Herschel/SPIRE observations of the dusty disk of NGC 4244

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Holwerda, B. W.; Bianchi, S.; Boker, T.; Radburn-Smith, D.; de Jong, R. S.; Baes, M.; van der Kruit, P. C.; Xilouris, M.; Gordon, K. D.; Dalcanton, J. J.

We present Herschel/SPIRE images at 250, 350, and 500 mu m of NGC 4244, a typical low-mass, disk-only and edge-on spiral galaxy. The dust disk is clumpy and shows signs of truncation at the break radius of the stellar disk. This disk coincides with the densest part of the Hi disk. We compare the

How does the Mass Transport in Disk Galaxy Models Influence the Character of Orbits?

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Zotos Euaggelos E.

2014-12-01

Full Text Available We explore the regular or chaotic nature of orbits of stars moving in the meridional (R, z plane of an axially symmetric time-dependent disk galaxy model with a central, spherically symmetric nucleus. In particular, mass is linearly transported from the disk to the galactic nucleus, in order to mimic, in a way, the case of self-consistent interactions of an actual N-body simulation. We thus try to unveil the influence of this mass transportation on the different families of orbits of stars by monitoring how the percentage of chaotic orbits, as well as the percentages of orbits of the main regular resonant families, evolve as the galaxy develops a dense and massive nucleus in its core. The SALI method is applied to samples of orbits in order to distinguish safely between ordered and chaotic motion. In addition, a method based on the concept of spectral dynamics is used for identifying the various families of regular orbits and also for recognizing the secondary resonances that bifurcate from them. Our computations strongly suggest that the amount of the observed chaos is substantially increased as the nucleus becomes more massive. Furthermore, extensive numerical calculations indicate that there are orbits which change their nature from regular to chaotic and vice versa and also orbits which maintain their orbital character during the galactic evolution. The present outcomes are compared to earlier related work.

The Orbit of the Companion to HD 100453A: Binary-driven Spiral Arms in a Protoplanetary Disk

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Wagner, Kevin; Dong, Ruobing; Sheehan, Patrick; Apai, Dániel; Kasper, Markus; McClure, Melissa; Morzinski, Katie M.; Close, Laird; Males, Jared; Hinz, Phil; Quanz, Sascha P.; Fung, Jeffrey

2018-02-01

HD 100453AB is a 10 ± 2 Myr old binary whose protoplanetary disk was recently revealed to host a global two-armed spiral structure. Given the relatively small projected separation of the binary (1.″05, or ∼108 au), gravitational perturbations by the binary seemed to be a likely driving force behind the formation of the spiral arms. However, the orbit of these stars remained poorly understood, which prevented a proper treatment of the dynamical influence of the companion on the disk. We observed HD 100453AB between 2015 and 2017, utilizing extreme adaptive optics systems on the Very Large Telescope and the Magellan Clay Telescope. We combined the astrometry from these observations with published data to constrain the parameters of the binary’s orbit to a = 1.″06 ± 0.″09, e = 0.17±0.07, and i = 32.°5 ± 6.°5. We utilized publicly available ALMA 12CO data to constrain the inclination of the disk, {i}{{disk}}∼ 28^\\circ , which is relatively coplanar with the orbit of the companion and consistent with previous estimates from scattered light images. Finally, we input these constraints into hydrodynamic and radiative transfer simulations to model the structural evolution of the disk. We find that the spiral structure and truncation of the circumprimary disk in HD 100453 are consistent with a companion-driven origin. Furthermore, we find that the primary star’s rotation, its outer disk, and the companion exhibit roughly the same direction of angular momentum, and thus the system likely formed from the same parent body of material.

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

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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

Formation and Atmosphere of Complex Organic Molecules of the HH 212 Protostellar Disk

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Lee, Chin-Fei; Ho, Paul T. P.; Hirano, Naomi; Shang, Hsien [Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, P.O. Box 23-141, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China); Li, Zhi-Yun [Astronomy Department, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States); Zhang, Qizhou, E-mail: cflee@asiaa.sinica.edu.tw [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

2017-07-01

HH 212 is a nearby (400 pc) Class 0 protostellar system recently found to host a “hamburger”-shaped dusty disk with a radius of ∼60 au, deeply embedded in an infalling-rotating flattened envelope. We have spatially resolved this envelope-disk system with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array at up to ∼16 au (0.″04) resolution. The envelope is detected in HCO{sup +} J = 4–3 down to the dusty disk. Complex organic molecules (COMs) and doubly deuterated formaldehyde (D{sub 2}CO) are detected above and below the dusty disk within ∼40 au of the central protostar. The COMs are methanol (CH{sub 3}OH), deuterated methanol (CH{sub 2}DOH), methyl mercaptan (CH{sub 3}SH), and formamide (NH{sub 2}CHO, a prebiotic precursor). We have modeled the gas kinematics in HCO{sup +} and COMs and found a centrifugal barrier (CB) at a radius of ∼44 au, within which a Keplerian rotating disk is formed. This indicates that HCO{sup +} traces the infalling-rotating envelope down to the CB and COMs trace the atmosphere of a Keplerian rotating disk within the CB. The COMs are spatially resolved for the first time, both radially and vertically, in the atmosphere of a disk in the earliest, Class 0 phase of star formation. Our spatially resolved observations of COMs favor their formation in the disk rather than a rapidly infalling (warm) inner envelope. The abundances and spatial distributions of the COMs provide strong constraints on models of their formation and transport in low-mass star formation.

Characterizing Dusty Debris Disks with the Gemini Planet Imager

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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.

Torques Induced by Scattered Pebble-flow in Protoplanetary Disks

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Benítez-Llambay, Pablo; Pessah, Martin E.

2018-03-01

Fast inward migration of planetary cores is a common problem in the current planet formation paradigm. Even though dust is ubiquitous in protoplanetary disks, its dynamical role in the migration history of planetary embryos has not been assessed. In this Letter, we show that the scattered pebble-flow induced by a low-mass planetary embryo leads to an asymmetric dust-density distribution that is able to exert a net torque. By analyzing a large suite of multifluid hydrodynamical simulations addressing the interaction between the disk and a low-mass planet on a fixed circular orbit, and neglecting dust feedback onto the gas, we identify two different regimes, gas- and gravity-dominated, where the scattered pebble-flow results in almost all cases in positive torques. We collect our measurements in a first torque map for dusty disks, which will enable the incorporation of the effect of dust dynamics on migration into population synthesis models. Depending on the dust drift speed, the dust-to-gas mass ratio/distribution, and the embryo mass, the dust-induced torque has the potential to halt inward migration or even induce fast outward migration of planetary cores. We thus anticipate that dust-driven migration could play a dominant role during the formation history of planets. Because dust torques scale with disk metallicity, we propose that dust-driven outward migration may enhance the occurrence of distant giant planets in higher-metallicity systems.

Physical properties of dusty protoplanetary disks in Lupus: evidence for viscous evolution?

