J.; Donaldson, J.; Howard, C. D.; Eiroa, C.; Dent, B.

We present Herschel Space Observatory far-IR imaging and spectroscopy of 49 Cet, an unusual circumstellar disk around a nearby young A1V star. The system is famous for showing the dust properties of a debris disk, but the gas properties of a low-mass protoplanetary disk. Photometry was obtained at

A model for neutrino emission from nuclear accretion disks

Science.gov (United States)

Deaton, Michael

2015-04-01

Compact object mergers involving at least one neutron star can produce short-lived black hole accretion engines. Over tens to hundreds of milliseconds such an engine consumes a disk of hot, nuclear-density fluid, and drives changes to its surrounding environment through luminous emission of neutrinos. The neutrino emission may drive an ultrarelativistic jet, may peel off the disk's outer layers as a wind, may irradiate those winds or other forms of ejecta and thereby change their composition, may change the composition and thermodynamic state of the disk itself, and may oscillate in its flavor content. We present the full spatial-, angular-, and energy-dependence of the neutrino distribution function around a realistic model of a nuclear accretion disk, to inform future explorations of these types of behaviors. Spectral Einstein Code (SpEC).

ALMA Studies of the Disk-Jet-Outflow Connection

Science.gov (United States)

Dougados, Catherine; Louvet, F.; Mardones, D.; Cabrit, S.

2017-06-01

I will describe in this contribution recent results obtained with ALMA on the origin of the disk/jet/outflow connexion in T Tauri stars. I will first present ALMA observations of the disk associated with the jet source Th 28, which question previous jet rotation measurements in this source and the implications drawn from them. I will then discuss Cycle 2 ALMA observations of the disk and small scale CO outflow associated with the prototypical edge-on HH 30 source. The unprecedented angular resolution of this dataset brings new constraints on the origin of the CO outflows in young stars.

Herschel Observations of Gas and Dust in the Unusual 49 Ceti Debris Disk

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Roberge, A.; Kamp, I.; Montesinos, B.; Dent, W. R. F.; Meeus, G.; Donaldson, J. K.; Olofsson, J.; Moor, A.; Augereau, J. -C.; Howard, C.; Eiroa, C.; Thi, W. -F.; Ardila, D. R.; Sandell, G.; Woitke, P.

2013-01-01

We present far-IR/sub-mm imaging and spectroscopy of 49 Ceti, an unusual circumstellar disk around a nearby young A1V star. The system is famous for showing the dust properties of a debris disk, but the gas properties of a low-mass protoplanetary disk. The data were acquired with the Herschel Space

SHORT DISSIPATION TIMES OF PROTO-PLANETARY DISKS: AN ARTIFACT OF SELECTION EFFECTS?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pfalzner, Susanne; Steinhausen, Manuel; Menten, Karl

2014-01-01

The frequency of disks around young stars, a key parameter for understanding planet formation, is most readily determined in young stellar clusters where many relatively coeval stars are located in close proximity. Observational studies seem to show that the disk frequency decreases rapidly with cluster age with <10% of cluster stars retaining their disks for longer than 2-6 Myr. Given that at least half of all stars in the field seem to harbor one or more planets, this would imply extremely fast disk dispersal and rapid planet growth. Here we question the validity of this constraint by demonstrating that the short disk dissipation times inferred to date might have been heavily underestimated by selection effects. Critically, for ages >3 Myr only stars that originally populated the densest areas of very populous clusters, which are prone to disk erosion, are actually considered. This tiny sample may not be representative of the majority of stars. In fact, the higher disk fractions in co-moving groups indicate that it is likely that over 30% of all field stars retain their disks well beyond 10 Myr, leaving ample time for planet growth. Equally, our solar system, with a likely formation time >10 Myr, need no longer be an exception but in fact typical of planetary systems

A study of the inner parts of protoplanetary disks observed by interferometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anthonioz, Fabien

2015-01-01

Observing gas and dusty disks around young stars are of utmost importance for our knowledge about planetary formation. Observations of these disks bring unprecedented details about their structure and composition, and provide stronger and stronger constrains on planetary formation models. However, the inner parts of these disk are still barely known. Indeed, a 100 m diameter telescope would be required in order to resolve these inner region, for the closest young stars; nowadays, the construction of such telescope is impossible technologically and financially. By combining the light of pairs of telescopes, the interferometry technique is able to reach the sufficient resolving power, and permits us to observe the inner parts of circumstellar disks. My thesis has been focused on the observation and study of the inner part of TTauri's circumstellar disks. I present in this manuscript a statistical study on the environment around these stars, along with its modeling by taking into account thermal emission and light scattering of the disk. Finally, I present a more complete modelling for some of these stars, done by constraining spectroscopic, interferometric and photometric datasets with a radiative transfer code. (author)

An oxygen-rich dust disk surrounding an evolved star in the Red Rectangle

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Waters, LBFM; Waelkens, C; van Winckel, H; Molster, FJ; Tielens, AGGM; van Loon, JT; Morris, PW; Cami, J; Bouwman, J; de Koter, A; de Jong, T; de Graauw, T

1998-01-01

The Red Rectangle(1) is the prototype of a class of carbon-rich reflection nebulae surrounding low-mass stars in the final stages of evolution. The central star of this nebula has ejected most of its layers (during the red-giant phase), which now form the surrounding cloud, and is rapidly evolving

DYNAMICS OF CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS. III. THE CASE OF GG Tau A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nelson, Andrew F.; Marzari, F.

2016-01-01

We present two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations using the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamic code, VINE, to model a self-gravitating binary system. We model configurations in which a circumbinary torus+disk surrounds a pair of stars in orbit around each other and a circumstellar disk surrounds each star, similar to that observed for the GG Tau A system. We assume that the disks cool as blackbodies, using rates determined independently at each location in the disk by the time dependent temperature of the photosphere there. We assume heating due to hydrodynamical processes and to radiation from the two stars, using rates approximated from a measure of the radiation intercepted by the disk at its photosphere. We simulate a suite of systems configured with semimajor axes of either a = 62 AU (“wide”) or a = 32 AU (“close”), and with assumed orbital eccentricity of either e = 0 or e = 0.3. Each simulation follows the evolution for ∼6500–7500 yr, corresponding to about three orbits of the torus around the center of mass. Our simulations show that strong, sharply defined spiral structures are generated from the stirring action of the binary and that, in some cases, these structures fragment into 1–2 massive clumps. The torus quickly fragments into several dozen such fragments in configurations in which either the binary is replaced by a single star of equal mass, or radiative heating is neglected. The spiral structures extend inwards to the circumstellar environment as large scale material streams for which most material is found on trajectories that return it to the torus on a timescale of 1–200 yr, with only a small fraction accreting into the circumstellar environment. The spiral structures also propagate outwards through the torus, generating net outwards mass flow, and eventually losing coherence at large distances from the stars. The torus becomes significantly eccentric in shape over most of its evolution. In all configurations, accretion onto the

DYNAMICS OF CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS. III. THE CASE OF GG Tau A

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nelson, Andrew F. [XCP-2, Mailstop T082, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States); Marzari, F., E-mail: andy.nelson@lanl.gov, E-mail: francesco.marzari@pd.infn.it [Università di Padova, Dipartimento di Fisica, via Marzolo 8, 35131 Padova (Italy)

2016-08-20

We present two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations using the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamic code, VINE, to model a self-gravitating binary system. We model configurations in which a circumbinary torus+disk surrounds a pair of stars in orbit around each other and a circumstellar disk surrounds each star, similar to that observed for the GG Tau A system. We assume that the disks cool as blackbodies, using rates determined independently at each location in the disk by the time dependent temperature of the photosphere there. We assume heating due to hydrodynamical processes and to radiation from the two stars, using rates approximated from a measure of the radiation intercepted by the disk at its photosphere. We simulate a suite of systems configured with semimajor axes of either a = 62 AU (“wide”) or a = 32 AU (“close”), and with assumed orbital eccentricity of either e = 0 or e = 0.3. Each simulation follows the evolution for ∼6500–7500 yr, corresponding to about three orbits of the torus around the center of mass. Our simulations show that strong, sharply defined spiral structures are generated from the stirring action of the binary and that, in some cases, these structures fragment into 1–2 massive clumps. The torus quickly fragments into several dozen such fragments in configurations in which either the binary is replaced by a single star of equal mass, or radiative heating is neglected. The spiral structures extend inwards to the circumstellar environment as large scale material streams for which most material is found on trajectories that return it to the torus on a timescale of 1–200 yr, with only a small fraction accreting into the circumstellar environment. The spiral structures also propagate outwards through the torus, generating net outwards mass flow, and eventually losing coherence at large distances from the stars. The torus becomes significantly eccentric in shape over most of its evolution. In all configurations, accretion onto the

Gravitational Instabilities in Circumstellar Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Kratter, Kaitlin; Lodato, Giuseppe

2016-09-01

Star and planet formation are the complex outcomes of gravitational collapse and angular momentum transport mediated by protostellar and protoplanetary disks. In this review, we focus on the role of gravitational instability in this process. We begin with a brief overview of the observational evidence for massive disks that might be subject to gravitational instability and then highlight the diverse ways in which the instability manifests itself in protostellar and protoplanetary disks: the generation of spiral arms, small-scale turbulence-like density fluctuations, and fragmentation of the disk itself. We present the analytic theory that describes the linear growth phase of the instability supplemented with a survey of numerical simulations that aim to capture the nonlinear evolution. We emphasize the role of thermodynamics and large-scale infall in controlling the outcome of the instability. Despite apparent controversies in the literature, we show a remarkable level of agreement between analytic predictions and numerical results. In the next part of our review, we focus on the astrophysical consequences of the instability. We show that the disks most likely to be gravitationally unstable are young and relatively massive compared with their host star, Md/M*≥0.1. They will develop quasi-stable spiral arms that process infall from the background cloud. Although instability is less likely at later times, once infall becomes less important, the manifestations of the instability are more varied. In this regime, the disk thermodynamics, often regulated by stellar irradiation, dictates the development and evolution of the instability. In some cases the instability may lead to fragmentation into bound companions. These companions are more likely to be brown dwarfs or stars than planetary mass objects. Finally, we highlight open questions related to the development of a turbulent cascade in thin disks and the role of mode-mode coupling in setting the maximum angular

Constraining the disk masses of the class I binary protostar GV Tau

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sheehan, Patrick D.; Eisner, Josh A., E-mail: psheehan@email.arizona.edu [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)

2014-08-10

We present new spatially resolved 1.3 mm imaging with CARMA of the GV Tau system. GV Tau is a Class I binary protostar system in the Taurus Molecular Cloud, the components of which are separated by 1.''2. Each protostar is surrounded by a protoplanetary disk, and the pair may be surrounded by a circumbinary envelope. We analyze the data using detailed radiative transfer modeling of the system. We create synthetic protostar model spectra, images, and visibilities and compare them with CARMA 1.3 mm visibilities, a Hubble Space Telescope near-infrared scattered light image, and broadband spectral energy distributions from the literature to study the disk masses and geometries of the GV Tau disks. We show that the protoplanetary disks around GV Tau fall near the lower end of estimates of the Minimum Mass Solar Nebula, and may have just enough mass to form giant planets. When added to the sample of Class I protostars from Eisner, we confirm that Class I protostars are on average more massive than their Class II counterparts. This suggests that substantial dust grain processing occurs between the Class I and Class II stages, and may help to explain why the Class II protostars do not appear to have, on average, enough mass in their disks to form giant planets.

HUNTING FOR PLANETS IN THE HL TAU DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Testi, L. [ESO, Karl Schwarzschild str. 2, D-85748 Garching bei Muenchen (Germany); Skemer, A.; Bailey, V.; Defrère, D.; Hinz, Ph.; Leisenring, J.; Vaz, A. [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Henning, Th. [Max Planck Institute for Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Esposito, S. [INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, I-50125 Firenze (Italy); Fontana, A. [INAF-Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Monte Porzio (Italy); Marconi, A. [Universitá degli Studi di Firenze, Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Firenze (Italy); Skrutskie, M. [University of Virginia, 530 McCormick Road, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); Veillet, C., E-mail: ltesti@eso.org [LBT Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)

2015-10-20

Recent ALMA images of HL Tau show gaps in the dusty disk that may be caused by planetary bodies. Given the young age of this system, if confirmed, this finding would imply very short timescales for planet formation, probably in a gravitationally unstable disk. To test this scenario, we searched for young planets by means of direct imaging in the L′ band using the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer mid-infrared camera. At the location of two prominent dips in the dust distribution at ∼70 AU (∼0.″5) from the central star, we reach a contrast level of ∼7.5 mag. We did not detect any point sources at the location of the rings. Using evolutionary models we derive upper limits of ∼10–15 M{sub Jup} at ≤0.5–1 Ma for the possible planets. With these sensitivity limits we should have been able to detect companions sufficiently massive to open full gaps in the disk. The structures detected at millimeter wavelengths could be gaps in the distributions of large grains on the disk midplane caused by planets not massive enough to fully open the gaps. Future ALMA observations of the molecular gas density profile and kinematics as well as higher contrast infrared observations may be able to provide a definitive answer.

HUNTING FOR PLANETS IN THE HL TAU DISK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Testi, L.; Skemer, A.; Bailey, V.; Defrère, D.; Hinz, Ph.; Leisenring, J.; Vaz, A.; Henning, Th.; Esposito, S.; Fontana, A.; Marconi, A.; Skrutskie, M.; Veillet, C.

2015-01-01

Recent ALMA images of HL Tau show gaps in the dusty disk that may be caused by planetary bodies. Given the young age of this system, if confirmed, this finding would imply very short timescales for planet formation, probably in a gravitationally unstable disk. To test this scenario, we searched for young planets by means of direct imaging in the L′ band using the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer mid-infrared camera. At the location of two prominent dips in the dust distribution at ∼70 AU (∼0.″5) from the central star, we reach a contrast level of ∼7.5 mag. We did not detect any point sources at the location of the rings. Using evolutionary models we derive upper limits of ∼10–15 M Jup at ≤0.5–1 Ma for the possible planets. With these sensitivity limits we should have been able to detect companions sufficiently massive to open full gaps in the disk. The structures detected at millimeter wavelengths could be gaps in the distributions of large grains on the disk midplane caused by planets not massive enough to fully open the gaps. Future ALMA observations of the molecular gas density profile and kinematics as well as higher contrast infrared observations may be able to provide a definitive answer

MASSIVE PROTOPLANETARY DISKS IN ORION BEYOND THE TRAPEZIUM CLUSTER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mann, Rita K.; Williams, Jonathan P.

2009-01-01

We present Submillimeter Array 1 The Submillimeter Array is a joint project between the Submillimeter Astrophysical Observatory and the Academica Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics and is funded by the Smithsonian Institution and the Academica Sinica. observations of the 880 μm continuum emission from three circumstellar disks around young stars in Orion that lie several arcminutes (∼> 1 pc) north of the Trapezium cluster. Two of the three disks are in the binary system 253-1536. Silhouette disks 216-0939 and 253-1536a are found to be more massive than any previously observed Orion disks, with dust masses derived from their submillimeter emission of 0.045 M sun and 0.066 M sun , respectively. The existence of these massive disks reveals that the disk mass distribution in Orion does extend to high masses, and that the truncation observed in the central Trapezium cluster is a result of photoevaporation due to the proximity of O-stars. 253-1536b has a disk mass of 0.018 M sun , making the 253-1536 system the first optical binary in which each protoplanetary disk is massive enough to potentially form solar systems.

Gas in the Terrestrial Planet Region of Disks: CO Fundamental Emission from T Tauri Stars

Science.gov (United States)

2003-06-01

planetary systems: protoplanetary disks — stars: variables: other 1. INTRODUCTION As the likely birthplaces of planets, the inner regions of young...both low column density regions, such as disk gaps , and temperature inversion regions in disk atmospheres can produce significant emission. The esti...which planetary systems form. The moti- vation to study inner disks is all the more intense today given the discovery of planets outside the solar system

New Insights into the Nature of Transition Disks from a Complete Disk Survey of the Lupus Star-forming Region

Science.gov (United States)

van der Marel, Nienke; Williams, Jonathan P.; Ansdell, M.; Manara, Carlo F.; Miotello, Anna; Tazzari, Marco; Testi, Leonardo; Hogerheijde, Michiel; Bruderer, Simon; van Terwisga, Sierk E.; van Dishoeck, Ewine F.

2018-02-01

Transition disks with large dust cavities around young stars are promising targets for studying planet formation. Previous studies have revealed the presence of gas cavities inside the dust cavities, hinting at recently formed, giant planets. However, many of these studies are biased toward the brightest disks in the nearby star-forming regions, and it is not possible to derive reliable statistics that can be compared with exoplanet populations. We present the analysis of 11 transition disks with large cavities (≥20 au radius) from a complete disk survey of the Lupus star-forming region, using ALMA Band 7 observations at 0.″3 (22–30 au radius) resolution of the 345 GHz continuum, 13CO and C18O 3–2 observations, and the spectral energy distribution of each source. Gas and dust surface density profiles are derived using the physical–chemical modeling code DALI. This is the first study of transition disks of large cavities within a complete disk survey within a star-forming region. The dust cavity sizes range from 20 to 90 au radius, and in three cases, a gas cavity is resolved as well. The deep drops in gas density and large dust cavity sizes are consistent with clearing by giant planets. The fraction of transition disks with large cavities in Lupus is ≳ 11 % , which is inconsistent with exoplanet population studies of giant planets at wide orbits. Furthermore, we present a hypothesis of an evolutionary path for large massive disks evolving into transition disks with large cavities.

The Low-mass Population in the Young Cluster Stock 8: Stellar Properties and Initial Mass Function

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jose, Jessy; Herczeg, Gregory J.; Fang, Qiliang [Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University, Yi He Yuan Lu 5, Haidian Qu, Beijing 100871 (China); Samal, Manash R. [Graduate Institute of Astronomy, National Central University 300, Jhongli City, Taoyuan County 32001, Taiwan (China); Panwar, Neelam, E-mail: jessyvjose1@gmail.com [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi, Delhi 110007 (India)

2017-02-10

The evolution of H ii regions/supershells can trigger a new generation of stars/clusters at their peripheries, with environmental conditions that may affect the initial mass function, disk evolution, and star formation efficiency. In this paper we study the stellar content and star formation processes in the young cluster Stock 8, which itself is thought to be formed during the expansion of a supershell. We present deep optical photometry along with JHK and 3.6 and 4.5 μ m photometry from UKIDSS and Spitzer -IRAC. We use multicolor criteria to identify the candidate young stellar objects in the region. Using evolutionary models, we obtain a median log(age) of ∼6.5 (∼3.0 Myr) with an observed age spread of ∼0.25 dex for the cluster. Monte Carlo simulations of the population of Stock 8, based on estimates for the photometric uncertainty, differential reddening, binarity, and variability, indicate that these uncertainties introduce an age spread of ∼0.15 dex. The intrinsic age spread in the cluster is ∼0.2 dex. The fraction of young stellar objects surrounded by disks is ∼35%. The K -band luminosity function of Stock 8 is similar to that of the Trapezium cluster. The initial mass function (IMF) of Stock 8 has a Salpeter-like slope at >0.5 M {sub ⊙} and flattens and peaks at ∼0.4 M {sub ⊙}, below which it declines into the substellar regime. Although Stock 8 is surrounded by several massive stars, there seems to be no severe environmental effect in the form of the IMF due to the proximity of massive stars around the cluster.

Modeling Protoplanetary Disks to Characterize the Evolution of their Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Allen, Magdelena; van der Marel, Nienke; Williams, Jonathan

2018-01-01

Stars form from gravitationally collapsing clouds of gas and dust. Most young stars retain a protoplanetary disk for a few million years. This disk’s dust reemits stellar flux in the infrared, producing a spectral energy distribution (SED) observable by Spitzer and other telescopes. To understand the inner clearing of dust cavities and evolution in the SED, we used the Chiang & Goldreich two-layer approximation. We first wrote a python script based on refinements by Dullemond that includes a hot, puffed inner rim, shadowed mid region, flaring outer disk, and a variable inner cavity. This was then coupled with a Markov Chain Monte Carlo procedure to fit the observed SEDs of disks in the star forming Lupus region. The fitting procedure recovers physical characteristics of the disk including temperature, size, mass, and surface density. We compare the characteristics of circumstellar disks without holes and more evolved transition disks with cleared inner regions.

Near-Infrared Imaging Polarimetry of Inner Region of GG Tau A Disk

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Yi; Hashimoto, Jun; Hayashi, Saeko S.; Tamura, Motohide; Mayama, Satoshi; Rafikov, Roman; Akiyama, Eiji; Carson, Joseph C.; Janson, Markus; Kwon, Jungmi;

THE VVV SURVEY REVEALS CLASSICAL CEPHEIDS TRACING A YOUNG AND THIN STELLAR DISK ACROSS THE GALAXY’S BULGE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dékány, I. [Instituto Milenio de Astrofísica, Santiago (Chile); Minniti, D. [Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Andres Bello, República 220, Santiago (Chile); Majaess, D. [Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia (Canada); Zoccali, M.; Hajdu, G.; Catelan, M. [Instituto de Astrofísica, Facultad de Física, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, Santiago (Chile); Alonso-García, J. [Unidad de Astronomía, Fac. Cs. Básicas, Universidad de Antofagasta, Avda. U. de Antofagasta 02800, Antofagasta (Chile); Gieren, W. [Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Concepción, Casilla 160-C, Concepción (Chile); Borissova, J., E-mail: idekany@astro.puc.cl [Instituto de Física y Astronomía, Universidad de Valparaíso, Av. Gran Bretaña 1111, Valparaso (Chile)

2015-10-20

Solid insight into the physics of the inner Milky Way is key to understanding our Galaxy’s evolution, but extreme dust obscuration has historically hindered efforts to map the area along the Galactic mid-plane. New comprehensive near-infrared time-series photometry from the VVV Survey has revealed 35 classical Cepheids, tracing a previously unobserved component of the inner Galaxy, namely a ubiquitous inner thin disk of young stars along the Galactic mid-plane, traversing across the bulge. The discovered period (age) spread of these classical Cepheids implies a continuous supply of newly formed stars in the central region of the Galaxy over the last 100 million years.

Feasibility of using PZT actuators to study the dynamic behavior of a rotating disk due to rotor-stator interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Presas, Alexandre; Egusquiza, Eduard; Valero, Carme; Valentin, David; Seidel, Ulrich

2014-07-07

In this paper, PZT actuators are used to study the dynamic behavior of a rotating disk structure due to rotor-stator interaction excitation. The disk is studied with two different surrounding fluids-air and water. The study has been performed analytically and validated experimentally. For the theoretical analysis, the natural frequencies and the associated mode shapes of the rotating disk in air and water are obtained with the Kirchhoff-Love thin plate theory coupled with the interaction with the surrounding fluid. A model for the Rotor Stator Interaction that occurs in many rotating disk-like parts of turbomachinery such as compressors, hydraulic runners or alternators is presented. The dynamic behavior of the rotating disk due to this excitation is deduced. For the experimental analysis a test rig has been developed. It consists of a stainless steel disk (r = 198 mm and h = 8 mm) connected to a variable speed motor. Excitation and response are measured from the rotating system. For the rotating excitation four piezoelectric patches have been used. Calibrating the piezoelectric patches in amplitude and phase, different rotating excitation patterns are applied on the rotating disk in air and in water. Results show the feasibility of using PZT to control the response of the disk due to a rotor-stator interaction.

Feasibility of Using PZT Actuators to Study the Dynamic Behavior of a Rotating Disk due to Rotor-Stator Interaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre Presas

2014-07-01

Full Text Available In this paper, PZT actuators are used to study the dynamic behavior of a rotating disk structure due to rotor-stator interaction excitation. The disk is studied with two different surrounding fluids—air and water. The study has been performed analytically and validated experimentally. For the theoretical analysis, the natural frequencies and the associated mode shapes of the rotating disk in air and water are obtained with the Kirchhoff-Love thin plate theory coupled with the interaction with the surrounding fluid. A model for the Rotor Stator Interaction that occurs in many rotating disk-like parts of turbomachinery such as compressors, hydraulic runners or alternators is presented. The dynamic behavior of the rotating disk due to this excitation is deduced. For the experimental analysis a test rig has been developed. It consists of a stainless steel disk (r = 198 mm and h = 8 mm connected to a variable speed motor. Excitation and response are measured from the rotating system. For the rotating excitation four piezoelectric patches have been used. Calibrating the piezoelectric patches in amplitude and phase, different rotating excitation patterns are applied on the rotating disk in air and in water. Results show the feasibility of using PZT to control the response of the disk due to a rotor-stator interaction.

Zodiac II: Debris Disk Science from a Balloon

Science.gov (United States)

Bryden, Geoffrey; Traub, Wesley; Roberts, Lewis C., Jr.; Bruno, Robin; Unwin, Stephen; Backovsky, Stan; Brugarolas, Paul; Chakrabarti, Supriya; Chen, Pin; Hillenbrand, Lynne;

SPITZER SPECTROSCOPY OF THE CIRCUMPRIMARY DISK IN THE BINARY BROWN DWARF 2MASS J04414489+2301513

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Adame, Lucia; Calvet, Nuria; McClure, M. K.; Hartmann, Lee; Luhman, K. L.; D'Alessio, Paola; Furlan, Elise; Forrest, William J.; Watson, Dan M.

2011-01-01

Using the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph, we have performed mid-infrared spectroscopy on the young binary brown dwarf 2MASS J04414489+2301513 (15 AU) in the Taurus star-forming region. The spectrum exhibits excess continuum emission that likely arises from a circumstellar disk around the primary. Silicate emission is not detected in these data, indicating the presence of significant grain growth. This is one of the few brown dwarf disks at such a young age (∼1 Myr) that has been found to lack silicate emission. To quantitatively constrain the properties of the disk, we have compared the spectral energy distribution of 2MASS J04414489+2301513 to the predictions of our vertical structure codes for irradiated accretion disks. Our models suggest that the remaining atmospheric grains of moderately depleted layers may have grown to a size of ∼>5 μm. In addition, our model fits indicate an outer radius of 0.2-0.3 AU for the disk. The small size of this circumprimary disk could be due to truncation by the secondary. The absence of an outer disk containing a reservoir of small, primordial grains, combined with a weak turbulent mechanism, may be responsible for the advanced grain growth in this disk.

DiskDetective.org: Finding Homes for Exoplanets Through Citizen Science

Science.gov (United States)

Kuchner, Marc J.

2016-01-01

The Disk Detective project is scouring the data archive from the WISE all-sky survey to find new debris disks and protoplanetary disks-the dusty dens where exoplanets form and dwell. Volunteers on this citizen science website have already performed 1.6 million classifications, searching a catalog 8x the size of any published WISE survey. We follow up candidates using ground based telescopes in California, Arizona, Chile, Hawaii, and Argentina. We ultimately expect to increase the pool of known debris disks by approx. 400 and triple the solid angle in clusters of young stars examined with WISE, providing a unique new catalog of isolated disk stars, key planet-search targets, and candidate advanced extraterrestrial civilizations. Come to this talk to hear the news about our latest dusty discoveries and the trials and the ecstasy of launching a new citizen science project. Please bring your laptop or smartphone if you like!

Spitzer IRS Spectroscopy of the 10 Myr-Old EF Cha Debris Disk: Evidence for Phyllosilicate-Rich Dust in the Terrestrial Zone

Science.gov (United States)

Currie, Thayne; Lisse, Carey M.; Sicillia-Aguilar, Aurora; Rieke, George H.; Su, Kate Y. L.

2011-01-01

We describe Spitzer IRS spectroscopic observations of the approx. 10 Myr-old star, EF Chao Compositional modeling of the spectra from 5 micron to 35 micron confirms that it is surrounded by a luminous debris disk with L(sub D)/L(sub *) approx. 10(exp -3), containing dust with temperatures between 225 K and 430 K characteristic of the terrestrial zone. The EF Cha spectrum shows evidence for many solid-state features, unlike most cold, low-luminosity debris disks but like some other 10-20 Myr-old luminous, warm debris disks (e.g. HD 113766A). The EF Cha debris disk is unusually rich in a species or combination of species whose emissivities resemble that of finely-powdered, laboratory-measured phyllosilicate species (talc, saponite, and smectite), which are likely produced by aqueous alteration of primordial anhydrous rocky materials. The dust and, by inference, the parent bodies of the debris also contain abundant amorphous silicates and metal sulfides, and possibly water ice. The dust's total olivine to pyroxene ratio of approx. 2 also provides evidence of aqueous alteration. The large mass volume of grains with sizes comparable to or below the radiation blow-out limit implies that planetesimals may be colliding at a rate high enough to yield the emitting dust but not so high as to devolatize the planetesimals via impact processing. Because phyllosilicates are produced by the interactions between anhydrous rock and warm, reactive water, EF Cha's disk is a likely signpost for water delivery to the terrestrial zone of a young planetary system.

General relativistic model for the gravitational field of active galactic nuclei surrounded by a disk

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vogt, D.; Letelier, P.S.

2005-01-01

An exact but simple general relativistic model for the gravitational field of active galactic nuclei is constructed, based on the superposition in Weyl coordinates of a black hole, a Chazy-Curzon disk and two rods, which represent matter jets. The influence of the rods on the matter properties of

Disk

NARCIS (Netherlands)

P.A. Boncz (Peter); L. Liu (Lei); M. Tamer Özsu

2008-01-01

htmlabstractIn disk storage, data is recorded on planar, round and rotating surfaces (disks, discs, or platters). A disk drive is a peripheral device of a computer system, connected by some communication medium to a disk controller. The disk controller is a chip, typically connected to the CPU of

RESOLVED MILLIMETER-WAVELENGTH OBSERVATIONS OF DEBRIS DISKS AROUND SOLAR-TYPE STARS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steele, Amy; Hughes, A. Meredith [Department of Astronomy, Van Vleck Observatory, Wesleyan University, 96 Foss Hill Drive, Middletown, CT, 06459 (United States); Carpenter, John [Division of Physics, Mathematics, and Astronomy, MC249-17, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Ricarte, Angelo [J. W. Gibbs Laboratory, Department of Astronomy, Yale University, 260 Whitney Avenue, New Haven, CT 06511 (United States); Andrews, Sean M.; Wilner, David J. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, MS-42, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Chiang, Eugene, E-mail: asteele@wesleyan.edu [Department of Astronomy, 501 Campbell Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States)

2016-01-01

The presence of debris disks around young main-sequence stars hints at the existence and structure of planetary systems. Millimeter-wavelength observations probe large grains that trace the location of planetesimal belts. The Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems Spitzer Legacy survey of nearby young solar analogues yielded a sample of five debris disk-hosting stars with millimeter flux suitable for interferometric follow-up. We present observations with the Submillimeter Array (SMA) and the Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy at ∼2″ resolution that spatially resolve the debris disks around these nearby (d ∼ 50 pc) stars. Two of the five disks (HD 377, HD 8907) are spatially resolved for the first time and one (HD 104860) is resolved at millimeter wavelengths for the first time. We combine our new observations with archival SMA and Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array data to enable a uniform analysis of the full five-object sample. We simultaneously model the broadband photometric data and resolved millimeter visibilities to constrain the dust temperatures and disk morphologies, and perform a Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis to fit for basic structural parameters. We find that the radii and widths of the cold outer belts exhibit properties consistent with scaled-up versions of the Solar System's Kuiper Belt. All the disks exhibit characteristic grain sizes comparable to the blowout size, and all the resolved observations of emission from large dust grains are consistent with an axisymmetric dust distribution to within the uncertainties. These results are consistent with comparable studies carried out at infrared wavelengths.

High-resolution observations of IRAS 08544-4431. Detection of a disk orbiting a post-AGB star and of a slow disk wind

Science.gov (United States)

Bujarrabal, V.; Castro-Carrizo, A.; Winckel, H. Van; Alcolea, J.; Contreras, C. Sánchez; Santander-García, M.; Hillen, M.

2018-06-01

Context. Aims: In order to study the effects of rotating disks in the post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) evolution, we observe a class of binary post-AGB stars that seem to be systematically surrounded by equatorial disks and slow outflows. Although the rotating dynamics had only been well identified in three cases, the study of such structures is thought to be fundamental to the understanding of the formation of disks in various phases of the late evolution of binary stars and the ejection of planetary nebulae from evolved stars. Methods: We present ALMA maps of 12CO and 13CO J = 3-2 lines in the source IRAS 08544-4431, which belongs to the above mentioned class of objects. We analyzed the data by means of nebula models, which account for the expectedly composite source and can reproduce the data. From our modeling, we estimated the main nebula parameters, including the structure and dynamics and the density and temperature distributions. We discuss the uncertainties of the derived values and, in particular, their dependence on the distance. Results: Our observations reveal the presence of an equatorial disk in rotation; a low-velocity outflow is also found, probably formed of gas expelled from the disk. The main characteristics of our observations and modeling of IRAS 08544-4431 are similar to those of better studied objects, confirming our interpretation. The disk rotation indicates a total central mass of about 1.8 M⊙, for a distance of 1100 pc. The disk is found to be relatively extended and has a typical diameter of 4 × 1016 cm. The total nebular mass is 2 × 10-2 M⊙, of which 90% corresponds to the disk. Assuming that the outflow is due to mass loss from the disk, we derive a disk lifetime of 10 000 yr. The disk angular momentum is found to be comparable to that of the binary system at present. Assuming that the disk angular momentum was transferred from the binary system, as expected, the high values of the disk angular momentum in this and other

THE EVOLUTION OF PROTOPLANETARY DISKS IN THE ARCHES CLUSTER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olczak, C.; Kaczmarek, T.; Pfalzner, S.; Harfst, S.; Portegies Zwart, S.

2012-01-01

Most stars form in a cluster environment. These stars are initially surrounded by disks from which potentially planetary systems form. Of all cluster environments, starburst clusters are probably the most hostile for planetary systems in our Galaxy. The intense stellar radiation and extreme density favor rapid destruction of circumstellar disks via photoevaporation and stellar encounters. Evolving a virialized model of the Arches cluster in the Galactic tidal field, we investigate the effect of stellar encounters on circumstellar disks in a prototypical starburst cluster. Despite its proximity to the deep gravitational potential of the Galactic center, only a moderate fraction of members escapes to form an extended pair of tidal tails. Our simulations show that encounters destroy one-third of the circumstellar disks in the cluster core within the first 2.5 Myr of evolution, preferentially affecting the least and most massive stars. A small fraction of these events causes rapid ejection and the formation of a weaker second pair of tidal tails that is overpopulated by disk-poor stars. Two predictions arise from our study. (1) If not destroyed by photoevaporation protoplanetary disks of massive late B- and early O-type stars represent the most likely hosts of planet formation in starburst clusters. (2) Multi-epoch K- and L-band photometry of the Arches cluster would provide the kinematically selected membership sample required to detect the additional pair of disk-poor tidal tails.

FIRST DETECTION OF NEAR-INFRARED LINE EMISSION FROM ORGANICS IN YOUNG CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mandell, Avi M.; Mumma, Michael J.; Villanueva, Geronimo [Solar System Exploration Division, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Bast, Jeanette; Van Dishoeck, Ewine F. [Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands); Blake, Geoffrey A. [California Institute of Technology, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, MS 150-21, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Salyk, Colette, E-mail: Avi.Mandell@nasa.gov [Department of Astronomy, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712 (United States)

2012-03-10

We present an analysis of high-resolution spectroscopy of several bright T Tauri stars using the CRIRES spectrograph on the Very Large Telescope and NIRSPEC spectrograph on the Keck Telescope, revealing the first detections of emission from HCN and C{sub 2}H{sub 2} in circumstellar disks at near-infrared wavelengths. Using advanced data reduction techniques, we achieve a dynamic range with respect to the disk continuum of {approx}500 at 3 {mu}m, revealing multiple emission features of H{sub 2}O, OH, HCN, and C{sub 2}H{sub 2}. We also present stringent upper limits for two other molecules thought to be abundant in the inner disk, CH{sub 4} and NH{sub 3}. Line profiles for the different detected molecules are broad but centrally peaked in most cases, even for disks with previously determined inclinations of greater than 20 Degree-Sign , suggesting that the emission has both a Keplerian and non-Keplerian component as observed previously for CO emission. We apply two different modeling strategies to constrain the molecular abundances and temperatures: we use a simplified single-temperature local thermal equilibrium (LTE) slab model with a Gaussian line profile to make line identifications and determine a best-fit temperature and initial abundance ratios, and we compare these values with constraints derived from a detailed disk radiative transfer model assuming LTE excitation but utilizing a realistic temperature and density structure. Abundance ratios from both sets of models are consistent with each other and consistent with expected values from theoretical chemical models, and analysis of the line shapes suggests that the molecular emission originates from within a narrow region in the inner disk (R < 1 AU).

AN EXTREME ANALOGUE OF ϵ AURIGAE: AN M-GIANT ECLIPSED EVERY 69 YEARS BY A LARGE OPAQUE DISK SURROUNDING A SMALL HOT SOURCE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rodriguez, Joseph E.; Stassun, Keivan G.; Lund, Michael B.; Conroy, Kyle E. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Vanderbilt University, 6301 Stevenson Center, Nashville, TN 37235 (United States); Siverd, Robert J. [Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, 6740 Cortona Drive, Suite 102, Santa Barbara, CA 93117 (United States); Pepper, Joshua [Department of Physics, Lehigh University, 16 Memorial Drive East, Bethlehem, PA 18015 (United States); Tang, Sumin [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Kafka, Stella [American Association of Variable Star Observers, 49 Bay State Road, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Gaudi, B. Scott; Stevens, Daniel J.; Kochanek, Christopher S. [Department of Astronomy, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210 (United States); Beatty, Thomas G. [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, 525 Davey Lab, University Park, PA 16802 (United States); Shappee, Benjamin J. [Carnegie Observatories, 813 Santa Barbara Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States)

2016-05-01

We present TYC 2505-672-1 as a newly discovered and remarkable eclipsing system comprising an M-type red giant that undergoes a ∼3.45 year long, near-total eclipse (depth of ∼4.5 mag) with a very long period of ∼69.1 years. TYC 2505-672-1 is now the longest-period eclipsing binary system yet discovered, more than twice as long as that of the currently longest-period system, ϵ Aurigae. We show from analysis of the light curve including both our own data and historical data spanning more than 120 years and from modeling of the spectral energy distribution, both before and during eclipse, that the red giant primary is orbited by a moderately hot source ( T {sub eff} ≈ 8000 K) that is itself surrounded by an extended, opaque circumstellar disk. From the measured ratio of luminosities, the radius of the hot companion must be in the range of 0.1–0.5 R {sub ⊙} (depending on the assumed radius of the red giant primary), which is an order of magnitude smaller than that for a main sequence A star and 1–2 orders of magnitude larger than that for a white dwarf. The companion is therefore most likely a “stripped red giant” subdwarf-B type star destined to become a He white dwarf. It is, however, somewhat cooler than most sdB stars, implying a very low mass for this “pre-He-WD” star. The opaque disk surrounding this hot source may be a remnant of the stripping of its former hydrogen envelope. However, it is puzzling how this object became stripped, given that it is at present so distant (orbital semimajor axis of ∼24 au) from the current red giant primary star. Extrapolating from our calculated ephemeris, the next eclipse should begin in early UT 2080 April and end in mid UT 2083 September (eclipse center UT 2081 December 24). In the meantime, radial velocity observations would establish the masses of the components, and high-cadence UV observations could potentially reveal oscillations of the hot companion that would further constrain its evolutionary

LkCa 15: A YOUNG EXOPLANET CAUGHT AT FORMATION?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kraus, Adam L.; Ireland, Michael J.

2012-01-01

Young and directly imaged exoplanets offer critical tests of planet-formation models that are not matched by radial velocity surveys of mature stars. These targets have been extremely elusive to date, with no exoplanets younger than 10-20 Myr and only a handful of direct-imaged exoplanets at all ages. We report the direct-imaging discovery of a likely (proto)planet around the young (∼2 Myr) solar analog LkCa 15, located inside a known gap in the protoplanetary disk (a 'transitional disk'). Our observations use non-redundant aperture masking interferometry at three epochs to reveal a faint and relatively blue point source (M K ' =9.1±0.2, K' – L' = 0.98 ± 0.22), flanked by approximately co-orbital emission that is red and resolved into at least two sources (M L ' =7.5±0.2, K' – L' = 2.7 ± 0.3; M L ' =7.4±0.2, K' – L' = 1.94 ± 0.16). We propose that the most likely geometry consists of a newly formed (proto)planet that is surrounded by dusty material. The nominal estimated mass is ∼6 M Jup according to the 1 Myr hot-start models. However, we argue based on its luminosity, color, and the presence of circumplanetary material that the planet has likely been caught at its epoch of assembly, and hence this mass is an upper limit due to its extreme youth and flux contributed by accretion. The projected separations (71.9 ± 1.6 mas, 100.7 ± 1.9 mas, and 88.2 ± 1.8 mas) and deprojected orbital radii (16, 21, and 19 AU) correspond to the center of the disk gap, but are too close to the primary star for a circular orbit to account for the observed inner edge of the outer disk, so an alternative explanation (i.e., additional planets or an eccentric orbit) is likely required. This discovery is the first direct evidence that at least some transitional disks do indeed host newly formed (or forming) exoplanetary systems, and the observed properties provide crucial insight into the gas giant formation process.

Characterizing Dusty Debris Disks with the Gemini Planet Imager

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Christine; Arriaga, Pauline; Bruzzone, Sebastian; Choquet, Elodie; Debes, John H.; Donaldson, Jessica; Draper, Zachary; Duchene, Gaspard; Esposito, Thomas; Fitzgerald, Michael P.; Golimowski, David A.; Hines, Dean C.; Hinkley, Sasha; Hughes, A. Meredith; Kalas, Paul; Kolokolova, Ludmilla; Lawler, Samantha; Matthews, Brenda C.; Mazoyer, Johan; Metchev, Stanimir A.; Millar-Blanchaer, Max; Moro-Martin, Amaya; Nesvold, Erika; Padgett, Deborah; Patience, Jenny; Perrin, Marshall D.; Pueyo, Laurent; Rantakyro, Fredrik; Rodigas, Timothy; Schneider, Glenn; Soummer, Remi; Song, Inseok; Stark, Chris; Weinberger, Alycia J.; Wilner, David J.

2017-01-01

We have been awarded 87 hours of Gemini Observatory time to obtain multi-wavelength observations of HST resolved debris disks using the Gemini Planet Imager. We have executed ~51 hours of telescope time during the 2015B-2016B semesters observing 12 nearby, young debris disks. We have been using the GPI Spec and Pol modes to better constrain the properties of the circumstellar dust, specifically, measuring the near-infrared total intensity and polarization fraction colors, and searching for solid-state spectral features of nearby beta Pic-like disks. We expect that our observations will allow us to break the degeneracy among the particle properties such as composition, size, porosity, and shape. We present some early results from our observations.

The SEEDS Direct Imaging Survey for Planets and Scattered Dust Emission in Debris Disk Systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Janson, M.; et al., [Unknown; Thalmann, C.

2013-01-01

Debris disks around young main-sequence stars often have gaps and cavities which for a long time have been interpreted as possibly being caused by planets. In recent years, several giant planet discoveries have been made in systems hosting disks of precisely this nature, further implying that

A SPITZER CENSUS OF TRANSITIONAL PROTOPLANETARY DISKS WITH AU-SCALE INNER HOLES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muzerolle, James; Allen, Lori E.; Megeath, S. Thomas; Hernandez, Jesus; Gutermuth, Robert A.

2010-01-01

Protoplanetary disks with AU-scale inner clearings, often referred to as transitional disks, provide a unique sample for understanding disk dissipation mechanisms and possible connections to planet formation. Observations of young stellar clusters with the Spitzer Space Telescope have amassed mid-infrared (IR) spectral energy distributions (SEDs) for thousands of star-disk systems from which transition disks can be identified. From a sample of eight relatively nearby young regions (d ∼ 0) to select for robust optically thick outer disks, and 3.6-5.8 μm spectral slope and 5.8 μm continuum excess limits to select for optically thin or zero continuum excess from the inner few AU of the disks. We also identified two additional categories representing more ambiguous cases: 'warm excess' objects with transition-like SEDs but moderate excess at 5.8 μm, and 'weak excess' objects with smaller 24 μm excess that may be optically thin or exhibit advanced dust grain growth and settling. From existing Hα emission measurements, we find evidence for different accretion activity among the three categories, with a majority of the classical and warm excess transition objects still accreting gas through their inner holes and onto the central stars, while a smaller fraction of the weak transition objects are accreting at detectable rates. We find a possible age dependence on the frequency of classical transition objects, with fractions relative to the total population of disks in a given region of a few percent at 1-2 Myr rising to 10%-20% at 3-10 Myr. The trend is even stronger if the weak and warm excess objects are included. This relationship may be due to a dependence of the outer disk clearing timescale with stellar age, suggesting a variety of clearing mechanisms working at different times, or it may reflect that a smaller fraction of all disks actually undergo an inner clearing phase at younger ages. Classical transition disks appear to be less common, and weak transition

Fall-Back Disks in Long and Short GRBS

Science.gov (United States)

Cannizo, John K.; Troja, E.; Gehrels, N.

2011-01-01

We present numerical time-dependent calculations for fall-back disks relevant for GRBs in which the disk of material surrounding the black hole (BH) powering the GRB jet modulates the mass flow, and hence the strength of the jet. Given the initial existence of a small mass appr oximately less than 10(exp -4) M(solar) near the progenitor with a circularization radius approximately 10(exp 10) - 10(exp 11) cm, an una voidable consequence will be the formation of an "external disk" whose outer edge continually moves to larger radii due to angular momentum transport and lack of a confining torque. For long GRBs, if the mass distribution in the initial fall-back disk traces the progenitor envelope, then a radius approximates 10(exp 11) cm gives a time scale app roximately 10(exp 4) s for the X-ray plateau. For late times t > 10(exp 7) s a steepening due to a cooling front in the disk may have obser vational support in GRB 060729. For short GRBs, one expects most of t he mass initially to lie at small radii < 10(exp 8) cm; however the presence of even a trace amount approximately 10(exp -9) M(solar) of hi gh angular material can give a brief plateau in the light curve.

STABILITY OF MAGNETIZED DISKS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PLANET FORMATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lizano, Susana; Galli, Daniele; Cai, Mike J.; Adams, Fred C.

2010-01-01

This paper considers gravitational perturbations in geometrically thin disks with rotation curves dominated by a central object, but with substantial contributions from magnetic pressure and tension. The treatment is general, but the application is to the circumstellar disks that arise during the gravitational collapse phase of star formation. We find the dispersion relation for spiral density waves in these generalized disks and derive the stability criterion for axisymmetric (m = 0) disturbances (the analog of the Toomre parameter Q T ) for any radial distribution of the mass-to-flux ratio λ. The magnetic effects work in two opposing directions: on one hand, magnetic tension and pressure stabilize the disk against gravitational collapse and fragmentation; on the other hand, they also lower the rotation rate making the disk more unstable. For disks around young stars the first effect generally dominates, so that magnetic fields allow disks to be stable for higher surface densities and larger total masses. These results indicate that magnetic fields act to suppress the formation of giant planets through gravitational instability. Finally, even if gravitational instability can form a secondary body, it must lose an enormous amount of magnetic flux in order to become a planet; this latter requirement represents an additional constraint for planet formation via gravitational instability and places a lower limit on the electrical resistivity.