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

2017-10-01

Context. The formation of planets strongly depends on the total amount as well as on the spatial distribution of solids in protoplanetary disks. Thanks to the improvements in resolution and sensitivity provided by ALMA, measurements of the surface density of mm-sized grains are now possible on large samples of disks. Such measurements provide statistical constraints that can be used to inform our understanding of the initial conditions of planet formation. Aims: We aim to analyze spatially resolved observations of 36 protoplanetary disks in the Lupus star forming complex from our ALMA survey at 890 μm, aiming to determine physical properties such as the dust surface density, the disk mass and size, and to provide a constraint on the temperature profile. Methods: We fit the observations directly in the uv-plane using a two-layer disk model that computes the 890 μm emission by solving the energy balance at each disk radius. Results: For 22 out of 36 protoplanetary disks we derive robust estimates of their physical properties. The sample covers stellar masses between 0.1 and 2 M⊙, and we find no trend in the relationship between the average disk temperatures and the stellar parameters. We find, instead, a correlation between the integrated sub-mm flux (a proxy for the disk mass) and the exponential cut-off radii (a proxy of the disk size) of the Lupus disks. Comparing these results with observations at similar angular resolution of Taurus-Auriga and Ophiuchus disks found in literature and scaling them to the same distance, we observe that the Lupus disks are generally fainter and larger at a high level of statistical significance. Considering the 1-2 Myr age difference between these regions, it is possible to tentatively explain the offset in the disk mass-size relation with viscous spreading, however with the current measurements other mechanisms cannot be ruled out.

MIPS Observations of the Fabulous Four Debris Disks

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Su, K. Y. L.; Stansberry, J. A.; Rieke, G. H.; Trilling, D. E.; Stapelfeldt, K. R.; Werner, M. W.; Beichman, C.; Chen, C.; Marengo, M.; Megeath, T.; Backman, D.; van Cleve, J.

2004-12-01

The Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS) provides long-wavelength capability with imaging bands at 24, 70, and 160 um. We will present the MIPS images of the Fabulous Four Debris Disks: Beta Pictoris (A5 V), Epsilon Eridani (K2 V), Fomalhaut (A3 V) and Vega (A0 V). These systems discovered by IRAS possess large far-infrared excess emission above photosphere, indicating the existence of a circumstellar dusty disk. Given the main-sequence ages of these stars ( ˜12 Myr for Beta Pictoris, ˜730 Myr for Epsilon Eridani, ˜200 Myr for Fomalhaut, and ˜350 Myr for Vega), the dust in the systems could not be primordial as it would have been removed by radiation pressure and Poynting-Robertson drag on relatively short time scales ( ˜1E4 yr). The second-generation dust in such debris disks is thought to arise primarily from collisions between planetesimals (asteroids) and from cometary activity; however, details about the debris formation and evolution are not well understood. With the sensitivity and angular resolution of the Spitizer Space Telescope, the structures of these nearby debris disks were mapped in great detail to study the disks' spatial structures at mid- to far-infrared wavelengths. These high spatial resolution images provide unprecedented new constraints on the the dust properties in the systems and limits on the origin of dusty debris. Support for this work was provided by NASA through Contract Number 960785 issued by JPL/Caltech.

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

similar disks suggest that the size of the stellar orbits has significantly decreased as a consequence of disk formation.

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

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.

Spectral energy distributions of T Tauri stars - disk flaring and limits on accretion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kenyon, S.J.; Hartmann, L.

1987-01-01

The Adams et al. (1987) conclusion that much of the IR excess emission in the spectral energy distribution of T Tauri stars arises from reprocessing of stellar radiation by a dusty circumstellar disk is presently supported by analyses conducted in light of various models of these stars' spectra. A low mass reprocessing disk can, however, produce these spectra as well as a massive accretion disk. The detection of possible boundary layer radiation in the optical and near-UV regions poses the strongest limits on accretion rates. Disk accretion in the T Tauri phase does not significantly modify stellar evolution. 85 references

THE LONG-TERM EVOLUTION OF PHOTOEVAPORATING PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

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Bae, Jaehan; Hartmann, Lee; Zhu Zhaohuan; Gammie, Charles

2013-01-01

We perform calculations of our one-dimensional, two-zone disk model to study the long-term evolution of the circumstellar disk. In particular, we adopt published photoevaporation prescriptions and examine whether the photoevaporative loss alone, coupled with a range of initial angular momenta of the protostellar cloud, can explain the observed decline of the frequency of optically thick dusty disks with increasing age. In the parameter space we explore, disks have accreting and/or non-accreting transitional phases lasting for ∼ wall plane, which possibly explains the different observed properties between the two populations. However, we further find that scaling the photoevaporation rates downward by a factor of 10 makes it difficult to clear the disks on the observed timescales, showing that the precise value of the photoevaporative loss is crucial to setting the clearing times. While our results apply only to pure photoevaporative loss (plus disk accretion), there may be implications for models in which planets clear disks preferentially at radii of the order of 10 AU

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

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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

Detection and Characterization of Extrasolar Planets through Mean-motion Resonances. II. The Effect of the Planet’s Orbital Eccentricity on Debris Disk Structures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tabeshian, Maryam; Wiegert, Paul A., E-mail: mtabeshi@uwo.ca [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7 (Canada)

2017-09-20

Structures observed in debris disks may be caused by gravitational interaction with planetary or stellar companions. These perturbed disks are often thought to indicate the presence of planets and offer insights into the properties of both the disk and the perturbing planets. Gaps in debris disks may indicate a planet physically present within the gap, but such gaps can also occur away from the planet’s orbit at mean-motion resonances (MMRs), and this is the focus of our interest here. We extend our study of planet–disk interaction through MMRs, presented in an earlier paper, to systems in which the perturbing planet has moderate orbital eccentricity, a common occurrence in exoplanetary systems. In particular, a new result is that the 3:1 MMR becomes distinct at higher eccentricity, while its effects are absent for circular planetary orbits. We also only consider gravitational interaction with a planetary body of at least 1 M {sub J}. Our earlier work shows that even a 1 Earth mass planet can theoretically open an MMR gap; however, given the narrow gap that can be opened by a low-mass planet, its observability would be questionable. We find that the widths, locations, and shapes of two prominent structures, the 2:1 and 3:1 MMRs, could be used to determine the mass, semimajor axis, and eccentricity of the planetary perturber and present an algorithm for doing so. These MMR structures can be used to narrow the position and even determine the planetary properties (such as mass) of any inferred but as-yet-unseen planets within a debris disk. We also briefly discuss the implications of eccentric disks on brightness asymmetries and their dependence on the wavelengths with which these disks are observed.

A DISK AROUND THE PLANETARY-MASS COMPANION GSC 06214-00210 b: CLUES ABOUT THE FORMATION OF GAS GIANTS ON WIDE ORBITS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bowler, Brendan P.; Liu, Michael C.; Kraus, Adam L.; Mann, Andrew W.; Ireland, Michael J.

2011-01-01

We present Keck OSIRIS 1.1-1.8 μm adaptive optics integral field spectroscopy of the planetary-mass companion to GSC 06214-00210, a member of the ∼5 Myr Upper Scorpius OB association. We infer a spectral type of L0 ± 1, and our spectrum exhibits multiple signs of youth. The most notable feature is exceptionally strong Paβ emission (EW = –11.4 ± 0.3 Å), which signals the presence of a circumplanetary accretion disk. The luminosity of GSC 06214-00210 b combined with its age yields a model-dependent mass of 14 ± 2 M Jup , making it the lowest-mass companion to show evidence of a disk. With a projected separation of 320 AU, the formation of GSC 06214-00210 b and other very low mass companions on similarly wide orbits is unclear. One proposed mechanism is formation at close separations followed by planet-planet scattering to much larger orbits. Since that scenario involves a close encounter with another massive body, which is probably destructive to circumplanetary disks, it is unlikely that GSC 06214-00210 b underwent a scattering event in the past. This implies that planet-planet scattering is not solely responsible for the population of gas giants on wide orbits. More generally, the identification of disks around young planetary companions on wide orbits offers a novel method to constrain the formation pathway of these objects, which is otherwise notoriously difficult to do for individual systems. We also refine the spectral type of the primary from M1 to K7 and detect a mild (2σ) excess at 22 μm using Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer photometry.

CIRCUMSTELLAR DEBRIS DISKS: DIAGNOSING THE UNSEEN PERTURBER

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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.

THE LINK BETWEEN PLANETARY SYSTEMS, DUSTY WHITE DWARFS, AND METAL-POLLUTED WHITE DWARFS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Debes, John H.; Walsh, Kevin J.; Stark, Christopher

2012-01-01

It has long been suspected that metal-polluted white dwarfs (types DAZ, DBZ, and DZ) and white dwarfs with dusty disks possess planetary systems, but a specific physical mechanism by which planetesimals are perturbed close to a white dwarf has not yet been fully posited. In this paper, we demonstrate that mass loss from a central star during post-main-sequence evolution can sweep planetesimals into interior mean motion resonances with a single giant planet. These planetesimals are slowly removed through chaotic excursions of eccentricity that in time create radial orbits capable of tidally disrupting the planetesimal. Numerical N-body simulations of the solar system show that a sufficient number of planetesimals are perturbed to explain white dwarfs with both dust and metal pollution, provided other white dwarfs have more massive relic asteroid belts. Our scenario requires only one Jupiter-sized planet and a sufficient number of asteroids near its 2:1 interior mean motion resonance. Finally, we show that once a planetesimal is perturbed into a tidal crossing orbit, it will become disrupted after the first pass of the white dwarf, where a highly eccentric stream of debris forms the main reservoir for dust-producing collisions. These simulations, in concert with observations of white dwarfs, place interesting limits on the frequency of planetary systems around main-sequence stars, the frequency of planetesimal belts, and the probability that dust may obscure future terrestrial planet finding missions.

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

Breathing-mode resonance of a complex plasma disk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheridan, T.E.; Buckey, C.R.; Cox, D.J.; Merrill, R.J.; Theisen, W.L.

2004-01-01

We have experimentally characterized the breathing mode oscillation of a strongly-coupled, dusty plasma disk. Steady-state oscillations are excited by sinusoidally modulating the plasma density, creating a single-frequency, in-plane driving force. Resonance curves agree well with damped harmonic oscillator theory. A response at the second harmonic is observed and found to increase with the square of the driving force, indicating a quadratic nonlinearity

Gas Velocities Reveal Newly Born Planets in a Disk

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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

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.

Introduction to dusty plasma physics

CERN Document Server

Shukla, PK

2001-01-01

Introduction to Dusty Plasma Physics contains a detailed description of the occurrence of dusty plasmas in our Solar System, the Earth''s mesosphere, and in laboratory discharges. The book illustrates numerous mechanisms for charging dust particles and provides studies of the grain dynamics under the influence of forces that are common in dusty plasma environments.

IONIZATION AND DUST CHARGING IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ivlev, A. V.; Caselli, P. [Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, Giessenbachstr. 1, D-85748 Garching (Germany); Akimkin, V. V., E-mail: ivlev@mpe.mpg.de [Institute of Astronomy of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Pyatnitskaya Street 48, 119017 Moscow (Russian Federation)

2016-12-10

Ionization–recombination balance in dense interstellar and circumstellar environments is a key factor for a variety of important physical processes, such as chemical reactions, dust charging and coagulation, coupling of the gas with magnetic field, and development of instabilities in protoplanetary disks. We determine a critical gas density above which the recombination of electrons and ions on the grain surface dominates over the gas-phase recombination. For this regime, we present a self-consistent analytical model, which allows us to calculate exactly the abundances of charged species in dusty gas, without making assumptions on the grain charge distribution. To demonstrate the importance of the proposed approach, we check whether the conventional approximation of low grain charges is valid for typical protoplanetary disks, and discuss the implications for dust coagulation and development of the “dead zone” in the disk. The presented model is applicable for arbitrary grain-size distributions and, for given dust properties and conditions of the disk, has only one free parameter—the effective mass of the ions, shown to have a small effect on the results. The model can be easily included in numerical simulations following the dust evolution in dense molecular clouds and protoplanetary disks.

Formation of cavities in dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kravchenko, O.Yu.; Chutov, Yu.Yi.; Yurchuk, M.M.

2003-01-01

The computer modeling of evolution one-dimensional dusty of sheaths which is taking place in unbounded argon plasma will be carried out. For examination the magneto-hydrodynamics equations for particles of a dusty particles and ions,and also equilibrium approach for electrons will be utilized. As a result of the carried out calculations the spatial distributions of parameters of plasma in different instants are obtained. It is shown,that in a series of modes of the dusty particles are collected in layers which separated by areas where dusty particles practically miss. At increasing of concentration of neutral particles this effect disappears owing to action of a frictional force between dusty particles and neutral component of plasma. It is shown,that depending on concentration of plasma the dusty particles can be dilated or be compressed under action of an ion wind force

Computations of Photon Orbits Emitted by Flares at the ISCO of Accretion Disks Around Rotating Black Holes

Science.gov (United States)

Kazanas, Demosthenes; Fukumura, K.

2009-01-01

We present detailed computations of photon orbits emitted by flares at the ISCO of accretion disks around rotating black holes. We show that for sufficiently large spin parameter, i.e. $a > 0.94 M$, following a flare at ISCO, a sufficient number of photons arrive at an observer after multiple orbits around the black hole, to produce an "photon echo" of constant lag, i.e. independent of the relative phase between the black hole and the observer, of $\\Delta T \\simeq 14 M$. This constant time delay, then, leads to the presence of a QPO in the source power spectrum at a frequency $\

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.

Evidence for Companion-induced Secular Changes in the Turbulent Disk of a Be Star in the Large Magellanic Cloud MACHO Database

Science.gov (United States)

Struble, Mitchell F.; Galatola, Anthony; Faccioli, Lorenzo; Alcock, Charles; Cruz, Kelle

2006-04-01

The light curve of a blue variable in the MACHO LMC database (FTS ID 78.5979.72) appeared nearly unvarying for about 4 yr (the quasi-flat segment) but then rapidly changed to become periodic with noisy minima for the remaining 4 yr (the periodic segment); there are no antecedent indications of a gradual approach to this change. Lomb periodogram analyses indicate the presence of two distinct periods of ~61 and 8 days in both the quasi-flat and the periodic segments. Minima of the periodic segment cover at least 50% of the orbital period and contain spikes of light with the 8 day period; maxima do not show this short period. The system typically shows maxima to be redder than minima. The most recent OGLE-III light curve shows only a 30 day periodicity. The variable's V and R magnitudes and color are those of a Be star, and recent sets of near-infrared spectra 4 days apart, secured during the time of the OGLE-III data, show Hα emission near and at a maximum, confirming its Be star characteristics. The model that best fits the photometric behavior consists of a thin ringlike circumstellar disk of low mass with four obscuring sectors orbiting the central B star in unison at the 61 day period. The central star peers through the three equispaced separations between the four sectors producing the 8 day period. These sectors could be dusty vortices comprised of particles larger than typical interstellar dust grains that dim but selectively scatter the central star's light, while the remainder of the disk contains hydrogen in emission, making maxima appear redder. A companion star of lower mass in an inclined and highly eccentric orbit produces an impulsive perturbation near its periastron to change the disk's orientation, changing eclipses from partial to complete within ~10 days. The most recent change to a 30 day period observed in the OGLE-III data may be caused by obscuring sectors that have coalesced into larger ones and spread out along the disk.