PLANETARY CONSTRUCTION ZONES IN OCCULTATION: DISCOVERY OF AN EXTRASOLAR RING SYSTEM TRANSITING A YOUNG SUN-LIKE STAR AND FUTURE PROSPECTS FOR DETECTING ECLIPSES BY CIRCUMSECONDARY AND CIRCUMPLANETARY DISKS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mamajek, Eric E.; Quillen, Alice C.; Pecaut, Mark J.; Moolekamp, Fred; Scott, Erin L. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627-0171 (United States); Kenworthy, Matthew A. [Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands); Cameron, Andrew Collier; Parley, Neil R. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS (United Kingdom)

2012-03-15

The large relative sizes of circumstellar and circumplanetary disks imply that they might be seen in eclipse in stellar light curves. We estimate that a survey of {approx}10{sup 4} young ({approx}10 million year old) post-accretion pre-main-sequence stars monitored for {approx}10 years should yield at least a few deep eclipses from circumplanetary disks and disks surrounding low-mass companion stars. We present photometric and spectroscopic data for a pre-main-sequence K5 star (1SWASP J140747.93-394542.6 = ASAS J140748-3945.7), a newly discovered {approx}0.9 M{sub Sun} member of the {approx}16 Myr old Upper Centaurus-Lupus subgroup of Sco-Cen at a kinematic distance of 128 {+-} 13 pc. This star exhibited a remarkably long, deep, and complex eclipse event centered on 2007 April 29 (as discovered in Super Wide Angle Search for Planets (SuperWASP) photometry, and with portions of the dimming confirmed by All Sky Automated Survey (ASAS) data). At least five multi-day dimming events of >0.5 mag are identified, with a >3.3 mag deep eclipse bracketed by two pairs of {approx}1 mag eclipses symmetrically occurring {+-}12 days and {+-}26 days before and after. Hence, significant dimming of the star was taking place on and off over at least a {approx}54 day period in 2007, and a strong >1 mag dimming event occurring over a {approx}12 day span. We place a firm lower limit on the period of 850 days (i.e., the orbital radius of the eclipser must be >1.7 AU and orbital velocity must be <22 km s{sup -1}). The shape of the light curve is similar to the lopsided eclipses of the Be star EE Cep. We suspect that this new star is being eclipsed by a low-mass object orbited by a dense inner disk, further girded by at least three dusty rings of optical depths near unity. Between these rings are at least two annuli of near-zero optical depth (i.e., gaps), possibly cleared out by planets or moons, depending on the nature of the secondary. For possible periods in the range 2.33-200 yr, the

Hot H2O Emission and Evidence for Turbulence in the Disk of a Young Star

Science.gov (United States)

2004-03-01

matter — infrared: stars — planetary systems: protoplanetary disks — stars: formation — stars: pre–main-sequence 1. INTRODUCTION The presence of hot...in disk gaps . Molecules other than CO are expected to exist at the temperatures and densities in the inner few AU of disks . Water should be very... protoplanetary disks . In addition, non-Gaussian line profiles might be ex- pected, given that a characteristic of turbulence seen in both laboratory experiments

The Nearby, Young, Argus Association: Membership, Age, and Dusty Debris Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Zuckerman, Ben

2018-01-01

The Argus Association (AA) defined by Torres et al. (2008) is distinguished from other nearby young moving groups by virtue of its unusual Galactic U-velocity. As defined by Torres et al, their initial AA consisted of 35 members of the IC 2391 open cluster (~135 pc from Earth) and 29 “field members”, 15 of which are within 100 pc of Earth. The spectral types range from F through K with the exception of two M-type members of IC 2391. Zuckerman et al. (2011 & 2012) proposed 13 additional field members – 12 A-type and one F-type -- all of which lie within 80 pc of Earth. Additional AA members have been proposed, typically a few at a time, by other researchers. Deduced ages of the AA (via various techniques) lie, typically, between 40 and 60 Myr. Bell et al (2015) consider the membership and age of a subset of proposed AA stars via color-magnitude diagrams combined with a Bayesian analysis (following Malo et al 2013 & 2014). For the sample of AA stars that they considered, the group age, membership status of individual stars, and even the reality of a coeval moving group were in some doubt. The purpose of the present communication is to consider all proposed AA members – including the frequency of dusty debris disks -- in an attempt to bring some clarity to what is going on.

Evolution of accretion disks in tidal disruption events

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Rong-Feng [Current address: Racah Institute of Physics, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel. (Israel); Matzner, Christopher D., E-mail: rf.shen@mail.huji.ac.il, E-mail: matzner@astro.utoronto.ca [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, M5S 3H4 (Canada)

2014-04-01

During a stellar tidal disruption event (TDE), an accretion disk forms as stellar debris returns to the disruption site and circularizes. Rather than being confined within the circularizing radius, the disk can spread to larger radii to conserve angular momentum. A spreading disk is a source of matter for re-accretion at rates that may exceed the later stellar fallback rate, although a disk wind can suppress its contribution to the central black hole accretion rate. A spreading disk is detectible through a break in the central accretion rate history or, at longer wavelengths, by its own emission. We model the evolution of TDE disk size and accretion rate by accounting for the time-dependent fallback rate, for the influence of wind losses in the early advective stage, and for the possibility of thermal instability for accretion rates intermediate between the advection-dominated and gas-pressure-dominated states. The model provides a dynamic basis for modeling TDE light curves. All or part of a young TDE disk will precess as a solid body because of the Lense-Thirring effect, and precession may manifest itself as a quasi-periodic modulation of the light curve. The precession period increases with time. Applying our results to the jetted TDE candidate Swift J1644+57, whose X-ray light curve shows numerous quasi-periodic dips, we argue that the data best fit a scenario in which a main-sequence star was fully disrupted by an intermediate mass black hole on an orbit significantly inclined from the black hole equator, with the apparent jet shutoff at t = 500 days corresponding to a disk transition from the advective state to the gas-pressure-dominated state.

Warm Debris Disks from WISE

Science.gov (United States)

Padgett, Deborah L.

2011-01-01

"The Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has just completed a sensitive all-sky survey in photometric bands at 3.4, 4.6, 12, and 22 microns. We report on a preliminary investigation of main sequence Hipparcos and Tycho catalog stars with 22 micron emission in excess of photospheric levels. This warm excess emission traces material in the circumstellar region likely to host terrestrial planets and is preferentially found in young systems with ages warm debris disk candidates are detected among FGK stars and a similar number of A stars within 120 pc. We are in the process of obtaining spectra to determine spectral types and activity level of these stars and are using HST, Herschel and Keck to characterize the dust, multiplicity, and substellar companions of these systems. In this contribution, we will discuss source selection methods and individual examples from among the WISE debris disk candidates. "

DEBRIS DISKS IN THE SCORPIUS–CENTAURUS OB ASSOCIATION RESOLVED BY ALMA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lieman-Sifry, Jesse; Hughes, A. Meredith; Flaherty, Kevin M. [Department of Astronomy, Van Vleck Observatory, Wesleyan University, 96 Foss Hill Drive, Middletown, CT 06459 (United States); Carpenter, John M. [Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, MC 249-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Gorti, Uma [SETI Institute, Mountain View, CA (United States); Hales, Antonio [Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array, Joint ALMA Observatory, Alonso de Córdova 3107, Vitacura 763-0355, Santiago (Chile)

2016-09-01

We present a CO(2-1) and 1240 μ m continuum survey of 23 debris disks with spectral types B9-G1, observed at an angular resolution of 0.″5–1″ with the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA). The sample was selected for large infrared excess and age ∼10 Myr, to characterize the prevalence of molecular gas emission in young debris disks. We identify three CO-rich debris disks, plus two additional tentative (3 σ) CO detections. Twenty disks were detected in the continuum at the >3 σ level. For the 12 disks in the sample that are spatially resolved by our observations, we perform an independent analysis of the interferometric continuum visibilities to constrain the basic dust disk geometry, as well as a simultaneous analysis of the visibilities and broadband spectral energy distribution to constrain the characteristic grain size and disk mass. The gas-rich debris disks exhibit preferentially larger outer radii in their dust disks, and a higher prevalence of characteristic grain sizes smaller than the blowout size. The gas-rich disks do not exhibit preferentially larger dust masses, contrary to expectations for a scenario in which a higher cometary destruction rate would be expected to result in a larger mass of both CO and dust. The three debris disks in our sample with strong CO detections are all around A stars: the conditions in disks around intermediate-mass stars appear to be the most conducive to the survival or formation of CO.

Confined surface plasmon sensors based on strongly coupled disk-in-volcano arrays.

Science.gov (United States)

Ai, Bin; Wang, Limin; Möhwald, Helmuth; Yu, Ye; Zhang, Gang

2015-02-14

Disk-in-volcano arrays are reported to greatly enhance the sensing performance due to strong coupling in the nanogaps between the nanovolcanos and nanodisks. The designed structure, which is composed of a nanovolcano array film and a disk in each cavity, is fabricated by a simple and efficient colloidal lithography method. By tuning structural parameters, the disk-in-volcano arrays show greatly enhanced resonances in the nanogaps formed by the disks and the inner wall of the volcanos. Therefore they respond to the surrounding environment with a sensitivity as high as 977 nm per RIU and with excellent linear dependence on the refraction index. Moreover, through mastering the fabrication process, biological sensing can be easily confined to the cavities of the nanovolcanos. The local responsivity has the advantages of maximum surface plasmon energy density in the nanogaps, reducing the sensing background and saving expensive reagents. The disk-in-volcano arrays also possess great potential in applications of optical and electrical trapping and single-molecule analysis, because they enable establishment of electric fields across the gaps.

Mechanical properties of very thin cover slip glass disk

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

Mechanical properties of very thin cover slip glass disk. A SEAL, A K DALUI, M BANERJEE, A K MUKHOPADHYAY* and K K PHANI. Central Glass and Ceramic Research Institute, Kolkata 700 032, India. Abstract. The biaxial flexural strength, Young's modulus, Vicker's microhardness and fracture toughness data for very ...

High-Resolution Near-Infrared Polarimetry of a Circumstellar Disk around UX Tau A

Science.gov (United States)

Serabyn, G.; Grady, C. A.; Currie, T.

2012-01-01

We present H-band polarimetric imagery of UX Tau A taken with HiCIAO/AO188 on the Subaru Telescope. UX Tau A has been classified as a pre-transitional disk object, with a gap structure separating its inner and outer disks. Our imagery taken with the 0.15" (21 AU) radius coronagraphic mask has revealed a strongly polarized circumstellar disk surrounding UX Tau A which extends to 120 AU, at a spatial resolution of 0.1" (14 AU). It is inclined by 46 degrees plus or minus 2 degrees as the west side is nearest. Although SED modeling and sub-millimeter imagery suggested the presence of a gap in the disk, with the inner edge of the outer disk estimated to be located at 25 - 30 AU, we detect no evidence of a gap at the limit of our inner working angle (23AU) at the near-infrared wavelength. We attribute the observed strong polarization (up to 66 %) to light scattering by dust grains in the disk. However, neither polarization models of the circumstellar disk based on Rayleigh scattering nor Mie scattering approximations were consistent with the observed azimuthal profile of the polarization degrees of the disk. Instead, a geometric optics model of the disk with nonspherical grains with the radii of 30 micrometers is consistent with the observed profile. We suggest that the dust grains have experienced frequent collisional coagulations and have grown in the circumstellar disk of UX Tau A.

THE LATE STAGES OF PROTOPLANETARY DISK EVOLUTION: A MILLIMETER SURVEY OF UPPER SCORPIUS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mathews, Geoffrey S.; Williams, Jonathan P.; Ménard, Francois; Duchêne, Gaspard; Pinte, Christophe; Phillips, Neil

2012-01-01

We present deep 1.2 mm photometry of 37 stars in the young (5 Myr) Upper Scorpius OB association, sensitive to ∼4 × 10 –3 M Jup of cool millimeter dust. Disks around four low- and solar-mass stars are detected, as well as one debris disk around an intermediate-mass star, with dust masses ranging from 3.6 × 10 –3 to 1.0 × 10 –1 M Jup . The source with the most massive disk exhibits a transition-disk spectral energy distribution. Combining our results with previous studies, we find that the millimeter-detection fraction of Class II sources has significantly decreased from younger ages, and comparison with near-infrared and Hα measurements indicates that the present disks have undergone significant evolution in composition or structure at all radii. The disks of Upper Scorpius represent the tail-end of the depletion of primordial disks; while a few near-solar-mass stars may still sustain giant planet formation, this process has finished around higher mass stars.

SIGNATURES OF GRAVITATIONAL INSTABILITY IN RESOLVED IMAGES OF PROTOSTELLAR DISKS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, Ruobing [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Vorobyov, Eduard [Department of Astrophysics, The University of Vienna, Vienna, A-1180 (Austria); Pavlyuchenkov, Yaroslav [Institute of Astronomy, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow (Russian Federation); Chiang, Eugene [Department of Astronomy, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Liu, Hauyu Baobab, E-mail: rdong2013@berkeley.edu [European Southern Observatory (ESO), Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2, D-85748 Garching (Germany)

2016-06-01

Protostellar (class 0/I) disks, which have masses comparable to those of their nascent host stars and are fed continuously from their natal infalling envelopes, are prone to gravitational instability (GI). Motivated by advances in near-infrared (NIR) adaptive optics imaging and millimeter-wave interferometry, we explore the observational signatures of GI in disks using hydrodynamical and Monte Carlo radiative transfer simulations to synthesize NIR scattered light images and millimeter dust continuum maps. Spiral arms induced by GI, located at disk radii of hundreds of astronomical units, are local overdensities and have their photospheres displaced to higher altitudes above the disk midplane; therefore, arms scatter more NIR light from their central stars than inter-arm regions, and are detectable at distances up to 1 kpc by Gemini/GPI, VLT/SPHERE, and Subaru/HiCIAO/SCExAO. In contrast, collapsed clumps formed by disk fragmentation have such strong local gravitational fields that their scattering photospheres are at lower altitudes; such fragments appear fainter than their surroundings in NIR scattered light. Spiral arms and streamers recently imaged in four FU Ori systems at NIR wavelengths resemble GI-induced structures and support the interpretation that FUors are gravitationally unstable protostellar disks. At millimeter wavelengths, both spirals and clumps appear brighter in thermal emission than the ambient disk and can be detected by ALMA at distances up to 0.4 kpc with one hour integration times at ∼0.″1 resolution. Collapsed fragments having masses ≳1 M {sub J} can be detected by ALMA within ∼10 minutes.

YOUNG STELLAR CLUSTERS CONTAINING MASSIVE YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS IN THE VVV SURVEY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Borissova, J.; Alegría, S. Ramírez; Kurtev, R.; Medina, N.; Navarro, C.; Kuhn, M.; Gromadzki, M.; Retamales, G.; Fernandez, M. A.; Agurto-Gangas, C.; Amigo, P. [Instituto de Física y Astronomía, Universidad de Valparaíso, Av. Gran Bretaña 1111, Playa Ancha, Casilla 5030 (Chile); Alonso, J.; Decany, I. [Millennium Institute of Astrophysics (MAS), Santiago (Chile); Lucas, P. W.; Pena, C. Contreras; Thompson, M. A. [Centre for Astrophysics Research, Science and Technology Research Institute, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB (United Kingdom); Chené, A.-N. [Gemini Observatory, Northern Operations Center, 670 N. A’ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Minniti, D. [Departamento de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Andres Bello, Republica 220, Santiago (Chile); Catelan, M. [Instituto de Astrofísica, Facultad de Física, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Casilla 306, Santiago 22 (Chile); Morales, E. F. E., E-mail: jura.borissova@uv.cl [Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy (Germany)

2016-09-01

The purpose of this research is to study the connections of the global properties of eight young stellar clusters projected in the Vista Variables in the Via Lactea (VVV) ESO Large Public Survey disk area and their young stellar object (YSO) populations. The analysis is based on the combination of spectroscopic parallax-based reddening and distance determinations with main-sequence and pre-main-sequence ishochrone fitting to determine the basic parameters (reddening, age, distance) of the sample clusters. The lower mass limit estimations show that all clusters are low or intermediate mass (between 110 and 1800  M {sub ⊙}), the slope Γ of the obtained present-day mass functions of the clusters is close to the Kroupa initial mass function. The YSOs in the cluster’s surrounding fields are classified using low resolution spectra, spectral energy distribution fits with theoretical predictions, and variability, taking advantage of multi-epoch VVV observations. All spectroscopically confirmed YSOs (except one) are found to be massive (more than 8 M {sub ⊙}). Using VVV and GLIMPSE color–color cuts we have selected a large number of new YSO candidates, which are checked for variability and 57% are found to show at least low-amplitude variations. In few cases it was possible to distinguish between YSO and AGB classifications on the basis of light curves.

Pion production In The Inner Disk Around Cygnus X-1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meirelles Filho, C.; Miyake, H.; Timoteo, V.S.; Lima, C.L.

2004-01-01

Neutron production via 4He breakup and p(p, nπ+)p is considered in the innermost region of an accretion disk surrounding a Kerr Black Hole. Close to the horizon, the contribution from p(p, nπ+)p to the neutron production is comparable to that from the breakup. It is shown that the viscosity generated by the collisions of the accreting matter with the neutrons may drive stationary accretion, for accretion rates below a critical value. In this case, solution to the disk equations is double-valued and for both solutions protons overnumber the pairs. We suggest that these solutions may mimic the states of high and low luminosity observed in Cygnus X-1

RESOLVED IMAGES OF LARGE CAVITIES IN PROTOPLANETARY TRANSITION DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrews, Sean M.; Wilner, David J.; Espaillat, Catherine; Qi Chunhua; Brown, J. M.; Hughes, A. M.; Dullemond, C. P.; McClure, M. K.

2011-01-01

Circumstellar disks are thought to experience a rapid 'transition' phase in their evolution that can have a considerable impact on the formation and early development of planetary systems. We present new and archival high angular resolution (0.''3 ∼ 40-75 AU) Submillimeter Array (SMA) observations of the 880 μm (340 GHz) dust continuum emission from 12 such transition disks in nearby star-forming regions. In each case, we directly resolve a dust-depleted disk cavity around the central star. Using two-dimensional Monte Carlo radiative transfer calculations, we interpret these dust disk structures in a homogeneous, parametric model framework by reproducing their SMA continuum visibilities and spectral energy distributions. The cavities in these disks are large (R cav = 15-73 AU) and substantially depleted of small (∼μm-sized) dust grains, although their mass contents are still uncertain. The structures of the remnant material at larger radii are comparable to normal disks. We demonstrate that these large cavities are relatively common among the millimeter-bright disk population, comprising at least 1 in 5 (20%) of the disks in the bright half (and ≥26% of the upper quartile) of the millimeter luminosity (disk mass) distribution. Utilizing these results, we assess some of the physical mechanisms proposed to account for transition disk structures. As has been shown before, photoevaporation models do not produce the large cavity sizes, accretion rates, and disk masses representative of this sample. A sufficient decrease of the dust optical depths in these cavities by particle growth would be difficult to achieve: substantial growth (to meter sizes or beyond) must occur in large (tens of AU) regions of low turbulence without also producing an abundance of small particles. Given those challenges, we suggest instead that the observations are most commensurate with dynamical clearing due to tidal interactions with low-mass companions-very young (∼1 Myr) brown

The two young star disks in the central parsec of the Galaxy: properties, dynamics, and formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paumard, T; Genzel, R; Martins, F; Nayakshin, S; Beloborodov, A M; Levin, Y; Trippe, S; Eisenhauer, F; Ott, T; Gillessen, S; Abuter, R; Cuadra, J; Alexander, T; Sternberg, A

2006-01-01

We report the definite spectroscopic identification of ≅ 40 OB supergiants, giants and main sequence stars in the central parsec of the Galaxy. Detection of their absorption lines have become possible with the high spatial and spectral resolution and sensitivity of the adaptive optics integral Held spectrometer SPIFFI/SINFONI on the ESO VLT. Several of these OB stars appear to be helium and nitrogen rich. Almost all of the ≅80 massive stars now known in the central parsec (central arcsecond excluded) reside in one of two somewhat thick ((|/R) ≅ 0.14) rotating disks. These stellar disks have fairly sharp inner edges (R ≅ 1'') and surface density profiles that scale as R -2 . We do not detect any OB stars outside the central 0.5 pc. The majority of the stars in the clockwise system appear to be on almost circular orbits, whereas most of those in the 'counter-clockwise' disk appear to be on eccentric orbits. Based on its stellar surface density distribution and dynamics we propose that IRS 13E is an extremely dense cluster (ρ core ∼> 3 x 10 8 M o-dot pc -3 ), which has formed in the counter-clockwise disk. The stellar contents of both systems are remarkably similar, indicating a common age of ≅ 6±2 Myr. The K-band luminosity function of the massive stars suggests a top-heavy mass function and limits the total stellar mass contained in both disks to ≅ 1.5 x 10 4 M o-dot . Our data strongly favor in situ star formation from dense gas accretion disks for the two stellar disks. This conclusion is very clear for the clockwise disk and highly plausible for the counter-clockwise system

LONG-TERM EVOLUTION OF PROTOSTELLAR AND PROTOPLANETARY DISKS. I. OUTBURSTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu Zhaohuan; Hartmann, Lee; Gammie, Charles F.; Book, Laura G.; Simon, Jacob B.; Engelhard, Eric

2010-01-01

As an initial investigation into the long-term evolution of protostellar disks, we explore the conditions required to explain the large outbursts of disk accretion seen in some young stellar objects. We use one-dimensional time-dependent disk models with a phenomenological treatment of the magnetorotational instability (MRI) and gravitational torques to follow disk evolution over long timescales. Comparison with our previous two-dimensional disk model calculations indicates that the neglect of radial effects and two-dimensional disk structure in the one-dimensional case makes only modest differences in the results; this allows us to use the simpler models to explore parameter space efficiently. We find that the mass infall rates typically estimated for low-mass protostars generally result in AU-scale disk accretion outbursts, as predicted by our previous analysis. We also confirm quasi-steady accretion behavior for high mass infall rates if the values of α-parameter for the MRI are small, while at this high accretion rate convection from the thermal instability may lead to some variations. We further constrain the combinations of the α-parameter and the MRI critical temperature, which can reproduce observed outburst behavior. Our results suggest that dust sublimation may be connected with full activation of the MRI. This is consistent with the idea that small dust captures ions and electrons to suppress the MRI. In a companion paper, we will explore both long-term outburst and disk evolution with this model, allowing for infall from protostellar envelopes with differing angular momenta.

Young stellar population and star formation history ofW4 HII region/Cluster Complex

Science.gov (United States)

Panwar, Neelam

2018-04-01

The HII region/cluster complex has been a subject of numerous investigations to study the feedback effect of massive stars on their surroundings. Massive stars not only alter the morphology of the parental molecular clouds, but also influence star formation, circumstellar disks and the mass function of low-mass stars in their vicinity. However, most of the studies of low-mass stellar content of the HII regions are limited only to the nearby regions. We study the star formation in the W4 HII region using deep optical observations obtained with the archival data from Canada - France - Hawaii Telescope, Two-Micron All Sky Survey, Spitzer, Herschel and Chandra. We investigate the spatial distribution of young stellar objects in the region, their association with the remnant molecular clouds, and search for the clustering to establish the sites of recent star formation. Our analysis suggests that the influence of massive stars on circumstellar disks is significant only to thei! r immediate neighborhood. The spatial correlation of the young stars with the distribution of gas and dust of the complex indicate that the clusters would have formed in a large filamentary cloud. The observing facilities at the 3.6-m Devasthal Optical Telescope (DOT), providing high-resolution spectral and imaging capabilities, will fulfill the major objectives in the study of HII regions.

Warm Debris Disk Candidates from WISE

Science.gov (United States)

Padgett, Deborah; Stapelfeldt, Karl; Liu, Wilson; Leisawitz, David

2011-01-01

The Wide Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) has just completed a sensitive all-sky survey in photometric bands at 3.4, 4.6, 12, and 22 microns. We report on a preliminary investigation of main sequence Hipparcos and Tycho catalog stars with 22 micron emission in excess of photospheric levels. This warm excess emission traces material in the circumstellar region likely to host terrestrial planets and is preferentially found in young systems with ages warm debris disk candidates are detected among FGK stars and 150 A stars within 120 pc. We are in the process of obtaining spectra to determine spectral types and activity level of these stars and are using HST, Herschel and Keck to characterize the dust, multiplicity, and substellar companions of these systems. In this contribution, we will discuss source selection methods and individual examples from among the WISE debris disk candidates.

PROTOPLANETARY DISKS IN THE ORION OMC1 REGION IMAGED WITH ALMA

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eisner, J. A.; Sheehan, P. D. [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Bally, J. M. [Department of Astrophysical and Planetary Sciences, University of Colorado, UCB 389, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Ginsburg, A., E-mail: jeisner@email.arizona.edu [ESO Headquarters, Karl-Schwarzschild-Strasse 2, D-85748 Garching bei Munchen (Germany)

2016-07-20

We present ALMA observations of the Orion Nebula that cover the OMC1 outflow region. Our focus in this paper is on compact emission from protoplanetary disks. We mosaicked a field containing ∼600 near-IR-identified young stars, around which we can search for sub-millimeter emission tracing dusty disks. Approximately 100 sources are known proplyds identified with the Hubble Space Telescope . We detect continuum emission at 1 mm wavelengths toward ∼20% of the proplyd sample, and ∼8% of the larger sample of near-IR objects. The noise in our maps allows 4 σ detection of objects brighter than ∼1.5 mJy, corresponding to protoplanetary disk masses larger than 1.5 M {sub J} (using standard assumptions about dust opacities and gas-to-dust ratios). None of these disks are detected in contemporaneous CO(2-1) or C{sup 18}O(2-1) observations, suggesting that the gas-to-dust ratios may be substantially smaller than the canonical value of 100. Furthermore, since dust grains may already be sequestered in large bodies in Orion Nebula cluster (ONC) disks, the inferred masses of disk solids may be underestimated. Our results suggest that the distribution of disk masses in this region is compatible with the detection rate of massive planets around M dwarfs, which are the dominant stellar constituent in the ONC.

X-RAY IRRADIATION OF THE LkCa 15 PROTOPLANETARY DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Skinner, Stephen L. [CASA, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309-0389 (United States); Guedel, Manuel, E-mail: stephen.skinner@colorado.edu, E-mail: manuel.guedel@univie.ac.at [Department of Astronomy, University of Vienna, Tuerkenschanzstr. 17, A-1180 Vienna (Austria)

2013-03-01

LkCa 15 in the Taurus star-forming region has recently gained attention as the first accreting T Tauri star likely to host a young protoplanet. High spatial resolution infrared observations have detected the suspected protoplanet within a dust-depleted inner gap of the LkCa 15 transition disk at a distance of {approx}15 AU from the star. If this object's status as a protoplanet is confirmed, then LkCa 15 will serve as a unique laboratory for constraining physical conditions within a planet-forming disk. Previous models of the LkCa 15 disk have accounted for disk heating by the stellar photosphere but have ignored the potential importance of X-ray ionization and heating. We report here the detection of LkCa 15 as a bright X-ray source with Chandra. The X-ray emission is characterized by a cool, heavily absorbed plasma component at kT {sub cool} Almost-Equal-To 0.3 keV and a harder component at kT {sub hot} Almost-Equal-To 5 keV. We use the observed X-ray properties to provide initial estimates of the X-ray ionization and heating rates within the tenuous inner disk. These estimates and the observed X-ray properties of LkCa 15 can be used as a starting point for developing more realistic disk models of this benchmark system.

Explaining preferences for home surroundings and locations

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Hans Skifter

2011-01-01

This article is based on a survey carried out in Denmark that asked a random sample of the population about their preferences for home surroundings and locations. It shows that the characteristics of social surroundings are very important and can be divided into three independent dimensions......: avoiding social nuisances, preferring social homogeneity and living close to one’s social network and place of origin. The study shows that most people have many detailed preferences, whereas some have very few. This confirms an earlier theory that some people are very connected to certain places...... with given characteristics and thus do not have priorities regarding home surroundings and locations. For others, mostly young people and singles, home is just a place to sleep and relax, whereas life is lived elsewhere. For this group, there are only preferences for location and there are few specific...

Modeling the HD 32297 Debris Disk With Far-Infrared Herschel Data

Science.gov (United States)

Donaldson, J.K.; Lebreton, J.; Roberge, A.; Augereau, J.-C.; Krivov, A. V.

2013-01-01

HD 32297 is a young A-star (approx. 30 Myr) 112 pc away with a bright edge-on debris disk that has been resolved in scattered light. We observed the HD 32297 debris disk in the far-infrared and sub-millimeter with the Herschel Space Observatory PACS and SPIRE instruments, populating the spectral energy distribution (SED) from 63 to 500 micron..We aimed to determine the composition of dust grains in the HD 32297 disk through SED modeling, using geometrical constraints from the resolved imaging to break the degeneracies inherent in SED modeling. We found the best fitting SED model has two components: an outer ring centered around 110 AU, seen in the scattered light images, and an inner disk near the habitable zone of the star. The outer disk appears to be composed of grains>2 micron consisting of silicates, carbonaceous material, and water ice with an abundance ratio of 1:2:3 respectively and 90% porosity. These grains appear consistent with cometary grains, implying the underlying planetesimal population is dominated by comet-like bodies. We also discuss the 3.7 sigma detection of [C ii] emission at 158 micron with the Herschel PACS instrument, making HD 32297 one of only a handful of debris disks with circumstellar gas detected

DETECTION OF N{sub 2}D{sup +} IN A PROTOPLANETARY DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huang, Jane; Öberg, Karin I. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2015-08-20

Observations of deuterium fractionation in the solar system, and in interstellar and circumstellar material, are commonly used to constrain the formation environment of volatiles. Toward protoplanetary disks, this approach has been limited by the small number of detected deuterated molecules, i.e., DCO{sup +} and DCN. Based on ALMA Cycle 2 observations toward the disk around the T Tauri star AS 209, we report the first detection of N{sub 2}D{sup +} (J = 3–2) in a protoplanetary disk. These data are used together with previous Submillimeter Array observations of N{sub 2}H{sup +} (J = 3–2) to estimate a disk-averaged D/H ratio of 0.3–0.5, an order of magnitude higher than disk-averaged ratios previously derived for DCN/HCN and DCO{sup +}/HCO{sup +} around other young stars. The high fractionation in N{sub 2}H{sup +} is consistent with model predictions. The presence of abundant N{sub 2}D{sup +} toward AS 209 also suggests that N{sub 2}D{sup +} and the N{sub 2}D{sup +}/N{sub 2}H{sup +} ratio can be developed into effective probes of deuterium chemistry, kinematics, and ionization processes outside the CO snow line of disks.

INVESTIGATING THE CIRCUMSTELLAR DISK OF THE Be SHELL STAR 48 LIBRAE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silaj, J.; Jones, C. E. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, N6A 3K7 (Canada); Carciofi, A. C.; Escolano, C.; Bednarski, D. [Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas, Universitária de São Paulo, Rua do Matão 1226, Cidade Universitária, 05508-900 São Paulo, SP Brazil (Brazil); Okazaki, A. T. [Faculty of Engineering, Hokkai-Gakuen University, Toyohira-ku, Sapporo 062-8605 (Japan); Tycner, C. [Department of Physics, Central Michigan University, Mt. Pleasant, MI 48859 (United States); Rivinius, T.; Klement, R. [European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, Casilla 19001, Santiago 19 (Chile)

2016-07-20

A global disk oscillation implemented in the viscous decretion disk (VDD) model has been used to reproduce most of the observed properties of the well known Be star ζ Tau. 48 Librae shares several similarities with ζ Tau—they are both early-type Be stars, display shell characteristics in their spectra, and exhibit cyclic V / R variations—but has some marked differences as well, such as a much denser and more extended disk, a much longer V / R cycle, and the absence of the so-called triple-peak features. We aim to reproduce the photometric, polarimetric, and spectroscopic observables of 48 Librae with a self-consistent model, and to test the global oscillation scenario for this target. Our calculations are carried out with the three-dimensional NLTE radiative transfer code HDUST. We employ a rotationally deformed, gravity-darkened central star surrounded by a disk whose unperturbed state is given by the VDD model. A two-dimensional global oscillation code is then used to calculate the disk perturbation and superimpose it on the unperturbed disk. A very good, self-consistent fit to the time-averaged properties of the disk is obtained with the VDD. The calculated perturbation has a period P = 12 years, which agrees with the observed period, and the behavior of the V / R cycle is well reproduced by the perturbed model. The perturbed model improves the fit to the photometric data and reproduces some features of the observed spectroscopic data. Some suggestions to improve the synthesized spectroscopy in a future work are given.

X-ray Ionization of Heavy Elements Applied to Protoplanetary Disks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Ádámkovics, Máté; Glassgold, Alfred E.; Meijerink, Rowin

The consequences of the Auger effect on the population of heavy-element ions are analyzed for the case of relatively cool gas irradiated by keV X-rays with intended applications to the accretion disks of young stellar objects. Highly charged ions are rapidly reduced to the doubly charged state in

AN UNBIASED 1.3 mm EMISSION LINE SURVEY OF THE PROTOPLANETARY DISK ORBITING LkCa 15

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Punzi, K. M.; Kastner, J. H. [Center for Imaging Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, and Laboratory for Multiwavelength Astrophysics, Rochester Institute of Technology, 54 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623 (United States); Hily-Blant, P.; Forveille, T. [UJF—Grenoble 1/CNRS-INSU, Institut de Planétologie et d’Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG) UMR 5274, F-38041, Grenoble (France); Sacco, G. G. [INAF—Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, I-50125, Firenze (Italy)

2015-06-01

The outer (>30 AU) regions of the dusty circumstellar disk orbiting the ∼2–5 Myr old, actively accreting solar analog LkCa 15 are known to be chemically rich, and the inner disk may host a young protoplanet within its central cavity. To obtain a complete census of the brightest molecular line emission emanating from the LkCa 15 disk over the 210–270 GHz (1.4–1.1 mm) range, we have conducted an unbiased radio spectroscopic survey with the Institute de Radioastronomie Millimétrique (IRAM) 30 m telescope. The survey demonstrates that in this spectral region, the most readily detectable lines are those of CO and its isotopologues {sup 13}CO and C{sup 18}O, as well as HCO{sup +}, HCN, CN, C{sub 2}H, CS, and H{sub 2}CO. All of these species had been previously detected in the LkCa 15 disk; however, the present survey includes the first complete coverage of the CN (2–1) and C{sub 2}H (3–2) hyperfine complexes. Modeling of these emission complexes indicates that the CN and C{sub 2}H either reside in the coldest regions of the disk or are subthermally excited, and that their abundances are enhanced relative to molecular clouds and young stellar object environments. These results highlight the value of unbiased single-dish line surveys in guiding future high-resolution interferometric imaging of disks.

Identifying Likely Disk-hosting M dwarfs with Disk Detective

Science.gov (United States)

Silverberg, Steven; Wisniewski, John; Kuchner, Marc J.; Disk Detective Collaboration

2018-01-01

M dwarfs are critical targets for exoplanet searches. Debris disks often provide key information as to the formation and evolution of planetary systems around higher-mass stars, alongside the planet themselves. However, less than 300 M dwarf debris disks are known, despite M dwarfs making up 70% of the local neighborhood. The Disk Detective citizen science project has identified over 6000 new potential disk host stars from the AllWISE catalog over the past three years. Here, we present preliminary results of our search for new disk-hosting M dwarfs in the survey. Based on near-infrared color cuts and fitting stellar models to photometry, we have identified over 500 potential new M dwarf disk hosts, nearly doubling the known number of such systems. In this talk, we present our methodology, and outline our ongoing work to confirm systems as M dwarf disks.

X-Ray Outburst from Young Star in McNeil's Nebula

Science.gov (United States)

2004-07-01

Observations with NASA's Chandra X-ray Observatory captured an X-ray outburst from a young star, revealing a probable scenario for the intermittent brightening of the recently discovered McNeil's Nebula. It appears the interaction between the young star's magnetic field and an orbiting disk of gas can cause dramatic, episodic increases in the light from the star and disk, illuminating the surrounding gas. "The story of McNeil's Nebula is a wonderful example of the importance of serendipity in science," said Joel Kastner of the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York, lead author of a paper in the July 22 issue of Nature describing the X-ray results. "Visible-light images were made of this region several months before Jay McNeil made his discovery, so it could be determined approximately when and by how much the star flared up to produce McNeil's Nebula." The small nebula, which lies in the constellation Orion about 1300 light years from Earth, was discovered with a 3-inch telescope by McNeil, an amateur astronomer from Paducah, Kentucky, in January 2004. In November 2002, a team led by Ted Simon of the Institute for Astronomy in Hawaii had observed the star-rich region with Chandra in search of young, X-ray emitting stars, and had detected several objects. Optical and infrared astronomers had, as part of independent surveys, also observed the region about a year later, in 2003. After the announcement of McNeil's discovery, optical, infrared and X-ray astronomers rushed to observe the region again. They found that a young star buried in the nebula had flared up, and was illuminating the nebula. This star was coincident with one of the X-ray sources discovered earlier by Simon. Chandra observations obtained by Kastner's group just after the optical outburst showed that the source had brightened fifty-fold in X-rays when compared to Simon's earlier observation. The visible-light eruption provides evidence that the cause of the X-ray outburst is the

Gaps, Rings, and Non-Axisymmetric Structures in Protoplanetary Disks - From Simulations to ALMA Observations

OpenAIRE

Flock, M.; Ruge, J. P.; Dzyurkevich, N.; Henning, Th.; Klahr, H.; Wolf, S.

2014-01-01

International audience; Aims. Recent observations by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) of disks around young stars revealed distinct asymmetries in the dust continuum emission. In this work we wish to study axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric structures that are generated by the magneto-rotational instability in the outer regions of protoplanetary disks. We combine the results of state-of-the-art numerical simulations with post-processing radiative transfer (RT) to generat...

CONSTRAINTS ON THE RADIAL VARIATION OF GRAIN GROWTH IN THE AS 209 CIRCUMSTELLAR DISK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pérez, Laura M.; Carpenter, John M.; Isella, Andrea; Ricci, Luca; Sargent, Anneila I.; Chandler, Claire J.; Andrews, Sean M.; Harris, Robert J.; Calvet, Nuria; Corder, Stuartt A.; Deller, Adam T.; Dullemond, Cornelis P.; Linz, Hendrik; Greaves, Jane S.; Henning, Thomas; Kwon, Woojin; Lazio, Joseph; Mundy, Lee G.; Storm, Shaye; Testi, Leonardo

2012-01-01

We present dust continuum observations of the protoplanetary disk surrounding the pre-main-sequence star AS 209, spanning more than an order of magnitude in wavelength from 0.88 to 9.8 mm. The disk was observed with subarcsecond angular resolution (0.''2-0.''5) to investigate radial variations in its dust properties. At longer wavelengths, the disk emission structure is notably more compact, providing model-independent evidence for changes in the grain properties across the disk. We find that physical models which reproduce the disk emission require a radial dependence of the dust opacity κ ν . Assuming that the observed wavelength-dependent structure can be attributed to radial variations in the dust opacity spectral index (β), we find that β(R) increases from β 1.5 for R ∼> 80 AU, inconsistent with a constant value of β across the disk (at the 10σ level). Furthermore, if radial variations of κ ν are caused by particle growth, we find that the maximum size of the particle-size distribution (a max ) increases from submillimeter-sized grains in the outer disk (R ∼> 70 AU) to millimeter- and centimeter-sized grains in the inner disk regions (R ∼ max (R) with predictions from physical models of dust evolution in protoplanetary disks. For the dust composition and particle-size distribution investigated here, our observational constraints on a max (R) are consistent with models where the maximum grain size is limited by radial drift.

Optical and infrared study of the region surrounding Herbig-Haro objects 1 and 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Strom, S.E.; Strom, K.M.; Grasdalen, G.L.; Sellgren, K.; Wolff, S.; Wyoming Univ., Laramie; Hawaii Univ., Honolulu)

1985-01-01

Optical and near-IR observations of the environs of H-H objects 1 and 2 provide the basis for identifying a recently discovered radio continuum as the star responsible for powering the highly collimated mass outflow traced by these objects. Polarimetric observations show that the source (designated as VLA 1), located at the midpoint between HH 1 and 2, illuminates a biconical reflection nebula. It is suggested that VLA 1 is probably surrounded by an optically thick disk viewed edge on; an optical jet emanates from the vicinity of HH 1 and is directed along the axis of the putative disk toward HH 1; its spectrum resembles that of HH 1 and other Herbig-Haro objects. 37 references

Galactic Structure in the Outer Disk: The Field in the Line of Sight to the Intermediate-Age open Cluster Tombaugh 1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carraro, Giovanni [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Universitá di Padova Vicolo Osservatorio 3 I-35122, Padova (Italy); Silva, Joao Victor Sales [Observatorio Nacional/MCT Rua Gen. José Cristino 77 20291-400, Rio de Janeiro (Brazil); Bidin, Christian Moni [Instituto de Astronomia, Universidad Catolica del Norte Av. Angamos 0610, Casilla 1280 Antofagasta (Chile); Vazquez, Ruben A., E-mail: giovanni.carraro@unipd.it [Instituto de Astrofisica de La Plata CONICET/ UNLP, Paseo del Bosque s/n La Plata (Argentina)

2017-03-01

We employ optical photometry and high-resolution spectroscopy to study a field toward the open cluster Tombaugh 1, where we identify a complex population mixture that we describe in terms of young and old Galactic thin disks. Of particular interest is the spatial distribution of the young population, which consists of dwarfs with spectral types as early as B6 and is distributed in a blue plume feature in the color–magnitude diagram. For the first time, we confirm spectroscopically that most of these stars are early-type stars and not blue stragglers or halo/thick-disk subdwarfs. Moreover, they are not evenly distributed along the line of sight but crowd at heliocentric distances between 6.6 and 8.2 kpc. We compare these results with present-day understanding of the spiral structure of the Galaxy and suggest that they trace the outer arm. This range of distances challenges current Galactic models adopting a disk cutoff at 14 kpc from the Galactic center. The young dwarfs overlap in space with an older component, which is identified as an old Galactic thin disk. Both young and old populations are confined in space since the disk is warped at the latitude and longitude of Tombaugh 1. The main effects of the warp are that the line of sight intersects the disk and entirely crosses it at the outer arm distance and that there are no traces of the closer Perseus arm, which would then be either unimportant in this sector or located much closer to the formal Galactic plane. Finally, we analyze a group of giant stars, which turn out to be located at very different distances and to possess very different chemical properties, with no obvious relation to the other populations.

PROTOPLANETARY DISK MASSES IN IC348: A RAPID DECLINE IN THE POPULATION OF SMALL DUST GRAINS AFTER 1 Myr

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Nicholas; Williams, Jonathan P.; Cieza, Lucas A.

2011-01-01

We present a 1.3 mm continuum survey of protoplanetary disks in the 2-3 Myr old cluster, IC348, with the Submillimeter Array. We observed 85 young stellar objects and detected 10 with 1.3 mm fluxes greater than 2 mJy. The brightest source is a young embedded protostar driving a molecular outflow. The other nine detections are dusty disks around optically visible stars. Our millimeter flux measurements translate into total disk masses ranging from 2 to 6 Jupiter masses. Each detected disk has strong mid-infrared emission in excess of the stellar photosphere and has Hα equivalent widths larger than the average in the cluster and indicative of ongoing gas accretion. The disk mass distribution, however, is shifted by about a factor of 20 to lower masses, compared to that in the ∼1 Myr old Taurus and Ophiuchus regions. These observations reveal the rapid decline in the number of small dust grains in disks with time and probably their concomitant growth beyond millimeter sizes. Moreover, if IC348 is to form planets in the same proportion as detected in the field, these faint millimeter detections may represent the best candidates in the cluster to study the progression from planetesimals to planets.

Local protoplanetary disk ionisation by T Tauri star energetic particles

Science.gov (United States)

Fraschetti, F.; Drake, J.; Cohen, O.; Garraffo, C.

2017-10-01

The evolution of protoplanetary disks is believed to be driven largely by viscosity. The ionization of the disk that gives rise to viscosity is caused by X-rays from the central star or by energetic particles released by shock waves travelling into the circumstellar medium. We have performed test-particle numerical simulations of GeV-scale protons traversing a realistic magnetised wind of a young solar mass star with a superposed small-scale turbulence. The large-scale field is generated via an MHD model of a T Tauri wind, whereas the isotropic (Kolmogorov power spectrum) turbulent component is synthesised along the particles' trajectories. We have combined Chandra observations of T Tauri flares with solar flare scaling for describing the energetic particle spectrum. In contrast with previous models, we find that the disk ionization is dominated by X-rays except within narrow regions where the energetic particles are channelled onto the disk by the strongly tangled and turbulent field lines; the radial thickness of such regions broadens with the distance from the central star (5 stellar radii or more). In those regions, the disk ionization due to energetic particles can locally dominate the stellar X-rays, arguably, out to large distances (10, 100 AU) from the star.

On the Origin of the Spiral Morphology in the Elias 2–27 Circumstellar Disk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meru, Farzana; Juhász, Attila; Ilee, John D.; Clarke, Cathie J.; Rosotti, Giovanni P.; Booth, Richard A., E-mail: farzana.meru@ast.cam.ac.uk, E-mail: juhasz@ast.cam.ac.uk, E-mail: jdilee@ast.cam.ac.uk [Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA (United Kingdom)

2017-04-20

The young star Elias 2–27 has recently been observed to posses a massive circumstellar disk with two prominent large-scale spiral arms. In this Letter, we perform three-dimensional Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics simulations, radiative transfer modeling, synthetic ALMA imaging, and an unsharped masking technique to explore three possibilities for the origin of the observed structures—an undetected companion either internal or external to the spirals, and a self-gravitating disk. We find that a gravitationally unstable disk and a disk with an external companion can produce morphology that is consistent with the observations. In addition, for the latter, we find that the companion could be a relatively massive planetary-mass companion (≲10–13 M {sub Jup}) and located at large radial distances (between ≈300–700 au). We therefore suggest that Elias 2–27 may be one of the first detections of a disk undergoing gravitational instabilities, or a disk that has recently undergone fragmentation to produce a massive companion.

A Close-up View of the Young Circumbinary Disk HD 142527

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boehler, Y.; Weaver, E.; Isella, A.; Ricci, L. [Rice University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 (United States); Grady, C. [Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Carpenter, J. [Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO), Alonso de Cordova 3107 Vitacura—Santiago de Chile (Chile); Perez, L. [Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy, Bonn (Germany)

2017-05-01

We present ALMA observations of the 0.88 millimeter dust continuum and the {sup 13}CO and C{sup 18}O J = 3-2 line emission of the circumbinary disk HD 142527 at a spatial resolution of ∼0.″25. This system is characterized by a large central cavity of roughly 120 au in radius, and asymmetric dust and gas emission. By comparing the observations with theoretical models, we find that the azimuthal variations in gas and dust density reach a contrast of 54 for dust grains and 3.75 for CO molecules, with an extreme gas-to-dust ratio of 1.7 on the dust crescent. We point out that caution is required in interpreting continuum-subtracted maps of the line emission, as this process might result in removing a large fraction of the line emission. Radially, we find that both the gas and dust surface densities can be described by Gaussians, centered at the same disk radius, and with gas profiles wider than those for dust. These results strongly support a scenario in which millimeter dust grains are radially and azimuthally trapped toward the center of a gas pressure bump. Finally, our observations reveal a compact source of continuum and CO emission inside the dust-depleted cavity ∼50 au from the primary star. The kinematics of the CO emission from this region is different from that expected from material in Keplerian rotation around the binary system, and might instead trace a compact disk around a third companion. Higher angular resolution observations are required to investigate the nature of this source.