Hydrodynamic simulations of accretion disks in cataclysmic variables

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hirose, Masahito; Osaki, Yoji

1990-01-01

The tidal effects of secondary stars on accretion disks in cataclysmic variables are studied by two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations. The time evolution of an accretion disk under a constant mass supply rate from the secondary is followed until it reaches a quasi-steady state. We have examined various cases of different mass ratios of binary systems. It is found that the accretion disk settles into a steady state of an elongated disk fixed in the rotating frame of the binary in a binary system with comparable masses of component stars. On the other hand, in the case of a low-mass secondary, the accretion disk develops a non-axisymmetric (eccentric) structure and finally settles into a periodically oscillating state in which a non-axisymmetric eccentric disk rotates in the opposite direction to the orbital motion of the binary in the rotating frame of the binary. The period of oscillation is a few percent longer than the orbital period of the binary, and it offers a natural explanation for the ''superhump'' periodicity of SU UMa stars. Our results thus confirm basically those of Whitehurst (1988, AAA 45.064.032) who discovered the tidal instability of an accretion disk in the case of a low-mass secondary. We then discuss the cause of the tidal instability. It is shown that the tidal instability of accretion disks is caused by a parametric resonance between particle orbits and an orbiting secondary star with a 1:3 period ratio. (author)

NUMERICAL SIMULATIONS OF NATURALLY TILTED, RETROGRADELY PRECESSING, NODAL SUPERHUMPING ACCRETION DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montgomery, M. M.

2012-01-01

Accretion disks around black hole, neutron star, and white dwarf systems are thought to sometimes tilt, retrogradely precess, and produce hump-shaped modulations in light curves that have a period shorter than the orbital period. Although artificially rotating numerically simulated accretion disks out of the orbital plane and around the line of nodes generate these short-period superhumps and retrograde precession of the disk, no numerical code to date has been shown to produce a disk tilt naturally. In this work, we report the first naturally tilted disk in non-magnetic cataclysmic variables using three-dimensional smoothed particle hydrodynamics. Our simulations show that after many hundreds of orbital periods, the disk has tilted on its own and this disk tilt is without the aid of radiation sources or magnetic fields. As the system orbits, the accretion stream strikes the bright spot (which is on the rim of the tilted disk) and flows over and under the disk on different flow paths. These different flow paths suggest the lift force as a source to disk tilt. Our results confirm the disk shape, disk structure, and negative superhump period and support the source to disk tilt, source to retrograde precession, and location associated with X-ray and He II emission from the disk as suggested in previous works. Our results identify the fundamental negative superhump frequency as the indicator of disk tilt around the line of nodes.

A near-infrared, optical, and ultraviolet polarimetric and timing investigation of complex equatorial dusty structures

Science.gov (United States)

Marin, F.; Rojas Lobos, P. A.; Hameury, J. M.; Goosmann, R. W.

2018-05-01

Context. From stars to active galactic nuclei, many astrophysical systems are surrounded by an equatorial distribution of dusty material that is, in a number of cases, spatially unresolved even with cutting edge facilities. Aims: In this paper, we investigate if and how one can determine the unresolved and heterogeneous morphology of dust distribution around a central bright source using time-resolved polarimetric observations. Methods: We used polarized radiative transfer simulations to study a sample of circumnuclear dusty morphologies. We explored a grid of geometrically variable models that are uniform, fragmented, and density stratified in the near-infrared, optical, and ultraviolet bands, and we present their distinctive time-dependent polarimetric signatures. Results: As expected, varying the structure of the obscuring equatorial disk has a deep impact on the inclination-dependent flux, polarization degree and angle, and time lags we observe. We find that stratified media are distinguishable by time-resolved polarimetric observations, and that the expected polarization is much higher in the infrared band than in the ultraviolet. However, because of the physical scales imposed by dust sublimation, the average time lags of months to years between the total and polarized fluxes are important; these time lags lengthens the observational campaigns necessary to break more sophisticated, and therefore also more degenerated, models. In the ultraviolet band, time lags are slightly shorter than in the infrared or optical bands, and, coupled to lower diluting starlight fluxes, time-resolved polarimetry in the UV appears more promising for future campaigns. Conclusions: Equatorial dusty disks differ in terms of inclination-dependent photometric, polarimetric, and timing observables, but only the coupling of these different markers can lead to inclination-independent constraints on the unresolved structures. Even though it is complex and time consuming, polarized

A PRIMER ON UNIFYING DEBRIS DISK MORPHOLOGIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Eve J.; Chiang, Eugene

2016-01-01

A “minimum model” for debris disks consists of a narrow ring of parent bodies, secularly forced by a single planet on a possibly eccentric orbit, colliding to produce dust grains that are perturbed by stellar radiation pressure. We demonstrate how this minimum model can reproduce a wide variety of disk morphologies imaged in scattered starlight. Five broad categories of disk shape can be captured: “rings,” “needles,” “ships-and-wakes,” “bars,” and “moths (a.k.a. fans),” depending on the viewing geometry. Moths can also sport “double wings.” We explain the origin of morphological features from first principles, exploring the dependence on planet eccentricity, disk inclination dispersion, and the parent body orbital phases at which dust grains are born. A key determinant in disk appearance is the degree to which dust grain orbits are apsidally aligned. Our study of a simple steady-state (secularly relaxed) disk should serve as a reference for more detailed models tailored to individual systems. We use the intuition gained from our guidebook of disk morphologies to interpret, informally, the images of a number of real-world debris disks. These interpretations suggest that the farthest reaches of planetary systems are perturbed by eccentric planets, possibly just a few Earth masses each.

A Primer on Unifying Debris Disk Morphologies

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Eve J.; Chiang, Eugene

2016-08-01

A “minimum model” for debris disks consists of a narrow ring of parent bodies, secularly forced by a single planet on a possibly eccentric orbit, colliding to produce dust grains that are perturbed by stellar radiation pressure. We demonstrate how this minimum model can reproduce a wide variety of disk morphologies imaged in scattered starlight. Five broad categories of disk shape can be captured: “rings,” “needles,” “ships-and-wakes,” “bars,” and “moths (a.k.a. fans),” depending on the viewing geometry. Moths can also sport “double wings.” We explain the origin of morphological features from first principles, exploring the dependence on planet eccentricity, disk inclination dispersion, and the parent body orbital phases at which dust grains are born. A key determinant in disk appearance is the degree to which dust grain orbits are apsidally aligned. Our study of a simple steady-state (secularly relaxed) disk should serve as a reference for more detailed models tailored to individual systems. We use the intuition gained from our guidebook of disk morphologies to interpret, informally, the images of a number of real-world debris disks. These interpretations suggest that the farthest reaches of planetary systems are perturbed by eccentric planets, possibly just a few Earth masses each.

A PRIMER ON UNIFYING DEBRIS DISK MORPHOLOGIES

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Eve J.; Chiang, Eugene, E-mail: evelee@berkeley.edu, E-mail: echiang@astro.berkeley.edu [Department of Astronomy, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3411 (United States)

2016-08-20

A “minimum model” for debris disks consists of a narrow ring of parent bodies, secularly forced by a single planet on a possibly eccentric orbit, colliding to produce dust grains that are perturbed by stellar radiation pressure. We demonstrate how this minimum model can reproduce a wide variety of disk morphologies imaged in scattered starlight. Five broad categories of disk shape can be captured: “rings,” “needles,” “ships-and-wakes,” “bars,” and “moths (a.k.a. fans),” depending on the viewing geometry. Moths can also sport “double wings.” We explain the origin of morphological features from first principles, exploring the dependence on planet eccentricity, disk inclination dispersion, and the parent body orbital phases at which dust grains are born. A key determinant in disk appearance is the degree to which dust grain orbits are apsidally aligned. Our study of a simple steady-state (secularly relaxed) disk should serve as a reference for more detailed models tailored to individual systems. We use the intuition gained from our guidebook of disk morphologies to interpret, informally, the images of a number of real-world debris disks. These interpretations suggest that the farthest reaches of planetary systems are perturbed by eccentric planets, possibly just a few Earth masses each.

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...

LONG-TERM EVOLUTION OF PLANET-INDUCED VORTICES IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fu, Wen; Li, Hui; Li, Shengtai; Lubow, Stephen

2014-01-01

Recent observations of large-scale asymmetric features in protoplanetary disks suggest that large-scale vortices exist in such disks. Massive planets are known to be able to produce deep gaps in protoplanetary disks. The gap edges could become hydrodynamically unstable to the Rossby wave/vortex instability and form large-scale vortices. In this study we examine the long-term evolution of these vortices by carrying out high-resolution two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations that last more than 10 4 orbits (measured at the planet's orbit). We find that the disk viscosity has a strong influence on both the emergence and lifetime of vortices. In the outer disk region where asymmetric features are observed, our simulation results suggest that the disk viscous α needs to be low, ∼10 –5 -10 –4 , to sustain vortices to thousands and up to 10 4 orbits in certain cases. The chance of finding a vortex feature in a disk then decreases with smaller planet orbital radius. For α ∼ 10 –3 or larger, even planets with masses of 5 M J will have difficulty either producing or sustaining vortices. We have also studied the effects of different disk temperatures and planet masses. We discuss the implications of our findings on current and future protoplanetary disk observations

CONSTRAINTS ON THE LIFETIMES OF DISKS RESULTING FROM TIDALLY DESTROYED ROCKY PLANETARY BODIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Girven, J.; Gänsicke, B. T.; Marsh, T. R.; Brinkworth, C. S.; Hoard, D. W.; Farihi, J.; Koester, D.

2012-01-01

Spitzer IRAC observations of 15 metal-polluted white dwarfs reveal infrared excesses in the spectral energy distributions of HE 0110–5630, GD 61, and HE 1349–2305. All three of these stars have helium-dominated atmospheres, and their infrared emissions are consistent with warm dust produced by the tidal destruction of (minor) planetary bodies. This study brings the number of metal-polluted, helium and hydrogen atmosphere white dwarfs surveyed with IRAC to 53 and 38, respectively. It also nearly doubles the number of metal-polluted helium-rich white dwarfs found to have closely orbiting dust by Spitzer. From the increased statistics for both atmospheric types with circumstellar dust, we derive a typical disk lifetime of log [t disk (yr)] = 5.6 ± 1.1 (ranging from 3 × 10 4 to 5 × 10 6 yr). This assumes a relatively constant rate of accretion over the timescale where dust persists, which is uncertain. We find that the fraction of highly metal-polluted helium-rich white dwarfs that have an infrared excess detected by Spitzer is only 23%, compared to 48% for metal-polluted hydrogen-rich white dwarfs, and we conclude from this difference that the typical lifetime of dusty disks is somewhat shorter than the diffusion timescales of helium-rich white dwarf. We also find evidence for higher time-averaged accretion rates onto helium-rich stars compared to the instantaneous accretion rates onto hydrogen-rich stars; this is an indication that our picture of evolved star-planetary system interactions is incomplete. We discuss some speculative scenarios that can explain the observations.

Resolving the Planet-hosting Inner Regions of the LkCa 15 Disk

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Thalmann, C.; Janson, M.; Garufi, A.; Boccaletti, A.; Quanz, S.P.; Sissa, E.; Gratton, R.; Salter, G.; Benisty, M.; Bonnefoy, M.; Chauvin, G.; Daemgen, S.; Desidera, S.; Dominik, C.; Engler, N.; Feldt, M.; Henning, T.; Lagrange, A.-M.; Langlois, M.; Lannier, J.; Le Coroller, H.; Ligi, R.; Ménard, F.; Mesa, D.; Meyer, M.R.; Mulders, G.D.; Olofsson, J.; Pinte, C.; Schmid, H.M.; Vigan, A.; Zurlo, A.

2016-01-01

LkCa 15 hosts a pre-transitional disk as well as at least one accreting protoplanet orbiting in its gap. Previous disk observations have focused mainly on the outer disk, which is cleared inward of ∼50 au. The planet candidates, on the other hand, reside at orbital radii around 15au, where disk

THE LONG-TERM EVOLUTION OF PHOTOEVAPORATING PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bae, Jaehan; Hartmann, Lee [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48105 (United States); Zhu Zhaohuan [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, 4 Ivy Lane, Peyton Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Gammie, Charles, E-mail: jaehbae@umich.edu, E-mail: lhartm@umich.edu, E-mail: zhuzh@astro.princeton.edu, E-mail: gammie@illinois.edu [Department of Astronomy, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1002 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States)

2013-09-01

We perform calculations of our one-dimensional, two-zone disk model to study the long-term evolution of the circumstellar disk. In particular, we adopt published photoevaporation prescriptions and examine whether the photoevaporative loss alone, coupled with a range of initial angular momenta of the protostellar cloud, can explain the observed decline of the frequency of optically thick dusty disks with increasing age. In the parameter space we explore, disks have accreting and/or non-accreting transitional phases lasting for {approx}< 20% of their lifetime, which is in reasonable agreement with observed statistics. Assuming that photoevaporation controls disk clearing, we find that the initial angular momentum distribution of clouds needs to be weighted in favor of slowly rotating protostellar cloud cores. Again, assuming inner disk dispersal by photoevaporation, we conjecture that this skewed angular momentum distribution is a result of fragmentation into binary or multiple stellar systems in rapidly rotating cores. Accreting and non-accreting transitional disks show different evolutionary paths on the M-dot-R{sub wall} plane, which possibly explains the different observed properties between the two populations. However, we further find that scaling the photoevaporation rates downward by a factor of 10 makes it difficult to clear the disks on the observed timescales, showing that the precise value of the photoevaporative loss is crucial to setting the clearing times. While our results apply only to pure photoevaporative loss (plus disk accretion), there may be implications for models in which planets clear disks preferentially at radii of the order of 10 AU.

Dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, M.E.; Winske, D.; Keinigs, R.; Lemons, D.

1996-01-01

This is the final report of a three-year, Laboratory-Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The objective of this project has been to develop a fundamental understanding of dusty plasmas at the Laboratory. While dusty plasmas are found in space in galactic clouds, planetary rings, and cometary tails, and as contaminants in plasma enhanced fabrication of microelectronics, many of their properties are only partially understood. Our work has involved both theoretical analysis and self-consistent plasma simulations to understand basic properties of dusty plasmas related to equilibrium, stability, and transport. Such an understanding can improve the control and elimination of plasma dust in industrial applications and may be important in the study of planetary rings and comet dust tails. We have applied our techniques to the study of charging, dynamics, and coagulation of contaminants in plasma processing reactors for industrial etching and deposition processes and to instabilities in planetary rings and other space plasma environments. The work performed in this project has application to plasma kinetics, transport, and other classical elementary processes in plasmas as well as to plasma waves, oscillations, and instabilities

RESONANT CLUMPING AND SUBSTRUCTURE IN GALACTIC DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molloy, Matthew; Smith, Martin C.; Shen, Juntai; Evans, N. Wyn