CSI 2264: simultaneous optical and infrared light curves of young disk-bearing stars in NGC 2264 with CoRoT and Spitzer—evidence for multiple origins of variability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cody, Ann Marie; Stauffer, John; Rebull, Luisa M.; Carey, Sean; Baglin, Annie; Micela, Giuseppina; Flaccomio, Ettore; Morales-Calderón, María; Aigrain, Suzanne; Bouvier, Jèrôme; Hillenbrand, Lynne A.; Carpenter, John; Findeisen, Krzysztof; Gutermuth, Robert; Song, Inseok; Turner, Neal; Alencar, Silvia H. P.; Zwintz, Konstanze; Plavchan, Peter; Terebey, Susan

2014-01-01

We present the Coordinated Synoptic Investigation of NGC 2264, a continuous 30 day multi-wavelength photometric monitoring campaign on more than 1000 young cluster members using 16 telescopes. The unprecedented combination of multi-wavelength, high-precision, high-cadence, and long-duration data opens a new window into the time domain behavior of young stellar objects. Here we provide an overview of the observations, focusing on results from Spitzer and CoRoT. The highlight of this work is detailed analysis of 162 classical T Tauri stars for which we can probe optical and mid-infrared flux variations to 1% amplitudes and sub-hour timescales. We present a morphological variability census and then use metrics of periodicity, stochasticity, and symmetry to statistically separate the light curves into seven distinct classes, which we suggest represent different physical processes and geometric effects. We provide distributions of the characteristic timescales and amplitudes and assess the fractional representation within each class. The largest category (>20%) are optical 'dippers' with discrete fading events lasting ∼1-5 days. The degree of correlation between the optical and infrared light curves is positive but weak; notably, the independently assigned optical and infrared morphology classes tend to be different for the same object. Assessment of flux variation behavior with respect to (circum)stellar properties reveals correlations of variability parameters with Hα emission and with effective temperature. Overall, our results point to multiple origins of young star variability, including circumstellar obscuration events, hot spots on the star and/or disk, accretion bursts, and rapid structural changes in the inner disk.

THICK-DISK EVOLUTION INDUCED BY THE GROWTH OF AN EMBEDDED THIN DISK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Villalobos, Alvaro; Helmi, Amina; Kazantzidis, Stelios

2010-01-01

We perform collisionless N-body simulations to investigate the evolution of the structural and kinematical properties of simulated thick disks induced by the growth of an embedded thin disk. The thick disks used in the present study originate from cosmologically common 5:1 encounters between initially thin primary disk galaxies and infalling satellites. The growing thin disks are modeled as static gravitational potentials and we explore a variety of growing-disk parameters that are likely to influence the response of thick disks. We find that the final thick-disk properties depend strongly on the total mass and radial scale length of the growing thin disk, and much less sensitively on its growth timescale and vertical scale height as well as the initial sense of thick-disk rotation. Overall, the growth of an embedded thin disk can cause a substantial contraction in both the radial and vertical direction, resulting in a significant decrease in the scale lengths and scale heights of thick disks. Kinematically, a growing thin disk can induce a notable increase in the mean rotation and velocity dispersions of thick-disk stars. We conclude that the reformation of a thin disk via gas accretion may play a significant role in setting the structure and kinematics of thick disks, and thus it is an important ingredient in models of thick-disk formation.

Newly Discovered Silicate Features in the Spectra of Young Warm Debris Disks: Probing Terrestrial Regions of Planetary Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Ballering, N.; Rieke, G.

2014-03-01

Terrestrial planets form by the collisional accretion of planetesimals during the first 100 Myr of a system’s lifetime. For most systems, the terrestrial regions are too near their host star to be directly seen with high-contrast imaging (e.g. with HST, MagAO, or LBTI) and too warm to be imaged with submillimeter interferometers (e.g. ALMA). Mid-infrared excess spectra—originating from the thermal emission of the circumstellar dust leftover from these collisions—remain the best data to constrain the properties of the debris in these regions. The spectra of most debris disks are featureless, taking the shape of (modified) blackbodies. Determining the properties of debris disks with featureless spectra is complicated by a degeneracy between the grain size and location (large grains near the star and small grains farther from the star may be indistinguishable). Debris disk spectra that exhibit solid state emission features allow for a more accurate determination of the dust size and location (e.g. Chen et al. 2006; Olofsson et al. 2012). Such features probe small, warm dust grains in the inner regions of these systems where terrestrial planet formation may be proceeding (Lisse et al. 2009). We report here a successful search for such features. We identified our targets with a preliminary search for signs of emission features in the Spitzer IRS spectra of a number of young early type stars known to harbor warm debris disks. We fit to each target a physically-motivated model spectrum consisting of the sum of the stellar photosphere (modeled as a blackbody) and thermal emission from two dust belts. Each belt was defined by 6 parameters: the inner and outer orbital radii (rin and rout), the index of the radial surface density power law (rexp), the minimum and maximum grain sizes (amin and amax), and the index of the grain size distribution power law (aexp). aexp was fixed to -3.65 and amax was fixed to 1000 μm for all models; all other parameters were allowed to

ALMA OBSERVATIONS OF HD 141569’s CIRCUMSTELLAR DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

White, J. A.; Boley, A. C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, 6224 Agricultural Road, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1 (Canada); Hughes, A. M.; Flaherty, K. M. [Department of Astronomy, Van Vleck Observatory, Wesleyan University, 96 Foss Hill Drive, Middletown, CT 06459 (United States); Ford, E. [Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, 525 Davey Laboratory, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802-2111 (United States); Wilner, D.; Payne, M. [Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Corder, S., E-mail: jawhite@astro.ubc.ca [North American ALMA Science Center, National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA, 22903 (United States)

2016-09-20

We present ALMA band 7 (345 GHz) continuum and {sup 12}CO( J = 3-2) observations of the circumstellar disk surrounding HD 141569. At an age of about 5 Myr, the disk has a complex morphology that may be best interpreted as a nascent debris system with gas. Our 870 μ m ALMA continuum observations resolve a dust disk out to approximately 56 au from the star (assuming a distance of 116 pc) with 0.″38 resolution and 0.07 mJy beam{sup −1} sensitivity. We measure a continuum flux density for this inner material of 3.8 ± 0.4 mJy (including calibration uncertainties). The {sup 12}CO(3-2) gas is resolved kinematically and spatially from about 30 to 210 au. The integrated {sup 12}CO(3-2) line flux density is 15.7 ± 1.6 Jy km s{sup −1}. We estimate the mass of the millimeter debris and {sup 12}CO(3-2) gas to be ≳0.04 M {sub ⊕} and ∼2 × 10{sup −3} M {sub ⊕}, respectively. If the millimeter grains are part of a collisional cascade, then we infer that the inner disk (<50 au) has ∼160 M {sub ⊕} contained within objects less than 50 km in radius, depending on the planetesimal size distribution and density assumptions. Markov Chain Monte Carlo modeling of the system reveals a disk morphology with an inclination of 53.°4 centered around an M = 2.39 M {sub ⊙} host star ( M sin( i ) = 1.92 M {sub ⊙}). We discuss whether the gas in HD 141569's disk may be second generation. If it is, the system can be used to study the clearing stages of planet formation.

Oscillations of disks

CERN Document Server

Kato, Shoji

2016-01-01

This book presents the current state of research on disk oscillation theory, focusing on relativistic disks and tidally deformed disks. Since the launch of the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) in 1996, many high-frequency quasiperiodic oscillations (HFQPOs) have been observed in X-ray binaries. Subsequently, similar quasi-periodic oscillations have been found in such relativistic objects as microquasars, ultra-luminous X-ray sources, and galactic nuclei. One of the most promising explanations of their origin is based on oscillations in relativistic disks, and a new field called discoseismology is currently developing. After reviewing observational aspects, the book presents the basic characteristics of disk oscillations, especially focusing on those in relativistic disks. Relativistic disks are essentially different from Newtonian disks in terms of several basic characteristics of their disk oscillations, including the radial distributions of epicyclic frequencies. In order to understand the basic processes...

Hydrodynamic ejection of bipolar flows from objects undergoing disk accretion: T Tauri stars, massive pre-main-sequence objects, and cataclysmic variables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torbett, M.V.

1984-01-01

A general mechanism is presented for generating pressure-driven winds that are intrinsically bipolar from objects undergoing disk accretion. The energy librated in a boundary layer shock as the disk matter impacts the central object is shown to be sufficient to eject a fraction βapprox.10 -2 to 10 -3 of the accreted mass. These winds are driven by a mechanism that accelerates the flow perpendicular to the plane of the disk and can therefore account for the bipolar geometry of the mass loss observed near young stars. The mass loss contained in these winds is comparable to that inferred for young stars. Thus, disk accretion-driven winds may constitute the T Tauri phase of stellar evolution. This mechanism is generally applicable, and thus massive pre-main-sequence objects as well as cataclysmic variables at times of enhanced accretion are predicted to eject bipolar outflows as well. Unmagnetized accreting neutron stas are also expected to eject bipolar flows. Since this mechanism requires stellar surfaces, however, it will not operate in disk accretion onto black holes

HERSCHEL OBSERVATIONS AND UPDATED SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS OF FIVE SUNLIKE STARS WITH DEBRIS DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dodson-Robinson, Sarah E.; Su, Kate Y. L.; Bryden, Geoff; Harvey, Paul; Green, Joel D.

2016-01-01

Observations from the Herschel Space Observatory have more than doubled the number of wide debris disks orbiting Sunlike stars to include over 30 systems with R  > 100 AU. Here, we present new Herschel PACS and reanalyzed Spitzer MIPS photometry of five Sunlike stars with wide debris disks, from Kuiper Belt size to R  > 150 AU. The disk surrounding HD 105211 is well resolved, with an angular extent of >14″ along the major axis, and the disks of HD 33636, HD 50554, and HD 52265 are extended beyond the PACS point-spread function size (50% of energy enclosed within radius 4.″23). HD 105211 also has a 24 μ m infrared excess, which was previously overlooked, because of a poorly constrained photospheric model. Archival Spitzer IRS observations indicate that the disks have small grains of minimum radius a min  ∼ 3 μ m, although a min is larger than the radiation-pressure blowout size in all systems. If modeled as single-temperature blackbodies, the disk temperatures would all be <60 K. Our radiative transfer models predict actual disk radii approximately twice the radius of a model blackbody disk. We find that the Herschel photometry traces dust near the source population of planetesimals. The disk luminosities are in the range 2 × 10 −5  ⩽  L / L ⊙  ⩽ 2 × 10 −4 , consistent with collisions in icy planetesimal belts stirred by Pluto-size dwarf planets.

HERSCHEL OBSERVATIONS AND UPDATED SPECTRAL ENERGY DISTRIBUTIONS OF FIVE SUNLIKE STARS WITH DEBRIS DISKS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dodson-Robinson, Sarah E. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Delaware, 217 Sharp Lab, Newark, DE 19716 (United States); Su, Kate Y. L. [Steward Observatory, Department of Astronomy, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Bryden, Geoff [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Harvey, Paul; Green, Joel D., E-mail: sdr@udel.edu [Astronomy Department, University of Texas, 2515 Speedway Drive C1400, Austin, TX 78712 (United States)

2016-12-20

Observations from the Herschel Space Observatory have more than doubled the number of wide debris disks orbiting Sunlike stars to include over 30 systems with R  > 100 AU. Here, we present new Herschel PACS and reanalyzed Spitzer MIPS photometry of five Sunlike stars with wide debris disks, from Kuiper Belt size to R  > 150 AU. The disk surrounding HD 105211 is well resolved, with an angular extent of >14″ along the major axis, and the disks of HD 33636, HD 50554, and HD 52265 are extended beyond the PACS point-spread function size (50% of energy enclosed within radius 4.″23). HD 105211 also has a 24 μ m infrared excess, which was previously overlooked, because of a poorly constrained photospheric model. Archival Spitzer IRS observations indicate that the disks have small grains of minimum radius a {sub min} ∼ 3 μ m, although a {sub min} is larger than the radiation-pressure blowout size in all systems. If modeled as single-temperature blackbodies, the disk temperatures would all be <60 K. Our radiative transfer models predict actual disk radii approximately twice the radius of a model blackbody disk. We find that the Herschel photometry traces dust near the source population of planetesimals. The disk luminosities are in the range 2 × 10{sup −5} ⩽  L / L {sub ⊙} ⩽ 2 × 10{sup −4}, consistent with collisions in icy planetesimal belts stirred by Pluto-size dwarf planets.

An ALMA continuum survey of circumstellar disks in the upper Scorpius OB association

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carpenter, John M.; Ricci, Luca; Isella, Andrea [Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, MC 249-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States)

2014-05-20

We present ALMA 880 μm continuum observations of 20 K- and M-type stars in the Upper Scorpius OB association (Upper Sco) that are surrounded by protoplanetary disks. These data are used to measure the dust content in disks around low-mass stars (0.1-1.6 M {sub ☉}) at a stellar age of 5-11 Myr. Thirteen sources were detected in the 880 μm dust continuum at ≥3σ with inferred dust masses between 0.3 and 52 M {sub ⊕}. The dust masses tend to be higher around the more massive stars, but the significance is marginal in that the probability of no correlation is p ≈ 0.03. The evolution in the dust content in disks was assessed by comparing the Upper Sco observations with published continuum measurements of disks around ∼1-2 Myr stars in the Class II stage in the Taurus molecular cloud. While the dust masses in the Upper Sco disks are on average lower than in Taurus, any difference in the dust mass distributions is significant at less than 3σ. For stellar masses between 0.49 M {sub ☉} and 1.6 M {sub ☉}, the mean dust mass in disks is lower in Upper Sco relative to Taurus by Δlog M {sub dust} = 0.44 ± 0.26.

Magnetically Induced Disk Winds and Transport in the HL Tau Disk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hasegawa, Yasuhiro; Flock, Mario; Turner, Neal J.; Okuzumi, Satoshi

2017-01-01

The mechanism of angular momentum transport in protoplanetary disks is fundamental to understanding the distributions of gas and dust in the disks. The unprecedented ALMA observations taken toward HL Tau at high spatial resolution and subsequent radiative transfer modeling reveal that a high degree of dust settling is currently achieved in the outer part of the HL Tau disk. Previous observations, however, suggest a high disk accretion rate onto the central star. This configuration is not necessarily intuitive in the framework of the conventional viscous disk model, since efficient accretion generally requires a high level of turbulence, which can suppress dust settling considerably. We develop a simplified, semi-analytical disk model to examine under what condition these two properties can be realized in a single model. Recent, non-ideal MHD simulations are utilized to realistically model the angular momentum transport both radially via MHD turbulence and vertically via magnetically induced disk winds. We find that the HL Tau disk configuration can be reproduced well when disk winds are properly taken into account. While the resulting disk properties are likely consistent with other observational results, such an ideal situation can be established only if the plasma β at the disk midplane is β 0 ≃ 2 × 10 4 under the assumption of steady accretion. Equivalently, the vertical magnetic flux at 100 au is about 0.2 mG. More detailed modeling is needed to fully identify the origin of the disk accretion and quantitatively examine plausible mechanisms behind the observed gap structures in the HL Tau disk.

Magnetically Induced Disk Winds and Transport in the HL Tau Disk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hasegawa, Yasuhiro; Flock, Mario; Turner, Neal J. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Okuzumi, Satoshi, E-mail: yasuhiro@caltech.edu [Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8551 (Japan)

2017-08-10

The mechanism of angular momentum transport in protoplanetary disks is fundamental to understanding the distributions of gas and dust in the disks. The unprecedented ALMA observations taken toward HL Tau at high spatial resolution and subsequent radiative transfer modeling reveal that a high degree of dust settling is currently achieved in the outer part of the HL Tau disk. Previous observations, however, suggest a high disk accretion rate onto the central star. This configuration is not necessarily intuitive in the framework of the conventional viscous disk model, since efficient accretion generally requires a high level of turbulence, which can suppress dust settling considerably. We develop a simplified, semi-analytical disk model to examine under what condition these two properties can be realized in a single model. Recent, non-ideal MHD simulations are utilized to realistically model the angular momentum transport both radially via MHD turbulence and vertically via magnetically induced disk winds. We find that the HL Tau disk configuration can be reproduced well when disk winds are properly taken into account. While the resulting disk properties are likely consistent with other observational results, such an ideal situation can be established only if the plasma β at the disk midplane is β {sub 0} ≃ 2 × 10{sup 4} under the assumption of steady accretion. Equivalently, the vertical magnetic flux at 100 au is about 0.2 mG. More detailed modeling is needed to fully identify the origin of the disk accretion and quantitatively examine plausible mechanisms behind the observed gap structures in the HL Tau disk.

DETECTION OF SHARP SYMMETRIC FEATURES IN THE CIRCUMBINARY DISK AROUND AK Sco

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Janson, Markus; Asensio-Torres, Ruben; Thalmann, Christian; Meyer, Michael R.; Garufi, Antonio; Boccaletti, Anthony; Maire, Anne-Lise; Henning, Thomas; Pohl, Adriana; Zurlo, Alice; Marzari, Francesco; Carson, Joseph C.; Augereau, Jean-Charles; Desidera, Silvano

2016-01-01

The Search for Planets Orbiting Two Stars survey aims to study the formation and distribution of planets in binary systems by detecting and characterizing circumbinary planets and their formation environments through direct imaging. With the SPHERE Extreme Adaptive Optics instrument, a good contrast can be achieved even at small (<300 mas) separations from bright stars, which enables studies of planets and disks in a separation range that was previously inaccessible. Here, we report the discovery of resolved scattered light emission from the circumbinary disk around the well-studied young double star AK Sco, at projected separations in the ∼13–40 AU range. The sharp morphology of the imaged feature is surprising, given the smooth appearance of the disk in its spectral energy distribution. We show that the observed morphology can be represented either as a highly eccentric ring around AK Sco, or as two separate spiral arms in the disk, wound in opposite directions. The relative merits of these interpretations are discussed, as well as whether these features may have been caused by one or several circumbinary planets interacting with the disk

DETECTION OF SHARP SYMMETRIC FEATURES IN THE CIRCUMBINARY DISK AROUND AK Sco

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Janson, Markus; Asensio-Torres, Ruben [Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, AlbaNova University Center, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Thalmann, Christian; Meyer, Michael R.; Garufi, Antonio [Institute for Astronomy, ETH Zurich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 27, CH-8093 Zurich (Switzerland); Boccaletti, Anthony [LESIA, Observatoire de Paris—Meudon, CNRS, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Université Paris Didierot, 5 Place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon (France); Maire, Anne-Lise; Henning, Thomas; Pohl, Adriana [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Zurlo, Alice [Núcleo de Astronomía, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Diego Portales, Av. Ejercito 441, Santiago (Chile); Marzari, Francesco [Dipartimento di Fisica, University of Padova, Via Marzolo 8, I-35131 Padova (Italy); Carson, Joseph C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Charleston, 66 George Street, Charleston, SC 29424 (United States); Augereau, Jean-Charles [Université Grenoble Alpes, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Desidera, Silvano [INAF—Osservatorio Astromonico di Padova, Vicolo dell’Osservatorio 5, I-35122 Padova (Italy)

2016-01-01

The Search for Planets Orbiting Two Stars survey aims to study the formation and distribution of planets in binary systems by detecting and characterizing circumbinary planets and their formation environments through direct imaging. With the SPHERE Extreme Adaptive Optics instrument, a good contrast can be achieved even at small (<300 mas) separations from bright stars, which enables studies of planets and disks in a separation range that was previously inaccessible. Here, we report the discovery of resolved scattered light emission from the circumbinary disk around the well-studied young double star AK Sco, at projected separations in the ∼13–40 AU range. The sharp morphology of the imaged feature is surprising, given the smooth appearance of the disk in its spectral energy distribution. We show that the observed morphology can be represented either as a highly eccentric ring around AK Sco, or as two separate spiral arms in the disk, wound in opposite directions. The relative merits of these interpretations are discussed, as well as whether these features may have been caused by one or several circumbinary planets interacting with the disk.

Observational diagnostics of accretion on young stars and brown dwarfs

Science.gov (United States)

Stelzer, Beate; Argiroffi, Costanza

I present a summary of recent observational constraints on the accretion properties of young stars and brown dwarfs with focus on the high-energy emission. In their T Tauri phase young stars assemble a few percent of their mass by accretion from a disk. Various observational signatures of disks around pre-main sequence stars and the ensuing accretion process are found in the IR and optical regime: e.g. excess emission above the stellar photosphere, strong and broad emission lines, optical veiling. At high energies evidence for accretion is less obvious, and the X-ray emission from stars has historically been ascribed to magnetically confined coronal plasmas. While being true for the bulk of the emission, new insight obtained from XMM-Newton and Chandra observations has unveiled contributions from accretion and outflow processes to the X-ray emission from young stars. Their smaller siblings, the brown dwarfs, have been shown to undergo a T Tauri phase on the basis of optical/IR observations of disks and measurements of accretion rates. Most re-cently, first evidence was found for X-rays produced by accretion in a young brown dwarf, complementing the suspected analogy between stars and substellar objects.

Unlocking CO Depletion in Protoplanetary Disks. I. The Warm Molecular Layer

Science.gov (United States)

Schwarz, Kamber R.; Bergin, Edwin A.; Cleeves, L. Ilsedore; Zhang, Ke; Öberg, Karin I.; Blake, Geoffrey A.; Anderson, Dana

2018-03-01

CO is commonly used as a tracer of the total gas mass in both the interstellar medium and in protoplanetary disks. Recently, there has been much debate about the utility of CO as a mass tracer in disks. Observations of CO in protoplanetary disks reveal a range of CO abundances, with measurements of low CO to dust mass ratios in numerous systems. One possibility is that carbon is removed from CO via chemistry. However, the full range of physical conditions conducive to this chemical reprocessing is not well understood. We perform a systematic survey of the time dependent chemistry in protoplanetary disks for 198 models with a range of physical conditions. We vary dust grain size distribution, temperature, comic-ray and X-ray ionization rates, disk mass, and initial water abundance, detailing what physical conditions are necessary to activate the various CO depletion mechanisms in the warm molecular layer. We focus our analysis on the warm molecular layer in two regions: the outer disk (100 au) well outside the CO snowline and the inner disk (19 au) just inside the midplane CO snowline. After 1 Myr, we find that the majority of models have a CO abundance relative to H2 less than 10‑4 in the outer disk, while an abundance less than 10‑5 requires the presence of cosmic-rays. Inside the CO snowline, significant depletion of CO only occurs in models with a high cosmic-ray rate. If cosmic-rays are not present in young disks, it is difficult to chemically remove carbon from CO. Additionally, removing water prior to CO depletion impedes the chemical processing of CO. Chemical processing alone cannot explain current observations of low CO abundances. Other mechanisms must also be involved.

A method for rapid testing of the photosynthesis-inhibiting activity of herbicides by leaf disk infiltration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Krzysztof Bielecki

2013-12-01

Full Text Available A method for rapid detection of photosynthesis inhibitors in low concentration (0.25-1.25 ppm was developed. The experiments were performed on disks cut from young bean leaves. The disks were infiltrated with solutions of the tested compounds and placed at the bottom of a crystallizer containing an acidic sodium carbonate solution and then illuminated. The toxicity of the tested substance was measured as the number of disks corning to the surface. It was found that linuron, monolinuron, metoksuron, atrazine and prometrine inhibited floating of the disks, whereas 2,4,5-T, MCPA and chlorpropham gave no effect. This confirms the specificity of the test which is appropriate for determining the phytotoxicity of typical photosynthesis inhibitors.

Mechanical behavior of porous ceramic disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pucheu, M.A; Sandoval, M.L; Tomba Martinez, A.G; Camerucci, M.A

2008-01-01

mechanical resistance (σ F ) was defined from the maximum load values of the load-displacement curves. Using these the apparent force (σ)-deformation (ε) relationship was obtained by calculus and from the slope of the lineal part of these curves the apparent Young module (E a ) was estimated. The results obtained were analyzed as a function of the microstructures that developed and in relation to the behavior of the starches in aqueous suspension at temperature. Except for the disks prepared with corn starch, the values of σF for the disks in green state were higher than in the disks prepared without starch, which shows the binding power of the other starches depending on the relative order: modified ≥manioc≥ potato. The apparent Young module presented a similar behavior, indicating greater rigidity of the structure of the compacts in green state with starch that could be related partly to the differences in the behavior of the grains in water at the temperature of consolidation. All the final porous materials showed a significant increase in mechanical resistance observing a correlation between the σF values of the disks in green and sintered state compared to the type of starch used. The stress-deformation curves showed a significant increase of the lineal region compared to that observed in the disks in green state, presenting a completely fragile fracture. Additionally, the apparent Young module increased in similar proportion for each type of starch. Based on the adjustment of the fractomechanical parameters of the exponential models proposed for the fracture resistance and the elasticity module, the significant incidence of the material's global porosity is revealed and the complexity of the pores' morphology must be taken into account as well as the size of the pores that were different for each starch used. Also, it cannot be ignored that the ceramic matrix displays characteristics (for example, microfissures) that depend on which starch is used in its

EXCLUSION OF COSMIC RAYS IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS: STELLAR AND MAGNETIC EFFECTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cleeves, L. Ilsedore; Adams, Fred C.; Bergin, Edwin A.

2013-01-01

Cosmic rays (CRs) are thought to provide an important source of ionization in the outermost and densest regions of protoplanetary disks; however, it is unknown to what degree they are physically present. As is observed in the solar system, stellar winds can inhibit the propagation of CRs within the circumstellar environment and subsequently into the disk. In this work, we explore the hitherto neglected effects of CR modulation by both stellar winds and magnetic field structures and study how these processes act to reduce disk ionization rates. We construct a two-dimensional protoplanetary disk model of a T-Tauri star system, focusing on ionization from stellar and interstellar FUV, stellar X-ray photons, and CRs. We show that stellar winds can power a heliosphere-like analog, i.e., a ''T-Tauriosphere,'' diminishing CR ionization rates by several orders of magnitude at low to moderate CR energies (E CR ≤ 1 GeV). We explore models of both the observed solar wind CR modulation and a highly simplified estimate for ''elevated'' CR modulation as would be expected from a young T-Tauri star. In the former (solar analog) case, we estimate the ionization rate from galactic CRs to be ζ CR ∼ (0.23-1.4) × 10 –18 s –1 . This range of values, which we consider to be the maximum CR ionization rate for the disk, is more than an order of magnitude lower than what is generally assumed in current models for disk chemistry and physics. In the latter elevated case, i.e., for a ''T-Tauriosphere,'' the ionization rate by CRs is ζ CR ∼ –20 s –1 , which is 1000 times smaller than the interstellar value. We discuss the implications of a diminished CR ionization rate on the gas physics by estimating the size of the resulting magnetorotational instability dead zones. Indeed, if winds are as efficient at CR modulation as predicted here, short-lived radionuclides (now extinct) would have provided the major source of ionization (ζ RN ∼ 7.3 × 10 –19 s –1 ) in the planet

Multiwavelength Imaging Of YSOs With Disk In South Pillars Of Eta Carina

Science.gov (United States)

Reyes, J. A.; Porras, B. A.

2013-04-01

We present multiwavelength imaginery and spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of 15 Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) with disk components lying on the South Pillars region close to Eta Carina (η Car). The SEDs include IR fluxes from 2MASS, IRAC, MSX, AKARI, and MIPS-24 μm, and 1.1 mm flux from AzTEC camera at the ASTE antenna. Millimeter fluxes help to constrain the number of fitted models, which provide the list of physical parameters for the star, the disk and the envelope. We then compare the parameters of the YSOs and their spatial location within the star forming region.

GEMINI PLANET IMAGER OBSERVATIONS OF THE AU MICROSCOPII DEBRIS DISK: ASYMMETRIES WITHIN ONE ARCSECOND

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Jason J.; Graham, James R.; De Rosa, Robert J.; Kalas, Paul; Chiang, Eugene; Duchêne, Gaspard; Pueyo, Laurent; Chen, Christine; Greenbaum, Alexandra Z.; Nielsen, Eric L.; Millar-Blanchaer, Max; Ammons, S. Mark; Bulger, Joanna; Cardwell, Andrew; Goodsell, Stephen J.; Chilcote, Jeffrey K.; Doyon, René; Draper, Zachary H.; Esposito, Thomas M.; Fitzgerald, Michael P.

2015-01-01

We present Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) observations of AU Microscopii, a young M dwarf with an edge-on, dusty debris disk. Integral field spectroscopy and broadband imaging polarimetry were obtained during the commissioning of GPI. In our broadband imaging polarimetry observations, we detect the disk only in total intensity and find asymmetries in the morphology of the disk between the southeast (SE) and northwest (NW) sides. The SE side of the disk exhibits a bump at 1″ (10 AU projected separation) that is three times more vertically extended and three times fainter in peak surface brightness than the NW side at similar separations. This part of the disk is also vertically offset by 69 ± 30 mas to the northeast at 1″ when compared to the established disk midplane and is consistent with prior Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array and Hubble Space Telescope/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph observations. We see hints that the SE bump might be a result of detecting a horizontal sliver feature above the main disk that could be the disk backside. Alternatively, when including the morphology of the NW side, where the disk midplane is offset in the opposite direction ∼50 mas between 0.″4 and 1.″2, the asymmetries suggest a warp-like feature. Using our integral field spectroscopy data to search for planets, we are 50% complete for ∼4 M Jup planets at 4 AU. We detect a source, resolved only along the disk plane, that could either be a candidate planetary mass companion or a compact clump in the disk

The TWA 3 Young Triple System: Orbits, Disks, Evolution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kellogg, Kendra [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7 (Canada); Prato, L.; Avilez, I.; Wasserman, L. H.; Levine, S. E.; Bosh, A. S. [Lowell Observatory, 1400 West Mars Hill Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 (United States); Torres, Guillermo [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Schaefer, G. H. [The CHARA Array of Georgia State University, Mount Wilson Observatory, Mount Wilson, CA 91023 (United States); Ruíz-Rodríguez, D. [Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2611 (Australia); Bonanos, Alceste Z. [IAASARS, National Observatory of Athens, 15236 Penteli (Greece); Guenther, E. W. [Thüringer Landessternwarte Tautenburg, D-07778 Tautenburg (Germany); Neuhäuser, R. [Astrophysikalisches Institut und Universitäts-Sternwarte, FSU Jena, Schillergäßchen 2-3, D-07745 Jena (Germany); Morzinski, Katie M.; Close, Laird; Hinz, Phil; Males, Jared R. [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 N. Cherry Ave, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Bailey, Vanessa, E-mail: kkellogg@uwo.ca, E-mail: lprato@lowell.edu [Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Department of Physics, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, 94305 (United States)

2017-08-01

We have characterized the spectroscopic orbit of the TWA 3A binary and provide preliminary families of probable solutions for the TWA 3A visual orbit, as well as for the wide TWA 3A–B orbit. TWA 3 is a hierarchical triple located at 34 pc in the ∼10 Myr old TW Hya association. The wide component separation is 1.″55; the close pair was first identified as a possible binary almost 20 years ago. We initially identified the 35-day period orbital solution using high-resolution infrared spectroscopy that angularly resolved the A and B components. We then refined the preliminary orbit by combining the infrared data with a reanalysis of our high-resolution optical spectroscopy. The orbital period from the combined spectroscopic solution is ∼35 days, the eccentricity is ∼0.63, and the mass ratio is ∼0.84; although this high mass ratio would suggest that optical spectroscopy alone should be sufficient to identify the orbital solution, the presence of the tertiary B component likely introduced confusion in the blended optical spectra. Using millimeter imaging from the literature, we also estimate the inclinations of the stellar orbital planes with respect to the TWA 3A circumbinary disk inclination and find that all three planes are likely misaligned by at least ∼30°. The TWA 3A spectroscopic binary components have spectral types of M4.0 and M4.5; TWA 3B is an M3. We speculate that the system formed as a triple, is bound, and that its properties were shaped by dynamical interactions between the inclined orbits and disk.

Rapid disappearance of a warm, dusty circumstellar disk.

Science.gov (United States)

Melis, Carl; Zuckerman, B; Rhee, Joseph H; Song, Inseok; Murphy, Simon J; Bessell, Michael S

2012-07-04

Stars form with gaseous and dusty circumstellar envelopes, which rapidly settle into disks that eventually give rise to planetary systems. Understanding the process by which these disks evolve is paramount in developing an accurate theory of planet formation that can account for the variety of planetary systems discovered so far. The formation of Earth-like planets through collisional accumulation of rocky objects within a disk has mainly been explored in theoretical and computational work in which post-collision ejecta evolution typically is ignored, although recent work has considered the fate of such material. Here we report observations of a young, Sun-like star (TYC 8241 2652 1) where infrared flux from post-collisional ejecta has decreased drastically, by a factor of about 30, over a period of less than two years. The star seems to have gone from hosting substantial quantities of dusty ejecta, in a region analogous to where the rocky planets orbit in the Solar System, to retaining at most a meagre amount of cooler dust. Such a phase of rapid ejecta evolution has not been previously predicted or observed, and no currently available physical model satisfactorily explains the observations.

The Chemistry of Protostellar Jet-Disk Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Codella, Claudio

2017-11-01

The birth of a Sun-like star is a complex game played by several participants whose respective roles are not yet entirely clear. On the one hand, the star-to-be accretes matter from a collapsing envelope. The gravitational energy released in the process heats up the material surrounding the protostar, creating warm regions enriched by interstellar complex organic molecules (iCOMs, at least 6 atoms) called hot-corinos. On the other hand, the presence of angular momentum and magnetic fields leads to two consequences: (i) the formation of circumstellar disks; and (ii) substantial episodes of matter ejection, as e.g. collimated jets. Thanks to the combination of the high-sensitivities and high-angular resolu- tions provided by the advent of new telescopes such as ALMA and NOEMA, it is now possible to image in details the earliest stages of the Sun-like star formation, thus inspecting the inner ( effects connected with the accreting disk. In other words, it is time to study the protostellar jet-disk system as a whole. Several still unanswered questions can be addressed. What is the origin of the chemically enriched hot corinos: are they jet-driven shocked regions? What is the origin of the ejections: are they due to disk or stellar winds? Shocks are precious tool to attack these questions, given they enrich the gas phase with the species deposited onto the dust mantles and/or locked in the refractory dust cores. Basically, we have to deal with two kind of shocks: (i) high-velocity shocks produced by protostellar jets, and (ii) slow accretion shocks located close to the centrifugal barrier of the accretion disks. Both shocks are factories of iCOMs, which can be then efficiently used to follow both the kinematics and the chemistry of the inner protostellar systems. With this in mind, we will discuss recent results obtained in the framework of different observational campaigns at mm and sub-mm wavelengths.

HIDING IN THE SHADOWS: SEARCHING FOR PLANETS IN PRE-TRANSITIONAL AND TRANSITIONAL DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dobinson, Jack; Leinhardt, Zoë M.; Dodson-Robinson, Sarah E.; Teanby, Nick A.

2013-01-01

Transitional and pre-transitional disks can be explained by a number of mechanisms. This work aims to find a single observationally detectable marker that would imply a planetary origin for the gap and, therefore, indirectly indicate the presence of a young planet. N-body simulations were conducted to investigate the effect of an embedded planet of one Jupiter mass on the production of instantaneous collisional dust derived from a background planetesimal disk. Our new model allows us to predict the dust distribution and resulting observable markers with greater accuracy than previous works. Dynamical influences from a planet on a circular orbit are shown to enhance dust production in the disk interior and exterior to the planet orbit, while removing planetesimals from the orbit itself, creating a clearly defined gap. In the case of an eccentric planet, the gap opened by the planet is not as clear as the circular case, but there is a detectable asymmetry in the dust disk

SPECTRALLY RESOLVED PURE ROTATIONAL LINES OF WATER IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pontoppidan, Klaus M.; Salyk, Colette; Blake, Geoffrey A.; Kaeufl, Hans Ulrich

2010-01-01

We present ground-based high-resolution N-band spectra (Δv = 15 km s -1 ) of pure rotational lines of water vapor in two protoplanetary disks surrounding the pre-main-sequence stars AS 205N and RNO 90, selected based on detections of rotational water lines by the Spitzer InfraRed Spectrograph. Using VISIR on the Very Large Telescope, we spectrally resolve individual lines and show that they have widths of 30-60 km s -1 , consistent with an origin in Keplerian disks at radii of ∼1 AU. The water lines have similar widths to those of the CO at 4.67 μm, indicating that the mid-infrared water lines trace similar radii. The rotational temperatures of the water are 540 and 600 K in the two disks, respectively. However, the line ratios show evidence of non-LTE excitation, with low-excitation line fluxes being overpredicted by two-dimensional disk LTE models. Due to the limited number of observed lines and the non-LTE line ratios, an accurate measure of the water ortho/para (O/P) ratio is not available, but a best estimate for AS 205N is O/P =4.5 ± 1.0, apparently ruling out a low-temperature origin of the water. The spectra demonstrate that high-resolution spectroscopy of rotational water lines is feasible from the ground, and further that ground-based high-resolution spectroscopy is likely to significantly improve our understanding of the inner disk chemistry revealed by recent Spitzer observations.

PHOTO-REVERBERATION MAPPING OF A PROTOPLANETARY ACCRETION DISK AROUND A T TAURI STAR

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meng, Huan Y. A.; Plavchan, Peter; Ciardi, David [Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, MC 100-22, 770 S. Wilson Ave., Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Rieke, George H. [Lunar and Planetary Laboratory and Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, 1629 E. University Blvd., Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Cody, Ann Marie [NASA Ames Research Center, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); Güth, Tina [Department of Physics, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, 801 Leroy Pl., Socorro, NM 87801 (United States); Stauffer, John; Carey, Sean; Rebull, Luisa M. [Infrared Science Archive and Spitzer Science Center, Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, MC 314-6, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Covey, Kevin [Department of Physics and Astronomy, MS-9164, Western Washington University, 516 High St., Bellingham, WA 98225 (United States); Duran-Rojas, Maria C. [Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apartado Postal 106, 22800, Ensenada, Baja California, México (Mexico); Gutermuth, Robert A. [Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003 (United States); Morales-Calderón, María, E-mail: hyameng@lpl.arizona.edu [Centro de Astrobiología, Departamento de Astrofísica, INTA-CSIC, P.O. Box 78, E-28691, ESAC Campus, Villanueva de la Cañada, Madrid (Spain); and others

2016-05-20

Theoretical models and spectroscopic observations of newborn stars suggest that protoplantary disks have an inner “wall” at a distance set by the disk interaction with the star. Around T Tauri stars, the size of this disk hole is expected to be on a 0.1 au scale that is unresolved by current adaptive optics imaging, though some model-dependent constraints have been obtained by near-infrared interferometry. Here we report the first measurement of the inner disk wall around a solar-mass young stellar object, YLW 16B in the ρ Ophiuchi star-forming region, by detecting the light-travel time of the variable radiation from the stellar surface to the disk. Consistent time lags were detected on two nights, when the time series in H (1.6 μ m) and K (2.2 μ m) bands were synchronized while the 4.5 μ m emission lagged by 74.5 ± 3.2 s. Considering the nearly edge-on geometry of the disk, the inner rim should be 0.084 au from the protostar on average, with an error of order 0.01 au. This size is likely larger than the range of magnetospheric truncations and consistent with an optically and geometrically thick disk front at the dust sublimation radius at ∼1500 K. The widths of the cross-correlation functions between the data in different wavebands place possible new constraints on the geometry of the disk.

Photo-reverberation Mapping of a Protoplanetary Accretion Disk around a T Tauri Star

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Huan Y. A.; Plavchan, Peter; Rieke, George H.; Cody, Ann Marie; Güth, Tina; Stauffer, John; Covey, Kevin; Carey, Sean; Ciardi, David; Duran-Rojas, Maria C.; Gutermuth, Robert A.; Morales-Calderón, María; Rebull, Luisa M.; Watson, Alan M.

2016-05-01

Theoretical models and spectroscopic observations of newborn stars suggest that protoplantary disks have an inner “wall” at a distance set by the disk interaction with the star. Around T Tauri stars, the size of this disk hole is expected to be on a 0.1 au scale that is unresolved by current adaptive optics imaging, though some model-dependent constraints have been obtained by near-infrared interferometry. Here we report the first measurement of the inner disk wall around a solar-mass young stellar object, YLW 16B in the ρ Ophiuchi star-forming region, by detecting the light-travel time of the variable radiation from the stellar surface to the disk. Consistent time lags were detected on two nights, when the time series in H (1.6 μm) and K (2.2 μm) bands were synchronized while the 4.5 μm emission lagged by 74.5 ± 3.2 s. Considering the nearly edge-on geometry of the disk, the inner rim should be 0.084 au from the protostar on average, with an error of order 0.01 au. This size is likely larger than the range of magnetospheric truncations and consistent with an optically and geometrically thick disk front at the dust sublimation radius at ˜1500 K. The widths of the cross-correlation functions between the data in different wavebands place possible new constraints on the geometry of the disk.

SPITZER OBSERVATIONS OF THE λ ORIONIS CLUSTER. II. DISKS AROUND SOLAR-TYPE AND LOW-MASS STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hernandez, Jesus; Morales-Calderon, Maria; Calvet, Nuria; Hartmann, L.; Muzerolle, J.; Gutermuth, R.; Luhman, K. L.; Stauffer, J.

2010-01-01

We present IRAC/MIPS Spitzer Space Telescope observations of the solar-type and the low-mass stellar population of the young (∼5 Myr) λ Orionis cluster. Combining optical and Two Micron All Sky Survey photometry, we identify 436 stars as probable members of the cluster. Given the distance (450 pc) and the age of the cluster, our sample ranges in mass from 2 M sun to objects below the substellar limit. With the addition of the Spitzer mid-infrared data, we have identified 49 stars bearing disks in the stellar cluster. Using spectral energy distribution slopes, we place objects in several classes: non-excess stars (diskless), stars with optically thick disks, stars with 'evolved disks' (with smaller excesses than optically thick disk systems), and 'transitional disk' candidates (in which the inner disk is partially or fully cleared). The disk fraction depends on the stellar mass, ranging from ∼6% for K-type stars (R C - J C - J>4). We confirm the dependence of disk fraction on stellar mass in this age range found in other studies. Regarding clustering levels, the overall fraction of disks in the λ Orionis cluster is similar to those reported in other stellar groups with ages normally quoted as ∼5 Myr.

Contact statuses between functionally graded brake disk and pure pad disk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shahzamanian, M.M.; Sahari, B.B.; Bayat, M.; Mustapha, F.; Ismarrubie, Z.N.; Shahrjerdi, A.

2009-01-01

Full text: The contact statuses between functionally graded (FG) brake disks and pure pad disk are investigated by using finite element method (FEM). Two types of variation is considered for FG brake disk, the variation of materials are considered change in radial and thickness direction of disk. The material properties of these two types of FG brake disks are assumed to be represented by power-law distributions in the radius and thickness direction. The results are obtained and then compared. For the radial FG brake disk, the inner and outer surfaces are considered metal and ceramic respectively, and friction coefficient between metal surface and ceramic surface of FG brake dick with pad are considered 1.4 and 0.75 respectively. For the thickness FG brake disk the contact surface with pure pad brake disk is ceramic and the free surface is metal and friction coefficient between ceramic (contact) surface and pure pad brake disk is considered 0.75. In both types of FG brake disks the Coulomb contact friction is applied. Mechanical response of FG brake disks are compared and verified with the known results in the literatures. Three types of contact statuses are introduced as Sticking, Contact and Near Contact. The contact status between pad and disk for different values for pad thickness, grading index,n , and percentage of friction coefficient (λ) is shown. It can be seen that for all values of percentage of friction coefficient,λ , and grading indices, n, by increasing the thickness of pad cause the contact status changes from sticking to contact and then to near contact. (author)

PROTOPLANETARY AND TRANSITIONAL DISKS IN THE OPEN STELLAR CLUSTER IC 2395

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balog, Zoltan [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Heidelberg, D-69117 (Germany); Siegler, Nick [NASA Exoplanet Exploration Program, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Rieke, G. H.; Su, K. Y. L.; Gáspár, András [Steward Observatory, 933 N. Cherry Ave, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Kiss, L. L. [Konkoly Observatory, Research Center for Astronomy and Earth Sciences, P.O. Box 67, H-1525 Budapest (Hungary); Muzerolle, James [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Gutermuth, R. A. [Department of Astronomy, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States); Bell, Cameron P. M. [Institute for Astronomy, ETH Zürich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 27, 8093, Zürich (Switzerland); Vinkó, J. [Dept. of Optics and Quantum Electronics, University of Szeged, H-6720 Szeged (Hungary); Young, E. T., E-mail: balog@mpia-hd.mpg.de [NASA Ames SOFIA Science Center, N211, Mountain View, CA 94043 (United States)

2016-11-20

We present new deep UBVRI images and high-resolution multi-object optical spectroscopy of the young (∼6–10 Myr old), relatively nearby (800 pc) open cluster IC 2395. We identify nearly 300 cluster members and use the photometry to estimate their spectral types, which extend from early B to middle M. We also present an infrared imaging survey of the central region using the IRAC and MIPS instruments on board the Spitzer Space Telescope , covering the wavelength range from 3.6 to 24 μ m. Our infrared observations allow us to detect dust in circumstellar disks originating over a typical range of radii from ∼0.1 to ∼10 au from the central star. We identify 18 Class II, 8 transitional disk, and 23 debris disk candidates, respectively, 6.5%, 2.9%, and 8.3% of the cluster members with appropriate data. We apply the same criteria for transitional disk identification to 19 other stellar clusters and associations spanning ages from ∼1 to ∼18 Myr. We find that the number of disks in the transitional phase as a fraction of the total with strong 24 μ m excesses ([8] – [24] ≥ 1.5) increases from (8.4 ± 1.3)% at ∼3 Myr to (46 ± 5)% at ∼10 Myr. Alternative definitions of transitional disks will yield different percentages but should show the same trend.

WEAK TURBULENCE IN THE HD 163296 PROTOPLANETARY DISK REVEALED BY ALMA CO OBSERVATIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flaherty, Kevin M.; Hughes, A. Meredith [Van Vleck Observatory, Astronomy Department, Wesleyan University, 96 Foss Hill Drive, Middletown, CT 06459 (United States); Rosenfeld, Katherine A.; Andrews, Sean M.; Wilner, David J. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Chiang, Eugene; Kerzner, Skylar [Department of Earth and Planetary Science, 307 McCone Hall, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Simon, Jacob B. [Department of Space Studies, Southwest Research Institute, Boulder, CO 80302 (United States)

2015-11-10

Turbulence can transport angular momentum in protoplanetary disks and influence the growth and evolution of planets. With spatially and spectrally resolved molecular emission line measurements provided by (sub)millimeter interferometric observations, it is possible to directly measure non-thermal motions in the disk gas that can be attributed to this turbulence. We report a new constraint on the turbulence in the disk around HD 163296, a nearby young A star, determined from Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array Science Verification observations of four CO emission lines (the CO(3-2), CO(2-1), {sup 13}CO(2-1), and C{sup 18}O(2-1) transitions). The different optical depths for these lines permit probes of non-thermal line-widths at a range of physical conditions (temperature and density) and depths into the disk interior. We derive stringent limits on the non-thermal motions in the upper layers of the outer disk such that any contribution to the line-widths from turbulence is <3% of the local sound speed. These limits are approximately an order of magnitude lower than theoretical predictions for full-blown magnetohydrodynamic turbulence driven by the magnetorotational instability, potentially suggesting that this mechanism is less efficient in the outer (R ≳ 30 AU) disk than has been previously considered.