2015-01-01

We describe a method to extract resonant orbits from N-body simulations, exploiting the fact that they close in frames rotating with a constant pattern speed. Our method is applied to the N-body simulation of the Milky Way by Shen et al. This simulation hosts a massive bar, which drives strong resonances and persistent angular momentum exchange. Resonant orbits are found throughout the disk, both close to the bar and out to the very edges of the disk. Using Fourier spectrograms, we demonstrate that the bar is driving kinematic substructure even in the very outer parts of the disk. We identify two major orbit families in the outskirts of the disk, one of which makes significant contributions to the kinematic landscape, namely, the m:l = 3:−2 family, resonating with the bar. A mechanism is described that produces bimodal distributions of Galactocentric radial velocities at selected azimuths in the outer disk. It occurs as a result of the temporal coherence of particles on the 3:−2 resonant orbits, which causes them to arrive simultaneously at pericenter or apocenter. This resonant clumping, due to the in-phase motion of the particles through their epicycle, leads to both inward and outward moving groups that belong to the same orbital family and consequently produce bimodal radial velocity distributions. This is a possible explanation of the bimodal velocity distributions observed toward the Galactic anticenter by Liu et al. Another consequence is that transient overdensities appear and dissipate (in a symmetric fashion), resulting in a periodic pulsing of the disk’s surface density

RESONANT CLUMPING AND SUBSTRUCTURE IN GALACTIC DISKS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Molloy, Matthew [Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University, Yi He Yuan Lu 5, Hai Dian Qu, Beijing 100871 (China); Smith, Martin C.; Shen, Juntai [Key Laboratory for Research in Galaxies and Cosmology, Shanghai Astronomical Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 80 Nandan Road, Shanghai 200030 (China); Evans, N. Wyn, E-mail: matthewmolloy@gmail.com, E-mail: msmith@shao.ac.cn, E-mail: jshen@shao.ac.cn, E-mail: nwe@ast.cam.ac.uk [Institute of Astronomy, Madingley Road, Cambridge, CB3 0HA (United Kingdom)

2015-05-10

We describe a method to extract resonant orbits from N-body simulations, exploiting the fact that they close in frames rotating with a constant pattern speed. Our method is applied to the N-body simulation of the Milky Way by Shen et al. This simulation hosts a massive bar, which drives strong resonances and persistent angular momentum exchange. Resonant orbits are found throughout the disk, both close to the bar and out to the very edges of the disk. Using Fourier spectrograms, we demonstrate that the bar is driving kinematic substructure even in the very outer parts of the disk. We identify two major orbit families in the outskirts of the disk, one of which makes significant contributions to the kinematic landscape, namely, the m:l = 3:−2 family, resonating with the bar. A mechanism is described that produces bimodal distributions of Galactocentric radial velocities at selected azimuths in the outer disk. It occurs as a result of the temporal coherence of particles on the 3:−2 resonant orbits, which causes them to arrive simultaneously at pericenter or apocenter. This resonant clumping, due to the in-phase motion of the particles through their epicycle, leads to both inward and outward moving groups that belong to the same orbital family and consequently produce bimodal radial velocity distributions. This is a possible explanation of the bimodal velocity distributions observed toward the Galactic anticenter by Liu et al. Another consequence is that transient overdensities appear and dissipate (in a symmetric fashion), resulting in a periodic pulsing of the disk’s surface density.

PLANETESIMAL AND PROTOPLANET DYNAMICS IN A TURBULENT PROTOPLANETARY DISK: IDEAL STRATIFIED DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Chao-Chin; Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark; Menou, Kristen

2012-01-01

Due to the gravitational influence of density fluctuations driven by magneto-rotational instability in the gas disk, planetesimals and protoplanets undergo diffusive radial migration as well as changes in other orbital properties. The magnitude of the effect on particle orbits can have important consequences for planet formation scenarios. We use the local-shearing-box approximation to simulate an ideal, isothermal, magnetized gas disk with vertical density stratification and simultaneously evolve numerous massless particles moving under the gravitational field of the gas and the host star. We measure the evolution of the particle orbital properties, including mean radius, eccentricity, inclination, and velocity dispersion, and its dependence on the disk properties and the particle initial conditions. Although the results converge with resolution for fixed box dimensions, we find the response of the particles to the gravity of the turbulent gas correlates with the horizontal box size, up to 16 disk scale heights. This correlation indicates that caution should be exercised when interpreting local-shearing-box models involving gravitational physics of magneto-rotational turbulence. Based on heuristic arguments, nevertheless, the criterion L h /R ∼ O(1), where L h is the horizontal box size and R is the distance to the host star, is proposed to possibly circumvent this conundrum. If this criterion holds, we can still conclude that magneto-rotational turbulence seems likely to be ineffective at driving either diffusive migration or collisional erosion under most circumstances.

''Dusty plasmas''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsytovich, V.N.; Bingham, R.; Angelis, U. de

1989-09-01

The field of ''dusty plasmas'' promises to be a very rewarding topic of research for the next decade or so, not only from the academic point of view where the emphasis is on developing the theory of the often complex collective and non-linear processes, but also from the point of view of applications in astrophysics, space physics, environmental and energy research. In this ''comment'' we should like to sketch the current development of this fast growing and potentially very important research area. We will discuss the new features of ''dusty'' plasmas in the most general terms and then briefly mention some successful applications and effects which have already been examined. (author)

Global-scale Observations of the Limb and Disk (GOLD) Mission -Ultraviolet Remote Sensing of Earth's Space Environment from Geostationary Orbit

Science.gov (United States)

Burns, A. G.; Eastes, R.

2017-12-01

The GOLD mission of opportunity will fly a far ultraviolet imaging spectrograph in geostationary (GEO) orbit as a hosted payload. The mission is scheduled for launch in late January 2018 on SES-14, a commercial communications satellite that will be stationed over eastern South America at 47.5 degrees west longitude. GOLD is on schedule to be the first NASA science mission to fly as a hosted payload on a commercial communications satellite. The GOLD imager has two identical channels. Each channel can scan the full disk at a 30 minute cadence, making spectral images of Earth's UV emission from 132 to 162 nm, as well as make a measurement on the Earth's limb. Remote sensing techniques that have been proven on previous Low Earth Orbit (LEO) missions will be used to derive fundamental parameters for the neutral and ionized space environment. Parameters that will be derived include composition (O/N2 ratio) and temperature of the neutral atmosphere on the dayside disk. On the nightside, peak electron densities will be obtained in the low latitude ionosphere. Many of the algorithms developed for the mission are extensions of ones used on previous earth and planetary missions, with modifications for observations from geostationary orbit. All the algorithms have been tested using simulated observations based on the actual instrument performance. From geostationary orbit, GOLD can repeatedly image the same geographic locations over most of the hemisphere at a cadence comparable to that of the T-I system (order of an hour). Such time resolution and spatial coverage will allow the mission to track the changes due to geomagnetic storms, variations in solar extreme ultraviolet radiation, and forcing from the lower atmosphere. In addition to providing a new perspective by being able to repeatedly remotely sense the same hemisphere at a high cadence, GOLD's simultaneous measurements of not only composition but also temperatures across the disk will provide a valuable, new parameter

A NEW ALGORITHM FOR SELF-CONSISTENT THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODELING OF COLLISIONS IN DUSTY DEBRIS DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stark, Christopher C.; Kuchner, Marc J.

2009-01-01

We present a new 'collisional grooming' algorithm that enables us to model images of debris disks where the collision time is less than the Poynting-Robertson (PR) time for the dominant grain size. Our algorithm uses the output of a collisionless disk simulation to iteratively solve the mass flux equation for the density distribution of a collisional disk containing planets in three dimensions. The algorithm can be run on a single processor in ∼1 hr. Our preliminary models of disks with resonant ring structures caused by terrestrial mass planets show that the collision rate for background particles in a ring structure is enhanced by a factor of a few compared to the rest of the disk, and that dust grains in or near resonance have even higher collision rates. We show how collisions can alter the morphology of a resonant ring structure by reducing the sharpness of a resonant ring's inner edge and by smearing out azimuthal structure. We implement a simple prescription for particle fragmentation and show how PR drag and fragmentation sort particles by size, producing smaller dust grains at smaller circumstellar distances. This mechanism could cause a disk to look different at different wavelengths, and may explain the warm component of dust interior to Fomalhaut's outer dust ring seen in the resolved 24 μm Spitzer image of this system.

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.

Size selective dustiness and exposure; simulated workplace comparisons

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Brouwer, D.H.; Links, I.H.M.; Vreede, S.A.F. de; Christopher, Y.

2006-01-01

A simulated workplace study was conducted to investigate the relation between inhalation exposure and dustiness determined with a rotating drum dustiness tester. Three powders were used in the study, i.e. magnesium stearate, representing a very dusty powder, and aluminium oxide and calcium

Orbit elements and kinematics of the halo stars and the old disk population: evidence for active phases in the evolution of the Galaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsakov, V.A.; Suchkov, A.A.

1978-01-01

The distributions of orbits eccentricities and of angular momenta for the halo stars and for the old disk population are considered. The distributions have gaps separating the halo from the disk and diving the halo population into three groups. From the point of view of star formation during the collapse at the earliy stages of evolution the gaps evidence that threre were in the Galaxy long periods of suppression of star formation. The kinematics and the orbit elements of the halo stars and of the old disk population allow to conclude that there was no significant relaxation in the halo; the halo subsystems are not stationary, they perform radial oscillations with respect to the galactic centre; the velocity dispersion in the galactic rotation direction for the halo stars having the same age does not exceed 20-40 km/s; the dispersion of the velocity component along the galactic radius is symmetrically higher for the subsystems with a greater eccentrically and reaches 215 km/s for the stars with the greatest eccentricaities; the sing of the angular momentum in the protogalactic gas cloud probably changed at some distance form the galactic centre

Screening length in dusty plasma crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nikolaev, V S; Timofeev, A V

2016-01-01

Particles interaction and value of the screening length in dusty plasma systems are of great interest in dusty plasma area. Three inter-particle potentials (Debye potential, Gurevich potential and interaction potential in the weakly collisional regime) are used to solve equilibrium equations for two dusty particles suspended in a parabolic trap. The inter-particle distance dependence on screening length, trap parameter and particle charge is obtained. The functional form of inter-particle distance dependence on ion temperature is investigated and compared with experimental data at 200-300 K in order to test used potentials applicability to dusty plasma systems at room temperatures. The preference is given to the Yukawa-type potential including effective values of particle charge and screening length. The estimated effective value of the screening length is 5-15 times larger than the Debye length. (paper)

MISALIGNMENT OF THE JET AND THE NORMAL TO THE DUSTY TORUS IN THE BROAD ABSORPTION LINE QSO FIRST J155633.8+351758

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reynolds, Cormac; Punsly, Brian; O'Dea, Christopher P.

2013-01-01

We performed Very Long Baseline Array observations of the broad absorption line quasar FIRST J155633.8+351758, ''the first radio loud BALQSO''. Our observations at 15.3 GHz partially resolved a secondary component at position angle (P.A.) ≈35°. We combine this determination of the radio jet projection on the sky plane, with the constraint that the jet is viewed within 14.°3 of the line of sight (as implied by the high variability brightness temperature) and with the P.A. of the optical/UV continuum polarization in order to study the quasar geometry. Within the context of the standard model, the data indicates a ''dusty torus'' (scattering surface) with a symmetry axis tilted relative to the accretion disk normal and a polar broad absorption line outflow aligned with the accretion disk normal. We compare this geometry to that indicated by the higher resolution radio data, brightness temperature, and optical/UV continuum polarization P.A. of a similar high optical polarization BALQSO, Mrk 231. A qualitatively similar geometry is found in these two polar BALQSOs; the continuum polarization is determined primarily by the tilt of the dusty torus

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)

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.

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.

Protoplanetary disks and exoplanets in scattered light

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Stolker, T.

2017-01-01

High-contrast imaging facilitates the direct detection of protoplanetary disks in scattered light and self-luminous exoplanets on long-period orbits. The combined power of extreme adaptive optics and differential imaging techniques delivers high spatial resolution images of disk morphologies down to

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...

Dusty Plasmas in Laboratory and in Space

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fortov, Vladimir E.

2013-01-01

Investigations were directed on the study of dusty plasma structures and dynamics. Dusty plasma is a unique laboratory tool for the investigation of the physics of systems with strong Coulomb interaction. This is due to the fact that the interaction of micron-sized dust particles (usually 0.1-10 µm in diameter) with charges up to 10 2 -10 5 elementary charges may form the ordered structures of liquid and crystal types accessible to observe them at kinetic level, i.e. at level of behavior of separate particles of medium. Dusty plasma is affected by gravity, depending on the size of the solid particles gravity can be the dominating force. Under microgravity conditions in space much weaker forces become important and other new phenomena not achievable on Earth can be observed. In this report results are presented from the experimental studies of dusty plasmas under ground bounded and microgravity conditions. Structural and transport characteristics of the system of macroparticles in dusty plasma were measured in a set of experiments in rf gas-discharge plasmas in microgravity conditions on the board of International Space Station. A number of different phenomena were studied including self-excitation of dusty waves, formation of plasma crystal and plasma liquid regions, different vortices of charged dust grains. The experimental studies of the viscosity of a dust-plasma liquid were carried out. The results of analysis of the obtained data made it possible to estimate the coefficient of dynamic viscosity of a dust-plasma liquid. Dusty plasmas were also studied in a combined dc/rf discharge under microgravity conditions in parabolic flights. The chamber provided a particular advantage for investigation of different dynamical phenomena in dusty plasmas such as sheared laminar flow of a strongly coupled dusty liquid, nozzle flow, boundary layers and instabilities, shock waves formation and propagation, dust particle lane formation and space dust grain separation by their

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.

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

FORMATION OF MULTIPLE-SATELLITE SYSTEMS FROM LOW-MASS CIRCUMPLANETARY PARTICLE DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hyodo, Ryuki; Ohtsuki, Keiji; Takeda, Takaaki

2015-01-01

Circumplanetary particle disks would be created in the late stage of planetary formation either by impacts of planetary bodies or disruption of satellites or passing bodies, and satellites can be formed by accretion of disk particles spreading across the Roche limit. Previous N-body simulation of lunar accretion focused on the formation of single-satellite systems from disks with large disk-to-planet mass ratios, while recent models of the formation of multiple-satellite systems from disks with smaller mass ratios do not take account of gravitational interaction between formed satellites. In the present work, we investigate satellite accretion from particle disks with various masses, using N-body simulation. In the case of accretion from somewhat less massive disks than the case of lunar accretion, formed satellites are not massive enough to clear out the disk, but can become massive enough to gravitationally shepherd the disk outer edge and start outward migration due to gravitational interaction with the disk. When the radial location of the 2:1 mean motion resonance of the satellite reaches outside the Roche limit, the second satellite can be formed near the disk outer edge, and then the two satellites continue outward migration while being locked in the resonance. Co-orbital satellites are found to be occasionally formed on the orbit of the first satellite. Our simulations also show that stochastic nature involved in gravitational interaction and collision between aggregates in the tidal environment can lead to diversity in the final mass and orbital architecture, which would be expected in satellite systems of exoplanets

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.