Hot stars in young massive clusters: Mapping the current Galactic metallicity

Science.gov (United States)

de la Fuente, Diego; Najarro, Francisco; Davies, Ben; Trombley, Christine; Figer, Donald F.; Herrero, Artemio

2013-06-01

Young Massive Clusters (YMCs) with ages guarantee that these objects present the same chemical composition than the surrounding environment where they are recently born. Finally, the YMCs host very massive stars whose extreme luminosities allow to accomplish detailed spectroscopic analyses even in the most distant regions of the Milky Way. Our group has carried out ISAAC/VLT spectroscopic observations of hot massive stars belonging to several YMCs in different locations around the Galactic disk. As a result, high signal-to-noise, near-infrared spectra of dozens of blue massive stars (including many OB supergiants, Wolf-Rayet stars and a B hypergiant) have been obtained. These data are fully reduced, and NLTE spherical atmosphere modeling is in process. Several line diagnostics will be combined in order to calculate metal abundances accurately for each cluster. The diverse locations of the clusters will allow us to draw a two-dimensional chemical map of the Galactic disk for the first time. The study of the radial and azimuthal variations of elemental abundances will be crucial for understanding the chemical evolution of the Milky Way. Particularly, the ratio between Fe-peak and alpha elements will constitute a powerful tool to investigate the past stellar populations that originated the current Galactic chemistry.

The Shadow Knows: Using Shadows to Investigate the Structure of the Pretransitional Disk of HD 100453

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Long, Zachary C.; Fernandes, Rachel B.; Sitko, Michael [Department of Physics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221 (United States); Wagner, Kevin [Department of Astronomy/Steward Observatory, The University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Muto, Takayuki [Division of Liberal Arts, Kogakuin University, 1-24-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 163-8677 (Japan); Hashimoto, Jun; Oh, Daehyon; Tamura, Motohide; Yang, Yi [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1, Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-8588 (Japan); Follette, Katherine [Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305 (United States); Grady, Carol A. [Eureka Scientific, 2452 Delmer Street, Suite 100, Oakland CA 96402 (United States); Fukagawa, Misato [Division of Particle and Astrophysical Science, Graduate School of Science, Nagoya University, Nagoya (Japan); Hasegawa, Yasuhiro [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Kluska, Jacques; Kraus, Stefan [University of Exeter Astrophysics Group, School of Physics, Stocker Road, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QL (United Kingdom); Mayama, Satoshi [Department of Astronomical Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Shonan Village, Hayama, Kanagawa 240-0193 (Japan); McElwain, Michael W. [Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory, Code 667, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Uyama, Taichi [Department of Astronomy and RESCUE, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033 (Japan); Wisniewski, John P. [Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73071 (United States)

2017-03-20

We present Gemini Planet Imager polarized intensity imagery of HD 100453 in Y , J , and K 1 bands that reveals an inner gap (9–18 au), an outer disk (18–39 au) with two prominent spiral arms, and two azimuthally localized dark features that are also present in Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE) total intensity images. Spectral energy distribution fitting further suggests that the radial gap extends to 1 au. The narrow, wedge-like shape of the dark features appears similar to predictions of shadows cast by an inner disk that is misaligned with respect to the outer disk. Using the Monte Carlo radiative transfer code HOCHUNCK3D, we construct a model of the disk that allows us to determine its physical properties in more detail. From the angular separation of the features, we measure the difference in inclination between the disks (45°) and their major axes, PA = 140° east of north for the outer disk, and 100° for the inner disk. We find an outer-disk inclination of 25° ± 10° from face-on, in broad agreement with the Wagner et al. measurement of 34°. SPHERE data in J and H bands indicate a reddish disk, which indicates that HD 100453 is evolving into a young debris disk.

The Shadow Knows: Using Shadows to Investigate the Structure of the Pretransitional Disk of HD 100453

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Zachary C.; Fernandes, Rachel B.; Sitko, Michael; Wagner, Kevin; Muto, Takayuki; Hashimoto, Jun; Follette, Katherine; Grady, Carol A.; Fukagawa, Misato; Hasegawa, Yasuhiro; Kluska, Jacques; Kraus, Stefan; Mayama, Satoshi; McElwain, Michael W.; Oh, Daehyon; Tamura, Motohide; Uyama, Taichi; Wisniewski, John P.; Yang, Yi

2017-03-01

We present Gemini Planet Imager polarized intensity imagery of HD 100453 in Y, J, and K1 bands that reveals an inner gap (9-18 au), an outer disk (18-39 au) with two prominent spiral arms, and two azimuthally localized dark features that are also present in Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE) total intensity images. Spectral energy distribution fitting further suggests that the radial gap extends to 1 au. The narrow, wedge-like shape of the dark features appears similar to predictions of shadows cast by an inner disk that is misaligned with respect to the outer disk. Using the Monte Carlo radiative transfer code HOCHUNCK3D, we construct a model of the disk that allows us to determine its physical properties in more detail. From the angular separation of the features, we measure the difference in inclination between the disks (45°) and their major axes, PA = 140° east of north for the outer disk, and 100° for the inner disk. We find an outer-disk inclination of 25° ± 10° from face-on, in broad agreement with the Wagner et al. measurement of 34°. SPHERE data in J and H bands indicate a reddish disk, which indicates that HD 100453 is evolving into a young debris disk.

HOT GAS HALOS AROUND DISK GALAXIES: CONFRONTING COSMOLOGICAL SIMULATIONS WITH OBSERVATIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rasmussen, Jesper; Sommer-Larsen, Jesper; Pedersen, Kristian; Toft, Sune; Grove, Lisbeth F.; Benson, Andrew; Bower, Richard G.

2009-01-01

Models of disk galaxy formation commonly predict the existence of an extended reservoir of accreted hot gas surrounding massive spirals at low redshift. As a test of these models, we use X-ray and Hα data of the two massive, quiescent edge-on spirals NGC 5746 and NGC 5170 to investigate the amount and origin of any hot gas in their halos. Contrary to our earlier claim, the Chandra analysis of NGC 5746, employing more recent calibration data, does not reveal any significant evidence for diffuse X-ray emission outside the optical disk, with a 3σ upper limit to the halo X-ray luminosity of 4 x 10 39 erg s -1 . An identical study of the less massive NGC 5170 also fails to detect any extraplanar X-ray emission. By extracting hot halo properties of disk galaxies formed in cosmological hydrodynamical simulations, we compare these results to expectations for cosmological accretion of hot gas by spirals. For Milky-Way-sized galaxies, these high-resolution simulations predict hot halo X-ray luminosities which are lower by a factor of ∼2 compared to our earlier results reported by Toft et al. We find the new simulation predictions to be consistent with our observational constraints for both NGC 5746 and NGC 5170, while also confirming that the hot gas detected so far around more actively star-forming spirals is in general probably associated with stellar activity in the disk. Observational results on quiescent disk galaxies at the high-mass end are nevertheless providing powerful constraints on theoretical predictions, and hence on the assumed input physics in numerical studies of disk galaxy formation and evolution.

GEMINI PLANET IMAGER OBSERVATIONS OF THE AU MICROSCOPII DEBRIS DISK: ASYMMETRIES WITHIN ONE ARCSECOND

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Jason J.; Graham, James R.; De Rosa, Robert J.; Kalas, Paul; Chiang, Eugene; Duchêne, Gaspard [Astronomy Department, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Pueyo, Laurent; Chen, Christine; Greenbaum, Alexandra Z. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Nielsen, Eric L. [SETI Institute, Carl Sagan Center, 189 Bernardo Avenue, Mountain View, CA 94043 (United States); Millar-Blanchaer, Max [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4 (Canada); Ammons, S. Mark [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Avenue, Livermore, CA 94040 (United States); Bulger, Joanna [School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 871404, Tempe, AZ 85287 (United States); Cardwell, Andrew; Goodsell, Stephen J. [Gemini Observatory, Casilla 603, La Serena (Chile); Chilcote, Jeffrey K. [Dunlap Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4 (Canada); Doyon, René [Institut de Recherche sur les Exoplanètes, Départment de Physique, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC H3C 3J7 (Canada); Draper, Zachary H. [University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Road, Victoria, BC V8P 5C2 (Canada); Esposito, Thomas M.; Fitzgerald, Michael P. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); and others

2015-10-01

We present Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) observations of AU Microscopii, a young M dwarf with an edge-on, dusty debris disk. Integral field spectroscopy and broadband imaging polarimetry were obtained during the commissioning of GPI. In our broadband imaging polarimetry observations, we detect the disk only in total intensity and find asymmetries in the morphology of the disk between the southeast (SE) and northwest (NW) sides. The SE side of the disk exhibits a bump at 1″ (10 AU projected separation) that is three times more vertically extended and three times fainter in peak surface brightness than the NW side at similar separations. This part of the disk is also vertically offset by 69 ± 30 mas to the northeast at 1″ when compared to the established disk midplane and is consistent with prior Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array and Hubble Space Telescope/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph observations. We see hints that the SE bump might be a result of detecting a horizontal sliver feature above the main disk that could be the disk backside. Alternatively, when including the morphology of the NW side, where the disk midplane is offset in the opposite direction ∼50 mas between 0.″4 and 1.″2, the asymmetries suggest a warp-like feature. Using our integral field spectroscopy data to search for planets, we are 50% complete for ∼4 M{sub Jup} planets at 4 AU. We detect a source, resolved only along the disk plane, that could either be a candidate planetary mass companion or a compact clump in the disk.

A New Paradigm for Gamma Ray Bursts: Long Term Accretion Rate Modulation by an External Accretion Disk

Science.gov (United States)

Cannizzo, John; Gehrels, Neil

2009-01-01

We present a new way of looking at the very long term evolution of GRBs in which the disk of material surrounding the putative black hole powering the GRB jet modulates the mass flow, and hence the efficacy of the process that extracts rotational energy from the black hole and inner accretion disk. The pre-Swift paradigm of achromatic, shallow-to-steep "breaks" in the long term GRB light curves has not been borne out by detailed Swift data amassed in the past several years. We argue that, given the initial existence of a fall-back disk near the progenitor, an unavoidable consequence will be the formation of an "external disk" whose outer edge continually moves to larger radii due to angular momentum transport and lack of a confining torque. The mass reservoir at large radii moves outward with time and gives a natural power law decay to the GRB light curves. In this model, the different canonical power law decay segments in the GRB identified by Zhang et al. and Nousek et al. represent different physical states of the accretion disk. We identify a physical disk state with each power law segment.

Using Vertical Structure to Infer the Total Mass Hidden in a Debris Disk

Science.gov (United States)

Daley, Cail; Hughes, A. Meredith; Carter, Evan; Flaherty, Kevin; Stafford Lambros, Zachary; Pan, Margaret; Schlichting, Hilke; Chiang, Eugene; Wilner, David; Dent, Bill; Carpenter, John; Andrews, Sean; MacGregor, Meredith Ann; Moor, Attila; Kospal, Agnes

2018-01-01

Disks of optically thin debris dust surround ≥ 20% of main sequence stars and mark the final stage of planetary system evolution. The features of debris disks encode dynamical interactions between the dust and any unseen planets embedded in the disk. The vertical distribution of the dust is particularly sensitive to the total mass of planetesimal bodies in the disk, and is therefore well suited for constraining the prevalence of otherwise unobservable Uranus and Neptune analogs. Inferences of mass from debris disk vertical structure have previously been applied to infrared and optical observations of several systems, but the smaller particles traced by short-wavelength observations are ‘puffed up’ by radiation pressure, yielding only upper limits on the total embedded mass. The large grains that dominate the emission at millimeter wavelengths are essentially impervious to the effects of stellar radiation, and therefore trace the underlying mass distribution more directly. Here we present 1.3mm dust continuum observations of the debris disk around the nearby M star AU Mic with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). The 3 au spatial resolution of the observations, combined with the favorable edge-on geometry of the system, allows us to measure the vertical structure of a debris disk at millimeter wavelengths for the first time. We analyze the data using a ray-tracing code that translates a 2-D density and temperature structure into a model sky image of the disk. This model image is then compared directly to the interferometric data in the visibility domain, and the model parameters are explored using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo routine. We measure a scale height-to-radius ratio of 0.03, which we then compare to a theoretical model of steady-state, size-dependent velocity distributions in the collisional cascade to infer a total mass within the disk of ∼ 1.7 Earth masses. These measurements rule out the presence of a gas giant or Neptune

Bright Localized Near-Infrared Emission at 1-4 AU in the AB Aurigae Disk Revealed by IOTA Closure Phases

Science.gov (United States)

Millan-Gabet, R.; Monnier, J. D.; Berger, J.-P.; Traub, W. A.; Schloerb, F. P.; Pedretti, E.; Benisty, M.; Carleton, N. P.; Haguenauer, P.; Kern, P.; Labeye, P.; Lacasse, M. G.; Malbet, F.; Perraut, K.; Pearlman, M.; Thureau, N.

2006-07-01

We report on the detection of localized off-center emission at 1-4 AU in the circumstellar environment of the young stellar object AB Aurigae. We used closure-phase measurements in the near-infrared that were made at the long-baseline interferometer IOTA, the first obtained on a young stellar object using this technique. When probing sub-AU scales, all closure phases are close to zero degrees, as expected given the previously determined size of the AB Aurigae inner-dust disk. However, a clear closure-phase signal of -3.5d +/- 0.5d is detected on one triangle containing relatively short baselines, requiring a high degree of non-point symmetry from emission at larger (AU-sized) scales in the disk. We have not identified any alternative explanation for these closure-phase results, and we demonstrate that a ``disk hot spot'' model can fit our data. We speculate that such detected asymmetric near-infrared emission might arise as a result of localized viscous heating due to a gravitational instability in the AB Aurigae disk, or to the presence of a close stellar companion or accreting substellar object.

CT-guided percutaneous laser disk decompression for cervical and lumbar disk hernia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shimizu, Kanichiro; Koyama, Tutomu; Harada, Junta; Abe, Toshiaki

2008-01-01

Percutaneous laser disk decompression under X-ray fluoroscopy was first reported in 1987 for minimally invasive therapy of lumbar disk hernia. In patients with disk hernia, laser vaporizes a small portion of the intervertebral disk thereby reducing the volume and pressure of the affected disk. We present the efficacy and safety of this procedure, and analysis of fair or poor response cases. In our study, 226 cases of lumbar disk hernia and 7 cases of cervical disk hernia were treated under CT guided PLDD. Japan Orthopedic Association (JOA) score and Mac-Nab criteria were investigated to evaluate the response to treatment. Improvement ratio based on the JOA score was calculated as follows. Overall success rate was 91.6% in cases lumber disk hernia, and 100% in cases of cervical disk hernia. We experienced two cases with two cases with postoperative complication. Both cases were treated conservatively. The majority of acute cases and post operative cases were reported to be 'good' on Mac-Nab criteria. Cases of fair or poor response on Mac-Nab criteria were lateral type, foraminal stenosis or large disk hernia. CT-guided PLDD is a safe and accurate procedure. The overall success rate can be increased by carefully selecting patients. (author)

Disk Storage Server

CERN Multimedia

This model was a disk storage server used in the Data Centre up until 2012. Each tray contains a hard disk drive (see the 5TB hard disk drive on the main disk display section - this actually fits into one of the trays). There are 16 trays in all per server. There are hundreds of these servers mounted on racks in the Data Centre, as can be seen.

Mottled Protoplanetary Disk Ionization by Magnetically Channeled T Tauri Star Energetic Particles

Science.gov (United States)

Fraschetti, F.; Drake, J. J.; Cohen, O.; Garraffo, C.

2018-02-01

The evolution of protoplanetary disks is believed to be driven largely by angular momentum transport resulting from magnetized disk winds and turbulent viscosity. The ionization of the disk that is essential for these processes has been thought to be due to host star coronal X-rays but could also arise from energetic particles produced by coronal flares, or traveling shock waves, and advected by the stellar wind. We have performed test-particle numerical simulations of energetic protons propagating into a realistic T Tauri stellar wind, including a superposed small-scale magnetostatic turbulence. The isotropic (Kolmogorov power spectrum) turbulent component is synthesized along the individual particle trajectories. We have investigated the energy range [0.1–10] GeV, consistent with expectations from Chandra X-ray observations of large flares on T Tauri stars and recent indications by the Herschel Space Observatory of a significant contribution of energetic particles to the disk ionization of young stars. In contrast with a previous theoretical study finding a dominance of energetic particles over X-rays in the ionization throughout the disk, we find that the disk ionization is likely dominated by X-rays over much of its area, except within narrow regions where particles are channeled onto the disk by the strongly tangled and turbulent magnetic field. The radial thickness of such regions is 5 stellar radii close to the star and broadens with increasing radial distance. This likely continues out to large distances from the star (10 au or greater), where particles can be copiously advected and diffused by the turbulent wind.

SHOCK-DRIVEN ACCRETION IN CIRCUMPLANETARY DISKS: OBSERVABLES AND SATELLITE FORMATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhu, Zhaohuan [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 South Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV 89154 (United States); Ju, Wenhua; Stone, James M., E-mail: zhzhu@physics.unlv.edu [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, 4 Ivy Lane, Peyton Hall, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

2016-12-01

Circumplanetary disks (CPDs) control the growth of planets, supply material for satellites to form, and provide observational signatures of young forming planets. We have carried out two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations with radiative cooling to study CPDs and suggested a new mechanism to drive the disk accretion. Two spiral shocks are present in CPDs, excited by the central star. We find that spiral shocks can at least contribute to, if not dominate, the angular momentum transport and energy dissipation in CPDs. Meanwhile, dissipation and heating by spiral shocks have a positive feedback on shock-driven accretion itself. As the disk is heated up by spiral shocks, the shocks become more open, leading to more efficient angular momentum transport. This shock-driven accretion is, on the other hand, unsteady due to production and destruction of vortices in disks. After being averaged over time, a quasi-steady accretion is reached from the planet’s Hill radius all the way to the planet surface, and the disk α  coefficient characterizing angular momentum transport is ∼0.001–0.02. The disk surface density ranges from 10 to 1000 g cm{sup −2} in our simulations, which is at least three orders of magnitude smaller than the “minimum-mass subnebula” model used to study satellite formation; instead it is more consistent with the “gas-starved” satellite formation model. Finally, we calculate the millimeter flux emitted by CPDs at ALMA and EVLA wavelength bands and predict the flux for several recently discovered CPD candidates, which suggests that ALMA is capable of discovering these accreting CPDs.

SHOCK-DRIVEN ACCRETION IN CIRCUMPLANETARY DISKS: OBSERVABLES AND SATELLITE FORMATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Zhaohuan; Ju, Wenhua; Stone, James M.

2016-01-01

Circumplanetary disks (CPDs) control the growth of planets, supply material for satellites to form, and provide observational signatures of young forming planets. We have carried out two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations with radiative cooling to study CPDs and suggested a new mechanism to drive the disk accretion. Two spiral shocks are present in CPDs, excited by the central star. We find that spiral shocks can at least contribute to, if not dominate, the angular momentum transport and energy dissipation in CPDs. Meanwhile, dissipation and heating by spiral shocks have a positive feedback on shock-driven accretion itself. As the disk is heated up by spiral shocks, the shocks become more open, leading to more efficient angular momentum transport. This shock-driven accretion is, on the other hand, unsteady due to production and destruction of vortices in disks. After being averaged over time, a quasi-steady accretion is reached from the planet’s Hill radius all the way to the planet surface, and the disk α  coefficient characterizing angular momentum transport is ∼0.001–0.02. The disk surface density ranges from 10 to 1000 g cm −2 in our simulations, which is at least three orders of magnitude smaller than the “minimum-mass subnebula” model used to study satellite formation; instead it is more consistent with the “gas-starved” satellite formation model. Finally, we calculate the millimeter flux emitted by CPDs at ALMA and EVLA wavelength bands and predict the flux for several recently discovered CPD candidates, which suggests that ALMA is capable of discovering these accreting CPDs.

TRIGGERED STAR FORMATION SURROUNDING WOLF-RAYET STAR HD 211853

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu Tie; Wu Yuefang; Zhang Huawei [Department of Astronomy, Peking University, 100871 Beijing (China); Qin Shengli, E-mail: liutiepku@gmail.com [I. Physikalisches Institut, Universitaet zu Koeln, Zuelpicher Str. 77, 50937 Koeln (Germany)

2012-05-20

The environment surrounding Wolf-Rayet (W-R) star HD 211853 is studied in molecular, infrared, as well as radio, and H I emission. The molecular ring consists of well-separated cores, which have a volume density of 10{sup 3} cm{sup -3} and kinematic temperature {approx}20 K. Most of the cores are under gravitational collapse due to external pressure from the surrounding ionized gas. From the spectral energy distribution modeling toward the young stellar objects, the sequential star formation is revealed on a large scale in space spreading from the W-R star to the molecular ring. A small-scale sequential star formation is revealed toward core 'A', which harbors a very young star cluster. Triggered star formations are thus suggested. The presence of the photodissociation region, the fragmentation of the molecular ring, the collapse of the cores, and the large-scale sequential star formation indicate that the 'collect and collapse' process functions in this region. The star-forming activities in core 'A' seem to be affected by the 'radiation-driven implosion' process.

TRIGGERED STAR FORMATION SURROUNDING WOLF-RAYET STAR HD 211853

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Tie; Wu Yuefang; Zhang Huawei; Qin Shengli

2012-01-01

The environment surrounding Wolf-Rayet (W-R) star HD 211853 is studied in molecular, infrared, as well as radio, and H I emission. The molecular ring consists of well-separated cores, which have a volume density of 10 3 cm –3 and kinematic temperature ∼20 K. Most of the cores are under gravitational collapse due to external pressure from the surrounding ionized gas. From the spectral energy distribution modeling toward the young stellar objects, the sequential star formation is revealed on a large scale in space spreading from the W-R star to the molecular ring. A small-scale sequential star formation is revealed toward core 'A', which harbors a very young star cluster. Triggered star formations are thus suggested. The presence of the photodissociation region, the fragmentation of the molecular ring, the collapse of the cores, and the large-scale sequential star formation indicate that the 'collect and collapse' process functions in this region. The star-forming activities in core 'A' seem to be affected by the 'radiation-driven implosion' process.

UV, X-ray, and Optical Variability of the Young Star T Cha Produced by Inner Disk Obscuration: Results from a Coordinated HST, XMM-Newton, LCOGT, and SMARTS Observing Campaign

Science.gov (United States)

Brown, Alexander; France, Kevin; Walter, Frederick M.; Schneider, P. Christian; Brown, Timothy M.; Andrews, Sean M.; Wilner, David J.

2018-06-01

The young (7 Myr) 1.5 solar mass T Tauri star T Chamaeleontis shows dramatic variability. The optical extinction varies by at least 3 magnitudes on few hour time-scales with no obvious periodicity. The obscuration is produced by material at the inner edge of the circumstellar disk and therefore characterizing the absorbing material can reveal important clues regarding the transport of gas and dust within such disks. The inner disk of T Cha is particularly interesting, because T Cha has a transitional disk with a large gap at 0.2-15 AU in the dust disk and allows study of the gas and dust structure in the terrestrial planet formation zone during this important rapid phase of protoplanetary disk evolution. For this reason we have conducted a major multi-spectral-region observing campaign to study the UV/X-ray/optical variability of T Cha. During 2018 February/March we monitored the optical photometric and spectral variability using LCOGT (Chile/South Africa/Australia) and the SMARTS telescopes in Chile. These optical data provide a broad context within which to interpret our shorter UV and X-ray observations. We observed T Cha during 3 coordinated observations (each 5 HST orbits + 25 ksec XMM; on 2018 Feb 22, Feb 26, Mar 2) using the HST COS/STIS spectrographs to measure the FUV/NUV spectra and XMM-Newton to measure the corresponding X-ray energy distribution. The observed spectral changes are well correlated and demonstrate the influence of the same absorbing material in all the spectral regions observed. By examining which spectral features change and by how much we can determine the location of different emitting regions relative to the absorbers along the line-of-sight to the star. In this poster we provide an overview of the variability seen in the different spectral regions and quantify the dust and gas content of T Cha's inner disk edge.(This work is supported by grant HST-GO-15128 and time awarded by HST, XMM-Newton, LCOGT, and SMARTS. We acknowledge the

DISCOVERY OF AN Hα EMITTING DISK AROUND THE SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE OF M31

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Menezes, R. B.; Steiner, J. E.; Ricci, T. V.

2013-01-01

Due to its proximity, the mass of the supermassive black hole in the nucleus of the Andromeda galaxy (M31), the most massive black hole in the Local Group of galaxies, has been measured by several methods involving the kinematics of a stellar disk which surrounds it. We report here the discovery of an eccentric Hα emitting disk around the black hole at the center of M31 and show how modeling this disk can provide an independent determination of the mass of the black hole. Our model implies a mass of 5.0 +0.8 –1.0 × 10 7 M ☉ for the central black hole, consistent with the average of determinations by methods involving stellar dynamics, and compatible (at 1σ level) with measurements obtained from the most detailed models of the stellar disk around the central black hole. This value is also consistent with the M-σ relation. In order to make a comparison, we applied our simulation on the stellar kinematics in the nucleus of M31 and concluded that the parameters obtained for the stellar disk are not formally compatible with the parameters obtained for the Hα emitting disk. This result suggests that the stellar and the Hα emitting disks are intrinsically different from each other. A plausible explanation is that the Hα emission is associated with a gaseous disk. This hypothesis is supported by the detection of traces of weaker nebular lines in the nuclear region of M31. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that the Hα emission is, at least partially, generated by stars.

HNC IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Graninger, Dawn; Öberg, Karin I.; Qi, Chunhua; Kastner, Joel

2015-01-01

The distributions and abundances of small organics in protoplanetary disks are potentially powerful probes of disk physics and chemistry. HNC is a common probe of dense interstellar regions and the target of this study. We use the Submillimeter Array (SMA) to observe HNC 3–2 toward the protoplanetary disks around the T Tauri star TW Hya and the Herbig Ae star HD 163296. HNC is detected toward both disks, constituting the first spatially resolved observations of HNC in disks. We also present SMA observations of HCN 3–2 and IRAM 30 m observations of HCN and HNC 1–0 toward HD 163296. The disk-averaged HNC/HCN emission ratio is 0.1–0.2 toward both disks. Toward TW Hya, the HNC emission is confined to a ring. The varying HNC abundance in the TW Hya disk demonstrates that HNC chemistry is strongly linked to the disk physical structure. In particular, the inner rim of the HNC ring can be explained by efficient destruction of HNC at elevated temperatures, similar to what is observed in the ISM. However, to realize the full potential of HNC as a disk tracer requires a combination of high SNR spatially resolved observations of HNC and HCN and disk-specific HNC chemical modeling

HNC IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Graninger, Dawn; Öberg, Karin I.; Qi, Chunhua [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Kastner, Joel, E-mail: dgraninger@cfa.harvard.edu [Center for Imaging Science, School of Physics and Astronomy, and Laboratory for Multiwavelength Astrophysics, Rochester Institute of Technology, 54 Lomb Memorial Drive, Rochester, NY 14623 (United States)

2015-07-01

The distributions and abundances of small organics in protoplanetary disks are potentially powerful probes of disk physics and chemistry. HNC is a common probe of dense interstellar regions and the target of this study. We use the Submillimeter Array (SMA) to observe HNC 3–2 toward the protoplanetary disks around the T Tauri star TW Hya and the Herbig Ae star HD 163296. HNC is detected toward both disks, constituting the first spatially resolved observations of HNC in disks. We also present SMA observations of HCN 3–2 and IRAM 30 m observations of HCN and HNC 1–0 toward HD 163296. The disk-averaged HNC/HCN emission ratio is 0.1–0.2 toward both disks. Toward TW Hya, the HNC emission is confined to a ring. The varying HNC abundance in the TW Hya disk demonstrates that HNC chemistry is strongly linked to the disk physical structure. In particular, the inner rim of the HNC ring can be explained by efficient destruction of HNC at elevated temperatures, similar to what is observed in the ISM. However, to realize the full potential of HNC as a disk tracer requires a combination of high SNR spatially resolved observations of HNC and HCN and disk-specific HNC chemical modeling.

NGC 1980 Is Not a Foreground Population of Orion: Spectroscopic Survey of Young Stars with Low Extinction in Orion A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, Min; Kim, Jinyoung Serena; Apai, Dániel; Pascucci, Ilaria; Zhang, Lan; Sicilia-Aguilar, Aurora; Alonso-Martínez, Miguel; Eiroa, Carlos; Wang, Hongchi

2017-01-01

We perform a spectroscopic survey of the foreground population in Orion A with MMT/Hectospec. We use these data, along with archival spectroscopic data and photometric data, to derive spectral types, extinction values, and masses for 691 stars. Using the Spitzer Space Telescope data, we characterize the disk properties of these sources. We identify 37 new transition disk (TD) objects, 1 globally depleted disk candidate, and 7 probable young debris disks. We discover an object with a mass of less than 0.018–0.030 M ⊙ , which harbors a flaring disk. Using the H α emission line, we characterize the accretion activity of the sources with disks, and confirm that the fraction of accreting TDs is lower than that of optically thick disks (46% ± 7% versus 73% ± 9%, respectively). Using kinematic data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and APOGEE INfrared Spectroscopy of the Young Nebulous Clusters program (IN-SYNC), we confirm that the foreground population shows similar kinematics to their local molecular clouds and other young stars in the same regions. Using the isochronal ages, we find that the foreground population has a median age of around 1–2 Myr, which is similar to that of other young stars in Orion A. Therefore, our results argue against the presence of a large and old foreground cluster in front of Orion A.

NGC 1980 Is Not a Foreground Population of Orion: Spectroscopic Survey of Young Stars with Low Extinction in Orion A

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fang, Min; Kim, Jinyoung Serena; Apai, Dániel [Department of Astronomy, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Pascucci, Ilaria [Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, 1629 East University Boulevard, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Zhang, Lan [Key Lab of Optical Astronomy, National Astronomical Observatories, CAS, 20A Datun Road, Chaoyang District, 100012 Beijing (China); Sicilia-Aguilar, Aurora [SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St. Andrews, North Haugh, St. Andrews KY16 9SS (United Kingdom); Alonso-Martínez, Miguel; Eiroa, Carlos [Departamento de Fisica Teorica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, E-28049 Cantoblanco, Madrid (Spain); Wang, Hongchi [Purple Mountain Observatory and Key Laboratory of Radio Astronomy, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2 West Beijing Road, 210008 Nanjing (China)

2017-04-01

We perform a spectroscopic survey of the foreground population in Orion A with MMT/Hectospec. We use these data, along with archival spectroscopic data and photometric data, to derive spectral types, extinction values, and masses for 691 stars. Using the Spitzer Space Telescope data, we characterize the disk properties of these sources. We identify 37 new transition disk (TD) objects, 1 globally depleted disk candidate, and 7 probable young debris disks. We discover an object with a mass of less than 0.018–0.030 M {sub ⊙}, which harbors a flaring disk. Using the H α emission line, we characterize the accretion activity of the sources with disks, and confirm that the fraction of accreting TDs is lower than that of optically thick disks (46% ± 7% versus 73% ± 9%, respectively). Using kinematic data from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and APOGEE INfrared Spectroscopy of the Young Nebulous Clusters program (IN-SYNC), we confirm that the foreground population shows similar kinematics to their local molecular clouds and other young stars in the same regions. Using the isochronal ages, we find that the foreground population has a median age of around 1–2 Myr, which is similar to that of other young stars in Orion A. Therefore, our results argue against the presence of a large and old foreground cluster in front of Orion A.

Tower of Hanoi disk-transfer task: Influences of strategy knowledge and learning on performance

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Welsh, M.C.; Huizinga, M.

2005-01-01

Tower of Hanoi has become a popular tool in cognitive and neuropsychology to assess a set of behaviors collectively referred to as executive functions. Substantial variability in performance on the Tower of Hanoi (TOH) disk-transfer task among normally functioning young adults, and potential

Discovery of a Circumstellar Disk in the Lagoon Nebula

Science.gov (United States)

1997-04-01

Circumstellar disks of gas and dust play a crucial role in the formation of stars and planets. Until now, high-resolution images of such disks around young stars within the Orion Nebula obtained with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) constituted the most direct proof of their existence. Now, another circumstellar disk has been detected around a star in the Lagoon Nebula - also known as Messier 8 (M8) , a giant complex of interstellar gas and dust with many young stars in the southern constellation of Sagittarius and four times more distant than the Orion Nebula. The observations were carried out by an international team of scientists led by Bringfried Stecklum (Thüringer Landessternwarte, Tautenburg, Germany) [1] who used telescopes located at the ESO La Silla observatory and also observations from the HST archive. These new results are paving the road towards exciting research programmes on star formation which will become possible with the ESO Very Large Telescope. The harsh environment of circumstellar disks The existence of circumstellar disks has been inferred from indirect measurements of young stellar objects, such as the spectral energy distribution, the analysis of the profiles of individual spectral lines and measurements of the polarisation of the emitted light [2]. Impressive images of such disks in the Orion Nebula, known as proplyds (PROto-PLanetarY DiskS), have been obtained by the HST during the recent years. They have confirmed the interpretation of previous ground-based emission-line observations and mapping by radio telescopes. Moreover, they demonstrated that those disks which are located close to hot and massive stars are subject to heating caused by the intense radiation from these stars. Subsequently, the disks evaporate releasing neutral gas which streams off. During this process, shock fronts (regions with increased density) with tails of ionised gas result at a certain distance between the disk and the hot star. These objects appear on

Optical Monitoring of Young Stellar Objects

Science.gov (United States)

Kar, Aman; Jang-Condell, Hannah; Kasper, David; Findlay, Joseph; Kobulnicky, Henry A.

2018-06-01

Observing Young Stellar Objects (YSOs) for variability in different wavelengths enables us to understand the evolution and structure of the protoplanetary disks around stars. The stars observed in this project are known YSOs that show variability in the Infrared. Targets were selected from the Spitzer Space Telescope Young Stellar Object Variability (YSOVAR) Program, which monitored star-forming regions in the mid-infrared. The goal of our project is to investigate any correlation between the variability in the infrared versus the optical. Infrared variability of YSOs is associated with the heating of the protoplanetary disk while accretion signatures are observed in the H-alpha region. We used the University of Wyoming’s Red Buttes Observatory to monitor these stars for signs of accretion using an H-alpha narrowband filter and the Johnson-Cousins filter set, over the Summer of 2017. We perform relative photometry and inspect for an image-to-image variation by observing these targets for a period of four months every two to three nights. The study helps us better understand the link between accretion and H-alpha activity and establish a disk-star connection.

Development of Disk Rover, wall-climbing robot using permanent magnet disk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirose, Shigeo; Tsutsumitake; Hiroshi; Toyama, Ryousei; Kobayashi, Kengo.

1992-01-01

A new type of wall climbing robot, named Disk Rover, using permanent magnet disks are developed. The newly introduced permanent magnet disk is to rotate the magnet disk on the surface of wall with partly contacted posture. It allows to produce high magnetic attraction force compared with conventional permanent wheel which utilizes only a small portion of the magnet installed around the wheel. The optimum design of the magnetic wheel is done by using finit element method and it is shown that the magnetic attraction force vs. weight ratio can be designed about three times higher than conventional type magnet wheel. The developed Disk Rover is 25 kg in weight including controller and battery, about 685 mm in diameter, 239 mm in height and has a pair of permanent magnet disks. It is demonstrated by the experiments that the Disk Rover can move around on the surface of the wall quite smoothly by radio control and has payload of about its own weight. Several considerations are also done in order to surmount bead weld. (author)

THE ADVANCED CAMERA FOR SURVEYS NEARBY GALAXY SURVEY TREASURY. VI. THE ANCIENT STAR-FORMING DISK OF NGC 404

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, Benjamin F.; Dalcanton, Julianne J.; Gilbert, Karoline M.; Stilp, Adrienne; Dolphin, Andrew; Seth, Anil C.; Weisz, Daniel; Skillman, Evan

2010-01-01

We present HST/WFPC2 observations across the disk of the nearby isolated dwarf S0 galaxy NGC 404, which hosts an extended gas disk. The locations of our fields contain a roughly equal mixture of bulge and disk stars. All of our resolved stellar photometry reaches m F814W = 26 (M F814W = -1.4), which covers 2.5 mag of the red giant branch and main-sequence stars with ages F814W = 27.2 (M F814W = -0.2), sufficient to resolve the red clump and main-sequence stars with ages 10 Gyr) population. Detailed modeling of the color-magnitude diagram suggests that ∼70% of the stellar mass in the NGC 404 disk formed by z ∼ 2 (10 Gyr ago) and at least ∼90% formed prior to z ∼ 1 (8 Gyr ago). These results indicate that the stellar populations of the NGC 404 disk are on average significantly older than those of other nearby disk galaxies, suggesting that early- and late-type disks may have different long-term evolutionary histories, not simply differences in their recent star formation rates. Comparisons of the spatial distribution of the young stellar mass and FUV emission in Galaxy Evolution Explorer images show that the brightest FUV regions contain the youngest stars, but that some young stars (<160 Myr) lie outside of these regions. FUV luminosity appears to be strongly affected by both age and stellar mass within individual regions. Finally, we use our measurements to infer the relationship between the star formation rate and the gas density of the disk at previous epochs. We find that most of the history of the NGC 404 disk is consistent with star formation that has decreased with the gas density according to the Schmidt law. However, ∼ 0.5-1 Gyr ago, the star formation rate was unusually low for the inferred gas density, consistent with the possibility that there was a gas accretion event that reignited star formation ∼0.5 Gyr ago. Such an event could explain why this S0 galaxy hosts an extended gas disk.

Constraint on the infall of H I into big disk galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bothun, G.D.

1985-01-01

Available 21-cm observations of late-type spirals from a variety of sources have been gathered together for purposes of constructing an H I luminosity function for spirals with M/sub B/ -1 ) has enabled increasingly larger volumes of space that surround the disk to become accessible to the Arecibo 21-cm beam. The data show absolutely no trend of increasing H I with redshift. There is likewise no tendency for an increase in observed H I mass over that predicted from the linear diameter of the galaxy, as the ratio of beam size to galaxy size increases. From these null results we can place an upper limit on the halo H I column density of N/sub H/ = 3 x 10 19 atoms cm -2 . In relative terms, the halo can contain no more than 1/3 the amount of H I already distributed in the disk. Based on these data, we argue that, if infall is still important at the present time in the evolution of big disk galaxies, then the reservoir should be detectable unless it is predominately in a form more exotic than atomic hydrogen

HERSCHEL OBSERVATIONS OF GAS AND DUST IN THE UNUSUAL 49 Ceti DEBRIS DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Roberge, A. [Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 667, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Kamp, I. [Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, 9700 AV Groningen (Netherlands); Montesinos, B. [Departamento de Astrofisica, Centro de Astrobiologia (INTA-CSIC), ESAC Campus, PO Box 78, E-28691 Villanueva de la Canada, Madrid (Spain); Dent, W. R. F. [ALMA, Avda Apoquindo 3846, Piso 19, Edificio Alsacia, Las Condes, Santiago (Chile); Meeus, G.; Eiroa, C. [Departmento Fisica Teorica, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Donaldson, J. K. [Department of Astronomy, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742 (United States); Olofsson, J. [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Koenigstuhl 17, D-69117, Heidelberg (Germany); Moor, A. [Konkoly Observatory of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, P.O. Box 67, H-1525 Budapest (Hungary); Augereau, J.-C.; Thi, W.-F. [UJF-Grenoble 1/CNRS-INSU, Institut de Planetologie et d' Astrophysique de Grenoble, UMR 5274, F-38041, Grenoble (France); Howard, C.; Sandell, G. [SOFIA-USRA, NASA Ames Research Center, Building N232, PO Box 1, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States); Ardila, D. R. [NASA Herschel Science Center, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Mail Stop 220-6, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Woitke, P., E-mail: Aki.Roberge@nasa.gov [University of Vienna, Department of Astronomy, Tuerkenschanzstr. 17, A-1180, Vienna (Austria)

2013-07-01

We present far-IR/sub-mm imaging and spectroscopy of 49 Ceti, an unusual circumstellar disk around a nearby young A1V star. The system is famous for showing the dust properties of a debris disk, but the gas properties of a low-mass protoplanetary disk. The data were acquired with the Herschel Space Observatory PACS and SPIRE instruments, largely as part of the ''Gas in Protoplanetary Systems'' (GASPS) Open Time Key Programme. Disk dust emission is detected in images at 70, 160, 250, 350, and 500 {mu}m; 49 Cet is significantly extended in the 70 {mu}m image, spatially resolving the outer dust disk for the first time. Spectra covering small wavelength ranges centered on eight atomic and molecular emission lines were obtained, including [O I] 63 {mu}m and [C II] 158 {mu}m. The C II line was detected at the 5{sigma} level-the first detection of atomic emission from the disk. No other emission lines were seen, despite the fact that the O I line is the brightest one observed in Herschel protoplanetary disk spectra. We present an estimate of the amount of circumstellar atomic gas implied by the C II emission. The new far-IR/sub-mm data fills in a large gap in the previous spectral energy distribution (SED) of 49 Cet. A simple model of the new SED confirms the two-component structure of the disk: warm inner dust and cold outer dust that produces most of the observed excess. Finally, we discuss preliminary thermochemical modeling of the 49 Cet gas/dust disk and our attempts to match several observational results simultaneously. Although we are not yet successful in doing so, our investigations shed light on the evolutionary status of the 49 Cet gas, which might not be primordial gas but rather secondary gas coming from comets.

A CANDIDATE PLANETARY-MASS OBJECT WITH A PHOTOEVAPORATING DISK IN ORION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fang, Min; Kim, Jinyoung Serena; Apai, Dániel [Department of Astronomy, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Pascucci, Ilaria [Department of Planetary Sciences, University of Arizona, 1629 East University Boulevard, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Manara, Carlo Felice [Scientific Support Office, Directorate of Science, European Space Research and Technology Centre (ESA/ESTEC), Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ Noordwijk (Netherlands)

2016-12-20

In this work, we report the discovery of a candidate planetary-mass object with a photoevaporating protoplanetary disk, Proplyd 133-353, which is near the massive star θ {sup 1} Ori C at the center of the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC). The object was known to have extended emission pointing away from θ {sup 1} Ori C, indicating ongoing external photoevaporation. Our near-infrared spectroscopic data and the location on the H–R diagram suggest that the central source of Proplyd 133-353 is substellar (∼M9.5) and has a mass probably less than 13 Jupiter mass and an age younger than 0.5 Myr. Proplyd 133-353 shows a similar ratio of X-ray luminosity to stellar luminosity to other young stars in the ONC with a similar stellar luminosity and has a similar proper motion to the mean one of confirmed ONC members. We propose that Proplyd 133-353 formed in a very low-mass dusty cloud or an evaporating gas globule near θ {sup 1} Ori C as a second generation of star formation, which can explain both its young age and the presence of its disk.

Understanding Floppy Disks.

Science.gov (United States)

Valentine, Pamela

1980-01-01

The author describes the floppy disk with an analogy to the phonograph record, and discusses the advantages, disadvantages, and capabilities of hard-sectored and soft-sectored floppy disks. She concludes that, at present, the floppy disk will continue to be the primary choice of personal computer manufacturers and their customers. (KC)

High-resolution submillimeter and near-infrared studies of the transition disk around Sz 91

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsukagoshi, Takashi; Momose, Munetake [College of Science, Ibaraki University, Bunkyo 2-1-1, Mito 310-8512 (Japan); Hashimoto, Jun [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Oklahoma, 440 West Brooks Street, Norman, OK 73019 (United States); Kudo, Tomoyuki; Saito, Masao; Ohashi, Nagayoshi; Kawabe, Ryohei; Akiyama, Eiji [National Astronomical Observatory Japan (NAOJ), Osawa 2-21-1, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Andrews, Sean; Wilner, David [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Kitamura, Yoshimi [Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Yoshinodai 3-1-1, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 229-8510 (Japan); Abe, Lyu [Lboratoire Lagrange (UMR 7293), Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, CNRS, Observatoire de la Côte d' Azur, 28 avenue Valrose, F-06108 Nice Cedex 2 (France); Brandner, Wolfgang [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Brandt, Timothy D. [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Peyton Hall, Ivy Lane, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Carson, Joseph [Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Charleston, 58 Coming Street, Charleston, SC 29424 (United States); Currie, Thayne [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street M5S 3H4, Toronto, Ontario (Canada); Egner, Sebastian E.; Guyon, Olivier [Subaru Telescope, 650 North A' ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Goto, Miwa [Universitäts-Sternwarte München, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Scheinerstr. 1, D-81679 München (Germany); Grady, Carol, E-mail: ttsuka@mx.ibaraki.ac.jp [Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory, Code 667, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); and others

2014-03-10

To reveal the structures of a transition disk around a young stellar object in Lupus, Sz 91 , we have performed aperture synthesis 345 GHz continuum and CO(3-2) observations with the Submillimeter Array (∼1''-3'' resolution) and high-resolution imaging of polarized intensity at the K{sub s} -band using the HiCIAO instrument on the Subaru Telescope (0.''25 resolution). Our observations successfully resolved the inner and outer radii of the dust disk to be 65 and 170 AU, respectively, which indicates that Sz 91 is a transition disk source with one of the largest known inner holes. The model fitting analysis of the spectral energy distribution reveals an H{sub 2} mass of 2.4 × 10{sup –3} M {sub ☉} in the cold (T < 30 K) outer part at 65 AU 3 × 10{sup –9} M {sub ☉}) of hot (T ∼ 180 K) dust possibly remains inside the inner hole of the disk. The structure of the hot component could be interpreted as either an unresolved self-luminous companion body (not directly detected in our observations) or a narrow ring inside the inner hole. Significant CO(3-2) emission with a velocity gradient along the major axis of the dust disk is concentrated on the Sz 91 position, suggesting a rotating gas disk with a radius of 420 AU. The Sz 91 disk is possibly a rare disk in an evolutionary stage immediately after the formation of protoplanets because of the large inner hole and the lower disk mass than other transition disks studied thus far.

THE SEEDS DIRECT IMAGING SURVEY FOR PLANETS AND SCATTERED DUST EMISSION IN DEBRIS DISK SYSTEMS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Janson, Markus; Brandt, Timothy D. [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, NJ 08544 (United States); Moro-Martin, Amaya [Department of Astrophysics, CAB (INTA-CSIC), Instituto Nacional de Tecnica Aerospacial, Torrejonde Ardoz, E-28850 Madrid (Spain); Usuda, Tomonori; Kudo, Tomoyuki; Egner, Sebastian [Subaru Telescope, 650 North Aohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Thalmann, Christian [Astronomical Institute ' ' Anton Pannekoek' ' , University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098-XH Amsterdam (Netherlands); Carson, Joseph C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Charleston, 58 Coming Street, Charleston, SC 29424 (United States); Goto, Miwa [Universitaets-Sternwarte Muenchen, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet, Scheinerstr. 1, D-81679 Munich (Germany); Currie, Thayne [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, M5S 3H4 Toronto, ON (Canada); McElwain, M. W. [Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory, Code 667, Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 2071 (United States); Itoh, Yoichi [Nishi-Harima Astronomical Observatory, Center for Astronomy, University of Hyogo, 407-2 Nishigaichi, Sayo, Hyogo 679-5313 (Japan); Fukagawa, Misato [Department of Earth and Space Science, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University, 1-1 Machikaneyama, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043 (Japan); Crepp, Justin [Department of Physics, University of Notre Dame, 225 Nieuwland Science Hall, Notre Dame, IN 46556 (United States); Kuzuhara, Masayuki; Hashimoto, Jun; Kusakabe, Nobuhiko [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan); Abe, Lyu [Laboratoire Lagrange, UMR7239, University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis, CNRS, Observatoire de la Cote d' Azur, F-06300 Nice (France); Brandner, Wolfgang; Feldt, Markus, E-mail: janson@astro.princeton.edu [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Koenigstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); and others

2013-08-10

Debris disks around young main-sequence stars often have gaps and cavities which for a long time have been interpreted as possibly being caused by planets. In recent years, several giant planet discoveries have been made in systems hosting disks of precisely this nature, further implying that interactions with planets could be a common cause of such disk structures. As part of the SEEDS high-contrast imaging survey, we are surveying a population of debris-disk-hosting stars with gaps and cavities implied by their spectral energy distributions, in order to attempt to spatially resolve the disk as well as to detect any planets that may be responsible for the disk structure. Here, we report on intermediate results from this survey. Five debris disks have been spatially resolved, and a number of faint point sources have been discovered, most of which have been tested for common proper motion, which in each case has excluded physical companionship with the target stars. From the detection limits of the 50 targets that have been observed, we find that {beta} Pic b-like planets ({approx}10 M{sub jup} planets around G-A-type stars) near the gap edges are less frequent than 15%-30%, implying that if giant planets are the dominant cause of these wide (27 AU on average) gaps, they are generally less massive than {beta} Pic b.

Mechanical behavior of mullite green disks prepared by thermal consolidation with different starches

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Talou, M.H.; Tomba Martinez, A.G.; Camerucci, M.A.

2011-01-01

Mechanical behavior of porous green disks obtained by thermal consolidation of mullite suspensions with cassava and potato starches was studied by diametral compression testing. Disks (thickness/diameter ≤ 0.25) were prepared by thermal treatment (70-80 °C, 2h) of mullite (75 vol%)/starch (25 vol%) of suspensions (40 vol%) pre-gelled at 55-60 °C, and dried (40 °C, 24 h). Samples were characterized by porosity measurements (50-55%) and microstructural analysis (SEM). Several mechanical parameters were determined: mechanical strength, Young's modulus, strain to fracture and yield stress. Typical crack patterns were analyzed and the fractographic analysis was performed by SEM. Mechanical results were related to the developed microstructures, the behavior of the starches in aqueous suspension, and the properties of the formed gels. For comparative purposes, mullite green disks obtained by burning out the starch (650 °C, 2h) were also mechanically evaluated. (author)

DISCOVERY OF AN H{alpha} EMITTING DISK AROUND THE SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE OF M31

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Menezes, R. B.; Steiner, J. E.; Ricci, T. V., E-mail: robertobm@astro.iag.usp.br [Instituto de Astronomia Geofisica e Ciencias Atmosfericas, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Rua do Matao 1226, Cidade Universitaria, Sao Paulo, SP CEP 05508-090 (Brazil)

2013-01-10

Due to its proximity, the mass of the supermassive black hole in the nucleus of the Andromeda galaxy (M31), the most massive black hole in the Local Group of galaxies, has been measured by several methods involving the kinematics of a stellar disk which surrounds it. We report here the discovery of an eccentric H{alpha} emitting disk around the black hole at the center of M31 and show how modeling this disk can provide an independent determination of the mass of the black hole. Our model implies a mass of 5.0{sup +0.8}{sub -1.0} Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 7} M{sub Sun} for the central black hole, consistent with the average of determinations by methods involving stellar dynamics, and compatible (at 1{sigma} level) with measurements obtained from the most detailed models of the stellar disk around the central black hole. This value is also consistent with the M-{sigma} relation. In order to make a comparison, we applied our simulation on the stellar kinematics in the nucleus of M31 and concluded that the parameters obtained for the stellar disk are not formally compatible with the parameters obtained for the H{alpha} emitting disk. This result suggests that the stellar and the H{alpha} emitting disks are intrinsically different from each other. A plausible explanation is that the H{alpha} emission is associated with a gaseous disk. This hypothesis is supported by the detection of traces of weaker nebular lines in the nuclear region of M31. However, we cannot exclude the possibility that the H{alpha} emission is, at least partially, generated by stars.

KINEMATICS OF CLASSICAL CEPHEIDS IN THE NUCLEAR STELLAR DISK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsunaga, Noriyuki; Fukue, Kei; Yamamoto, Ryo; Kobayashi, Naoto; Hamano, Satoshi; Inno, Laura; Genovali, Katia; Bono, Giuseppe; Baba, Junichi; Fujii, Michiko S.; Aoki, Wako; Tsujimoto, Takuji; Kondo, Sohei; Ikeda, Yuji; Nishiyama, Shogo; Nagata, Tetsuya

2015-01-01

Classical Cepheids are useful tracers of the Galactic young stellar population because their distances and ages can be determined from their period-luminosity and period-age relations. In addition, the radial velocities and chemical abundance of the Cepheids can be derived from spectroscopic observations, providing further insights into the structure and evolution of the Galaxy. Here, we report the radial velocities of classical Cepheids near the Galactic center, three of which were reported in 2011 and a fourth being reported for the first time. The velocities of these Cepheids suggest that the stars orbit within the nuclear stellar disk, a group of stars and interstellar matter occupying a region of ∼200 pc around the center, although the three-dimensional velocities cannot be determined until the proper motions are known. According to our simulation, these four Cepheids formed within the nuclear stellar disk like younger stars and stellar clusters therein

DISCOVERY OF CANDIDATE H2O DISK MASERS IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI AND ESTIMATIONS OF CENTRIPETAL ACCELERATIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Greenhill, Lincoln J.; Moran, James M.; Tilak, Avanti; Kondratko, Paul T.

2009-01-01

Based on spectroscopic signatures, about one-third of known H 2 O maser sources in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) are believed to arise in highly inclined accretion disks around central engines. These 'disk maser candidates' are of interest primarily because angular structure and rotation curves can be resolved with interferometers, enabling dynamical study. We identify five new disk maser candidates in studies with the Green Bank Telescope, bringing the total number published to 30. We discovered two (NGC 1320, NGC 17) in a survey of 40 inclined active galaxies (v sys -1 ). The remaining three disk maser candidates were identified in monitoring of known sources: NGC 449, NGC 2979, and NGC 3735. We also confirm a previously marginal case in UGC 4203. For the disk maser candidates reported here, inferred rotation speeds are 130-500 km s -1 . Monitoring of three more rapidly rotating candidate disks (CG 211, NGC 6264, VV 340A) has enabled measurement of likely orbital centripetal acceleration, and estimation of central masses ((2-7) x10 7 M sun ) and mean disk radii (0.2-0.4 pc). Accelerations may ultimately permit estimation of distances when combined with interferometer data. This is notable because the three AGNs are relatively distant (10,000 km s -1 sys -1 ), and fractional error in a derived Hubble constant, due to peculiar motion of the galaxies, would be small. As signposts of highly inclined geometries at galactocentric radii of ∼0.1-1 pc, disk masers also provide robust orientation references that allow analysis of (mis)alignment between AGNs and surrounding galactic stellar disks, even without extensive interferometric mapping. We find no preference among published disk maser candidates to lie in high-inclination galaxies. This provides independent support for conclusions that in late-type galaxies, central engine accretion disks and galactic plane orientations are not correlated.

Equilibrium configuration of a stratus floating above accretion disks: Full-disk calculation

Science.gov (United States)

Itanishi, Yusuke; Fukue, Jun

2017-06-01

We examine floating strati above a luminous accretion disk, supported by the radiative force from the entire disk, and calculate the equilibrium locus, which depends on the disk luminosity and the optical depth of the stratus. Due to the radiative transfer effect (albedo effect), the floating height of the stratus with a finite optical depth generally becomes high, compared with the particle case. In contrast to the case of the near-disk approximation, moreover, the floating height becomes yet higher in the present full-disk calculation, since the intense radiation from the inner disk is taken into account. As a result, when the disk luminosity normalized by the Eddington luminosity is ˜0.3 and the stratus optical depth is around unity, the stable configuration disappears at around r ˜ 50 rg, rg being the Schwarzschild radius, and the stratus would be blown off as a cloudy wind consisting of many strati with appropriate conditions. This luminosity is sufficiently smaller than the Eddington one, and the present results suggest that the radiation-driven cloudy wind can be easily blown off from the sub-Eddington disk, and this can explain various outflows observed in ultra-fast outflow objects as well as in broad-absorption-line quasars.

A Transient Transit Signature Associated with the Young Star RIK-210

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

David, Trevor J.; Hillenbrand, Lynne A.; Howard, Andrew W.; Wang, Ji [Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Petigura, Erik A.; Benneke, Björn [Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Cody, Ann Marie; Howell, Steve B. [NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, California 94035 (United States); Cameron, Andrew Collier [SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9SS (United Kingdom); Stauffer, John R. [Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Fulton, B. J. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, Hawaii 96822 (United States); Isaacson, Howard T. [Department of Astronomy, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States); Everett, Mark E. [National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States); Hellier, Coel; Anderson, David R. [Astrophysics Group, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG (United Kingdom); West, Richard G.; Pollacco, Don, E-mail: tjd@astro.caltech.edu [Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom)

2017-02-01

We find transient transit-like dimming events within the K2 time series photometry of the young star RIK-210 in the Upper Scorpius OB association. These dimming events are variable in depth, duration, and morphology. High spatial resolution imaging revealed that the star is single and radial velocity monitoring indicated that the dimming events cannot be due to an eclipsing stellar or brown dwarf companion. Archival and follow-up photometry suggest the dimming events are transient in nature. The variable morphology of the dimming events suggests they are not due to a single spherical body. The ingress of each dimming event is always shallower than egress, as one would expect for an orbiting body with a leading tail. The dimming events are periodic and synchronous with the stellar rotation. However, we argue it is unlikely the dimming events could be attributed to anything on the stellar surface based on the observed depths and durations. Variable obscuration by a protoplanetary disk is unlikely on the basis that the star is not actively accreting and lacks the infrared excess associated with an inner disk. Rather, we explore the possibilities that the dimming events are due to magnetospheric clouds, a transiting protoplanet surrounded by circumplanetary dust and debris, eccentric orbiting bodies undergoing periodic tidal disruption, or an extended field of dust or debris near the corotation radius.

The effect of an accretion disk on coherent pulsed emission from weakly magnetized neutron stars

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Asaoka, Ikuko; Hoshi, Reiun.

1989-01-01

Using a simple model for hot spots formed on the magnetic polar regions we calculate the X-ray pulse profiles expected from bright low-mass X-ray binaries. We assume that neutron stars in close binary systems are surrounded by accretion disks extending down in the vicinity of their surfaces. Even partial eclipses of a hot spot by the accretion disk change the coherent pulsed fraction and, in some cases, the phase of pulsations by almost 180deg. Coherent pulsations are clearly seen even for sufficiently compact model neutron stars, if the hot spots emit isotropic or fan-beam radiation. In the case of pencil-beam radiation, coherent pulsations are also seen if the cap-opening angle is less than ∼60deg, while the inclination angle is larger than 68deg. Gravitational lensing alone does not smear coherent pulsations in moderately weak magnetized neutron stars in the presence of an absorbing accretion disk. (author)

Accretion Disks and Coronae in the X-Ray Flashlight

Science.gov (United States)

Degenaar, Nathalie; Ballantyne, David R.; Belloni, Tomaso; Chakraborty, Manoneeta; Chen, Yu-Peng; Ji, Long; Kretschmar, Peter; Kuulkers, Erik; Li, Jian; Maccarone, Thomas J.; Malzac, Julien; Zhang, Shu; Zhang, Shuang-Nan

2018-02-01

Plasma accreted onto the surface of a neutron star can ignite due to unstable thermonuclear burning and produce a bright flash of X-ray emission called a Type-I X-ray burst. Such events are very common; thousands have been observed to date from over a hundred accreting neutron stars. The intense, often Eddington-limited, radiation generated in these thermonuclear explosions can have a discernible effect on the surrounding accretion flow that consists of an accretion disk and a hot electron corona. Type-I X-ray bursts can therefore serve as direct, repeating probes of the internal dynamics of the accretion process. In this work we review and interpret the observational evidence for the impact that Type-I X-ray bursts have on accretion disks and coronae. We also provide an outlook of how to make further progress in this research field with prospective experiments and analysis techniques, and by exploiting the technical capabilities of the new and concept X-ray missions ASTROSAT, NICER, Insight-HXMT, eXTP, and STROBE-X.

A MODEL FOR (QUASI-)PERIODIC MULTIWAVELENGTH PHOTOMETRIC VARIABILITY IN YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kesseli, Aurora Y. [Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Petkova, Maya A.; Wood, Kenneth; Gregory, Scott G. [SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 9AD (United Kingdom); Whitney, Barbara A. [Department of Astronomy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 475 N. Charter St, Madison, WI 53706 (United States); Hillenbrand, L. A. [Astronomy Department, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Stauffer, J. R.; Morales-Calderon, M.; Rebull, L. [Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology, CA 91125 (United States); Alencar, S. H. P., E-mail: aurorak@bu.com [Departamento de Física—ICEx—UFMG, Av. Antônio Carlos, 6627, 30270-901, Belo Horizonte, MG (Brazil)

2016-09-01

We present radiation transfer models of rotating young stellar objects (YSOs) with hot spots in their atmospheres, inner disk warps, and other three-dimensional effects in the nearby circumstellar environment. Our models are based on the geometry expected from magneto-accretion theory, where material moving inward in the disk flows along magnetic field lines to the star and creates stellar hot spots upon impact. Due to rotation of the star and magnetosphere, the disk is variably illuminated. We compare our model light curves to data from the Spitzer YSOVAR project to determine if these processes can explain the variability observed at optical and mid-infrared wavelengths in young stars. We focus on those variables exhibiting “dipper” behavior that may be periodic, quasi-periodic, or aperiodic. We find that the stellar hot-spot size and temperature affects the optical and near-infrared light curves, while the shape and vertical extent of the inner disk warp affects the mid-IR light curve variations. Clumpy disk distributions with non-uniform fractal density structure produce more stochastic light curves. We conclude that magneto-accretion theory is consistent with certain aspects of the multiwavelength photometric variability exhibited by low-mass YSOs. More detailed modeling of individual sources can be used to better determine the stellar hot-spot and inner disk geometries of particular sources.

Warm H2O and OH Disk Emission in V1331 Cyg

Science.gov (United States)

Doppmann, Greg W.; Najita, Joan R.; Carr, John S.; Graham, James R.

2011-09-01

We present high-resolution (R = 24, 000) L-band spectra of the young intermediate-mass star V1331 Cyg obtained with NIRSPEC on the Keck II telescope. The spectra show strong, rich emission from water and OH that likely arises from the warm surface region of the circumstellar disk. We explore the use of the new BT2 water line list in fitting the spectra, and we find that it does a much better job than the well-known HITRAN water line list in the observed wavelength range and for the warm temperatures probed by our data. By comparing the observed spectra with synthetic disk emission models, we find that the water and OH emission lines have similar widths (FWHM ~= 18 km s-1). If the line widths are set by disk rotation, the OH and water emission lines probe a similar range of disk radii in this source. The water and OH emission are consistent with thermal emission for both components at a temperature ~1500 K. The column densities of the emitting water and OH are large, ~1021 cm-2 and ~1020 cm-2, respectively. Such a high column density of water is more than adequate to shield the disk midplane from external UV irradiation in the event of complete dust settling out of the disk atmosphere, enabling chemical synthesis to continue in the midplane despite a harsh external UV environment. The large OH-to-water ratio is similar to expectations for UV irradiated disks, although the large OH column density is less easily accounted for. Data presented herein were obtained at the W. M. Keck Observatory from telescope time allocated to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration through the agency's scientific partnership with the California Institute of Technology and the University of California. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W. M. Keck Foundation.

THE DIFFERENT EVOLUTION OF GAS AND DUST IN DISKS AROUND SUN-LIKE AND COOL STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pascucci, I.; Apai, D.; Luhman, K.; Henning, Th.; Bouwman, J.; Meyer, M. R.; Lahuis, F.; Natta, A.

2009-01-01

Planet formation is profoundly impacted by the properties of protoplanetary disks and their central star. However, how disk properties vary with stellar parameters remains poorly known. Here, we present the first comprehensive, comparative Spitzer/IRS study of the dust and gas properties of disks around young Sun-like stars (K1-M5) and cool stars/brown dwarfs (M5-M9). The comparison of these two large samples of over 60 sources reveal major differences in the evolution of both the dust and gas components. We report the first detection of organic molecules in disks around brown dwarfs. The detection rate statistics and the line flux ratios of HCN and C 2 H 2 show a striking difference between the two samples, demonstrating a significant underabundance of HCN relative to C 2 H 2 in the disk surface of cool stars. We propose this to originate from the large difference in the UV irradiation around the two types of sources. The statistical comparison of the 10 μm silicate emission features also reveals a difference between the two samples. Cool stars and brown dwarfs show weaker features arising from more processed silicate grains in the disk atmosphere. These findings complement previous indications of flatter disk structures and longer disk lifetimes around cool stars. Our results highlight important differences in the chemical and physical evolution of protoplanetary disks as a function of stellar mass, temperature, and radiation field which should be taken into account in planet formation models. We note that the different chemistry of preplanetary materials in the disk may also influence the bulk composition and volatile content of the forming planets. In particular, if exogenous HCN has played a key role in the synthesis of prebiotic molecules on Earth as proposed, then prebiotic chemistry may unfold differently on planets around cool stars.

2TB hard disk drive

CERN Multimedia

This particular object was used up until 2012 in the Data Centre. It slots into one of the Disk Server trays. Hard disks were invented in the 1950s. They started as large disks up to 20 inches in diameter holding just a few megabytes (link is external). They were originally called "fixed disks" or "Winchesters" (a code name used for a popular IBM product). They later became known as "hard disks" to distinguish them from "floppy disks (link is external)." Hard disks have a hard platter that holds the magnetic medium, as opposed to the flexible plastic film found in tapes and floppies.

DISK DETECTIVE: DISCOVERY OF NEW CIRCUMSTELLAR DISK CANDIDATES THROUGH CITIZEN SCIENCE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kuchner, Marc J.; McElwain, Michael; Padgett, Deborah L. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory, Code 667 Greenbelt, MD 21230 (United States); Silverberg, Steven M.; Wisniewski, John P. [Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy The University of Oklahoma 440 W. Brooks St. Norman, OK 73019 (United States); Bans, Alissa S. [Valparaiso University, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Neils Science Center, 1610 Campus Drive East, Valparaiso, IN 46383 (United States); Bhattacharjee, Shambo [International Space University 1 Rue Jean-Dominique Cassini F-67400 Illkirch-Graffenstaden (France); Kenyon, Scott J. [Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory 60 Garden Street Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Debes, John H. [Space Telescope Science Institute 3700 San Martin Dr. Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Currie, Thayne [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan 650 N A’ohokhu Place Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); García, Luciano [Observatorio Astronómico de Córdoba Universidad Nacional de Córdoba Laprida 854, X5000BGR, Córdoba (Argentina); Jung, Dawoon [Korea Aerospace Research Institute Lunar Exploration Program Office 169-84 Gwahak-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 34133 (Korea, Republic of); Lintott, Chris [Denys Wilkinson Building Keble Road Oxford, OX1 3RH (United Kingdom); Rebull, Luisa M. [Infrared Processing and Analaysis Center Caltech M/S 314-6 1200 E. California Blvd. Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Nesvold, Erika, E-mail: Marc.Kuchner@nasa.gov, E-mail: michael.w.mcelwain@nasa.gov, E-mail: deborah.l.padgett@nasa.gov, E-mail: carol.a.grady@nasa.gov, E-mail: silverberg@ou.edu, E-mail: wisniewski@ou.edu [Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, 5241 Broad Branch Road, NW, Washington, DC 20015-1305 (United States); Collaboration: Disk Detective Collaboration; and others

2016-10-20

The Disk Detective citizen science project aims to find new stars with 22 μ m excess emission from circumstellar dust using data from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer ( WISE ) mission. Initial cuts on the AllWISE catalog provide an input catalog of 277,686 sources. Volunteers then view images of each source online in 10 different bands to identify false positives (galaxies, interstellar matter, image artifacts, etc.). Sources that survive this online vetting are followed up with spectroscopy on the FLWO Tillinghast telescope. This approach should allow us to unleash the full potential of WISE for finding new debris disks and protoplanetary disks. We announce a first list of 37 new disk candidates discovered by the project, and we describe our vetting and follow-up process. One of these systems appears to contain the first debris disk discovered around a star with a white dwarf companion: HD 74389. We also report four newly discovered classical Be stars (HD 6612, HD 7406, HD 164137, and HD 218546) and a new detection of 22 μ m excess around the previously known debris disk host star HD 22128.

DISK DETECTIVE: DISCOVERY OF NEW CIRCUMSTELLAR DISK CANDIDATES THROUGH CITIZEN SCIENCE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuchner, Marc J.; McElwain, Michael; Padgett, Deborah L.; Silverberg, Steven M.; Wisniewski, John P.; Bans, Alissa S.; Bhattacharjee, Shambo; Kenyon, Scott J.; Debes, John H.; Currie, Thayne; García, Luciano; Jung, Dawoon; Lintott, Chris; Rebull, Luisa M.; Nesvold, Erika

2016-01-01

The Disk Detective citizen science project aims to find new stars with 22 μ m excess emission from circumstellar dust using data from NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer ( WISE ) mission. Initial cuts on the AllWISE catalog provide an input catalog of 277,686 sources. Volunteers then view images of each source online in 10 different bands to identify false positives (galaxies, interstellar matter, image artifacts, etc.). Sources that survive this online vetting are followed up with spectroscopy on the FLWO Tillinghast telescope. This approach should allow us to unleash the full potential of WISE for finding new debris disks and protoplanetary disks. We announce a first list of 37 new disk candidates discovered by the project, and we describe our vetting and follow-up process. One of these systems appears to contain the first debris disk discovered around a star with a white dwarf companion: HD 74389. We also report four newly discovered classical Be stars (HD 6612, HD 7406, HD 164137, and HD 218546) and a new detection of 22 μ m excess around the previously known debris disk host star HD 22128.

Disk Detective: Discovery of New Circumstellar Disk Candidates Through Citizen Science

Science.gov (United States)

Kuchner, Marc J.; Silverberg, Steven M.; Bans, Alissa S.; Bhattacharjee, Shambo; Kenyon, Scott J.; Debes, John H.; Currie, Thayne; Garcia, Luciano; Jung, Dawoon; Lintott, Chris;

Accretion Disk Assembly During Common Envelope Evolution: Implications for Feedback and LIGO Binary Black Hole Formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Murguia-Berthier, Ariadna; Ramirez-Ruiz, Enrico; Antoni, Andrea; Macias, Phillip [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064 (United States); MacLeod, Morgan, E-mail: armurgui@ucsc.edu [School of Natural Sciences, Institute for Advanced Study, 1 Einstein Drive, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States)

2017-08-20

During a common envelope (CE) episode in a binary system, the engulfed companion spirals to tighter orbital separations under the influence of drag from the surrounding envelope material. As this object sweeps through material with a steep radial gradient of density, net angular momentum is introduced into the flow, potentially leading to the formation of an accretion disk. The presence of a disk would have dramatic consequences for the outcome of the interaction because accretion might be accompanied by strong, polar outflows with enough energy to unbind the entire envelope. Without a detailed understanding of the necessary conditions for disk formation during CE, therefore, it is difficult to accurately predict the population of merging compact binaries. This paper examines the conditions for disk formation around objects embedded within CEs using the “wind tunnel” formalism developed by MacLeod et al. We find that the formation of disks is highly dependent on the compressibility of the envelope material. Disks form only in the most compressible of stellar envelope gas, found in envelopes’ outer layers in zones of partial ionization. These zones are largest in low-mass stellar envelopes, but comprise small portions of the envelope mass and radius in all cases. We conclude that disk formation and associated accretion feedback in CE is rare, and if it occurs, transitory. The implication for LIGO black hole binary assembly is that by avoiding strong accretion feedback, CE interactions should still result in the substantial orbital tightening needed to produce merging binaries.

Magnetohydrodynamics of accretion disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Torkelsson, U.

1994-04-01

The thesis consists of an introduction and summary, and five research papers. The introduction and summary provides the background in accretion disk physics and magnetohydrodynamics. The research papers describe numerical studies of magnetohydrodynamical processes in accretion disks. Paper 1 is a one-dimensional study of the effect of magnetic buoyancy on a flux tube in an accretion disk. The stabilizing influence of an accretion disk corona on the flux tube is demonstrated. Paper 2-4 present numerical simulations of mean-field dynamos in accretion disks. Paper 11 verifies the correctness of the numerical code by comparing linear models to previous work by other groups. The results are also extended to somewhat modified disk models. A transition from an oscillatory mode of negative parity for thick disks to a steady mode of even parity for thin disks is found. Preliminary results for nonlinear dynamos at very high dynamo numbers are also presented. Paper 3 describes the bifurcation behaviour of the nonlinear dynamos. For positive dynamo numbers it is found that the initial steady solution is replaced by an oscillatory solution of odd parity. For negative dynamo numbers the solution becomes chaotic at sufficiently high dynamo numbers. Paper 4 continues the studies of nonlinear dynamos, and it is demonstrated that a chaotic solution appears even for positive dynamo numbers, but that it returns to a steady solution of mixed parity at very high dynamo numbers. Paper 5 describes a first attempt at simulating the small-scale turbulence of an accretion disk in three dimensions. There is only find cases of decaying turbulence, but this is rather due to limitations of the simulations than that turbulence is really absent in accretion disks

Preparation of thin actinide metal disks using a multiple disk casting technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conner, W.V.

1975-01-01

A casting technique has been developed for preparing multiple actinide metal disks which have a minimum thickness of 0.006 inch. This technique was based on an injection casting procedure which utilizes the weight of a tantalum metal rod to force the molten metal into the mold cavity. Using the proper mold design and casting parameters, it has been possible to prepare ten 1/2 inch diameter neptunium or plutonium metal disks in a single casting, This casting technique is capable of producing disks which are very uniform. The average thickness of the disks from a typical casting will vary no more than 0.001 inch and the variation in the thickness of the individual disks will range from 0.0001 to 0.0005 inch. (Auth.)

Preparation of thin actinide metal disks using a multiple disk casting technique

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Conner, W.V.

1976-01-01

A casting technique has been developed for preparing multiple actinide metal disks which have a minimum thickness of 0.006 inch. This technique was based on an injection casting procedure which utilizes the weight of a tantalum metal rod to force the molten metal into the mold cavity. Using the proper mold design and casting parameters, it has been possible to prepare ten 1/2 inch diameter neptunium or plutonium metal disks in a single casting. This casting technique is capable of producing disks which are very uniform. The average thickness of the disks from a typical casting will vary no more than 0.001 inch and the variation in the thickness of the individual disks will range from 0.0001 to 0.0005 inch. (author)

A parsec-scale optical jet from a massive young star in the Large Magellanic Cloud.

Science.gov (United States)

McLeod, Anna F; Reiter, Megan; Kuiper, Rolf; Klaassen, Pamela D; Evans, Christopher J

2018-02-15

Highly collimated parsec-scale jets, which are generally linked to the presence of an accretion disk, are commonly observed in low-mass young stellar objects. In the past two decades, a few of these jets have been directly (or indirectly) observed from higher-mass (larger than eight solar masses) young stellar objects, adding to the growing evidence that disk-mediated accretion also occurs in high-mass stars, the formation mechanism of which is still poorly understood. Of the observed jets from massive young stars, none is in the optical regime (massive young stars are typically highly obscured by their natal material), and none is found outside of the Milky Way. Here we report observations of HH 1177, an optical ionized jet that originates from a massive young stellar object located in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The jet is highly collimated over its entire measured length of at least ten parsecs and has a bipolar geometry. The presence of a jet indicates ongoing, disk-mediated accretion and, together with the high degree of collimation, implies that this system is probably formed through a scaled-up version of the formation mechanism of low-mass stars. We conclude that the physics that govern jet launching and collimation is independent of stellar mass.

A parsec-scale optical jet from a massive young star in the Large Magellanic Cloud

Science.gov (United States)

McLeod, Anna F.; Reiter, Megan; Kuiper, Rolf; Klaassen, Pamela D.; Evans, Christopher J.

2018-02-01

Highly collimated parsec-scale jets, which are generally linked to the presence of an accretion disk, are commonly observed in low-mass young stellar objects. In the past two decades, a few of these jets have been directly (or indirectly) observed from higher-mass (larger than eight solar masses) young stellar objects, adding to the growing evidence that disk-mediated accretion also occurs in high-mass stars, the formation mechanism of which is still poorly understood. Of the observed jets from massive young stars, none is in the optical regime (massive young stars are typically highly obscured by their natal material), and none is found outside of the Milky Way. Here we report observations of HH 1177, an optical ionized jet that originates from a massive young stellar object located in the Large Magellanic Cloud. The jet is highly collimated over its entire measured length of at least ten parsecs and has a bipolar geometry. The presence of a jet indicates ongoing, disk-mediated accretion and, together with the high degree of collimation, implies that this system is probably formed through a scaled-up version of the formation mechanism of low-mass stars. We conclude that the physics that govern jet launching and collimation is independent of stellar mass.

DISK-RELATED BURSTS AND FADES IN YOUNG STARS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Findeisen, Krzysztof; Hillenbrand, Lynne; Levitan, David; Sesar, Branimir; Ofek, Eran; Laher, Russ; Surace, Jason

2013-01-01

We present first results from a new, multiyear, time domain survey of young stars in the North America Nebula complex using the Palomar Transient Factory. Our survey is providing an unprecedented view of aperiodic variability in young stars on timescales of days to years. The analyzed sample covers R PTF ≈ 13.5-18 and spans a range of mid-infrared color, with larger-amplitude optical variables (exceeding 0.4 mag root mean squared) more likely to have mid-infrared evidence for circumstellar material. This paper characterizes infrared excess stars with distinct bursts above or fades below a baseline of lower-level variability, identifying 41 examples. The light curves exhibit a remarkable diversity of amplitudes, timescales, and morphologies, with a continuum of behaviors that cannot be classified into distinct groups. Among the bursters, we identify three particularly promising sources that may represent theoretically predicted short-timescale accretion instabilities. Finally, we find that fading behavior is approximately twice as common as bursting behavior on timescales of days to years, although the bursting and fading duty cycle for individual objects often varies from year to year.

Rings of Molecular Line Emission in the Disk Orbiting the Young, Close Binary V4046 Sgr

Science.gov (United States)

Dickson-Vandervelde, Dorothy; Kastner, Joel H.; Qi, C.; Forveille, Thierry; Hily-Blant, Pierre; Oberg, Karin; Wilner, David; Andrews, Sean; Gorti, Uma; Rapson, Valerie; Sacco, Germano; Principe, David

2018-01-01

We present analysis of a suite of subarcsecond ALMA Band 6 (1.1 - 1.4 mm) molecular line images of the circumbinary, protoplanetary disk orbiting V4046 Sgr. The ~20 Myr-old V4046 Sgr system, which lies a mere ~73 pc from Earth, consists of a close (separation ~10 Rsun) pair of roughly solar-mass stars that are orbited by a gas-rich crcumbinary disk extending to ~350 AU in radius. The ALMA images reveal that the molecules CO and HCN and their isotopologues display centrally peaked surface brightness morphologies, whereas the cyanide group molecules (HC3N, CH3CN), deuterated molecules (DCN, DCO+), hydrocarbons (as traced by C2H), and potential CO ice line tracers (N2H+, and H2CO) appear as a sequence of sharp and diffuse rings of increasing radii. The characteristic sizes of these molecular emission rings, which range from ~25 to >100 AU in radius, are evident in radial emission-line surface brightness profiles extracted from the deprojected disk images. We find that emission from 13CO emission transitions from optically thin to thick within ~50 AU, whereas C18O emission remains optically thin within this radius. We summarize the insight into the physical and chemical processes within this evolved protoplanetary disk that can be obtained from comparisons of the various emission-line morphologies with each other and with that of the continuum (large-grain) emission on size scales of tens of AU.This research is supported by NASA Exoplanets program grant NNX16AB43G to RIT

Dental plaque development on a hydroxyapatite disk in young adults observed by using a barcoded pyrosequencing approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Takeshita, Toru; Yasui, Masaki; Shibata, Yukie; Furuta, Michiko; Saeki, Yoji; Eshima, Nobuoki; Yamashita, Yoshihisa

2015-01-30

Dental plaque is a dynamic microbial biofilm ecosystem that comprises hundreds of species including difficult-to-cultivate bacteria. We observed the assembly of a plaque bacterial community through 16S rRNA gene analysis. Plaque samples that accumulated on a hydroxyapatite disk for 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 7 days with saliva on day 0 were collected from 19 young adults using a removable resin splint. Quantitative PCR analysis showed that the total bacterial amount gradually increased and reached a plateau on day 4. Barcoded pyrosequencing analysis revealed that the microbial richness and diversity particularly increased between days 5 and 7. A principal coordinate analysis plot based on unweighted UniFrac showed the community assembly in a time-related manner, which became increasingly similar to the salivary microbiota. Facultative anaerobic bacteria such as Streptococcus, Neisseria, Abiotrophia, Gemella, and Rothia were predominant in the plaque bacterial community in the earlier days, whereas obligate anaerobes, such as Porphyromonas, Fusobacterium, Prevotella, and Capnocytophaga showed increased dominance on later days. UniFrac analysis also demonstrated that dental caries experience had a significant effect on the assembly process. Our results reveal the development pattern of the plaque bacterial community as well as the inter-individual differences associated with dental caries experience.

The Effect of Protoplanetary Disk Cooling Times on the Formation of Gas Giant Planets by Gravitational Instability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Boss, Alan P., E-mail: aboss@carnegiescience.edu [Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution for Science, 5241 Broad Branch Road, NW, Washington, DC 20015-1305 (United States)

2017-02-10

Observational evidence exists for the formation of gas giant planets on wide orbits around young stars by disk gravitational instability, but the roles of disk instability and core accretion for forming gas giants on shorter period orbits are less clear. The controversy extends to population synthesis models of exoplanet demographics and to hydrodynamical models of the fragmentation process. The latter refers largely to the handling of radiative transfer in three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamical models, which controls heating and cooling processes in gravitationally unstable disks, and hence dense clump formation. A suite of models using the β cooling approximation is presented here. The initial disks have masses of 0.091 M {sub ⊙} and extend from 4 to 20 au around a 1 M {sub ⊙} protostar. The initial minimum Toomre Qi values range from 1.3 to 2.7, while β ranges from 1 to 100. We show that the choice of Q {sub i} is equal in importance to the β value assumed: high Q{sub i} disks can be stable for small β , when the initial disk temperature is taken as a lower bound, while low Q{sub i} disks can fragment for high β . These results imply that the evolution of disks toward low Q{sub i} must be taken into account in assessing disk fragmentation possibilities, at least in the inner disk, i.e., inside about 20 au. The models suggest that if low Q{sub i} disks can form, there should be an as yet largely undetected population of gas giants orbiting G dwarfs between about 6 au and 16 au.

Molecular Gas Clumps from the Destruction of Icy Bodies in the beta Pictoris Debris Disk

Science.gov (United States)

Dent, W. R. F.; Wyatt, M. C.; Roberge, A.; Augereau, J. -C.; Casassus, S.; Corder, S.; Greaves, J. S.; DeGregorio-Monsalvo, I.; Hales, A.; Jackson, A. P.;

Relativistic static thin dust disks with an inner edge: An infinite family of new exact solutions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gonzalez, Guillermo A.; Gutierrez-Pineres, Antonio C.; Vina-Cervantes, Viviana M.

2009-01-01

An infinite family of new exact solutions of the vacuum Einstein equations is presented. The solutions are static and axially symmetric and correspond to an infinite family of thin dust disks with a central inner edge. The metric functions of all the solutions can be explicitly computed, and can be expressed in a simple manner in terms of oblate spheroidal coordinates. The energy density of all the disks of the family is positive everywhere and well behaved, so that the corresponding energy-momentum tensor is in full agreement with all the energy conditions. Moreover, although the total mass of the disks is infinite, the solutions are asymptotically flat and the Riemann tensor is regular everywhere, as it is shown by computing the curvature scalars. Now, besides its importance as a new family of exact solutions of the vacuum Einstein equations, the main importance of this family of solutions is that it can be easily superposed with the Schwarzschild solution in order to describe thin disks surrounding a central black hole. Accordingly, a detailed analysis of this superposition will be presented in a subsequent paper.

C2D spitzer-IRS spectra of disks around T tauri stars : II. PAH emission features

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geers, V. C.; Augereau, J. -C; Pontoppidan, K. M.; Dullemond, C. P.; Visser, R.; Kessler-Silacci, J. E.; Evans, N. J.; van Dishoeck, E. F.; Blake, G. A.; Boogert, A. C. A.; Lahuis, F.; Merin, B.

Aims. We search for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) features towards young low-mass (T Tauri) stars and compare them with surveys of intermediate mass (Herbig Ae/Be) stars. The presence and strength of the PAH features are interpreted with disk radiative transfer models exploring the PAH

THE SPITZER INFRARED SPECTROGRAPH SURVEY OF PROTOPLANETARY DISKS IN ORION A. I. DISK PROPERTIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, K. H. [Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI), 776, Daedeokdae-ro, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon 305-348 (Korea, Republic of); Watson, Dan M.; Manoj, P.; Forrest, W. J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627 (United States); Furlan, Elise [Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, Caltech, 770 S. Wilson Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Najita, Joan [National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85719 (United States); Sargent, Benjamin [Center for Imaging Science and Laboratory for Multiwavelength Astrophysics, Rochester Institute of Technology, 54 Lomb Memorial Dr., Rochester, NY 14623 (United States); Hernández, Jesús [Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomía, Apdo. Postal 264, Mérida 5101-A (Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of); Calvet, Nuria [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 830 Dennison Building, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Adame, Lucía [Facultad de Ciencias Físico-Matemáticas, Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, Av. Universidad S/N, San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, C.P. 66451, México (Mexico); Espaillat, Catherine [Department of Astronomy, Boston University, 725 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, MA 02215 (United States); Megeath, S. T. [Ritter Astrophysical Research Center, Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Toledo, 2801 W. Bancroft St., Toledo, OH 43606 (United States); Muzerolle, James, E-mail: quarkosmos@kasi.re.kr [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); and others

2016-09-01

We present our investigation of 319 Class II objects in Orion A observed by Spitzer /IRS. We also present the follow-up observations of 120 of these Class II objects in Orion A from the Infrared Telescope Facility/SpeX. We measure continuum spectral indices, equivalent widths, and integrated fluxes that pertain to disk structure and dust composition from IRS spectra of Class II objects in Orion A. We estimate mass accretion rates using hydrogen recombination lines in the SpeX spectra of our targets. Utilizing these properties, we compare the distributions of the disk and dust properties of Orion A disks with those of Taurus disks with respect to position within Orion A (Orion Nebular Cluster [ONC] and L1641) and with the subgroups by the inferred radial structures, such as transitional disks (TDs) versus radially continuous full disks (FDs). Our main findings are as follows. (1) Inner disks evolve faster than the outer disks. (2) The mass accretion rates of TDs and those of radially continuous FDs are statistically significantly displaced from each other. The median mass accretion rate of radially continuous disks in the ONC and L1641 is not very different from that in Taurus. (3) Less grain processing has occurred in the disks in the ONC compared to those in Taurus, based on analysis of the shape index of the 10 μ m silicate feature ( F {sub 11.3}/ F {sub 9.8}). (4) The 20–31 μ m continuum spectral index tracks the projected distance from the most luminous Trapezium star, θ {sup 1} Ori C. A possible explanation is UV ablation of the outer parts of disks.

Multiple spiral patterns in the transitional disk of HD 100546

Science.gov (United States)

Boccaletti, A.; Pantin, E.; Lagrange, A.-M.; Augereau, J.-C.; Meheut, H.; Quanz, S. P.

2013-12-01

Context. Protoplanetary disks around young stars harbor many structures related to planetary formation. Of particular interest, spiral patterns were discovered among several of these disks and are expected to be the sign of gravitational instabilities leading to giant planet formation or gravitational perturbations caused by already existing planets. In this context, the star HD 100546 presents some specific characteristics with a complex gaseous and dusty disk that includes spirals, as well as a possible planet in formation. Aims: The objective of this study is to analyze high-contrast and high angular resolution images of this emblematic system to shed light on critical steps in planet formation. Methods: We retrieved archival images obtained at Gemini in the near IR (Ks band) with the instrument NICI and processed the data using an advanced high contrast imaging technique that takes advantage of the angular differential imaging. Results: These new images reveal the spiral pattern previously identified with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) with an unprecedented resolution, while the large-scale structure of the disk is mostly cancelled by the data processing. The single pattern to the southeast in HST images is now resolved into a multi-armed spiral pattern. Using two models of a gravitational perturber orbiting in a gaseous disk, we attempted to constrain the characteristics of this perturber, assuming that each spiral is independent, and drew qualitative conclusions. The non-detection of the northeast spiral pattern observed in HST allows putting a lower limit on the intensity ratio between the two sides of the disk, which if interpreted as forward scattering, yields a larger anisotropic scattering than is derived in the visible. Also, we find that the spirals are likely to be spatially resolved with a thickness of about 5-10 AU. Finally, we did not detect the candidate planet in formation recently discovered in the Lp band, with a mass upper limit of 16-18 MJ

PLANETESIMAL DISK MICROLENSING

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heng, Kevin; Keeton, Charles R.

2009-01-01

Motivated by debris disk studies, we investigate the gravitational microlensing of background starlight by a planetesimal disk around a foreground star. We use dynamical survival models to construct a plausible example of a planetesimal disk and study its microlensing properties using established ideas of microlensing by small bodies. When a solar-type source star passes behind a planetesimal disk, the microlensing light curve may exhibit short-term, low-amplitude residuals caused by planetesimals several orders of magnitude below Earth mass. The minimum planetesimal mass probed depends on the photometric sensitivity and the size of the source star, and is lower when the planetesimal lens is located closer to us. Planetesimal lenses may be found more nearby than stellar lenses because the steepness of the planetesimal mass distribution changes how the microlensing signal depends on the lens/source distance ratio. Microlensing searches for planetesimals require essentially continuous monitoring programs that are already feasible and can potentially set constraints on models of debris disks, the progeny of the supposed extrasolar analogues of Kuiper Belts.

Debris Disks: Probing Planet Formation

OpenAIRE

Wyatt, Mark C.

2018-01-01

Debris disks are the dust disks found around ~20% of nearby main sequence stars in far-IR surveys. They can be considered as descendants of protoplanetary disks or components of planetary systems, providing valuable information on circumstellar disk evolution and the outcome of planet formation. The debris disk population can be explained by the steady collisional erosion of planetesimal belts; population models constrain where (10-100au) and in what quantity (>1Mearth) planetesimals (>10km i...

Fast, Capacious Disk Memory Device

Science.gov (United States)

Muller, Ronald M.

1990-01-01

Device for recording digital data on, and playing back data from, memory disks has high recording or playback rate and utilizes available recording area more fully. Two disks, each with own reading/writing head, used to record data at same time. Head on disk A operates on one of tracks numbered from outside in; head on disk B operates on track of same number in sequence from inside out. Underlying concept of device applicable to magnetic or optical disks.

Mass distributions in disk galaxies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Martinsson, Thomas; Verheijen, Marc; Bershady, Matthew; Westfall, Kyle; Andersen, David; Swaters, Rob

We present results on luminous and dark matter mass distributions in disk galaxies from the DiskMass Survey. As expected for normal disk galaxies, stars dominate the baryonic mass budget in the inner region of the disk; however, at about four optical scale lengths (hR ) the atomic gas starts to

Stirring up the dust: a dynamical model for halo-like dust clouds in transitional disks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Krijt, S.; Dominik, C.

2011-01-01

Context. A small number of young stellar objects show signs of a halo-like structure of optically thin dust, in addition to a circumstellar disk. This halo or torus is located within a few AU of the star, but its origin has not yet been understood. Aims. A dynamically excited cloud of planetesimals

WIND-ACCRETION DISKS IN WIDE BINARIES, SECOND-GENERATION PROTOPLANETARY DISKS, AND ACCRETION ONTO WHITE DWARFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perets, Hagai B.; Kenyon, Scott J.

2013-01-01

Mass transfer from an evolved donor star to its binary companion is a standard feature of stellar evolution in binaries. In wide binaries, the companion star captures some of the mass ejected in a wind by the primary star. The captured material forms an accretion disk. Here, we study the evolution of wind-accretion disks, using a numerical approach which allows us to follow the long-term evolution. For a broad range of initial conditions, we derive the radial density and temperature profiles of the disk. In most cases, wind accretion leads to long-lived stable disks over the lifetime of the asymptotic giant branch donor star. The disks have masses of a few times 10 –5 -10 –3 M ☉ , with surface density and temperature profiles that follow broken power laws. The total mass in the disk scales approximately linearly with the viscosity parameter used. Roughly, 50%-80% of the mass falling into the disk accretes onto the central star; the rest flows out through the outer edge of the disk into the stellar wind of the primary. For systems with large accretion rates, the secondary accretes as much as 0.1 M ☉ . When the secondary is a white dwarf, accretion naturally leads to nova and supernova eruptions. For all types of secondary star, the surface density and temperature profiles of massive disks resemble structures observed in protoplanetary disks, suggesting that coordinated observational programs might improve our understanding of uncertain disk physics.

Source to Accretion Disk Tilt

OpenAIRE

Montgomery, M. M.; Martin, E. L.

2010-01-01

Many different system types retrogradely precess, and retrograde precession could be from a tidal torque by the secondary on a misaligned accretion disk. However, a source to cause and maintain disk tilt is unknown. In this work, we show that accretion disks can tilt due to a force called lift. Lift results from differing gas stream supersonic speeds over and under an accretion disk. Because lift acts at the disk's center of pressure, a torque is applied around a rotation axis passing through...

Evolution of magnetic disk subsystems

Science.gov (United States)

Kaneko, Satoru

1994-06-01

The higher recording density of magnetic disk realized today has brought larger storage capacity per unit and smaller form factors. If the required access performance per MB is constant, the performance of large subsystems has to be several times better. This article describes mainly the technology for improving the performance of the magnetic disk subsystems and the prospects of their future evolution. Also considered are 'crosscall pathing' which makes the data transfer channel more effective, 'disk cache' which improves performance coupling with solid state memory technology, and 'RAID' which improves the availability and integrity of disk subsystems by organizing multiple disk drives in a subsystem. As a result, it is concluded that since the performance of the subsystem is dominated by that of the disk cache, maximation of the performance of the disk cache subsystems is very important.

DUST TRANSPORT IN PROTOSTELLAR DISKS THROUGH TURBULENCE AND SETTLING

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turner, N. J.; Carballido, A.; Sano, T.

2010-01-01

varies by factors of 2 over times down to a tenth of an orbit. We suggest that the changing shadows cast by the dust clouds on the outer disk are a cause of the daily to monthly mid-infrared variability found in many young stars.

RINGED SUBSTRUCTURE AND A GAP AT 1 au IN THE NEAREST PROTOPLANETARY DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andrews, Sean M.; Wilner, David J.; Bai, Xue-Ning; Öberg, Karin I.; Ricci, Luca [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Zhu, Zhaohuan [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, 4 Ivy Lane, Peyton Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Birnstiel, Tilman [Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Carpenter, John M. [Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO), Alonso de Cordova 3107, Vitacura-Santiago de Chile (Chile); Pérez, Laura M. [Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, Auf dem Hügel 69, D-53121 Bonn (Germany); Hughes, A. Meredith [Department of Astronomy, Wesleyan University, Van Vleck Observatory, 96 Foss Hill Drive, Middletown, CT 06457 (United States); Isella, Andrea, E-mail: sandrews@cfa.harvard.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, 6100 Main Street, Houston, TX 77005 (United States)

2016-04-01

We present long baseline Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of the 870 μm continuum emission from the nearest gas-rich protoplanetary disk, around TW Hya, that trace millimeter-sized particles down to spatial scales as small as 1 au (20 mas). These data reveal a series of concentric ring-shaped substructures in the form of bright zones and narrow dark annuli (1–6 au) with modest contrasts (5%–30%). We associate these features with concentrations of solids that have had their inward radial drift slowed or stopped, presumably at local gas pressure maxima. No significant non-axisymmetric structures are detected. Some of the observed features occur near temperatures that may be associated with the condensation fronts of major volatile species, but the relatively small brightness contrasts may also be a consequence of magnetized disk evolution (the so-called zonal flows). Other features, particularly a narrow dark annulus located only 1 au from the star, could indicate interactions between the disk and young planets. These data signal that ordered substructures on ∼au scales can be common, fundamental factors in disk evolution and that high-resolution microwave imaging can help characterize them during the epoch of planet formation.

Manipulation of magnetic vortex parameters in disk-on-disk nanostructures with various geometry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maxim E. Stebliy

2015-03-01

Full Text Available Magnetic nanostructures in the form of a sandwich consisting of two permalloy (Py disks with diameters of 600 and 200 nm separated by a nonmagnetic interlayer are studied. Magnetization reversal of the disk-on-disk nanostructures depends on the distance between centers of the small and big disks and on orientation of an external magnetic field applied during measurements. It is found that manipulation of the magnetic vortex chirality and the trajectory of the vortex core in the big disk is only possible in asymmetric nanostructures. Experimentally studied peculiarities of a motion path of the vortex core and vortex parameters by the magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE magnetometer are supported by the magnetic force microscopy imaging and micromagnetic simulations.

Global Simulations of the Inner Regions of Protoplanetary Disks with Comprehensive Disk Microphysics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bai, Xue-Ning, E-mail: xbai@cfa.harvard.edu [Institute for Theory and Computation, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St., MS-51, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2017-08-10

The gas dynamics of weakly ionized protoplanetary disks (PPDs) are largely governed by the coupling between gas and magnetic fields, described by three non-ideal magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) effects (Ohmic, Hall, ambipolar). Previous local simulations incorporating these processes have revealed that the inner regions of PPDs are largely laminar and accompanied by wind-driven accretion. We conduct 2D axisymmetric, fully global MHD simulations of these regions (∼1–20 au), taking into account all non-ideal MHD effects, with tabulated diffusion coefficients and approximate treatment of external ionization and heating. With the net vertical field aligned with disk rotation, the Hall-shear instability strongly amplifies horizontal magnetic field, making the overall dynamics dependent on initial field configuration. Following disk formation, the disk likely relaxes into an inner zone characterized by asymmetric field configuration across the midplane, which smoothly transitions to a more symmetric outer zone. Angular momentum transport is driven by both MHD winds and laminar Maxwell stress, with both accretion and decretion flows present at different heights, and modestly asymmetric winds from the two disk sides. With anti-aligned field polarity, weakly magnetized disks settle into an asymmetric field configuration with supersonic accretion flow concentrated at one side of the disk surface, and highly asymmetric winds between the two disk sides. In all cases, the wind is magneto-thermal in nature, characterized by a mass loss rate exceeding the accretion rate. More strongly magnetized disks give more symmetric field configuration and flow structures. Deeper far-UV penetration leads to stronger and less stable outflows. Implications for observations and planet formation are also discussed.

Global Simulations of the Inner Regions of Protoplanetary Disks with Comprehensive Disk Microphysics

Science.gov (United States)

Bai, Xue-Ning

2017-08-01

The gas dynamics of weakly ionized protoplanetary disks (PPDs) are largely governed by the coupling between gas and magnetic fields, described by three non-ideal magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) effects (Ohmic, Hall, ambipolar). Previous local simulations incorporating these processes have revealed that the inner regions of PPDs are largely laminar and accompanied by wind-driven accretion. We conduct 2D axisymmetric, fully global MHD simulations of these regions (˜1-20 au), taking into account all non-ideal MHD effects, with tabulated diffusion coefficients and approximate treatment of external ionization and heating. With the net vertical field aligned with disk rotation, the Hall-shear instability strongly amplifies horizontal magnetic field, making the overall dynamics dependent on initial field configuration. Following disk formation, the disk likely relaxes into an inner zone characterized by asymmetric field configuration across the midplane, which smoothly transitions to a more symmetric outer zone. Angular momentum transport is driven by both MHD winds and laminar Maxwell stress, with both accretion and decretion flows present at different heights, and modestly asymmetric winds from the two disk sides. With anti-aligned field polarity, weakly magnetized disks settle into an asymmetric field configuration with supersonic accretion flow concentrated at one side of the disk surface, and highly asymmetric winds between the two disk sides. In all cases, the wind is magneto-thermal in nature, characterized by a mass loss rate exceeding the accretion rate. More strongly magnetized disks give more symmetric field configuration and flow structures. Deeper far-UV penetration leads to stronger and less stable outflows. Implications for observations and planet formation are also discussed.

Buoyancy limits on magnetic viscosity stress-law scalings in quasi stellar object accretion disk models

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sakimoto, P.J.

1985-01-01

Quasi-Stellar Objects (QSOs) are apparently the excessively bright nuclei of distant galaxies. They are thought to be powered by accretion disks surrounding supermassive black holes: however, proof of this presumption is hampered by major uncertainties in the viscous stress necessary for accretion to occur. Models generally assume an and hoc stress law which scales the stress with the total pressure. Near the black hole, radiation pressure dominates gas pressure; scaling the stress with the radiation pressure results in disk models that are thermally unstable and optically thin. This dissertation shows that a radiation pressure scaling for the stress is not possible if the viscosity is due to turbulent magnetic Maxwell stresses. The argument is one of internal self-consistency. First, four model accretion disks that bound the reasonably expected ranges of viscous stress scalings and vertical structures are constructed. Magnetic flux tubes of various initial field strengths are then placed within these models, nd their buoyancy is modeled numerically. In disks using the radiation pressure stress law scaling, low opacities allow rapid heat flow into the flux tubes: the tubes are extremely buoyant, and magnetic fields strong enough to provide the required stress cannot be retained. If an alternative gas pressure scaling for the stress is assumed, then the disks are optically thick; flux tubes have corresponding lower buoyancy, and magnetic fields strong enough to provide the stress can be retained for dynamically significant time periods

EVOLUTION OF WARPED ACCRETION DISKS IN ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI. I. ROLES OF FEEDING AT THE OUTER BOUNDARIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Yan-Rong; Wang, Jian-Min; Cheng, Cheng; Qiu, Jie

2013-01-01

We investigate the alignment processes of spinning black holes and their surrounding warped accretion disks in a frame of two different types of feeding at the outer boundaries. We consider (1) fixed flows in which gas is continually fed with a preferred angular momentum, and (2) free flows in which there is no gas supply and the disks diffuse freely at their outer edges. As expected, we find that for the cases of fixed flows the black hole disk systems always align on timescales of several 10 6 yr, irrespective of the initial inclinations. If the initial inclination angles are larger than π/2, the black hole accretion transits from retrograde to prograde fashion, and the accreted mass onto the black holes during these two phases is comparable. On the other hand, for the cases of free flows, both alignments and anti-alignments can occur, depending on the initial inclinations and the ratios of the angular momentum of the disks to that of the black holes. In such cases, the disks will be consumed within timescales of 10 6 yr by black holes accreting at the Eddington limit. We propose that there is a close connection between the black hole spin and the lifetime for which the feeding persists, which determines the observable episodic lifetimes of active galactic nuclei. We conclude that careful inclusion of the disk feeding at the outer boundaries is crucial for modeling the evolution of the black hole spin.

WIND-ACCRETION DISKS IN WIDE BINARIES, SECOND-GENERATION PROTOPLANETARY DISKS, AND ACCRETION ONTO WHITE DWARFS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perets, Hagai B. [Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa (Israel); Kenyon, Scott J., E-mail: hperets@physics.technion.ac.il [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2013-02-20

Mass transfer from an evolved donor star to its binary companion is a standard feature of stellar evolution in binaries. In wide binaries, the companion star captures some of the mass ejected in a wind by the primary star. The captured material forms an accretion disk. Here, we study the evolution of wind-accretion disks, using a numerical approach which allows us to follow the long-term evolution. For a broad range of initial conditions, we derive the radial density and temperature profiles of the disk. In most cases, wind accretion leads to long-lived stable disks over the lifetime of the asymptotic giant branch donor star. The disks have masses of a few times 10{sup -5}-10{sup -3} M {sub Sun }, with surface density and temperature profiles that follow broken power laws. The total mass in the disk scales approximately linearly with the viscosity parameter used. Roughly, 50%-80% of the mass falling into the disk accretes onto the central star; the rest flows out through the outer edge of the disk into the stellar wind of the primary. For systems with large accretion rates, the secondary accretes as much as 0.1 M {sub Sun }. When the secondary is a white dwarf, accretion naturally leads to nova and supernova eruptions. For all types of secondary star, the surface density and temperature profiles of massive disks resemble structures observed in protoplanetary disks, suggesting that coordinated observational programs might improve our understanding of uncertain disk physics.

ROTATION PERIODS OF YOUNG BROWN DWARFS: K2 SURVEY IN UPPER SCORPIUS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scholz, Alexander [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9SS (United Kingdom); Kostov, Veselin [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4 (Canada); Jayawardhana, Ray [Faculty of Science, York University, 355 Lumbers Building, 4700 Keele Street, Toronto, ON M3J 1P2 (Canada); Mužić, Koraljka, E-mail: as110@st-andrews.ac.uk [Nucleo de Astronomía, Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Diego Portales, Av. Ejercito 441, Santiago (Chile)

2015-08-20

We report rotational periods for 16 young brown dwarfs in the nearby Upper Scorpius association, based on 72 days of high-cadence, high-precision photometry from the Keplerspace telescope’s K2 mission. The periods range from a few hours to two days (plus one outlier at five days), with a median just above one day, confirming that brown dwarfs, except at the very youngest ages, are fast rotators. Interestingly, four of the slowest rotators in our sample exhibit mid-infrared excess emission from disks; at least two also show signs of disk eclipses and accretion in the light curves. Comparing these new periods with those for two other young clusters and simple angular momentum evolution tracks, we find little or no rotational braking in brown dwarfs between 1–10 Myr, in contrast to low-mass stars. Our findings show that disk braking, while still at work, is inefficient in the substellar regime, thus providing an important constraint on the mass dependence of the braking mechanism.

ROTATION PERIODS OF YOUNG BROWN DWARFS: K2 SURVEY IN UPPER SCORPIUS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scholz, Alexander; Kostov, Veselin; Jayawardhana, Ray; Mužić, Koraljka

2015-01-01

We report rotational periods for 16 young brown dwarfs in the nearby Upper Scorpius association, based on 72 days of high-cadence, high-precision photometry from the Keplerspace telescope’s K2 mission. The periods range from a few hours to two days (plus one outlier at five days), with a median just above one day, confirming that brown dwarfs, except at the very youngest ages, are fast rotators. Interestingly, four of the slowest rotators in our sample exhibit mid-infrared excess emission from disks; at least two also show signs of disk eclipses and accretion in the light curves. Comparing these new periods with those for two other young clusters and simple angular momentum evolution tracks, we find little or no rotational braking in brown dwarfs between 1–10 Myr, in contrast to low-mass stars. Our findings show that disk braking, while still at work, is inefficient in the substellar regime, thus providing an important constraint on the mass dependence of the braking mechanism

Dynamical Stability of Imaged Planetary Systems in Formation: Application to HL Tau

OpenAIRE

Tamayo, Daniel; Triaud, Amaury H. M. J.; Menou, Kristen; Rein, Hanno

2015-01-01

A recent ALMA image revealed several concentric gaps in the protoplanetary disk surrounding the young star HL Tau. We consider the hypothesis that these gaps are carved by planets, and present a general framework for understanding the dynamical stability of such systems over typical disk lifetimes, providing estimates for the maximum planetary masses. We collect these easily evaluated constraints into a workflow that can help guide the design and interpretation of new observational campaigns ...

Vibration of imperfect rotating disk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Půst L.

2011-12-01

Full Text Available This study is concerned with the theoretical and numerical calculations of the flexural vibrations of a bladed disk. The main focus of this study is to elaborate the basic background for diagnostic and identification methods for ascertaining the main properties of the real structure or an experimental model of turbine disks. The reduction of undesirable vibrations of blades is proposed by using damping heads, which on the experimental model of turbine disk are applied only on a limited number of blades. This partial setting of damping heads introduces imperfection in mass, stiffness and damping distribution on the periphery and leads to more complicated dynamic properties than those of a perfect disk. Calculation of FEM model and analytic—numerical solution of disk behaviour in the limited (two modes frequency range shows the splitting of resonance with an increasing speed of disk rotation. The spectrum of resonance is twice denser than that of a perfect disk.

RINGED ACCRETION DISKS: EQUILIBRIUM CONFIGURATIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pugliese, D.; Stuchlík, Z., E-mail: d.pugliese.physics@gmail.com, E-mail: zdenek.stuchlik@physics.cz [Institute of Physics and Research Centre of Theoretical Physics and Astrophysics, Faculty of Philosophy and Science, Silesian University in Opava, Bezručovo náměstí 13, CZ-74601 Opava (Czech Republic)

2015-12-15

We investigate a model of a ringed accretion disk, made up by several rings rotating around a supermassive Kerr black hole attractor. Each toroid of the ringed disk is governed by the general relativity hydrodynamic Boyer condition of equilibrium configurations of rotating perfect fluids. Properties of the tori can then be determined by an appropriately defined effective potential reflecting the background Kerr geometry and the centrifugal effects. The ringed disks could be created in various regimes during the evolution of matter configurations around supermassive black holes. Therefore, both corotating and counterrotating rings have to be considered as being a constituent of the ringed disk. We provide constraints on the model parameters for the existence and stability of various ringed configurations and discuss occurrence of accretion onto the Kerr black hole and possible launching of jets from the ringed disk. We demonstrate that various ringed disks can be characterized by a maximum number of rings. We present also a perturbation analysis based on evolution of the oscillating components of the ringed disk. The dynamics of the unstable phases of the ringed disk evolution seems to be promising in relation to high-energy phenomena demonstrated in active galactic nuclei.

HERSCHEL OBSERVATIONS OF THE T CHA TRANSITION DISK: CONSTRAINING THE OUTER DISK PROPERTIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cieza, Lucas A.; Olofsson, Johan; Henning, Thomas; Harvey, Paul M.; Evans II, Neal J.; Pinte, Christophe; Augereau, Jean-Charles; Ménard, Francois; Merín, Bruno; Najita, Joan

2011-01-01

T Cha is a nearby (d ∼ 100 pc) transition disk known to have an optically thin gap separating optically thick inner and outer disk components. Huélamo et al. recently reported the presence of a low-mass object candidate within the gap of the T Cha disk, giving credence to the suspected planetary origin of this gap. Here we present the Herschel photometry (70, 160, 250, 350, and 500 μm) of T Cha from the 'Dust, Ice, and Gas in Time' Key Program, which bridges the wavelength range between existing Spitzer and millimeter data and provide important constraints on the outer disk properties of this extraordinary system. We model the entire optical to millimeter wavelength spectral energy distribution (SED) of T Cha (19 data points between 0.36 and 3300 μm without any major gaps in wavelength coverage). T Cha shows a steep spectral slope in the far-IR, which we find clearly favors models with outer disks containing little or no dust beyond ∼40 AU. The full SED can be modeled equally well with either an outer disk that is very compact (only a few AU wide) or a much larger one that has a very steep surface density profile. That is, T Cha's outer disk seems to be either very small or very tenuous. Both scenarios suggest a highly unusual outer disk and have important but different implications for the nature of T Cha. Spatially resolved images are needed to distinguish between the two scenarios.

HERSCHEL OBSERVATIONS OF THE T CHA TRANSITION DISK: CONSTRAINING THE OUTER DISK PROPERTIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cieza, Lucas A. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Olofsson, Johan; Henning, Thomas [Max Planck Institut fuer Astronomie, Koenigstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Harvey, Paul M.; Evans II, Neal J. [Department of Astronomy, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Pinte, Christophe; Augereau, Jean-Charles; Menard, Francois [UJF-Grenoble 1/CNRS-INSU, Institut de Planetologie et d' Astrophysique de Grenoble (IPAG) UMR 5274, Grenoble, F-38041 (France); Merin, Bruno [Herschel Science Centre, European Space Agency (ESAC), P.O. Box 78, 28691 Villanueva de la Canada, Madrid (Spain); Najita, Joan, E-mail: lcieza@ifa.hawaii.edu [National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 86719 (United States)

2011-11-10

T Cha is a nearby (d {approx} 100 pc) transition disk known to have an optically thin gap separating optically thick inner and outer disk components. Huelamo et al. recently reported the presence of a low-mass object candidate within the gap of the T Cha disk, giving credence to the suspected planetary origin of this gap. Here we present the Herschel photometry (70, 160, 250, 350, and 500 {mu}m) of T Cha from the 'Dust, Ice, and Gas in Time' Key Program, which bridges the wavelength range between existing Spitzer and millimeter data and provide important constraints on the outer disk properties of this extraordinary system. We model the entire optical to millimeter wavelength spectral energy distribution (SED) of T Cha (19 data points between 0.36 and 3300 {mu}m without any major gaps in wavelength coverage). T Cha shows a steep spectral slope in the far-IR, which we find clearly favors models with outer disks containing little or no dust beyond {approx}40 AU. The full SED can be modeled equally well with either an outer disk that is very compact (only a few AU wide) or a much larger one that has a very steep surface density profile. That is, T Cha's outer disk seems to be either very small or very tenuous. Both scenarios suggest a highly unusual outer disk and have important but different implications for the nature of T Cha. Spatially resolved images are needed to distinguish between the two scenarios.

RESOLVING THE GAP AND AU-SCALE ASYMMETRIES IN THE PRE-TRANSITIONAL DISK OF V1247 ORIONIS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kraus, Stefan; Espaillat, Catherine; Wilner, David J. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, MS-78, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Ireland, Michael J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109 (Australia); Sitko, Michael L.; Swearingen, Jeremy R.; Werren, Chelsea [Department of Physics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221 (United States); Monnier, John D.; Calvet, Nuria [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 918 Dennison Building, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Grady, Carol A. [Eureka Scientific Inc., Oakland, CA 94602 (United States); Harries, Tim J. [School of Physics, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QL (United Kingdom); Hoenig, Sebastian F. [Department of Physics, University of California Santa Barbara, Broida Hall, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Russell, Ray W. [The Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, CA 90009 (United States)

2013-05-01

Pre-transitional disks are protoplanetary disks with a gapped disk structure, potentially indicating the presence of young planets in these systems. In order to explore the structure of these objects and their gap-opening mechanism, we observed the pre-transitional disk V1247 Orionis using the Very Large Telescope Interferometer, the Keck Interferometer, Keck-II, Gemini South, and IRTF. This allows us to spatially resolve the AU-scale disk structure from near- to mid-infrared wavelengths (1.5-13 {mu}m), tracing material at different temperatures and over a wide range of stellocentric radii. Our observations reveal a narrow, optically thick inner-disk component (located at 0.18 AU from the star) that is separated from the optically thick outer disk (radii {approx}> 46 AU), providing unambiguous evidence for the existence of a gap in this pre-transitional disk. Surprisingly, we find that the gap region is filled with significant amounts of optically thin material with a carbon-dominated dust mineralogy. The presence of this optically thin gap material cannot be deduced solely from the spectral energy distribution, yet it is the dominant contributor at mid-infrared wavelengths. Furthermore, using Keck/NIRC2 aperture masking observations in the H, K', and L' bands, we detect asymmetries in the brightness distribution on scales of {approx}15-40 AU, i.e., within the gap region. The detected asymmetries are highly significant, yet their amplitude and direction changes with wavelength, which is not consistent with a companion interpretation but indicates an inhomogeneous distribution of the gap material. We interpret this as strong evidence for the presence of complex density structures, possibly reflecting the dynamical interaction of the disk material with sub-stellar mass bodies that are responsible for the gap clearing.

Audit: Automated Disk Investigation Toolkit

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Umit Karabiyik

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Software tools designed for disk analysis play a critical role today in forensics investigations. However, these digital forensics tools are often difficult to use, usually task specific, and generally require professionally trained users with IT backgrounds. The relevant tools are also often open source requiring additional technical knowledge and proper configuration. This makes it difficult for investigators without some computer science background to easily conduct the needed disk analysis. In this paper, we present AUDIT, a novel automated disk investigation toolkit that supports investigations conducted by non-expert (in IT and disk technology and expert investigators. Our proof of concept design and implementation of AUDIT intelligently integrates open source tools and guides non-IT professionals while requiring minimal technical knowledge about the disk structures and file systems of the target disk image.

YottaYotta announces new world record set for TCP disk-to-disk bulk transfer

CERN Document Server

2002-01-01

The Yottabyte NetStorage(TM) Company, today announced a new world record for TCP disk-to-disk data transfer using the company's NetStorager(R) System. The record-breaking demonstration transferred 5 terabytes of data between Chicago, Il. to Vancouver, BC and Ottawa, ON, at a sustained average throughput of 11.1 gigabits per second. Peak throughput exceeded 11.6 gigabits per second, more than 15-times faster than previous records for TCP transfer from disk-to-disk (1 page).

Disk-to-Disk network transfers at 100 Gb/s

Science.gov (United States)

Barczyk, Artur; Gable, Ian; Hay, Marilyn; Leavett-Brown, Colin; Legrand, Iosif; Lewall, Kim; McKee, Shawn; McWilliam, Donald; Mughal, Azher; Newman, Harvey; Rozsa, Sandor; Savard, Yvan; Sobie, Randall J.; Tam, Thomas; Voicu, Ramiro

2012-12-01

A 100 Gbps network was established between the California Institute of Technology conference booth at the Super Computing 2011 conference in Seattle, Washington and the computing center at the University of Victoria in Canada. A circuit was established over the BCNET, CANARIE and Super Computing (SCInet) networks using dedicated equipment. The small set of servers at the endpoints used a combination of 10GE and 40GE technologies, and SSD drives for data storage. The configuration of the network and the server configuration are discussed. We will show that the system was able to achieve disk-to-disk transfer rates of 60 Gbps and memory-to-memory rates in excess of 180 Gbps across the WAN. We will discuss the transfer tools, disk configurations, and monitoring tools used in the demonstration.

Disk-to-Disk network transfers at 100 Gb/s

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barczyk, Artur; Legrand, Iosif; Mughal, Azher; Newman, Harvey; Rozsa, Sandor; Voicu, Ramiro; Gable, Ian; Leavett-Brown, Colin; Lewall, Kim; Savard, Yvan; Sobie, Randall J; Hay, Marilyn; McWilliam, Donald; McKee, Shawn; Tam, Thomas

2012-01-01

A 100 Gbps network was established between the California Institute of Technology conference booth at the Super Computing 2011 conference in Seattle, Washington and the computing center at the University of Victoria in Canada. A circuit was established over the BCNET, CANARIE and Super Computing (SCInet) networks using dedicated equipment. The small set of servers at the endpoints used a combination of 10GE and 40GE technologies, and SSD drives for data storage. The configuration of the network and the server configuration are discussed. We will show that the system was able to achieve disk-to-disk transfer rates of 60 Gbps and memory-to-memory rates in excess of 180 Gbps across the WAN. We will discuss the transfer tools, disk configurations, and monitoring tools used in the demonstration.

MODELING DUST EMISSION OF HL TAU DISK BASED ON PLANET–DISK INTERACTIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, Sheng; Ji, Jianghui; Li, Shengtai; Li, Hui; Isella, Andrea

2016-01-01

We use extensive global two-dimensional hydrodynamic disk gas+dust simulations with embedded planets, coupled with three-dimensional radiative transfer calculations, to model the dust ring and gap structures in the HL Tau protoplanetary disk observed with the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA). We include the self-gravity of disk gas and dust components and make reasonable choices of disk parameters, assuming an already settled dust distribution and no planet migration. We can obtain quite adequate fits to the observed dust emission using three planets with masses of 0.35, 0.17, and 0.26 M Jup at 13.1, 33.0, and 68.6 AU, respectively. Implications for the planet formation as well as the limitations of this scenario are discussed

Fast disk array for image storage

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Dan; Zhu, Zhichun; Jin, Hai; Zhang, Jiangling

1997-01-01

A fast disk array is designed for the large continuous image storage. It includes a high speed data architecture and the technology of data striping and organization on the disk array. The high speed data path which is constructed by two dual port RAM and some control circuit is configured to transfer data between a host system and a plurality of disk drives. The bandwidth can be more than 100 MB/s if the data path based on PCI (peripheral component interconnect). The organization of data stored on the disk array is similar to RAID 4. Data are striped on a plurality of disk, and each striping unit is equal to a track. I/O instructions are performed in parallel on the disk drives. An independent disk is used to store the parity information in the fast disk array architecture. By placing the parity generation circuit directly on the SCSI (or SCSI 2) bus, the parity information can be generated on the fly. It will affect little on the data writing in parallel on the other disks. The fast disk array architecture designed in the paper can meet the demands of the image storage.

A RESOLVED NEAR-INFRARED IMAGE OF THE INNER CAVITY IN THE GM Aur TRANSITIONAL DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oh, Daehyeon; Yang, Yi [Department of Astronomical Science, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-8588 (Japan); Hashimoto, Jun; Kusakabe, Nobuhiko [Astrobiology Center of NINS 2-21-1, Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-8588 (Japan); Carson, Joseph C. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Charleston 66 George Street, Charleston, SC 29424 (United States); Janson, Markus [Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, AlbaNova University Center SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Kwon, Jungmi; Nakagawa, Takao [Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency 3-1-1 Yoshinodai, Chuo, Sagamihara, Kanagawa 252-5210 (Japan); Mayama, Satoshi [The Center for the Promotion of Integrated Sciences, SOKENDAI (The Graduate University for Advanced Studies), Shonan International Village, Hayama-cho, Miura-gun, Kanagawa 240-0193 (Japan); Uyama, Taichi [Department of Astronomy, The University of Tokyo 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-0033 (Japan); Kudo, Tomoyuki; Currie, Thayne [Subaru Telescope, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan 650 North A’ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Abe, Lyu [Laboratoire Lagrange (UMR 7293), Universite de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, CNRS, Observatoire de la Coted’azur 28 avenue Valrose, F-06108 Nice Cedex 2 (France); Akiyama, Eiji [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan 2-21-1, Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo, 181-8588 (Japan); Brandner, Wolfgang [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Köonigstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Brandt, Timothy D.; Feldt, Markus [Astrophysics Department, Institute for Advanced Study Princeton, NJ (United States); Goto, Miwa [Universitats-Sternwarte Munchen, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitat, Scheinerstr. 1, D-81679 Munchen (Germany); Grady, Carol A. [Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory, Code 667, Goddard Space Flight Center Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); and others

2016-11-01

We present high-contrast H -band polarized intensity (PI) images of the transitional disk around the young solar-like star GM Aur. The near-infrared direct imaging of the disk was derived by polarimetric differential imaging using the Subaru 8.2 m Telescope and HiCIAO. An angular resolution and an inner working angle of 0.″07 and r ∼ 0.″05, respectively, were obtained. We clearly resolved a large inner cavity, with a measured radius of 18 ± 2 au, which is smaller than that of a submillimeter interferometric image (28 au). This discrepancy in the cavity radii at near-infrared and submillimeter wavelengths may be caused by a 3–4 M {sub Jup} planet about 20 au away from the star, near the edge of the cavity. The presence of a near-infrared inner cavity is a strong constraint on hypotheses for inner cavity formation in a transitional disk. A dust filtration mechanism has been proposed to explain the large cavity in the submillimeter image, but our results suggest that this mechanism must be combined with an additional process. We found that the PI slope of the outer disk is significantly different from the intensity slope obtained from HST /NICMOS, and this difference may indicate the grain growth process in the disk.

Debris Disks in Aggregate: Using Hubble Space Telescope Coronagraphic Imagery to Understand the Scattered-Light Disk Detection Rate

Science.gov (United States)

Grady, Carol A.

2011-01-01

Despite more than a decade of coronagraphic imaging of debris disk candidate stars, only 16 have been imaged in scattered light. Since imaged disks provide our best insight into processes which sculpt disks, and can provide signposts of the presence of giant planets at distances which would elude radial velocity and transit surveys, we need to understand under what conditions we detect the disks in scattered light, how these disks differ from the majority of debris disks, and how to increase the yield of disks which are imaged with 0.1" angular resolution. In this talk, I will review what we have learned from a shallow HSTINICMOS NIR survey of debris disks, and present first results from our on-going HST /STIS optical imaging of bright scattered-light disks.

THE MASS DEPENDENCE BETWEEN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS AND THEIR STELLAR HOSTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Andrews, Sean M.; Rosenfeld, Katherine A.; Kraus, Adam L.; Wilner, David J.

2013-01-01

exoplanet population, and provides some basic support for the core accretion model for planet formation. Moreover, we caution that the effects of incompleteness and selection bias must be considered in comparative studies of disk evolution, and illustrate that fact with statistical comparisons of f(L mm ) between the Taurus catalog presented here and incomplete subsamples in the Ophiuchus, IC 348, and Upper Sco young clusters.

The Mass Dependence between Protoplanetary Disks and their Stellar Hosts

Science.gov (United States)

Andrews, Sean M.; Rosenfeld, Katherine A.; Kraus, Adam L.; Wilner, David J.

2013-07-01

population, and provides some basic support for the core accretion model for planet formation. Moreover, we caution that the effects of incompleteness and selection bias must be considered in comparative studies of disk evolution, and illustrate that fact with statistical comparisons of f(L mm) between the Taurus catalog presented here and incomplete subsamples in the Ophiuchus, IC 348, and Upper Sco young clusters.

DUST DYNAMICS IN PROTOPLANETARY DISK WINDS DRIVEN BY MAGNETOROTATIONAL TURBULENCE: A MECHANISM FOR FLOATING DUST GRAINS WITH CHARACTERISTIC SIZES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miyake, Tomoya; Suzuki, Takeru K.; Inutsuka, Shu-ichiro, E-mail: miyake.tomoya@e.mbox.nagoya-u.ac.jp, E-mail: stakeru@nagoya-u.jp [Department of Physics, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602 (Japan)

2016-04-10

We investigate the dynamics of dust grains of various sizes in protoplanetary disk winds driven by magnetorotational turbulence, by simulating the time evolution of the dust grain distribution in the vertical direction. Small dust grains, which are well-coupled to the gas, are dragged upward with the upflowing gas, while large grains remain near the midplane of a disk. Intermediate-size grains float near the sonic point of the disk wind located at several scale heights from the midplane, where the grains are loosely coupled to the background gas. For the minimum mass solar nebula at 1 au, dust grains with size of 25–45 μm float around 4 scale heights from the midplane. Considering the dependence on the distance from the central star, smaller-size grains remain only in an outer region of the disk, while larger-size grains are distributed in a broader region. We also discuss the implications of our result for observations of dusty material around young stellar objects.

The First 40 Million Years of Circumstellar Disk Evolution: The Signature of Terrestrial Planet Formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Meng, Huan Y. A.; Rieke, George H.; Su, Kate Y. L.; Gáspár, András

2017-01-01

We characterize the first 40 Myr of evolution of circumstellar disks through a unified study of the infrared properties of members of young clusters and associations with ages from 2 Myr up to ∼40 Myr: NGC 1333, NGC 1960, NGC 2232, NGC 2244, NGC 2362, NGC 2547, IC 348, IC 2395, IC 4665, Chamaeleon I, Orion OB1a and OB1b, Taurus, the β Pictoris Moving Group, ρ Ophiuchi, and the associations of Argus, Carina, Columba, Scorpius–Centaurus, and Tucana–Horologium. Our work features: (1) a filtering technique to flag noisy backgrounds; (2) a method based on the probability distribution of deflections, P ( D ), to obtain statistically valid photometry for faint sources; and (3) use of the evolutionary trend of transitional disks to constrain the overall behavior of bright disks. We find that the fraction of disks three or more times brighter than the stellar photospheres at 24 μ m decays relatively slowly initially and then much more rapidly by ∼10 Myr. However, there is a continuing component until ∼35 Myr, probably due primarily to massive clouds of debris generated in giant impacts during the oligarchic/chaotic growth phases of terrestrial planets. If the contribution from primordial disks is excluded, the evolution of the incidence of these oligarchic/chaotic debris disks can be described empirically by a log-normal function with the peak at 12–20 Myr, including ∼13% of the original population, and with a post-peak mean duration of 10–20 Myr.

The First 40 Million Years of Circumstellar Disk Evolution: The Signature of Terrestrial Planet Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Huan Y. A.; Rieke, George H.; Su, Kate Y. L.; Gáspár, András

2017-02-01

We characterize the first 40 Myr of evolution of circumstellar disks through a unified study of the infrared properties of members of young clusters and associations with ages from 2 Myr up to ˜40 Myr: NGC 1333, NGC 1960, NGC 2232, NGC 2244, NGC 2362, NGC 2547, IC 348, IC 2395, IC 4665, Chamaeleon I, Orion OB1a and OB1b, Taurus, the β Pictoris Moving Group, ρ Ophiuchi, and the associations of Argus, Carina, Columba, Scorpius-Centaurus, and Tucana-Horologium. Our work features: (1) a filtering technique to flag noisy backgrounds; (2) a method based on the probability distribution of deflections, P(D), to obtain statistically valid photometry for faint sources; and (3) use of the evolutionary trend of transitional disks to constrain the overall behavior of bright disks. We find that the fraction of disks three or more times brighter than the stellar photospheres at 24 μm decays relatively slowly initially and then much more rapidly by ˜10 Myr. However, there is a continuing component until ˜35 Myr, probably due primarily to massive clouds of debris generated in giant impacts during the oligarchic/chaotic growth phases of terrestrial planets. If the contribution from primordial disks is excluded, the evolution of the incidence of these oligarchic/chaotic debris disks can be described empirically by a log-normal function with the peak at 12-20 Myr, including ˜13% of the original population, and with a post-peak mean duration of 10-20 Myr.

The First 40 Million Years of Circumstellar Disk Evolution: The Signature of Terrestrial Planet Formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meng, Huan Y. A.; Rieke, George H.; Su, Kate Y. L.; Gáspár, András, E-mail: hyameng@lpl.arizona.edu [Steward Observatory, Department of Astronomy, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)

2017-02-10

We characterize the first 40 Myr of evolution of circumstellar disks through a unified study of the infrared properties of members of young clusters and associations with ages from 2 Myr up to ∼40 Myr: NGC 1333, NGC 1960, NGC 2232, NGC 2244, NGC 2362, NGC 2547, IC 348, IC 2395, IC 4665, Chamaeleon I, Orion OB1a and OB1b, Taurus, the β Pictoris Moving Group, ρ Ophiuchi, and the associations of Argus, Carina, Columba, Scorpius–Centaurus, and Tucana–Horologium. Our work features: (1) a filtering technique to flag noisy backgrounds; (2) a method based on the probability distribution of deflections, P ( D ), to obtain statistically valid photometry for faint sources; and (3) use of the evolutionary trend of transitional disks to constrain the overall behavior of bright disks. We find that the fraction of disks three or more times brighter than the stellar photospheres at 24 μ m decays relatively slowly initially and then much more rapidly by ∼10 Myr. However, there is a continuing component until ∼35 Myr, probably due primarily to massive clouds of debris generated in giant impacts during the oligarchic/chaotic growth phases of terrestrial planets. If the contribution from primordial disks is excluded, the evolution of the incidence of these oligarchic/chaotic debris disks can be described empirically by a log-normal function with the peak at 12–20 Myr, including ∼13% of the original population, and with a post-peak mean duration of 10–20 Myr.

Deformation and Life Analysis of Composite Flywheel Disk and Multi-disk Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Arnold, S. M.; Saleeb, A. F.; AlZoubi, N. R.

2001-01-01

In this study an attempt is made to put into perspective the problem of a rotating disk, be it a single disk or a number of concentric disks forming a unit. An analytical model capable of performing an elastic stress analysis for single/multiple, annular/solid, anisotropic/isotropic disk systems, subjected to both pressure surface tractions, body forces (in the form of temperature-changes and rotation fields) and interfacial misfits is derived and discussed. Results of an extensive parametric study are presented to clearly define the key design variables and their associated influence. In general the important parameters were identified as misfit, mean radius, thickness, material property and/or load gradation, and speed; all of which must be simultaneously optimized to achieve the "best" and most reliable design. Also, the important issue of defining proper performance/merit indices (based on the specific stored energy), in the presence of multiaxiality and material anisotropy is addressed. These merit indices are then utilized to discuss the difference between flywheels made from PMC and TMC materials with either an annular or solid geometry. Finally two major aspects of failure analysis, that is the static and cyclic limit (burst) speeds are addressed. In the case of static limit loads, upper, lower, and out-of-plane bounds for disks with constant thickness are presented for both the case of internal pressure loading (as one would see in a hydroburst test) and pure rotation (as in the case of a free spinning disk). The results (interaction diagrams) are displayed graphically in designer friendly format. For the case of fatigue, a representative fatigue/life master curve is illustrated in which the normalized limit speed versus number of applied cycles is given for a cladded TMC disk application.

FOMALHAUT'S DEBRIS DISK AND PLANET: CONSTRAINING THE MASS OF FOMALHAUT B FROM DISK MORPHOLOGY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chiang, E.; Kalas, P.; Graham, J. R.; Kite, E.; Clampin, M.

2009-01-01

Following the optical imaging of exoplanet candidate Fomalhaut b (Fom b), we present a numerical model of how Fomalhaut's debris disk is gravitationally shaped by a single interior planet. The model is simple, adaptable to other debris disks, and can be extended to accommodate multiple planets. If Fom b is the dominant perturber of the belt, then to produce the observed disk morphology it must have a mass M pl J , an orbital semimajor axis a pl > 101.5 AU, and an orbital eccentricity e pl = 0.11-0.13. These conclusions are independent of Fom b's photometry. To not disrupt the disk, a greater mass for Fom b demands a smaller orbit farther removed from the disk; thus, future astrometric measurement of Fom b's orbit, combined with our model of planet-disk interaction, can be used to determine the mass more precisely. The inner edge of the debris disk at a ∼ 133 AU lies at the periphery of Fom b's chaotic zone, and the mean disk eccentricity of e ∼ 0.11 is secularly forced by the planet, supporting predictions made prior to the discovery of Fom b. However, previous mass constraints based on disk morphology rely on several oversimplifications. We explain why our constraint is more reliable. It is based on a global model of the disk that is not restricted to the planet's chaotic zone boundary. Moreover, we screen disk parent bodies for dynamical stability over the system age of ∼ 100 Myr, and model them separately from their dust grain progeny; the latter's orbits are strongly affected by radiation pressure and their lifetimes are limited to ∼ 0.1 Myr by destructive grain-grain collisions. The single planet model predicts that planet and disk orbits be apsidally aligned. Fomalhaut b's nominal space velocity does not bear this out, but the astrometric uncertainties may be large. If the apsidal misalignment proves real, our calculated upper mass limit of 3M J still holds. If the orbits are aligned, our model predicts M pl = 0.5M J , a pl = 115 AU, and e pl = 0

DISCOVERY OF AN EDGE-ON DEBRIS DISK WITH A DUST RING AND AN OUTER DISK WING-TILT ASYMMETRY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kasper, Markus; Apai, Dániel; Wagner, Kevin; Robberto, Massimo

2015-01-01

Using Very Large Telescope/SPHERE near-infrared dual-band imaging and integral field spectroscopy, we discovered an edge-on debris disk around the 17 Myr old A-type member of the Scorpius–Centaurus OB association HD 110058. The edge-on disk can be traced to about 0.″6 or 65 AU projected separation. In its northern and southern wings, the disk shows at all wavelengths two prominent, bright, and symmetrically placed knots at 0.″3 or 32 AU from the star. We interpret these knots as a ring of planetesimals whose collisions may produce most of the dust observed in the disk. We find no evidence for a bow in the disk, but we identify a pair of symmetric, hooklike features in both wings. Based on similar features in the Beta Pictoris disk, we propose that this wing-tilt asymmetry traces either an outer planetesimal belt that is inclined with respect to the disk midplane or radiation-pressure-driven dust blown out from a yet unseen inner belt that is inclined with respect to the disk midplane. The misaligned inner or outer disk may be a result of interaction with a yet unseen planet. Overall, the disk geometry resembles the nearby disk around Beta Pictoris, albeit seen at smaller radial scales

CHARACTERIZATION OF THE INNER DISK AROUND HD 141569 A FROM KECK/NIRC2 L-BAND VORTEX CORONAGRAPHY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mawet, Dimitri; Bottom, Michael; Matthews, Keith [Department of Astronomy, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, MC 249-17, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Choquet, Élodie; Serabyn, Eugene [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Absil, Olivier; Huby, Elsa; Gonzalez, Carlos A. Gomez; Wertz, Olivier; Carlomagno, Brunella; Christiaens, Valentin; Defrère, Denis; Delacroix, Christian; Habraken, Serge; Jolivet, Aissa [Space sciences, Technologies and Astrophysics Research (STAR) Institute, Université de Liège, 19 Allée du Six Août, B-4000 Liège (Belgium); Femenia, Bruno [W. M. Keck Observatory, 65-1120 Mamalahoa Hwy., Kamuela, HI 96743 (United States); Lebreton, Jérémy [NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, California Institute of Technology, 770 South Wilson Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Forsberg, Pontus; Karlsson, Mikael [Department of Engineering Sciences, Ångström Laboratory, Uppsala University, Box 534, SE-751 21 Uppsala (Sweden); Milli, Julien, E-mail: dmawet@astro.caltech.edu [European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Cordóva 3107, Vitacura, Santiago (Chile); and others

2017-01-01

HD 141569 A is a pre-main sequence B9.5 Ve star surrounded by a prominent and complex circumstellar disk, likely still in a transition stage from protoplanetary to debris disk phase. Here, we present a new image of the third inner disk component of HD 141569 A made in the L ′ band (3.8 μ m) during the commissioning of the vector vortex coronagraph that has recently been installed in the near-infrared imager and spectrograph NIRC2 behind the W.M. Keck Observatory Keck II adaptive optics system. We used reference point-spread function subtraction, which reveals the innermost disk component from the inner working distance of ≃23 au and up to ≃70 au. The spatial scale of our detection roughly corresponds to the optical and near-infrared scattered light, thermal Q , N , and 8.6 μ m PAH emission reported earlier. We also see an outward progression in dust location from the L ′ band to the H band (Very Large Telescope/SPHERE image) to the visible ( Hubble Space Telescope ( HST )/STIS image), which is likely indicative of dust blowout. The warm disk component is nested deep inside the two outer belts imaged by HST-NICMOS in 1999 (at 406 and 245 au, respectively). We fit our new L ′-band image and spectral energy distribution of HD 141569 A with the radiative transfer code MCFOST. Our best-fit models favor pure olivine grains and are consistent with the composition of the outer belts. While our image shows a putative very faint point-like clump or source embedded in the inner disk, we did not detect any true companion within the gap between the inner disk and the first outer ring, at a sensitivity of a few Jupiter masses.

CIRCUMSTELLAR DEBRIS DISKS: DIAGNOSING THE UNSEEN PERTURBER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nesvold, Erika R. [Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution for Science, 5241 Broad Branch Rd., Washington, DC 20015 (United States); Naoz, Smadar; Vican, Laura [Department of Physics and Astronomy, UCLA, 475 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Farr, Will M. [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, B15 2TT (United Kingdom)

2016-07-20

The first indication of the presence of a circumstellar debris disk is usually the detection of excess infrared emission from the population of small dust grains orbiting the star. This dust is short-lived, requiring continual replenishment, and indicating that the disk must be excited by an unseen perturber. Previous theoretical studies have demonstrated that an eccentric planet orbiting interior to the disk will stir the larger bodies in the belt and produce dust via interparticle collisions. However, motivated by recent observations, we explore another possible mechanism for heating a debris disk: a stellar-mass perturber orbiting exterior to and inclined to the disk and exciting the disk particles’ eccentricities and inclinations via the Kozai–Lidov mechanism. We explore the consequences of an exterior perturber on the evolution of a debris disk using secular analysis and collisional N -body simulations. We demonstrate that a Kozai–Lidov excited disk can generate a dust disk via collisions and we compare the results of the Kozai–Lidov excited disk with a simulated disk perturbed by an interior eccentric planet. Finally, we propose two observational tests of a dust disk that can distinguish whether the dust was produced by an exterior brown dwarf or stellar companion or an interior eccentric planet.

TYC 8241 2652 1 and the case of the disappearing disk: No smoking gun yet

Science.gov (United States)

Günther, Hans Moritz; Kraus, Stefan; Melis, Carl; Curé, Michel; Harries, Tim; Ireland, Michael; Kanaan, Samer; Poppenhaeger, Katja; Rizzuto, Aaron; Rodriguez, David; Schneider, Christian P.; Sitko, Michael; Weigelt, Gerd; Willson, Matthew; Wolk, Scott

2017-02-01

Context. TYC8241 2652 1 is a young star that showed a strong mid-infrared (mid-IR, 8-25 μm) excess in all observations before 2008, which is consistent with a dusty disk. Between 2008 and 2010 the mid-IR luminosity of this system dropped dramatically by at least a factor of 30 suggesting a loss of dust mass of an order of magnitude or more. Aims: We aim to constrain possible models including the removal of disk material by stellar activity processes, the presence of a binary companion, or other explanations suggested in the literature. Methods: We present new X-ray observations, optical spectroscopy, near-IR interferometry, and mid-IR photometry of this system to constrain its parameters and further explore the cause of the dust mass loss. Results: In X-rays TYC8241 2652 1 has all the properties expected from a young star: Its luminosity is in the saturation regime and the abundance pattern shows enhancement of O/Fe. The photospheric Hα line is filled with a weak emission feature, indicating chromospheric activity that is consistent with the observed level of coronal emission. Interferometry does not detect a companion and sets upper limits on the companion mass of 0.2, 0.35, 0.1, and 0.05 M⊙ at projected physical separations of 0.1-4 AU, 4-5 AU, 5-10 AU, and 10-30 AU, respectively (assuming a distance of 120.9 pc). Our mid-IR measurements, the first of the system since 2012, are consistent with the depleted dust level seen after 2009. Conclusions: The new data confirm that stellar activity is unlikely to destroy the dust in the disk and shows that scenarios, in which either TYC8241 2652 1 heats the disk of a binary companion or a potential companion heats the disk of TYC8241 2652 1, are unlikely. Based on observations made with ESO telescopes at the Paranal Observatory (ESO program IDs 090.C-0697(A), 090.C-0904(A), and 095.C-0438(A)) and on observations obtained with XMM-Newton, an ESA science mission with instruments and contributions directly funded by ESA

Young Stellar Objects from Soft to Hard X-rays

Science.gov (United States)

Güdel, Manuel

2009-05-01

Magnetically active stars are the sites of efficient particle acceleration and plasma heating, processes that have been studied in detail in the solar corona. Investigation of such processes in young stellar objects is much more challenging due to various absorption processes. There is, however, evidence for violent magnetic energy release in very young stellar objects. The impact on young stellar environments (e.g., circumstellar disk heating and ionization, operation of chemical networks, photoevaporation) may be substantial. Hard X-ray devices like those carried on Simbol-X will establish a basis for detailed studies of these processes.

Head-Disk Interface Technology: Challenges and Approaches

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Bo

Magnetic hard disk drive (HDD) technology is believed to be one of the most successful examples of modern mechatronics systems. The mechanical beauty of magnetic HDD includes simple but super high accuracy positioning head, positioning technology, high speed and stability spindle motor technology, and head-disk interface technology which keeps the millimeter sized slider flying over a disk surface at nanometer level slider-disk spacing. This paper addresses the challenges and possible approaches on how to further reduce the slider disk spacing whilst retaining the stability and robustness level of head-disk systems for future advanced magnetic disk drives.

TESTING THE HYPOTHESIS THAT METHANOL MASER RINGS TRACE CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS: HIGH-RESOLUTION NEAR-INFRARED AND MID-INFRARED IMAGING

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

De Buizer, James M.; Bartkiewicz, Anna; Szymczak, Marian

2012-01-01

Milliarcsecond very long baseline interferometry maps of regions containing 6.7 GHz methanol maser emission have lead to the recent discovery of ring-like distributions of maser spots and the plausible hypothesis that they may be tracing circumstellar disks around forming high-mass stars. We aimed to test this hypothesis by imaging these regions in the near- and mid-infrared at high spatial resolution and compare the observed emission to the expected infrared morphologies as inferred from the geometries of the maser rings. In the near-infrared we used the Gemini North adaptive optics system of ALTAIR/NIRI, while in the mid-infrared we used the combination of the Gemini South instrument T-ReCS and super-resolution techniques. Resultant images had a resolution of ∼150 mas in both the near-infrared and mid-infrared. We discuss the expected distribution of circumstellar material around young and massive accreting (proto)stars and what infrared emission geometries would be expected for the different maser ring orientations under the assumption that the masers are coming from within circumstellar disks. Based upon the observed infrared emission geometries for the four targets in our sample and the results of spectral energy distribution modeling of the massive young stellar objects associated with the maser rings, we do not find compelling evidence in support of the hypothesis that methanol masers rings reside in circumstellar disks.

An Optimal Strategy for Accurate Bulge-to-disk Decomposition of Disk Galaxies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gao Hua [Department of Astronomy, School of Physics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Ho, Luis C. [Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China)

2017-08-20

The development of two-dimensional (2D) bulge-to-disk decomposition techniques has shown their advantages over traditional one-dimensional (1D) techniques, especially for galaxies with non-axisymmetric features. However, the full potential of 2D techniques has yet to be fully exploited. Secondary morphological features in nearby disk galaxies, such as bars, lenses, rings, disk breaks, and spiral arms, are seldom accounted for in 2D image decompositions, even though some image-fitting codes, such as GALFIT, are capable of handling them. We present detailed, 2D multi-model and multi-component decomposition of high-quality R -band images of a representative sample of nearby disk galaxies selected from the Carnegie-Irvine Galaxy Survey, using the latest version of GALFIT. The sample consists of five barred and five unbarred galaxies, spanning Hubble types from S0 to Sc. Traditional 1D decomposition is also presented for comparison. In detailed case studies of the 10 galaxies, we successfully model the secondary morphological features. Through a comparison of best-fit parameters obtained from different input surface brightness models, we identify morphological features that significantly impact bulge measurements. We show that nuclear and inner lenses/rings and disk breaks must be properly taken into account to obtain accurate bulge parameters, whereas outer lenses/rings and spiral arms have a negligible effect. We provide an optimal strategy to measure bulge parameters of typical disk galaxies, as well as prescriptions to estimate realistic uncertainties of them, which will benefit subsequent decomposition of a larger galaxy sample.

An Optimal Strategy for Accurate Bulge-to-disk Decomposition of Disk Galaxies

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Hua; Ho, Luis C.

2017-08-01

The development of two-dimensional (2D) bulge-to-disk decomposition techniques has shown their advantages over traditional one-dimensional (1D) techniques, especially for galaxies with non-axisymmetric features. However, the full potential of 2D techniques has yet to be fully exploited. Secondary morphological features in nearby disk galaxies, such as bars, lenses, rings, disk breaks, and spiral arms, are seldom accounted for in 2D image decompositions, even though some image-fitting codes, such as GALFIT, are capable of handling them. We present detailed, 2D multi-model and multi-component decomposition of high-quality R-band images of a representative sample of nearby disk galaxies selected from the Carnegie-Irvine Galaxy Survey, using the latest version of GALFIT. The sample consists of five barred and five unbarred galaxies, spanning Hubble types from S0 to Sc. Traditional 1D decomposition is also presented for comparison. In detailed case studies of the 10 galaxies, we successfully model the secondary morphological features. Through a comparison of best-fit parameters obtained from different input surface brightness models, we identify morphological features that significantly impact bulge measurements. We show that nuclear and inner lenses/rings and disk breaks must be properly taken into account to obtain accurate bulge parameters, whereas outer lenses/rings and spiral arms have a negligible effect. We provide an optimal strategy to measure bulge parameters of typical disk galaxies, as well as prescriptions to estimate realistic uncertainties of them, which will benefit subsequent decomposition of a larger galaxy sample.

An Optimal Strategy for Accurate Bulge-to-disk Decomposition of Disk Galaxies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao Hua; Ho, Luis C.

2017-01-01

The development of two-dimensional (2D) bulge-to-disk decomposition techniques has shown their advantages over traditional one-dimensional (1D) techniques, especially for galaxies with non-axisymmetric features. However, the full potential of 2D techniques has yet to be fully exploited. Secondary morphological features in nearby disk galaxies, such as bars, lenses, rings, disk breaks, and spiral arms, are seldom accounted for in 2D image decompositions, even though some image-fitting codes, such as GALFIT, are capable of handling them. We present detailed, 2D multi-model and multi-component decomposition of high-quality R -band images of a representative sample of nearby disk galaxies selected from the Carnegie-Irvine Galaxy Survey, using the latest version of GALFIT. The sample consists of five barred and five unbarred galaxies, spanning Hubble types from S0 to Sc. Traditional 1D decomposition is also presented for comparison. In detailed case studies of the 10 galaxies, we successfully model the secondary morphological features. Through a comparison of best-fit parameters obtained from different input surface brightness models, we identify morphological features that significantly impact bulge measurements. We show that nuclear and inner lenses/rings and disk breaks must be properly taken into account to obtain accurate bulge parameters, whereas outer lenses/rings and spiral arms have a negligible effect. We provide an optimal strategy to measure bulge parameters of typical disk galaxies, as well as prescriptions to estimate realistic uncertainties of them, which will benefit subsequent decomposition of a larger galaxy sample.

Foundations of Black Hole Accretion Disk Theory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marek A. Abramowicz

2013-01-01

Full Text Available This review covers the main aspects of black hole accretion disk theory. We begin with the view that one of the main goals of the theory is to better understand the nature of black holes themselves. In this light we discuss how accretion disks might reveal some of the unique signatures of strong gravity: the event horizon, the innermost stable circular orbit, and the ergosphere. We then review, from a first-principles perspective, the physical processes at play in accretion disks. This leads us to the four primary accretion disk models that we review: Polish doughnuts (thick disks, Shakura-Sunyaev (thin disks, slim disks, and advection-dominated accretion flows (ADAFs. After presenting the models we discuss issues of stability, oscillations, and jets. Following our review of the analytic work, we take a parallel approach in reviewing numerical studies of black hole accretion disks. We finish with a few select applications that highlight particular astrophysical applications: measurements of black hole mass and spin, black hole vs. neutron star accretion disks, black hole accretion disk spectral states, and quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs.

Foundations of Black Hole Accretion Disk Theory.

Science.gov (United States)

Abramowicz, Marek A; Fragile, P Chris

2013-01-01

This review covers the main aspects of black hole accretion disk theory. We begin with the view that one of the main goals of the theory is to better understand the nature of black holes themselves. In this light we discuss how accretion disks might reveal some of the unique signatures of strong gravity: the event horizon, the innermost stable circular orbit, and the ergosphere. We then review, from a first-principles perspective, the physical processes at play in accretion disks. This leads us to the four primary accretion disk models that we review: Polish doughnuts (thick disks), Shakura-Sunyaev (thin) disks, slim disks, and advection-dominated accretion flows (ADAFs). After presenting the models we discuss issues of stability, oscillations, and jets. Following our review of the analytic work, we take a parallel approach in reviewing numerical studies of black hole accretion disks. We finish with a few select applications that highlight particular astrophysical applications: measurements of black hole mass and spin, black hole vs. neutron star accretion disks, black hole accretion disk spectral states, and quasi-periodic oscillations (QPOs).

The applicability of the viscous α-parameterization of gravitational instability in circumstellar disks

Science.gov (United States)

Vorobyov, E. I.

2010-01-01

We study numerically the applicability of the effective-viscosity approach for simulating the effect of gravitational instability (GI) in disks of young stellar objects with different disk-to-star mass ratios ξ . We adopt two α-parameterizations for the effective viscosity based on Lin and Pringle [Lin, D.N.C., Pringle, J.E., 1990. ApJ 358, 515] and Kratter et al. [Kratter, K.M., Matzner, Ch.D., Krumholz, M.R., 2008. ApJ 681, 375] and compare the resultant disk structure, disk and stellar masses, and mass accretion rates with those obtained directly from numerical simulations of self-gravitating disks around low-mass (M∗ ∼ 1.0M⊙) protostars. We find that the effective viscosity can, in principle, simulate the effect of GI in stellar systems with ξ≲ 0.2- 0.3 , thus corroborating a similar conclusion by Lodato and Rice [Lodato, G., Rice, W.K.M., 2004. MNRAS 351, 630] that was based on a different α-parameterization. In particular, the Kratter et al.'s α-parameterization has proven superior to that of Lin and Pringle's, because the success of the latter depends crucially on the proper choice of the α-parameter. However, the α-parameterization generally fails in stellar systems with ξ≳ 0.3 , particularly in the Classes 0 and I phases of stellar evolution, yielding too small stellar masses and too large disk-to-star mass ratios. In addition, the time-averaged mass accretion rates onto the star are underestimated in the early disk evolution and greatly overestimated in the late evolution. The failure of the α-parameterization in the case of large ξ is caused by a growing strength of low-order spiral modes in massive disks. Only in the late Class II phase, when the magnitude of spiral modes diminishes and the mode-to-mode interaction ensues, may the effective viscosity be used to simulate the effect of GI in stellar systems with ξ≳ 0.3 . A simple modification of the effective viscosity that takes into account disk fragmentation can somewhat improve

Relativistic, accreting disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abramowicz, M.A; Jaroszynski, M.; Sikora, M.

1978-01-01

An analytic theory of the hydrodynamical structure of accreting disks (without self-gravitation but with pressure) orbiting around and axially symmetric, stationary, compact body (e.g. black hole) is presented. The inner edge of the marginally stable accreting disk (i.e. disk with constant angular momentum density) has a sharp cusp located on the equatorial plane between rsub(ms) and rsub(mb). The existence of the cusp is also typical for any angular momentum distribution. The physical importance of the cusp follows from the close analogy with the case of a close binary system (L 1 Lagrange point on the Roche lobe). The existence of the cusp is thus a crucial phenomenon in such problems as boundary condition for the viscous stresses, accretion rate etc. (orig.) [de

CT recognition of lateral lumbar disk herniation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Williams, A.L.; Haughton, V.M.; Daniels, D.L.; Thornton, R.S.

1982-01-01

Although computed tomography (CT) has been shown to be useful in diagnosing posterolateral and central lumbar disk herniations, its effectiveness in demonstrating lateral herniated disks has not been emphasized. The myelographic recognition of those herniations may be difficult because root sheaths or dural sacs may not be deformed. A total of 274 CT scans interpreted as showing lumbar disk herniation was reviewed. Fourteen (5%) showed a lateral disk herniation. The CT features of a lateral herniated disk included: (1) focal protrusion of the disk margin within or lateral to the intervertebral foramen: (2) displacement of epidural fat within the intervertebral foramen; (3) absence of dural sac deformity; and (4) soft-tissue mass within or lateral to the intervertebral foramen. Because it can image the disk margin and free disk fragments irrespective of dural sac or root sheath deformity, CT may be more effective than myelography for demonstrating the presence and extent of lateral disk herniation

Grain surface chemistry in protoplanetary disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reboussin, Laura

2015-01-01

Planetary formation occurs in the protoplanetary disks of gas and dust. Although dust represents only 1% of the total disk mass, it plays a fundamental role in disk chemical evolution since it acts as a catalyst for the formation of molecules. Understanding this chemistry is therefore essential to determine the initial conditions from which planets form. During my thesis, I studied grain-surface chemistry and its impact on the chemical evolution of molecular cloud, initial condition for disk formation, and protoplanetary disk. Thanks to numerical simulations, using the gas-grain code Nautilus, I showed the importance of diffusion reactions and gas-grain interactions for the abundances of gas-phase species. Model results combined with observations also showed the effects of the physical structure (in temperature, density, AV) on the molecular distribution in disks. (author)

The embedded young stars in the Taurus-Auriga molecular cloud. I - Models for spectral energy distributions

Science.gov (United States)

Kenyon, Scott J.; Calvet, Nuria; Hartmann, Lee

1993-01-01

We describe radiative transfer calculations of infalling, dusty envelopes surrounding pre-main-sequence stars and use these models to derive physical properties for a sample of 21 heavily reddened young stars in the Taurus-Auriga molecular cloud. The density distributions needed to match the FIR peaks in the spectral energy distributions of these embedded sources suggest mass infall rates similar to those predicted for simple thermally supported clouds with temperatures about 10 K. Unless the dust opacities are badly in error, our models require substantial departures from spherical symmetry in the envelopes of all sources. These flattened envelopes may be produced by a combination of rotation and cavities excavated by bipolar flows. The rotating infall models of Terebey et al. (1984) models indicate a centrifugal radius of about 70 AU for many objects if rotation is the only important physical effect, and this radius is reasonably consistent with typical estimates for the sizes of circumstellar disks around T Tauri stars.

HUBBLE SPACE TELESCOPE NICMOS POLARIZATION OBSERVATIONS OF THREE EDGE-ON MASSIVE YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simpson, Janet P.; Colgan, Sean W. J.; Erickson, Edwin F.; Burton, Michael G.; Cotera, Angela S.; Hines, Dean C.; Whitney, Barbara A.

2009-01-01

Massive young stellar objects (YSOs), like low-mass YSOs, appear to be surrounded by optically thick envelopes and/or disks and have regions, often bipolar, that are seen in polarized scattered light at near-infrared wavelengths. We are using the 0.''2 spatial resolution of the Near Infrared Camera and Multi-Object Spectrometer (NICMOS) on Hubble Space Telescope to examine the structure of the disks and outflow regions of massive YSOs in star-forming regions within a few kpc of the Sun. Here we report on 2 μm polarimetry of NGC 6334 V and S255 IRS1. NGC 6334 V consists of a double-lobed bright reflection nebula seen against a dark region, probably an optically thick molecular cloud. Our polarization measurements show that the illuminating star lies ∼2'' south of the line connecting the two lobes; we do not detect this star at 2 μm, but there are a small radio source and a mid-infrared source at this location. S255 IRS1 consists of two YSOs (NIRS1 and NIRS3) with overlapping scattered light lobes and luminosities corresponding to early B stars. Included in IRS1 is a cluster of stars from whose polarization we determine the local magnetic field direction. Neither of the YSOs has its scattered light lobes aligned with this magnetic field. The line connecting the scattered light lobes of NIRS1 is twisted symmetrically around the star; the best explanation is that the star is part of a close binary and the outflow axis of NIRS1 is precessing as a result of non-coplanar disk and orbit. The star NIRS3 is also offset from the line connecting its two scattered light lobes. We suggest that all three YSOs show evidence of episodic ejection of material as they accrete from dense, optically thick envelopes.

The DiskMass Survey. II. Error Budget

Science.gov (United States)

Bershady, Matthew A.; Verheijen, Marc A. W.; Westfall, Kyle B.; Andersen, David R.; Swaters, Rob A.; Martinsson, Thomas

2010-06-01

We present a performance analysis of the DiskMass Survey. The survey uses collisionless tracers in the form of disk stars to measure the surface density of spiral disks, to provide an absolute calibration of the stellar mass-to-light ratio (Υ_{*}), and to yield robust estimates of the dark-matter halo density profile in the inner regions of galaxies. We find that a disk inclination range of 25°-35° is optimal for our measurements, consistent with our survey design to select nearly face-on galaxies. Uncertainties in disk scale heights are significant, but can be estimated from radial scale lengths to 25% now, and more precisely in the future. We detail the spectroscopic analysis used to derive line-of-sight velocity dispersions, precise at low surface-brightness, and accurate in the presence of composite stellar populations. Our methods take full advantage of large-grasp integral-field spectroscopy and an extensive library of observed stars. We show that the baryon-to-total mass fraction ({F}_bar) is not a well-defined observational quantity because it is coupled to the halo mass model. This remains true even when the disk mass is known and spatially extended rotation curves are available. In contrast, the fraction of the rotation speed supplied by the disk at 2.2 scale lengths (disk maximality) is a robust observational indicator of the baryonic disk contribution to the potential. We construct the error budget for the key quantities: dynamical disk mass surface density (Σdyn), disk stellar mass-to-light ratio (Υ^disk_{*}), and disk maximality ({F}_{*,max}^disk≡ V^disk_{*,max}/ V_c). Random and systematic errors in these quantities for individual galaxies will be ~25%, while survey precision for sample quartiles are reduced to 10%, largely devoid of systematic errors outside of distance uncertainties.

A COMMON SOURCE OF ACCRETION DISK TILT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montgomery, M. M.; Martin, E. L.

2010-01-01

Many different system types retrogradely precess, and retrograde precession could be from a tidal torque by the secondary on a misaligned accretion disk. However, a source that causes and maintains disk tilt is unknown. In this work, we show that accretion disks can tilt due to a force called lift. Lift results from differing gas stream supersonic speeds over and under an accretion disk. Because lift acts at the disk's center of pressure, a torque is applied around a rotation axis passing through the disk's center of mass. The disk responds to lift by pitching around the disk's line of nodes. If the gas stream flow ebbs, then lift also ebbs and the disk attempts to return to its original orientation. To first approximation, lift does not depend on magnetic fields or radiation sources but does depend on the mass and the surface area of the disk. Also, for disk tilt to be initiated, a minimum mass transfer rate must be exceeded. For example, a 10 -11 M sun disk around a 0.8 M sun compact central object requires a mass transfer rate greater than ∼ 8 x 10 -11 M sun yr -1 , a value well below the known mass transfer rates in cataclysmic variable dwarf novae systems that retrogradely precess and exhibit negative superhumps in their light curves and a value well below mass transfer rates in protostellar-forming systems.

SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED: THE DISRUPTED DISK OF THE STARBURST GALAXY NGC 253

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davidge, T. J.

2010-01-01

Near-infrared images obtained with WIRCam on the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope are used to investigate the recent history of the nearby Sculptor Group spiral NGC 253, which is one of the nearest starburst galaxies. Bright asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars are traced out to projected distances of ∼22-26 kpc (∼13-15 disk scale lengths) along the major axis. The distribution of stars in the disk is lopsided, in the sense that the projected density of AGB stars in the northeast portion of the disk between 10 and 20 kpc from the galaxy center is ∼0.5 dex higher than on the opposite side of the galaxy. A large population of red supergiants is also found in the northeast portion of the disk and, with the exception of the central 2 kpc, this area appears to have been the site of the highest levels of star-forming activity in the galaxy during the past ∼0.1 Gyr. It is argued that such high levels of localized star formation may have produced a fountain that ejected material from the disk, and the extraplanar H I detected by Boomsma et al. may be one manifestation of such activity. Diffuse stellar structures are found in the periphery of the disk, and the most prominent of these is to the south and east of the galaxy. Bright AGB stars, including cool C stars that are identified based on their J - K colors, are detected out to 15 kpc above the disk plane, and these are part of a diffusely distributed, flattened extraplanar component. Comparisons between observed and model luminosity functions suggest that the extraplanar regions contain stars that formed throughout much of the age of the universe. Additional evidence of a diffuse, extraplanar stellar component that contains moderately young stars comes from archival Galaxy Evolution Explorer images. It is suggested that the disk of NGC 253 was disrupted by a tidal encounter with a now defunct companion. This encounter introduced asymmetries that remain to this day, and the projected distribution of stars in and

3.3 CM JVLA OBSERVATIONS OF TRANSITIONAL DISKS: SEARCHING FOR CENTIMETER PEBBLES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zapata, Luis A.; Rodríguez, Luis F.; Palau, Aina

2017-01-01

We present sensitive (rms-noises ∼4–25 μ Jy) and high angular resolution (∼1″–2″) 8.9 GHz (3.3 cm) Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array radio continuum observations of 10 presumed transitional disks associated with young low-mass stars. We report the detection of radio continuum emission in 5 out of the 10 objects (RXJ1615, UX Tau A, LkCa15, RXJ1633, and SR 24s). In the case of LkCa15, the centimeter emission is extended, and has a similar morphology to that of the transitional disk observed at millimeter wavelengths with an inner depression. For these five detections, we construct the spectral energy distributions from the centimeter to submillimeter wavelengths, and find that they can be well fitted with a single (RXJ1633 and UX Tau A) or a two-component power law (LkCa15, RXJ1615, and SR 24s). For the cases where a single power law fits the data well, the centimeter emission is likely produced by optically thin dust with large grains (i.e., centimeter-size pebbles) present in the transitional disks. For the cases where a double power law fits the data, the centimeter emission might be produced by the combination of photoevaporation and a free–free jet. We conclude that RXJ1633 and UX Tau A are excellent examples of transitional disks where the structure of the emission from centimeter/millimeter pebbles can be studied. In the other cases, some other physical emitting mechanisms are also important in the centimeter regime.

3.3 CM JVLA OBSERVATIONS OF TRANSITIONAL DISKS: SEARCHING FOR CENTIMETER PEBBLES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zapata, Luis A.; Rodríguez, Luis F.; Palau, Aina, E-mail: lzapata@crya.unam.mx [Instituto de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica, UNAM, Apdo. Postal 3-72 (Xangari), 58089 Morelia, Michoacán, México (Mexico)

2017-01-10

We present sensitive (rms-noises ∼4–25 μ Jy) and high angular resolution (∼1″–2″) 8.9 GHz (3.3 cm) Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array radio continuum observations of 10 presumed transitional disks associated with young low-mass stars. We report the detection of radio continuum emission in 5 out of the 10 objects (RXJ1615, UX Tau A, LkCa15, RXJ1633, and SR 24s). In the case of LkCa15, the centimeter emission is extended, and has a similar morphology to that of the transitional disk observed at millimeter wavelengths with an inner depression. For these five detections, we construct the spectral energy distributions from the centimeter to submillimeter wavelengths, and find that they can be well fitted with a single (RXJ1633 and UX Tau A) or a two-component power law (LkCa15, RXJ1615, and SR 24s). For the cases where a single power law fits the data well, the centimeter emission is likely produced by optically thin dust with large grains (i.e., centimeter-size pebbles) present in the transitional disks. For the cases where a double power law fits the data, the centimeter emission might be produced by the combination of photoevaporation and a free–free jet. We conclude that RXJ1633 and UX Tau A are excellent examples of transitional disks where the structure of the emission from centimeter/millimeter pebbles can be studied. In the other cases, some other physical emitting mechanisms are also important in the centimeter regime.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in disks around young solar-type stars

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Geers, Vincent Carlo

2007-01-01

In this thesis we study the dust around solar-type young stars. In particular, we focus on one specific species of dust, namely the Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs), a family of large molecules, or small grains, that are widely observed in nearby star-forming regions. We address the following

Covering and piercing disks with two centers

KAUST Repository

Ahn, Heekap; Kim, Sangsub; Knauer, Christian; Schlipf, Lena; Shin, Chansu; Vigneron, Antoine E.

2013-01-01

We give exact and approximation algorithms for two-center problems when the input is a set D of disks in the plane. We first study the problem of finding two smallest congruent disks such that each disk in D intersects one of these two disks. Then we study the problem of covering the set D by two smallest congruent disks. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Covering and piercing disks with two centers

KAUST Repository

Ahn, Heekap

2013-04-01

We give exact and approximation algorithms for two-center problems when the input is a set D of disks in the plane. We first study the problem of finding two smallest congruent disks such that each disk in D intersects one of these two disks. Then we study the problem of covering the set D by two smallest congruent disks. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

DEBRIS DISTRIBUTION IN HD 95086—A YOUNG ANALOG OF HR 8799

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su, Kate Y. L.; Smith, Paul S.; Rieke, George H.; Morrison, Sarah; Malhotra, Renu; Balog, Zoltan

2015-01-01

HD 95086 is a young early-type star that hosts (1) a 5 M J planet at the projected distance of 56 AU revealed by direct imaging, and (2) a prominent debris disk. Here we report the detection of 69 μm crystalline olivine feature from the disk using the Spitzer/MIPS-SED data covering 55-95 μm. Due to the low resolution of the MIPS-SED mode, this feature is not spectrally resolved, but is consistent with the emission from crystalline forsterite contributing ∼5% of the total dust mass. We also present detailed analysis of the disk spectral energy distribution and re-analysis of resolved images obtained by Herschel. Our results suggest that the debris structure around HD 95086 consists of a warm (∼175 K) belt, a cold (∼55 K) disk, and an extended disk halo (up to ∼800 AU), and is very similar to that of HR 8799. We compare the properties of the three debris components, and suggest that HD 95086 is a young analog of HR 8799. We further investigate and constrain single-planet, two-planet, three-planet, and four-planet architectures that can account for the observed debris structure and are compatible with dynamical stability constraints. We find that equal-mass four-planet configurations of geometrically spaced orbits, with each planet of mass ∼ 5 M J , could maintain the gap between the warm and cold debris belts, and also be just marginally stable for timescales comparable to the age of the system

DEBRIS DISTRIBUTION IN HD 95086—A YOUNG ANALOG OF HR 8799

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Su, Kate Y. L.; Smith, Paul S.; Rieke, George H. [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 N Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Morrison, Sarah; Malhotra, Renu [Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Balog, Zoltan, E-mail: ksu@as.arizona.edu [Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17 D-69117, Heidelberg (Germany)

2015-02-01

HD 95086 is a young early-type star that hosts (1) a 5 M{sub J} planet at the projected distance of 56 AU revealed by direct imaging, and (2) a prominent debris disk. Here we report the detection of 69 μm crystalline olivine feature from the disk using the Spitzer/MIPS-SED data covering 55-95 μm. Due to the low resolution of the MIPS-SED mode, this feature is not spectrally resolved, but is consistent with the emission from crystalline forsterite contributing ∼5% of the total dust mass. We also present detailed analysis of the disk spectral energy distribution and re-analysis of resolved images obtained by Herschel. Our results suggest that the debris structure around HD 95086 consists of a warm (∼175 K) belt, a cold (∼55 K) disk, and an extended disk halo (up to ∼800 AU), and is very similar to that of HR 8799. We compare the properties of the three debris components, and suggest that HD 95086 is a young analog of HR 8799. We further investigate and constrain single-planet, two-planet, three-planet, and four-planet architectures that can account for the observed debris structure and are compatible with dynamical stability constraints. We find that equal-mass four-planet configurations of geometrically spaced orbits, with each planet of mass ∼ 5 M{sub J} , could maintain the gap between the warm and cold debris belts, and also be just marginally stable for timescales comparable to the age of the system.

HERSCHEL OBSERVATIONS OF THE T CHA TRANSITION DISK: CONSTRAINING THE OUTER DISK PROPERTIES

OpenAIRE

Cieza, Lucas A.; Olofsson, Johan; Harvey, Paul M.; Pinte, Christophe; Merin, Bruno; Augereau, Jean-Charles; Evans, Neal J., II; Najita, Joan; Henning, Thomas; Menard, Francois

2011-01-01

T Cha is a nearby (d = 100 pc) transition disk known to have an optically thin gap separating optically thick inner and outer disk components. Huelamo et al. (2011) recently reported the presence of a low-mass object candidate within the gap of the T Cha disk, giving credence to the suspected planetary origin of this gap. Here we present the Herschel photometry (70, 160, 250, 350, and 500 micron) of T Cha from the "Dust, Ice, and Gas in Time" (DIGIT) Key Program, which bridges the wavelength ...

YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS IN THE LARGE MAGELLANIC CLOUD STAR-FORMING REGION N206

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Romita, Krista Alexandra; Meixner, M.; Sewilo, M.; Shiao, B.; Carlson, Lynn Redding; Whitney, B.; Babler, B.; Meade, M.; Indebetouw, R.; Hora, J. L.

2010-01-01

We present analysis of the energetic star-forming region Henize 206 (N206) located near the southern edge of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) based on photometric data from the Spitzer Surveying the Agents of Galaxy Evolution (SAGE-LMC; IRAC 3.6, 4.5, 5.8, 8.0 μm and MIPS 24 μm), Infrared Survey Facility near-infrared survey (J, H, K s ), and the Magellanic Clouds Photometric Survey (MCPS UBVI) covering a wavelength range of 0.36-24 μm. Young stellar object (YSO) candidates are identified based upon their location in infrared color-magnitude space and classified by the shapes of their spectral energy distributions in comparison with a pre-computed grid of YSO models. We identify 116 YSO candidates: 102 are well characterized by the YSO models, predominately Stage I, and 14 may be multiple sources or young sources with transition disks. Careful examination of the individual sources and their surrounding environment allows us to identify a factor of ∼14.5 more YSO candidates than have already been identified. The total mass of these well-fit YSO candidates is ∼520 M sun . We calculate a current star formation rate of 0.27 x 10 -1 M sun yr -1 kpc -2 . The distribution of YSO candidates appears to follow shells of neutral material in the interstellar medium.

EMBEDDED PROTOSTELLAR DISKS AROUND (SUB-)SOLAR STARS. II. DISK MASSES, SIZES, DENSITIES, TEMPERATURES, AND THE PLANET FORMATION PERSPECTIVE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vorobyov, Eduard I.

2011-01-01

We present basic properties of protostellar disks in the embedded phase of star formation (EPSF), which is difficult to probe observationally using available observational facilities. We use numerical hydrodynamics simulations of cloud core collapse and focus on disks formed around stars in the 0.03-1.0 M sun mass range. Our obtained disk masses scale near-linearly with the stellar mass. The mean and median disk masses in the Class 0 and I phases (M mean d,C0 = 0.12 M sun , M mdn d,C0 = 0.09 M sun and M mean d,CI = 0.18 M sun , M mdn d,CI = 0.15 M sun , respectively) are greater than those inferred from observations by (at least) a factor of 2-3. We demonstrate that this disagreement may (in part) be caused by the optically thick inner regions of protostellar disks, which do not contribute to millimeter dust flux. We find that disk masses and surface densities start to systematically exceed that of the minimum mass solar nebular for objects with stellar mass as low as M * = 0.05-0.1 M sun . Concurrently, disk radii start to grow beyond 100 AU, making gravitational fragmentation in the disk outer regions possible. Large disk masses, surface densities, and sizes suggest that giant planets may start forming as early as in the EPSF, either by means of core accretion (inner disk regions) or direct gravitational instability (outer disk regions), thus breaking a longstanding stereotype that the planet formation process begins in the Class II phase.

TOWARD A GLOBAL EVOLUTIONARY MODEL OF PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bai, Xue-Ning, E-mail: xbai@cfa.harvard.edu [Institute for Theory and Computation, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St., MS-51, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2016-04-20

A global picture of the evolution  of protoplanetary disks (PPDs) is key to understanding almost every aspect of planet formation, where standard α-disk models have been continually employed for their simplicity. In the meantime, disk mass loss has been conventionally attributed to photoevaporation, which controls disk dispersal. However, a paradigm shift toward accretion driven by magnetized disk winds has taken place in recent years, thanks to studies of non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic effects in PPDs. I present a framework of global PPD evolution aiming to incorporate these advances, highlighting the role of wind-driven accretion and wind mass loss. Disk evolution is found to be largely dominated by wind-driven processes, and viscous spreading is suppressed. The timescale of disk evolution is controlled primarily by the amount of external magnetic flux threading the disks, and how rapidly the disk loses the flux. Rapid disk dispersal can be achieved if the disk is able to hold most of its magnetic flux during the evolution. In addition, because wind launching requires a sufficient level of ionization at the disk surface (mainly via external far-UV (FUV) radiation), wind kinematics is also affected by the FUV penetration depth and disk geometry. For a typical disk lifetime of a few million years, the disk loses approximately the same amount of mass through the wind as through accretion onto the protostar, and most of the wind mass loss proceeds from the outer disk via a slow wind. Fractional wind mass loss increases with increasing disk lifetime. Significant wind mass loss likely substantially enhances the dust-to-gas mass ratio and promotes planet formation.

TOWARD A GLOBAL EVOLUTIONARY MODEL OF PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai, Xue-Ning

2016-01-01

A global picture of the evolution  of protoplanetary disks (PPDs) is key to understanding almost every aspect of planet formation, where standard α-disk models have been continually employed for their simplicity. In the meantime, disk mass loss has been conventionally attributed to photoevaporation, which controls disk dispersal. However, a paradigm shift toward accretion driven by magnetized disk winds has taken place in recent years, thanks to studies of non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic effects in PPDs. I present a framework of global PPD evolution aiming to incorporate these advances, highlighting the role of wind-driven accretion and wind mass loss. Disk evolution is found to be largely dominated by wind-driven processes, and viscous spreading is suppressed. The timescale of disk evolution is controlled primarily by the amount of external magnetic flux threading the disks, and how rapidly the disk loses the flux. Rapid disk dispersal can be achieved if the disk is able to hold most of its magnetic flux during the evolution. In addition, because wind launching requires a sufficient level of ionization at the disk surface (mainly via external far-UV (FUV) radiation), wind kinematics is also affected by the FUV penetration depth and disk geometry. For a typical disk lifetime of a few million years, the disk loses approximately the same amount of mass through the wind as through accretion onto the protostar, and most of the wind mass loss proceeds from the outer disk via a slow wind. Fractional wind mass loss increases with increasing disk lifetime. Significant wind mass loss likely substantially enhances the dust-to-gas mass ratio and promotes planet formation

Relativistic, accreting disks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Abramowicz, M A; Jaroszynski, M; Sikora, M [Polska Akademia Nauk, Warsaw

1978-02-01

An analytic theory of the hydrodynamical structure of accreting disks (without self-gravitation but with pressure) orbiting around an axially symmetric, stationary, compact body (e.g. black hole) is presented. The inner edge of the marginally stable accreting disk (i.e. disk with constant angular momentum density) has a sharp cusp located on the equatorial plane between r/sub ms/ and r/sub mb/. The existence of the cusp is also typical for any angular momentum distribution. The physical importance of the cusp follows from the close analogy with the case of a close binary system (L/sub 1/ Lagrange point on the Roche lobe). The existence of the cusp is thus a crucial phenomenon in such problems as boundary condition for the viscous stresses, accretion rate, etc.

IBM 3390 Hard Disk Platter

CERN Multimedia

1991-01-01

The 3390 disks rotated faster than those in the previous model 3380. Faster disk rotation reduced rotational delay (ie. the time required for the correct area of the disk surface to move to the point where data could be read or written). In the 3390's initial models, the average rotational delay was reduced to 7.1 milliseconds from 8.3 milliseconds for the 3380 family.

How do giant planetary cores shape the dust disk? HL Tau system

OpenAIRE

Picogna, Giovanni; Kley, Wilhelm

2015-01-01

We are observing, thanks to ALMA, the dust distribution in the region of active planet formation around young stars. This is a powerful tool to connect observations with theoretical models and improve our understandings of the processes at play. We want to test how a multi-planetary system shapes its birth disk and study the influence of the planetary masses and particle sizes on the final dust distribution. Moreover, we apply our model to the HL Tau system in order to obtain some insights on...

SED Modeling of 20 Massive Young Stellar Objects

Science.gov (United States)

Tanti, Kamal Kumar

In this paper, we present the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) modeling of twenty massive young stellar objects (MYSOs) and subsequently estimated different physical and structural/geometrical parameters for each of the twenty central YSO outflow candidates, along with their associated circumstellar disks and infalling envelopes. The SEDs for each of the MYSOs been reconstructed by using 2MASS, MSX, IRAS, IRAC & MIPS, SCUBA, WISE, SPIRE and IRAM data, with the help of a SED Fitting Tool, that uses a grid of 2D radiative transfer models. Using the detailed analysis of SEDs and subsequent estimation of physical and geometrical parameters for the central YSO sources along with its circumstellar disks and envelopes, the cumulative distribution of the stellar, disk and envelope parameters can be analyzed. This leads to a better understanding of massive star formation processes in their respective star forming regions in different molecular clouds.

Formation of Close-in Super-Earths in an Evolving Disk Due to Disk Winds

Science.gov (United States)

Ogihara, Masahiro; Kokubo, Eiichiro; Suzuki, Takeru; Morbidelli, Alessandro

2018-04-01

Planets with masses larger than Mars mass undergo rapid inward migration (type I migration) in a standard protoplanetary disk. Recent magnetohydrodynamical simulations revealed the presence of magnetically-driven disk winds, which would alter the disk profile and the type I migration in the close-in region (rEarths can be reproduced by simulations. We find that the type I migration is significantly suppressed in a disk with flat surface density profile. After planetary embryos undergo slow inward migration, they are captured in a resonant chain. The resonant chain undergoes late orbital instability during the gas depletion, leading to a non-resonant configuration. We also find that observed distributions of close-in super-Earths (e.g., period ratio, mass ratio) can be reproduced by results of simulations.

Hydrogen Cyanide In Protoplanetary Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Walker, Ashley L.; Oberg, Karin; Cleeves, L. Ilsedore

2018-01-01

The chemistry behind star and planet formation is extremely complex and important in the formation of habitable planets. Life requires molecules containing carbon, oxygen, and importantly, nitrogen. Hydrogen cyanide, or HCN, one of the main interstellar nitrogen carriers, is extremely dangerous here on Earth. However, it could be used as a vital tool for tracking the chemistry of potentially habitable planets. As we get closer to identifying other habitable planets, we must understand the beginnings of how those planets are formed in the early protoplanetary disk. This project investigates HCN chemistry in different locations in the disk, and what this might mean for forming planets at different distances from the star. HCN is a chemically diverse molecule. It is connected to the formation for other more complex molecules and is commonly used as a nitrogen tracer. Using computational chemical models we look at how the HCN abundance changes at different locations. We use realistic and physically motivated conditions for the gas in the protoplanetary disk: temperature, density, and radiation (UV flux). We analyze the reaction network, formation, and destruction of HCN molecules in the disk environment. The disk environment informs us about stability of habitable planets that are created based on HCN molecules. We reviewed and compared the difference in the molecules with a variety of locations in the disk and ultimately giving us a better understanding on how we view protoplanetary disks.

The Tilt between Acretion Disk and Stellar Disk Shiyin Shen1,2 ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

80 Nandan Road, Shanghai 200030, China. 2Key Lab for Astrophysics, Shanghai 200234, China. ∗ e-mail: ssy@shao.ac.cn. Abstract. The orientations .... shows the model prediction from the stellar dust model (section 5). 4. Result: The tilt between the accretion disk and stellar disk. We parameterize the inclinations of the ...

Covering and piercing disks with two centers

KAUST Repository

Ahn, Heekap; Kim, Sangsub; Knauer, Christian; Schlipf, Lena; Shin, Chansu; Vigneron, Antoine E.

2011-01-01

We consider new versions of the two-center problem where the input consists of a set D of disks in the plane. We first study the problem of finding two smallest congruent disks such that each disk in intersects one of these two disks. Then we study the problem of covering the set D by two smallest congruent disks. We give exact and approximation algorithms for these versions. © 2011 Springer-Verlag.

Verbatim Floppy Disk

CERN Multimedia

1976-01-01

Introduced under the name "Verbatim", Latin for "literally", these disks that sized more than 5¼ inches have become almost universal on dedicated word processing systems and personal computers. This format was replaced more slowly by the 3½-inch format, introduced for the first time in 1982. Compared to today, these large format disks stored very little data. In reality, they could only contain a few pages of text.

Dust Density Distribution and Imaging Analysis of Different Ice Lines in Protoplanetary Disks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pinilla, P. [Department of Astronomy/Steward Observatory, The University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Pohl, A. [Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); Stammler, S. M.; Birnstiel, T., E-mail: pinilla@email.arizona.edu [University Observatory, Faculty of Physics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Scheinerstr. 1, D-81679 Münich (Germany)

2017-08-10

Recent high angular resolution observations of protoplanetary disks at different wavelengths have revealed several kinds of structures, including multiple bright and dark rings. Embedded planets are the most used explanation for such structures, but there are alternative models capable of shaping the dust in rings as it has been observed. We assume a disk around a Herbig star and investigate the effect that ice lines have on the dust evolution, following the growth, fragmentation, and dynamics of multiple dust size particles, covering from 1 μ m to 2 m sized objects. We use simplified prescriptions of the fragmentation velocity threshold, which is assumed to change radially at the location of one, two, or three ice lines. We assume changes at the radial location of main volatiles, specifically H{sub 2}O, CO{sub 2}, and NH{sub 3}. Radiative transfer calculations are done using the resulting dust density distributions in order to compare with current multiwavelength observations. We find that the structures in the dust density profiles and radial intensities at different wavelengths strongly depend on the disk viscosity. A clear gap of emission can be formed between ice lines and be surrounded by ring-like structures, in particular between the H{sub 2}O and CO{sub 2} (or CO). The gaps are expected to be shallower and narrower at millimeter emission than at near-infrared, opposite to model predictions of particle trapping. In our models, the total gas surface density is not expected to show strong variations, in contrast to other gap-forming scenarios such as embedded giant planets or radial variations of the disk viscosity.

Astrophysical disks Collective and Stochastic Phenomena

CERN Document Server

Fridman, Alexei M; Kovalenko, Ilya G

2006-01-01

The book deals with collective and stochastic processes in astrophysical discs involving theory, observations, and the results of modelling. Among others, it examines the spiral-vortex structure in galactic and accretion disks , stochastic and ordered structures in the developed turbulence. It also describes sources of turbulence in the accretion disks, internal structure of disk in the vicinity of a black hole, numerical modelling of Be envelopes in binaries, gaseous disks in spiral galaxies with shock waves formation, observation of accretion disks in a binary system and mass distribution of luminous matter in disk galaxies. The editors adaptly brought together collective and stochastic phenomena in the modern field of astrophysical discs, their formation, structure, and evolution involving the methodology to deal with, the results of observation and modelling, thereby advancing the study in this important branch of astrophysics and benefiting Professional Researchers, Lecturers, and Graduate Students.

Development of Powered Disk Type Sugar Cane Stubble Saver

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Radite P.A.S.

2009-04-01

Full Text Available The objective of this research was to design, fabricate and test a prototype of sugar cane stubble saver based on powered disk mechanism. In this research, a heavy duty disk plow or disk harrow was used as a rotating knife to cut the sugarcane stubble. The parabolic disk was chosen because it is proven reliable as soil working tools and it is available in the market as spare part of disk plow or disk harrow unit. The prototype was mounted on the four wheel tractor’s three point hitch, and powered by PTO of the tractor. Two kinds of disks were used in these experiments, those were disk with regular edge or plain disk and disk with scalloped edge or scalloped disk. Both disks had diameter of 28 inch. Results of field test showed that powered disk mechanism could satisfy cut sugar cane’s stubble. However, scalloped disk type gave smoother stubble cuts compared to that of plain disk. Plain disk type gave broken stubble cut. Higher rotation (1000 rpm resulted better cuts as compared to lower rotation (500 rpm both either on plain disk and scalloped disk. The developed prototype could work below the soil surface at depth of 5 to 10 cm. With tilt angle setting 20O and disk angle 45O the width of cut was about 25 cm.

Impact of Distance Determinations on Galactic Structure. I. Young and Intermediate-Age Tracers

Science.gov (United States)

Matsunaga, Noriyuki; Bono, Giuseppe; Chen, Xiaodian; de Grijs, Richard; Inno, Laura; Nishiyama, Shogo

2018-06-01

Here we discuss impacts of distance determinations on the Galactic disk traced by relatively young objects. The Galactic disk, ˜40 kpc in diameter, is a cross-road of studies on the methods of measuring distances, interstellar extinction, evolution of galaxies, and other subjects of interest in astronomy. A proper treatment of interstellar extinction is, for example, crucial for estimating distances to stars in the disk outside the small range of the solar neighborhood. We'll review the current status of relevant studies and discuss some new approaches to the extinction law. When the extinction law is reasonably constrained, distance indicators found in today and future surveys are telling us stellar distribution and more throughout the Galactic disk. Among several useful distance indicators, the focus of this review is Cepheids and open clusters (especially contact binaries in clusters). These tracers are particularly useful for addressing the metallicity gradient of the Galactic disk, an important feature for which comparison between observations and theoretical models can reveal the evolution of the disk.

Accretion in Radiative Equipartition (AiRE) Disks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yazdi, Yasaman K.; Afshordi, Niayesh, E-mail: yyazdi@pitp.ca, E-mail: nafshordi@pitp.ca [Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics, 31 Caroline Street N, Waterloo, ON N2L 2Y5 (Canada)

2017-07-01

Standard accretion disk theory predicts that the total pressure in disks at typical (sub-)Eddington accretion rates becomes radiation pressure dominated. However, radiation pressure dominated disks are thermally unstable. Since these disks are observed in approximate steady state over the instability timescale, our accretion models in the radiation-pressure-dominated regime (i.e., inner disk) need to be modified. Here, we present a modification to the Shakura and Sunyaev model, where the radiation pressure is in equipartition with the gas pressure in the inner region. We call these flows accretion in radiative equipartition (AiRE) disks. We introduce the basic features of AiRE disks and show how they modify disk properties such as the Toomre parameter and the central temperature. We then show that the accretion rate of AiRE disks is limited from above and below, by Toomre and nodal sonic point instabilities, respectively. The former leads to a strict upper limit on the mass of supermassive black holes as a function of cosmic time (and spin), while the latter could explain the transition between hard and soft states of X-ray binaries.

Modeling Protoplanetary Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Holman, Megan; Tubbs, Drake; Keller, L. D.

2018-01-01

Using spectra models with known parameters and comparing them to spectra gathered from real systems is often the only ways to find out what is going on in those real systems. This project uses the modeling programs of RADMC-3D to generate model spectra for systems containing protoplanetary disks. The parameters can be changed to simulate protoplanetary disks in different stages of planet formation, with different sized gaps in different areas of the disks, as well as protoplanetary disks that contain different types of dust. We are working on producing a grid of models that all have different variations in the parameters in order to generate a miniature database to use for comparisons to gathered spectra. The spectra produced from these simulations will be compared to spectra that have been gathered from systems in the Small Magellanic cloud in order to find out the contents and stage of development of that system. This allows us to see if and how planets are forming in the Small Magellanic cloud, a region which has much less metallicity than our own galaxy. The data we gather from comparisons between the model spectra and the spectra of systems in the Small Magellanic Cloud can then be applied to how planets may have formed in the early universe.

Spiral Arms in the Asymmetrically Illuminated Disk of MWC 758 and Constraints on Giant Planets

Science.gov (United States)

Grady, C. A.; Muto, T.; Hashimoto, J.; Fukagawa, M.; Currie, T.; Biller, B.; Thalmann, C.; Sitko, M. L.; Russell, R.; Wisniewski, J.;

The Fabulous Four Debris Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Werner, Michael; Stapelfeldt, Karl

2004-09-01

This program is a comprehensive study of the four bright debris disks that were spatially resolved by IRAS: Beta Pictoris, Epsilon Eridani, Fomalhaut, and Vega. All SIRTF instruments and observing modes will be used. The program has three major objectives: (1) Study of the disk spatial structure from MIPS and IRAC imaging; (2) Study of the dust grain composition using the IRS and MIPS SED mode; and (3) companion searches using IRAC. The data from this program should lead to a detailed understanding of these four systems, and will provide a foundation for understanding all of the debris disks to be studied with SIRTF. Images and spectra will be compared with models for disk structure and dust properties. Dynamical features indicative of substellar companions' effects on the disks will be searched for. This program will require supporting observations of PSF stars, some of which have been included explicitly. In the majority of cases, the spectral observations require a preferred orientation to align the slits along the disk position angles. Detector saturation issues are still being worked for this program, and will lead to AOR modifications in subsequent submissions. The results from this program will be analyzed collaboratively by the IRAC, IRS, and MIPS teams and by general GTOs Jura and Werner.

CONSTRAINTS ON COMPTON-THICK WINDS FROM BLACK HOLE ACCRETION DISKS: CAN WE SEE THE INNER DISK?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reynolds, Christopher S.

2012-01-01

Strong evidence is emerging that winds can be driven from the central regions of accretion disks in both active galactic nuclei and Galactic black hole binaries. Direct evidence for highly ionized, Compton-thin inner-disk winds comes from observations of blueshifted (v ∼ 0.05-0.1c) iron-K X-ray absorption lines. However, it has been suggested that the inner regions of black hole accretion disks can also drive Compton-thick winds—such winds would enshroud the inner disk, preventing us from seeing direct signatures of the accretion disk (i.e., the photospheric thermal emission, or the Doppler/gravitationally broadened iron Kα line). Here, we show that, provided the source is sub-Eddington, the well-established wind-driving mechanisms fail to launch a Compton-thick wind from the inner disk. For the accelerated region of the wind to be Compton-thick, the momentum carried in the wind must exceed the available photon momentum by a factor of at least 2/λ, where λ is the Eddington ratio of the source, ruling out radiative acceleration unless the source is very close to the Eddington limit. Compton-thick winds also carry large mass fluxes, and a consideration of the connections between the wind and the disk shows this to be incompatible with magneto-centrifugal driving. Finally, thermal driving of the wind is ruled out on the basis of the large Compton radii that typify black hole systems. In the absence of some new acceleration mechanisms, we conclude that the inner regions of sub-Eddington accretion disks around black holes are indeed naked.

PLANETESIMAL AND PROTOPLANET DYNAMICS IN A TURBULENT PROTOPLANETARY DISK: IDEAL UNSTRATIFIED DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Chao-Chin; Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark; Menou, Kristen

2009-01-01

The dynamics of planetesimals and planetary cores may be strongly influenced by density perturbations driven by magneto-rotational turbulence in their natal protoplanetary gas disks. Using the local shearing box approximation, we perform numerical simulations of planetesimals moving as massless particles in a turbulent, magnetized, unstratified gas disk. Our fiducial disk model shows turbulent accretion characterized by a Shakura-Sunyaev viscosity parameter of α ∼ 10 -2 , with rms density perturbations of ∼10%. We measure the statistical evolution of particle orbital properties in our simulations including mean radius, eccentricity, and velocity dispersion. We confirm random walk growth in time of all three properties, the first time that this has been done with direct orbital integration in a local model. We find that the growth rate increases with the box size used at least up to boxes of eight scale heights in horizontal size. However, even our largest boxes show velocity dispersions sufficiently low that collisional destruction of planetesimals should be unimportant in the inner disk throughout its lifetime. Our direct integrations agree with earlier torque measurements showing that type I migration dominates over diffusive migration by stochastic torques for most objects in the planetary core and terrestrial planet mass range. Diffusive migration remains important for objects in the mass range of kilometer-sized planetesimals. Discrepancies in the derived magnitude of turbulence between local and global simulations of magneto-rotationally unstable disks remains an open issue, with important consequences for planet formation scenarios.

Time-Dependent Simulations of the Formation and Evolution of Disk-Accreted Atmospheres Around Terrestrial Planets

Science.gov (United States)

Stoekl, Alexander; Dorfi, Ernst

2014-05-01

In the early, embedded phase of evolution of terrestrial planets, the planetary core accumulates gas from the circumstellar disk into a planetary envelope. This atmosphere is very significant for the further thermal evolution of the planet by forming an insulation around the rocky core. The disk-captured envelope is also the staring point for the atmospheric evolution where the atmosphere is modified by outgassing from the planetary core and atmospheric mass loss once the planet is exposed to the radiation field of the host star. The final amount of persistent atmosphere around the evolved planet very much characterizes the planet and is a key criterion for habitability. The established way to study disk accumulated atmospheres are hydrostatic models, even though in many cases the assumption of stationarity is unlikely to be fulfilled. We present, for the first time, time-dependent radiation hydrodynamics simulations of the accumulation process and the interaction between the disk-nebula gas and the planetary core. The calculations were performed with the TAPIR-Code (short for The adaptive, implicit RHD-Code) in spherical symmetry solving the equations of hydrodynamics, gray radiative transport, and convective energy transport. The models range from the surface of the solid core up to the Hill radius where the planetary envelope merges into the surrounding protoplanetary disk. Our results show that the time-scale of gas capturing and atmospheric growth strongly depends on the mass of the solid core. The amount of atmosphere accumulated during the lifetime of the protoplanetary disk (typically a few Myr) varies accordingly with the mass of the planet. Thus, a core with Mars-mass will end up with about 10 bar of atmosphere while for an Earth-mass core, the surface pressure reaches several 1000 bar. Even larger planets with several Earth masses quickly capture massive envelopes which in turn become gravitationally unstable leading to runaway accretion and the eventual

MIGRATION TRAPS IN DISKS AROUND SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bellovary, Jillian M.; Low, Mordecai-Mark Mac; McKernan, Barry; Ford, K. E. Saavik

2016-01-01

Accretion disks around supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) contain stars, stellar mass black holes, and other stellar remnants, which perturb the disk gas gravitationally. The resulting density perturbations exert torques on the embedded masses causing them to migrate through the disk in a manner analogous to planets in protoplanetary disks. We determine the strength and direction of these torques using an empirical analytic description dependent on local disk gradients, applied to two different analytic, steady-state disk models of SMBH accretion disks. We find that there are radii in such disks where the gas torque changes sign, trapping migrating objects. Our analysis shows that major migration traps generally occur where the disk surface density gradient changes sign from positive to negative, around 20–300R g , where R g  = 2GM/c 2 is the Schwarzschild radius. At these traps, massive objects in the AGN disk can accumulate, collide, scatter, and accrete. Intermediate mass black hole formation is likely in these disk locations, which may lead to preferential gap and cavity creation at these radii. Our model thus has significant implications for SMBH growth as well as gravitational wave source populations

THE DISTRIBUTION AND CHEMISTRY OF H2CO IN THE DM TAU PROTOPLANETARY DISK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loomis, Ryan A.; Öberg, Karin I.; Guzman, Viviana V.; Cleeves, L. Ilsedore; Andrews, Sean M.

2015-01-01

H 2 CO ice on dust grains is an important precursor of complex organic molecules (COMs). H 2 CO gas can be readily observed in protoplanetary disks and may be used to trace COM chemistry. However, its utility as a COM probe is currently limited by a lack of constraints on the relative contributions of two different formation pathways: on icy grain surfaces and in the gas phase. We use archival Atacama Large (sub-)Millimeter Array observations of the resolved distribution of H 2 CO emission in the disk around the young low-mass star DM Tau to assess the relative importance of these formation routes. The observed H 2 CO emission has a centrally peaked and radially broad brightness profile (extending out to 500 AU). We compare these observations with disk chemistry models with and without grain-surface formation reactions and find that both gas and grain-surface chemistry are necessary to explain the spatial distribution of the emission. Gas-phase H 2 CO production is responsible for the observed central peak, while grain-surface chemistry is required to reproduce the emission exterior to the CO snow line (where H 2 CO mainly forms through the hydrogenation of CO ice before being non-thermally desorbed). These observations demonstrate that both gas and grain-surface pathways contribute to the observed H 2 CO in disks and that their relative contributions depend strongly on distance from the host star

Modeling collisions in circumstellar debris disks

Science.gov (United States)

Nesvold, Erika

2015-10-01

Observations of resolved debris disks show a spectacular variety of features and asymmetries, including inner cavities and gaps, inclined secondary disks or warps, and eccentric, sharp-edged rings. Embedded exoplanets could create many of these features via gravitational perturbations, which sculpt the disk directly and by generating planetesimal collisions. In this thesis, I present the Superparticle Model/Algorithm for Collisions in Kuiper belts and debris disks (SMACK), a new method for simultaneously modeling, in 3-D, the collisional and dynamical evolution of planetesimals in a debris disk with planets. SMACK can simulate azimuthal asymmetries and how these asymmetries evolve over time. I show that SMACK is stable to numerical viscosity and numerical heating over 107 yr, and that it can reproduce analytic models of disk evolution. As an example of the algorithm's capabilities, I use SMACK to model the evolution of a debris ring containing a planet on an eccentric orbit and demonstrate that differential precession creates a spiral structure as the ring evolves, but collisions subsequently break up the spiral, leaving a narrower eccentric ring. To demonstrate SMACK's utility in studying debris disk physics, I apply SMACK to simulate a planet on a circular orbit near a ring of planetesimals that are experiencing destructive collisions. Previous simulations of a planet opening a gap in a collisionless debris disk have found that the width of the gap scales as the planet mass to the 2/7th power (alpha = 2/7). I find that gap sizes in a collisional disk still obey a power law scaling with planet mass, but that the index alpha of the power law depends on the age of the system t relative to the collisional timescale t coll of the disk by alpha = 0.32(t/ tcoll)-0.04, with inferred planet masses up to five times smaller than those predicted by the classical gap law. The increased gap sizes likely stem from the interaction between collisions and the mean motion

THREE-DIMENSIONAL DISK-PLANET TORQUES IN A LOCALLY ISOTHERMAL DISK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

D'Angelo, Gennaro; Lubow, Stephen H.

2010-01-01

We determine an expression for the Type I planet migration torque involving a locally isothermal disk, with moderate turbulent viscosity (5 x 10 -4 ∼< α ∼< 0.05), based on three-dimensional nonlinear hydrodynamical simulations. The radial gradients (in a dimensionless logarithmic form) of density and temperature are assumed to be constant near the planet. We find that the torque is roughly equally sensitive to the surface density and temperature radial gradients. Both gradients contribute to inward migration when they are negative. Our results indicate that two-dimensional calculations with a smoothed planet potential, used to account for the effects of the third dimension, do not accurately determine the effects of density and temperature gradients on the three-dimensional torque. The results suggest that substantially slowing or stopping planet migration by means of changes in disk opacity or shadowing is difficult and appears unlikely for a disk that is locally isothermal. The scalings of the torque and torque density with planet mass and gas sound speed follow the expectations of linear theory. We also determine an improved formula for the torque density distribution that can be used in one-dimensional long-term evolution studies of planets embedded in locally isothermal disks. This formula can be also applied in the presence of mildly varying radial gradients and of planets that open gaps. We illustrate its use in the case of migrating super-Earths and determine some conditions sufficient for survival.

Angular momentum transfer in steady disk accretion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorbatskij, V.G.

1977-01-01

The conditions of steady disk accretion have been investigated. The disk axisymmetric model is considered. It is shown that the gas is let at the outer boundary of the disk with the azimuthal velocity which is slightly less than the Kepler circular one. Gas possesses the motion quality moment which is transferred from the outer layers of the disk to the surface of the star. The steady state of the disk preserved until the inflow of the moment to the star increases its rotation velocity up to magnitudes close to the critical one

Time-Dependent Variations of Accretion Disk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hye-Weon Na

1987-06-01

Full Text Available In dward nova we assume the primary star as a white dwarf and the secondary as the late type star which filled Roche lobe. Mass flow from the secondary star leads to the formation of thin accretion disk around the white dwarf. We use the α parameter as viscosity to maintain the disk form and propose that the outburst in dwarf nova cause the steep increase of source term. With these assumptions we solve the basic equations of stellar structure using Newton-Raphson method. We show the physical parameters like temperature, density, pressure, opacity, surface density, height and flux to the radius of disk. Changing the value of α, we compare several parameters when mass flow rate is constant with those of when luminosity of disk is brightest. At the same time, we obtain time-dependent variations of luminosity and mass of disk. We propose the suitable range of α is 0.15-0.18 to the difference of luminosity. We compare several parameters of disk with those of the normal late type stars which have the same molecular weight of disk is lower. Maybe the outburst in dwarf nova is due to the variation of the α value instead of increment of mass flow from the secondary star.

Replacing the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral disk: prediction of suitable properties of a replacement material using finite element analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Meakin, J R

2001-03-01

An axisymmetric finite element model of a human lumbar disk was developed to investigate the properties required of an implant to replace the nucleus pulposus. In the intact disk, the nucleus was modeled as a fluid, and the annulus as an elastic solid. The Young's modulus of the annulus was determined empirically by matching model predictions to experimental results. The model was checked for sensitivity to the input parameter values and found to give reasonable behavior. The model predicted that removal of the nucleus would change the response of the annulus to compression. This prediction was consistent with experimental results, thus validating the model. Implants to fill the cavity produced by nucleus removal were modeled as elastic solids. The Poisson's ratio was fixed at 0.49, and the Young's modulus was varied from 0.5 to 100 MPa. Two sizes of implant were considered: full size (filling the cavity) and small size (smaller than the cavity). The model predicted that a full size implant would reverse the changes to annulus behavior, but a smaller implant would not. By comparing the stress distribution in the annulus, the ideal Young's modulus was predicted to be approximately 3 MPa. These predictions have implications for current nucleus implant designs. Copyright 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers

RADIATION HYDRODYNAMICS MODELS OF THE INNER RIM IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Flock, M.; Turner, N. J. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Fromang, S. [Laboratoire AIM, CEA/DSM-CNRS-Université Paris 7, Irfu/Service d’Astrophysique, CEA-Saclay, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); Benisty, M., E-mail: mflock@caltech.edu [Université Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble (France)

2016-08-20

Many stars host planets orbiting within a few astronomical units (AU). The occurrence rate and distributions of masses and orbits vary greatly with the host star’s mass. These close planets’ origins are a mystery that motivates investigating protoplanetary disks’ central regions. A key factor governing the conditions near the star is the silicate sublimation front, which largely determines where the starlight is absorbed, and which is often called the inner rim. We present the first radiation hydrodynamical modeling of the sublimation front in the disks around the young intermediate-mass stars called Herbig Ae stars. The models are axisymmetric and include starlight heating; silicate grains sublimating and condensing to equilibrium at the local, time-dependent temperature and density; and accretion stresses parameterizing the results of MHD magnetorotational turbulence models. The results compare well with radiation hydrostatic solutions and prove to be dynamically stable. Passing the model disks into Monte Carlo radiative transfer calculations, we show that the models satisfy observational constraints on the inner rim’s location. A small optically thin halo of hot dust naturally arises between the inner rim and the star. The inner rim has a substantial radial extent, corresponding to several disk scale heights. While the front’s overall position varies with the stellar luminosity, its radial extent depends on the mass accretion rate. A pressure maximum develops near the location of thermal ionization at temperatures of about 1000 K. The pressure maximum is capable of halting solid pebbles’ radial drift and concentrating them in a zone where temperatures are sufficiently high for annealing to form crystalline silicates.

[Management of disk displacement with condylar fracture].

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Shi-bin; Li, Zu-bing; Yang, Xue-wen; Zhao, Ji-hong; Dong, Yao-jun

2003-07-01

To investigate clinical features of disk displacement during the course of condylar fracture and to explore the techniques of disk reposition and suturation. 32 patients (10 females and 22 males) who had disk displacements with condylar fractures were followed up. Reduction and reposition of the dislocated disks simultaneously with fixation of fractures were performed. 7 patients underwent intermaxillary fixation with elastic bands for 1 to 2 weeks. The occlusions were satisfactory in all cases but one for the reason of ramus height loss. No TMJ symptom was found when examined 3 months post operation. Anterior disk displacements were most occurred with high condylar process fractures. Surgical reposition and suturation of disk play an important role for the later TMJ-function.

Dust evolution in protoplanetary disks

OpenAIRE

Gonzalez , Jean-François; Fouchet , Laure; T. Maddison , Sarah; Laibe , Guillaume

2007-01-01

6 pages, 5 figures, to appear in the Proceedings of IAU Symp. 249: Exoplanets: Detection, Formation and Dynamics (Suzhou, China); International audience; We investigate the behaviour of dust in protoplanetary disks under the action of gas drag using our 3D, two-fluid (gas+dust) SPH code. We present the evolution of the dust spatial distribution in global simulations of planetless disks as well as of disks containing an already formed planet. The resulting dust structures vary strongly with pa...

Fallback disks & magnetars: prospects & possibilities

Science.gov (United States)

Alpar, M. A.

Some bound matter in the form of a fallback disk may be an initial parameter of isolated neutron stars at birth which along with the initial rotation rate and dipole and higher multipole magnetic moments determines the evolution of neutron stars and the categories into which they fall This talk reviews the strengths and difficulties of fallback disk models in explaining properties of isolated neutron stars of different categories Evidence for and observational limits on fallback disks will also be discussed

Identification of β-SiC surrounded by relatable surrounding diamond ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

β-SiC is identified in the presence of a relatable surrounding diamond medium using subtle, but discernible Raman ... Change in the nature of the surrounding material structure and its .... intensity implies very low graphite content in thin film. In.

MIGRATION TRAPS IN DISKS AROUND SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bellovary, Jillian M.; Low, Mordecai-Mark Mac; McKernan, Barry; Ford, K. E. Saavik [Department of Astrophysics, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, NY 10024 (United States)

2016-03-10

Accretion disks around supermassive black holes (SMBHs) in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) contain stars, stellar mass black holes, and other stellar remnants, which perturb the disk gas gravitationally. The resulting density perturbations exert torques on the embedded masses causing them to migrate through the disk in a manner analogous to planets in protoplanetary disks. We determine the strength and direction of these torques using an empirical analytic description dependent on local disk gradients, applied to two different analytic, steady-state disk models of SMBH accretion disks. We find that there are radii in such disks where the gas torque changes sign, trapping migrating objects. Our analysis shows that major migration traps generally occur where the disk surface density gradient changes sign from positive to negative, around 20–300R{sub g}, where R{sub g} = 2GM/c{sup 2} is the Schwarzschild radius. At these traps, massive objects in the AGN disk can accumulate, collide, scatter, and accrete. Intermediate mass black hole formation is likely in these disk locations, which may lead to preferential gap and cavity creation at these radii. Our model thus has significant implications for SMBH growth as well as gravitational wave source populations.

Evaluation of powder metallurgy superalloy disk materials

Science.gov (United States)

Evans, D. J.

1975-01-01

A program was conducted to develop nickel-base superalloy disk material using prealloyed powder metallurgy techniques. The program included fabrication of test specimens and subscale turbine disks from four different prealloyed powders (NASA-TRW-VIA, AF2-1DA, Mar-M-432 and MERL 80). Based on evaluation of these specimens and disks, two alloys (AF2-1DA and Mar-M-432) were selected for scale-up evaluation. Using fabricating experience gained in the subscale turbine disk effort, test specimens and full scale turbine disks were formed from the selected alloys. These specimens and disks were then subjected to a rigorous test program to evaluate their physical properties and determine their suitability for use in advanced performance turbine engines. A major objective of the program was to develop processes which would yield alloy properties that would be repeatable in producing jet engine disks from the same powder metallurgy alloys. The feasibility of manufacturing full scale gas turbine engine disks by thermomechanical processing of pre-alloyed metal powders was demonstrated. AF2-1DA was shown to possess tensile and creep-rupture properties in excess of those of Astroloy, one of the highest temperature capability disk alloys now in production. It was determined that metallographic evaluation after post-HIP elevated temperature exposure should be used to verify the effectiveness of consolidation of hot isostatically pressed billets.

THE DISK IMAGING SURVEY OF CHEMISTRY WITH SMA. I. TAURUS PROTOPLANETARY DISK DATA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oeberg, Karin I.; Qi Chunhua; Andrews, Sean M.; Espaillat, Catherine; Van Kempen, Tim A.; Wilner, David J.; Fogel, Jeffrey K. J.; Bergin, Edwin A.; Pascucci, Ilaria

2010-01-01

Chemistry plays an important role in the structure and evolution of protoplanetary disks, with implications for the composition of comets and planets. This is the first of a series of papers based on data from DISCS, a Submillimeter Array survey of the chemical composition of protoplanetary disks. The six Taurus sources in the program (DM Tau, AA Tau, LkCa 15, GM Aur, CQ Tau, and MWC 480) range in stellar spectral type from M1 to A4 and offer an opportunity to test the effects of stellar luminosity on the disk chemistry. The disks were observed in 10 different lines at ∼3'' resolution and an rms of ∼100 mJy beam -1 at ∼0.5 km s -1 . The four brightest lines are CO 2-1, HCO + 3-2, CN 2 33/4/2 - 1 22/3/1 , and HCN 3-2, and these are detected toward all sources (except for HCN toward CQ Tau). The weaker lines of CN 2 22 -1 11 , DCO + 3-2, N 2 H + 3-2, H 2 CO 3 03 -2 02 , and 4 14 -3 13 are detected toward two to three disks each, and DCN 3-2 only toward LkCa 15. CH 3 OH 4 21 -3 1 2 and c-C 3 H 2 are not detected. There is no obvious difference between the T Tauri and Herbig Ae sources with regard to CN and HCN intensities. In contrast, DCO + , DCN, N 2 H + , and H 2 CO are detected only toward the T Tauri stars, suggesting that the disks around Herbig Ae stars lack cold regions for long enough timescales to allow for efficient deuterium chemistry, CO freeze-out, and grain chemistry.

A Multi-Fiber Spectroscopic Search for Low-mass Young Stars in Orion OB1

Science.gov (United States)

Loerincs, Jacqueline; Briceno, Cesar; Calvet, Nuria; Mateo, Mario L.; Hernandez, Jesus

2017-01-01

We present here results of a low resolution spectroscopic followup of candidate low-mass pre-main sequence stars in the Orion OB1 association. Our targets were selected from the CIDA Variability Survey of Orion (CVSO), and we used the Michigan/Magellan Fiber Spectrograph (M2FS) on the Magellan Clay 6.5m telescope to obtain spectra of 500 candidate T Tauri stars distributed in seven 0.5 deg diameter fields, adding to a total area of ~5.5 deg2. We identify young stars by looking at the distinctive Hα 6563 Å emission and Lithium Li I 6707 Å absorption features characteristic of young low mass pre-main sequence stars. Furthermore, by measuring the strength of their Hα emission lines, confirmed T Tauri stars can be classified as either Classical T Tauris (CTTS) or Weak-line T Tauris (WTTS), which give indication of whether the star is actively accreting material from a gas and dust disk surrounding the star, which may be the precursor of a planetary system. We confirm a total of 90 T Tauri stars, of which 50% are newly identified young members of Orion; out of the 49 new detections,15 are accreting CTTS, and of these all but one are found in the OB1b sub-region. This result is in line with our previous findings that this region is much younger than the more extended Orion OB1a sub-association. The M2FS results add to our growing census of young stars in Orion, that is allowing us to characterize in a systematic and consistent way the distribution of stellar ages across the entire complex, in order to building a complete picture of star formation in this, one of nearest most active sites of star birth.

Simultaneous measurements of disk vibration and pressure fluctuation in turbulent flow developing in a model hard disk drive

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurashima, D.; Naka, Y.; Fukagata, K. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522 (Japan); Obi, S., E-mail: obsn@mech.keio.ac.jp [Department of Mechanical Engineering, Keio University, 3-14-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama 223-8522 (Japan)

2011-06-15

The complex flow features inside hard disk drive models are investigated in an axisymmetric and a semi-open shroud configurations. For the axisymmetric case, we have employed both experimental and computational approaches. The experiment focuses on both flow dynamics and the disk vibration, where measurements of the fluctuating pressure and velocity are undertaken at some representative points. The correlation between the disk vibration and the fluctuating pressure in the turbulent flow between disks is evident from the spectral analysis. The experimentally observed fluctuating pressure and velocity are partly due to the disk vibration and its contribution could be estimated by comparing the experiment with the results of a large eddy simulation. For the semi-open shroud case, although the characteristic peaks attributable to the large-scale vortical structure are still observed in the power spectra, the pressure fluctuation and the disk vibration are suppressed when the arm is inserted.

MOLECULAR DISK PROPERTIES IN EARLY-TYPE GALAXIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, X.; Walker, C.; Narayanan, D.

2010-01-01

We study the simulated CO emission from elliptical galaxies formed in the mergers of gas-rich disk galaxies. The cold gas not consumed in the merger-driven starburst quickly resettles into a disk-like configuration. By analyzing a variety of arbitrary merger orbits that produce a range of fast- to slow-rotating remnants, we find that molecular disk formation is a fairly common consequence of gas-rich galaxy mergers. Hence, if a molecular disk is observed in an early-type merger remnant, it is likely the result of a 'wet merger' rather than a 'dry merger'. We compare the physical properties from our simulated disks (e.g., size and mass) and find reasonably good agreement with recent observations. Finally, we discuss the detectability of these disks as an aid to future observations.

Rotation of gas above the galactic disk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gvaramadze, V.V.; Lominadze, D.G.

1988-01-01

The galactic disk is modeled by an oblate spheroid with confocal spherodial isodensity surfaces. An explicit analytic expression is found for the angular velocity of the gas outside the disk. The parameters of a three-component model of a spiral galaxy (oblate spheroid with central hole, bulge, and massive corona) are chosen in such a way as to obtain in the disk a two-hump rotation curve (as in the Galaxy, M 31, and M 81). It is shown that at heights absolute value z ≤ 2 kpc the gas rotates in the same manner as the disk. However, at greater heights the rotation curve ceases to have two humps. Allowance for the pressure gradient of the gas slightly changes the rotation curve directly above the disk (r r/sub disk/)

Dynamics of acoustically levitated disk samples.

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, W J; Wei, B

2004-10-01

The acoustic levitation force on disk samples and the dynamics of large water drops in a planar standing wave are studied by solving the acoustic scattering problem through incorporating the boundary element method. The dependence of levitation force amplitude on the equivalent radius R of disks deviates seriously from the R3 law predicted by King's theory, and a larger force can be obtained for thin disks. When the disk aspect ratio gamma is larger than a critical value gamma(*) ( approximately 1.9 ) and the disk radius a is smaller than the critical value a(*) (gamma) , the levitation force per unit volume of the sample will increase with the enlargement of the disk. The acoustic levitation force on thin-disk samples ( gammaacoustic field for stable levitation of a large water drop is to adjust the reflector-emitter interval H slightly above the resonant interval H(n) . The simulation shows that the drop is flattened and the central parts of its top and bottom surface become concave with the increase of sound pressure level, which agrees with the experimental observation. The main frequencies of the shape oscillation under different sound pressures are slightly larger than the Rayleigh frequency because of the large shape deformation. The simulated translational frequencies of the vertical vibration under normal gravity condition agree with the theoretical analysis.

Comparison of Rosco Neo-Sensitabs with Oxoid paper disks in EUCAST disk diffusion antimicrobial susceptibility testing on Mueller-Hinton agar

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Justesen, U S; Acar, Ziyap; Olsson, K

2013-01-01

This study compared Neo-Sensitabs with Oxoid paper disks using the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing (EUCAST) disk diffusion antimicrobial susceptibility test on Mueller-Hinton agar. The EUCAST-recommended quality control strains (Escherichia coli ATCC 25922, Pseudomonas...... paper disks for EUCAST disk diffusion antimicrobial susceptibility testing on Mueller-Hinton agar....

Confronting Standard Models of Proto-planetary Disks with New Mid-infrared Sizes from the Keck Interferometer

Science.gov (United States)

Millan-Gabet, Rafael; Che, Xiao; Monnier, John D.; Sitko, Michael L.; Russell, Ray W.; Grady, Carol A.; Day, Amanda N.; Perry, R. B.; Harries, Tim J.; Aarnio, Alicia N.; Colavita, Mark M.; Wizinowich, Peter L.; Ragland, Sam; Woillez, Julien

2016-08-01

We present near- and mid-infrared (MIR) interferometric observations made with the Keck Interferometer Nuller and near-contemporaneous spectro-photometry from the infrared telescope facilities (IRTFs) of 11 well-known young stellar objects, several of which were observed for the first time in these spectral and spatial resolution regimes. With au-level spatial resolution, we first establish characteristic sizes of the infrared emission using a simple geometrical model consisting of a hot inner rim and MIR disk emission. We find a high degree of correlation between the stellar luminosity and the MIR disk sizes after using near-infrared data to remove the contribution from the inner rim. We then use a semi-analytical physical model to also find that the very widely used “star + inner dust rim + flared disk” class of models strongly fails to reproduce the spectral energy distribution (SED) and spatially resolved MIR data simultaneously; specifically a more compact source of MIR emission is required than results from the standard flared disk model. We explore the viability of a modification to the model whereby a second dust rim containing smaller dust grains is added, and find that the 2-rim model leads to significantly improved fits in most cases. This complexity is largely missed when carrying out SED modeling alone, although detailed silicate feature fitting by McClure et al. recently came to a similar conclusion. As has been suggested recently by Menu et al., the difficulty in predicting MIR sizes from the SED alone might hint at “transition disk”-like gaps in the inner au; however, the relatively high correlation found in our MIR disk size versus stellar luminosity relation favors layered disk morphologies and points to missing disk model ingredients instead.

CONFRONTING STANDARD MODELS OF PROTO-PLANETARY DISKS WITH NEW MID-INFRARED SIZES FROM THE KECK INTERFEROMETER

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Millan-Gabet, Rafael [California Institute of Technology, NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Che, Xiao; Monnier, John D.; Aarnio, Alicia N. [University of Michigan Astronomy Department, 1085 S. University Avenue 303B West Hall University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1107 (United States); Sitko, Michael L.; Day, Amanda N. [Department of Physics, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH 45221 (United States); Russell, Ray W. [The Aerospace Corporation, Los Angeles, CA 90009 (United States); Grady, Carol A. [Eureka Scientific, 2452 Delmer, Suite 100, Oakland, CA 96002 (United States); Perry, R. B. [NASA Langley Research Center, MS 160, Hampton, VA 23681 (United States); Harries, Tim J. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Exeter, Stocker Road, Exeter EX4 4QL (United Kingdom); Colavita, Mark M. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States); Wizinowich, Peter L.; Ragland, Sam; Woillez, Julien, E-mail: R.Millan-Gabet@caltech.edu [Keck Observatory, 65-1120 Mamalahoa Hwy, Kamuela, HI 96743 (United States)

2016-08-01

We present near- and mid-infrared (MIR) interferometric observations made with the Keck Interferometer Nuller and near-contemporaneous spectro-photometry from the infrared telescope facilities (IRTFs) of 11 well-known young stellar objects, several of which were observed for the first time in these spectral and spatial resolution regimes. With au-level spatial resolution, we first establish characteristic sizes of the infrared emission using a simple geometrical model consisting of a hot inner rim and MIR disk emission. We find a high degree of correlation between the stellar luminosity and the MIR disk sizes after using near-infrared data to remove the contribution from the inner rim. We then use a semi-analytical physical model to also find that the very widely used “star + inner dust rim + flared disk” class of models strongly fails to reproduce the spectral energy distribution (SED) and spatially resolved MIR data simultaneously; specifically a more compact source of MIR emission is required than results from the standard flared disk model. We explore the viability of a modification to the model whereby a second dust rim containing smaller dust grains is added, and find that the 2-rim model leads to significantly improved fits in most cases. This complexity is largely missed when carrying out SED modeling alone, although detailed silicate feature fitting by McClure et al. recently came to a similar conclusion. As has been suggested recently by Menu et al., the difficulty in predicting MIR sizes from the SED alone might hint at “transition disk”-like gaps in the inner au; however, the relatively high correlation found in our MIR disk size versus stellar luminosity relation favors layered disk morphologies and points to missing disk model ingredients instead.

CONFRONTING STANDARD MODELS OF PROTO-PLANETARY DISKS WITH NEW MID-INFRARED SIZES FROM THE KECK INTERFEROMETER

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Millan-Gabet, Rafael; Che, Xiao; Monnier, John D.; Aarnio, Alicia N.; Sitko, Michael L.; Day, Amanda N.; Russell, Ray W.; Grady, Carol A.; Perry, R. B.; Harries, Tim J.; Colavita, Mark M.; Wizinowich, Peter L.; Ragland, Sam; Woillez, Julien

2016-01-01

We present near- and mid-infrared (MIR) interferometric observations made with the Keck Interferometer Nuller and near-contemporaneous spectro-photometry from the infrared telescope facilities (IRTFs) of 11 well-known young stellar objects, several of which were observed for the first time in these spectral and spatial resolution regimes. With au-level spatial resolution, we first establish characteristic sizes of the infrared emission using a simple geometrical model consisting of a hot inner rim and MIR disk emission. We find a high degree of correlation between the stellar luminosity and the MIR disk sizes after using near-infrared data to remove the contribution from the inner rim. We then use a semi-analytical physical model to also find that the very widely used “star + inner dust rim + flared disk” class of models strongly fails to reproduce the spectral energy distribution (SED) and spatially resolved MIR data simultaneously; specifically a more compact source of MIR emission is required than results from the standard flared disk model. We explore the viability of a modification to the model whereby a second dust rim containing smaller dust grains is added, and find that the 2-rim model leads to significantly improved fits in most cases. This complexity is largely missed when carrying out SED modeling alone, although detailed silicate feature fitting by McClure et al. recently came to a similar conclusion. As has been suggested recently by Menu et al., the difficulty in predicting MIR sizes from the SED alone might hint at “transition disk”-like gaps in the inner au; however, the relatively high correlation found in our MIR disk size versus stellar luminosity relation favors layered disk morphologies and points to missing disk model ingredients instead.

Working with arrays of inexpensive EIDE disk drives

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanders, D.; Riley, C.; Cremaldi, L.; Summers, D.; Petravick, D.

2000-01-01

In today's marketplace, the cost per Terabyte of disks with EIDE interfaces is about a third that of disks with SCSI. Hence, three times as many particle physics events could be put online with EIDE. The modern EIDE interface includes many of the performance features that appeared earlier in SCSI. EIDE bus speeds approach 33 Megabytes/s and need only be shared between two disks rather than seven disks. The interal I/O rate of very fast (and expensive) SCSI disks is only 50% greater than EIDE disks. Hence, two EIDE disks whose combined cost is much less than one very fast SCSI disk can actually give more data throughput due to the advantage of multiple spindles and head actuators. The authors explore the use of 12 and 16 Gigabyte EIDE disks with motherboard and PCI bus card interfaces on a number of operating systems and CPUs. These include Red Hat Linux and Windows 95/98 on a Pentium, MacOS and Apple's Rhapsody/NeXT/UNIX on a PowerPC, and Sun Solaris on a UltraSparc 10 workstation

Ultrafast disk lasers and amplifiers

Science.gov (United States)

Sutter, Dirk H.; Kleinbauer, Jochen; Bauer, Dominik; Wolf, Martin; Tan, Chuong; Gebs, Raphael; Budnicki, Aleksander; Wagenblast, Philipp; Weiler, Sascha

2012-03-01

Disk lasers with multi-kW continuous wave (CW) output power are widely used in manufacturing, primarily for cutting and welding applications, notably in the automotive industry. The ytterbium disk technology combines high power (average and/or peak power), excellent beam quality, high efficiency, and high reliability with low investment and operating costs. Fundamental mode picosecond disk lasers are well established in micro machining at high throughput and perfect precision. Following the world's first market introduction of industrial grade 50 W picosecond lasers (TruMicro 5050) at the Photonics West 2008, the second generation of the TruMicro series 5000 now provides twice the average power (100 W at 1030 nm, or 60 W frequency doubled, green output) at a significantly reduced footprint. Mode-locked disk oscillators achieve by far the highest average power of any unamplified lasers, significantly exceeding the 100 W level in laboratory set-ups. With robust long resonators their multi-microjoule pulse energies begin to compete with typical ultrafast amplifiers. In addition, significant interest in disk technology has recently come from the extreme light laser community, aiming for ultra-high peak powers of petawatts and beyond.

Equilibrium figures for beta Lyrae type disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wilson, R.E.

1981-01-01

Accumulated evidence for a geometrically and optically thick disk in the β Lyrae system has now established the disk's basic external configuration. Since the disk has been constant in its main properties over the historical interval of β Lyrae observations and also seems to have a basically well-defined photosphere, it is now time to being consideration of its sturcture. Here, we compute equilibrium figures for self-gravitating disks around stars in binary systems as a start toward eventual computation of complete disk models. A key role is played by centrifugally limited rotation of the central star, which would naturally arise late in the rapid phase of mass transfer. Beta Lyrae is thus postulated to be a double-contact binary, which makes possible nonarbitrary separation of star and disk into separate structures. The computed equilibrium figures are three-dimensional, as the gravitation of the second star is included. Under the approximation that the gravitational potential of the disk is that of a thin wire and that the local disk angular velocity is proportional to u/sup n/ (u = distance from rotation axis), we comptue the total potential and locate equipotential surfaces. The centrifugal potential is written in a particularly convenient form which permits one to change the rotation law discontinuously (for example, at the star-disk coupling point) while ensuring that centrifugal potential and centrifigual force are continuous functions of position. With such a one-parameter rotation law, one can find equilibrium disk figures with dimensions very similar to those found in β Lyrae, but considerations of internal consistency demand at least a two-parameter law

Recent development of disk lasers at TRUMPF

Science.gov (United States)

Schad, Sven-Silvius; Gottwald, Tina; Kuhn, Vincent; Ackermann, Matthias; Bauer, Dominik; Scharun, Michael; Killi, Alexander

2016-03-01

The disk laser is one of the most important laser concepts for today's industrial laser market. Offering high brilliance at low cost, high optical efficiency and great application flexibility the disk laser paved the way for many industrial laser applications. Over the past years power and brightness increased and the disk laser turned out to be a very versatile laser source, not only for welding but also for cutting. Both, the quality and speed of cutting are superior to CO2-based lasers for a vast majority of metals, and, most important, in a broad thickness range. In addition, due to the insensitivity against back reflections the disk laser is well suited for cutting highly reflective metal such as brass or copper. These advantages facilitate versatile cutting machines and explain the high and growing demand for disk lasers for applications besides welding applications that can be observed today. From a today's perspective the disk principle has not reached any fundamental limits regarding output power per disk or beam quality, and offers numerous advantages over other high power resonator concepts, especially over fiber lasers or direct diode lasers. This paper will give insight in the latest progress in kilowatt class cw disk laser technology at TRUMPF and will discuss recent power scaling results as well.

YOUNG STARS IN AN OLD BULGE: A NATURAL OUTCOME OF INTERNAL EVOLUTION IN THE MILKY WAY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ness, M.; Debattista, Victor P.; Cole, D. R.; Bensby, T.; Feltzing, S.; Roškar, R.; Johnson, J. A.; Freeman, K.

2014-01-01

The center of our disk galaxy, the Milky Way, is dominated by a boxy/peanut-shaped bulge. Numerous studies of the bulge based on stellar photometry have concluded that the bulge stars are exclusively old. The perceived lack of young stars in the bulge strongly constrains its likely formation scenarios, providing evidence that the bulge is a unique population that formed early and separately from the disk. However, recent studies of individual bulge stars using the microlensing technique have reported that they span a range of ages, emphasizing that the bulge may not be a monolithic structure. In this Letter we demonstrate that the presence of young stars that are located predominantly nearer to the plane is expected for a bulge that has formed from the disk via dynamical instabilities. Using an N-body+ smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulation of a disk galaxy forming out of gas cooling inside a dark matter halo and forming stars, we find a qualitative agreement between our model and the observations of younger metal-rich stars in the bulge. We are also able to partially resolve the apparent contradiction in the literature between results that argue for a purely old bulge population and those that show a population comprised of a range in ages; the key is where to look

Spectroscopic confirmation of young planetary-mass companions on wide orbits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bowler, Brendan P. [California Institute of Technology, Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91101 (United States); Liu, Michael C.; Mann, Andrew W. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawai' i, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Kraus, Adam L., E-mail: bpbowler@caltech.edu [Astronomy Department, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA. (United States)

2014-03-20

We present moderate-resolution (R ∼ 4000-5000) near-infrared integral field spectroscopy of the young (1-5 Myr) 6-14 M {sub Jup} companions ROXs 42B b and FW Tau b obtained with Keck/OSIRIS and Gemini-North/NIFS. The spectrum of ROXs 42B b exhibits clear signs of low surface gravity common to young L dwarfs, confirming its extreme youth, cool temperature, and low mass. Overall, it closely resembles the free-floating 4-7 M {sub Jup} L-type Taurus member 2MASS J04373705+2331080. The companion to FW Tau AB is more enigmatic. Our optical and near-infrared spectra show strong evidence of outflow activity and disk accretion in the form of line emission from [S II], [O I], Hα, Ca II, [Fe II], Paβ, and H{sub 2}. The molecular hydrogen emission is spatially resolved as a single lobe that stretches ≈0.''1 (15 AU). Although the extended emission is not kinematically resolved in our data, its morphology resembles shock-excited H{sub 2} jets primarily seen in young Class 0 and Class I sources. The near-infrared continuum of FW Tau b is mostly flat and lacks the deep absorption features expected for a cool, late-type object. This may be a result of accretion-induced veiling, especially in light of its strong and sustained Hα emission (EW(Hα) ≳ 290 Å). Alternatively, FW Tau b may be a slightly warmer (M5-M8) accreting low-mass star or brown dwarf (0.03-0.15 M {sub ☉}) with an edge-on disk. Regardless, its young evolutionary stage is in stark contrast to its Class III host FW Tau AB, indicating a more rapid disk clearing timescale for the host binary system than for its wide companion. Finally, we present near-infrared spectra of the young (∼2-10 Myr) low-mass (12-15 M {sub Jup}) companions GSC 6214-210 B and SR 12 C and find they best resemble low-gravity M9.5 and M9 substellar templates.

Herniated lumbar intervertebral disk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hochhauser, L.; Cacayorin, E.D.; Karcnik, T.J.; McGowan, D.P.; Clark, K.G.; Storrs, D.; Kieffer, S.A.

1988-01-01

From a series of 25 patients with low-back pain and sciatica who subsequently underwent surgical exploration, 24 lumbar herniated disks and one asymmetrically bulging disk were correctly diagnosed with use of a 0.5-T MR imaging unit. The radiologic findings on saggital images included a polypoid protrusion beyond the posterior margin of the vertebral bodies more clearly displayed with T1-weighted than with T-2 weighted sequences and a focal extension into the extradural space on axial views. In most, the signal intensity of HNP was isointense to the disk of origin. The study suggests that MR imaging is currently capable of accurately predicting an HNP. The diagnosis is based primarily on morphologic characteristics rather than signal intensity alterations

A 100 au Wide Bipolar Rotating Shell Emanating from the HH 212 Protostellar Disk: A Disk Wind?

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Chin-Fei; Li, Zhi-Yun; Codella, Claudio; Ho, Paul T. P.; Podio, Linda; Hirano, Naomi; Shang, Hsien; Turner, Neal J.; Zhang, Qizhou

2018-03-01

HH 212 is a Class 0 protostellar system found to host a “hamburger”-shaped dusty disk with a rotating disk atmosphere and a collimated SiO jet at a distance of ∼400 pc. Recently, a compact rotating outflow has been detected in SO and SO2 toward the center along the jet axis at ∼52 au (0.″13) resolution. Here we resolve the compact outflow into a small-scale wide-opening rotating outflow shell and a collimated jet, with the observations in the same S-bearing molecules at ∼16 au (0.″04) resolution. The collimated jet is aligned with the SiO jet, tracing the shock interactions in the jet. The wide-opening outflow shell is seen extending out from the inner disk around the SiO jet and has a width of ∼100 au. It is not only expanding away from the center, but also rotating around the jet axis. The specific angular momentum of the outflow shell is ∼40 au km s‑1. Simple modeling of the observed kinematics suggests that the rotating outflow shell can trace either a disk wind or disk material pushed away by an unseen wind from the inner disk or protostar. We also resolve the disk atmosphere in the same S-bearing molecules, confirming the Keplerian rotation there.

The Composition of the Protosolar Disk and the Formation Conditions for Comets

Science.gov (United States)

Willacy, K.; Alexander, C.; Ali-Dib, M.; Ceccarelli, C.; Charnley, S. B.; Doronin, M.; Ellinger, Y.; Gast, P.; Gibb, E.; Milam, S. N.; Mousis, O.; Pauzat, F.; Tornow, C.; Wirström, E. S.; Zicler, E.

2015-12-01

Conditions in the protosolar nebula have left their mark in the composition of cometary volatiles, thought to be some of the most pristine material in the solar system. Cometary compositions represent the end point of processing that began in the parent molecular cloud core and continued through the collapse of that core to form the protosun and the solar nebula, and finally during the evolution of the solar nebula itself as the cometary bodies were accreting. Disentangling the effects of the various epochs on the final composition of a comet is complicated. But comets are not the only source of information about the solar nebula. Protostellar disks around young stars similar to the protosun provide a way of investigating the evolution of disks similar to the solar nebula while they are in the process of evolving to form their own solar systems. In this way we can learn about the physical and chemical conditions under which comets formed, and about the types of dynamical processing that shaped the solar system we see today.

Chemical evolution of the galactic disk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wyse, R.F.G.; Gilmore, G.

1987-01-01

The distribution of enriched material in the stars and gas of their Galaxy contains information pertaining to the chemical evolution of the Milky Way from its formation epoch to the present day, and provides general constraints on theories of galaxy formation. The separate stellar components of the Galaxy cannot readily be understood if treated in isolation, but a reasonably self-consistent model for Galactic chemical evolution may be found if one considers together the chemical properties of the extreme spheroid, thick disk and thin disk populations of the Galaxy. The three major stellar components of the Galaxy are characterized by their distinct spatial distributions, metallicity structure, and kinematics, with the newly-identified thick disk being approximately three times more massive than the classical metal-poor, non-rotating extreme spheroid. Stellar evolution in the thick disk straightforwardly provides the desired pre-enrichment for resolution of the thin disk G dwarf problem

DUST DISTRIBUTION IN THE β PICTORIS CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ahmic, Mirza; Croll, Bryce; Artymowicz, Pawel

2009-01-01

We present three-dimensional models of dust distribution around β Pictoris that produce the best fits to the Hubble Space Telescope/Advanced Camera for Surveys' images obtained by Golimowski and coworkers. We allow for the presence of either one or two separate axisymmetric dust disks. The density models are analytical, radial two power laws joined smoothly at a crossover radius with density exponentially decreasing away from the midplane of the disks. Two-disk models match the data best, yielding a reduced χ 2 of ∼1.2. Our two-disk model reproduces many of the asymmetries reported in the literature and suggests that it is the secondary (tilted) disk which is largely responsible for them. Our model suggests that the secondary disk is not constrained to the inner regions of the system (extending out to at least 250 AU) and that it has a slightly larger total area of dust than the primary, as a result of slower falloff of density with radius and height. This surprising result raises many questions about the origin and dynamics of such a pair of disks. The disks overlap, but can coexist owing to their low optical depths and therefore long mean collision times. We find that the two disks have dust replenishment times on the order of 10 4 yr at ∼100 AU, hinting at the presence of planetesimals that are responsible for the production of second generation dust. A plausible conjecture, which needs to be confirmed by physical modeling of the collisional dynamics of bodies in the disks, is that the two observed disks are derived from underlying planetesimal disks; such disks would be anchored by the gravitational influence of planets located at less than 70 AU from β Pic that are themselves in slightly inclined orbits.