The nonlocal electron kinetics for a low-pressure glow discharge dusty plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Liang, Yonggan; Wang, Ying; Li, Hui; Tian, Ruihuan; Yuan, Chengxun; Kudryavtsev, A. A.; Rabadanov, K. M.; Wu, Jian; Zhou, Zhongxiang; Tian, Hao

2018-05-01

The nonlocal electron kinetic model based on the Boltzmann equation is developed in low-pressure argon glow discharge dusty plasmas. The additional electron-dust elastic and inelastic collision processes are considered when solving the kinetic equation numerically. The orbital motion limited theory and collision enhanced collection approximation are employed to calculate the dust surface potential. The electron energy distribution function (EEDF), effective electron temperature Teff, and dust surface potential are investigated under different plasma and dust conditions by solving the Boltzmann and the dust charging current balance equations self-consistently. A comparison of the calculation results obtained from nonlocal and local kinetic models is made. It is shown that the appearance of dust particles leads to a deviation of the EEDF from its original profile for both nonlocal and local kinetic models. With the increase in dust density and size, the effective electron temperature and dust surface potential decrease due to the high-energy electron loss on the dust surface. Meanwhile, the nonlocal and local results differ much from each other under the same calculation condition. It is concluded that, for low-pressure (PR ≤ 1 cm*Torr) glow discharge dusty plasmas, the existence of dust particles will amplify the difference of local and nonlocal EEDFs, which makes the local kinetic model more improper to determine the main parameters of the positive column. The nonlocal kinetic model should be used for the calculation of the EEDFs and dusty plasma parameters.

A survey of dusty plasma physics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shukla, P.K.

2001-01-01

Two omnipresent ingredients of the Universe are plasmas and charged dust. The interplay between these two has opened up a new and fascinating research area, that of dusty plasmas, which are ubiquitous in different parts of our solar system, namely planetary rings, circumsolar dust rings, the interplanetary medium, cometary comae and tails, as well as in interstellar molecular clouds, etc. Dusty plasmas also occur in noctilucent clouds in the arctic troposphere and mesosphere, cloud-to-ground lightening in thunderstorms containing smoke-contaminated air over the United States, in the flame of a humble candle, as well as in microelectronic processing devices, in low-temperature laboratory discharges, and in tokamaks. Dusty plasma physics has appeared as one of the most rapidly growing fields of science, besides the field of the Bose-Einstein condensate, as demonstrated by the number of published papers in scientific journals and conference proceedings. In fact, it is a truly interdisciplinary science because it has many potential applications in astrophysics (viz. in understanding the formation of dust clusters and structures, instabilities of interstellar molecular clouds and star formation, decoupling of magnetic fields from plasmas, etc.) as well as in the planetary magnetospheres of our solar system [viz. Saturn (particularly, the physics of spokes and braids in the B and F rings), Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Mars] and in strongly coupled laboratory dusty plasmas. Since a dusty plasma system involves the charging and dynamics of massive charged dust grains, it can be characterized as a complex plasma system providing new physics insights. In this paper, the basic physics of dusty plasmas as well as numerous collective processes are discussed. The focus will be on theoretical and experimental observations of charging processes, waves and instabilities, associated forces, the dynamics of rotating and elongated dust grains, and some nonlinear structures (such as

A survey of dusty plasma physics

Science.gov (United States)

Shukla, P. K.

2001-05-01

Two omnipresent ingredients of the Universe are plasmas and charged dust. The interplay between these two has opened up a new and fascinating research area, that of dusty plasmas, which are ubiquitous in different parts of our solar system, namely planetary rings, circumsolar dust rings, the interplanetary medium, cometary comae and tails, as well as in interstellar molecular clouds, etc. Dusty plasmas also occur in noctilucent clouds in the arctic troposphere and mesosphere, cloud-to-ground lightening in thunderstorms containing smoke-contaminated air over the United States, in the flame of a humble candle, as well as in microelectronic processing devices, in low-temperature laboratory discharges, and in tokamaks. Dusty plasma physics has appeared as one of the most rapidly growing fields of science, besides the field of the Bose-Einstein condensate, as demonstrated by the number of published papers in scientific journals and conference proceedings. In fact, it is a truly interdisciplinary science because it has many potential applications in astrophysics (viz. in understanding the formation of dust clusters and structures, instabilities of interstellar molecular clouds and star formation, decoupling of magnetic fields from plasmas, etc.) as well as in the planetary magnetospheres of our solar system [viz. Saturn (particularly, the physics of spokes and braids in the B and F rings), Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Mars] and in strongly coupled laboratory dusty plasmas. Since a dusty plasma system involves the charging and dynamics of massive charged dust grains, it can be characterized as a complex plasma system providing new physics insights. In this paper, the basic physics of dusty plasmas as well as numerous collective processes are discussed. The focus will be on theoretical and experimental observations of charging processes, waves and instabilities, associated forces, the dynamics of rotating and elongated dust grains, and some nonlinear structures (such as

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.

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

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

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.

THE INNER DISK STRUCTURE, DISK-PLANET INTERACTIONS, AND TEMPORAL EVOLUTION IN THE β PICTORIS SYSTEM: A TWO-EPOCH HST/STIS CORONAGRAPHIC STUDY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Apai, Dániel; Schneider, Glenn [Department of Astronomy and Steward Observatory, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Grady, Carol A. [Eureka Scientific, 2452 Delmer, Suite 100, Oakland CA 96002 (United States); Wyatt, Mark C. [Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA (United Kingdom); Lagrange, Anne-Marie [Université Grenoble Alpes, IPAG, F-38000, Grenoble (France); Kuchner, Marc J.; Stark, Christopher J. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory, Code 667, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Lubow, Stephen H., E-mail: apai@arizona.edu [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States)

2015-02-20

We present deep Hubble Space Telescope/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph coronagraphic images of the β Pic debris disk obtained at two epochs separated by 15 yr. The new images and the re-reduction of the 1997 data provide the most sensitive and detailed views of the disk at optical wavelengths as well as the yet smallest inner working angle optical coronagraphic image of the disk. Our observations characterize the large-scale and inner-disk asymmetries and we identify multiple breaks in the disk radial surface brightness profile. We study in detail the radial and vertical disk structure and show that the disk is warped. We explore the disk at the location of the β Pic b super-Jupiter and find that the disk surface brightness slope is continuous between 0.''5 and 2.''0, arguing for no change at the separations where β Pic b orbits. The two epoch images constrain the disk's surface brightness evolution on orbital and radiation pressure blow-out timescales. We place an upper limit of 3% on the disk surface brightness change between 3'' and 5'', including the locations of the disk warp, and the CO and dust clumps. We discuss the new observations in the context of high-resolution multi-wavelength images and divide the disk asymmetries in two groups: axisymmetric and non-axisymmetric. The axisymmetric structures (warp, large-scale butterfly, etc.) are consistent with disk structure models that include interactions of a planetesimal belt and a non-coplanar giant planet. The non-axisymmetric features, however, require a different explanation.

Simulations of minor mergers. I. General properties of thick disks

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Villalobos, Álvaro; Helmi, Amina

2008-01-01

We present simulations of the formation of thick disks via the accretion of twocomponent satellites onto a pre-existing thin disk. Our goal is to establish the detailed characteristics of the thick disks obtained in this way, as well as their dependence on the initial orbital and internal properties

Propagation of electromagnetic waves in a weakly ionized dusty plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia, Jieshu; Yuan, Chengxun; Gao, Ruilin; Wang, Ying; Liu, Yaoze; Gao, Junying; Zhou, Zhongxiang; Sun, Xiudong; Li, Hui; Wu, Jian; Pu, Shaozhi

2015-01-01

Propagation properties of electromagnetic (EM) waves in weakly ionized dusty plasmas are the subject of this study. Dielectric relation for EM waves propagating at a weakly ionized dusty plasma is derived based on the Boltzmann distribution law while considering the collision and charging effects of dust grains. The propagation properties of EM energy in dusty plasma of rocket exhaust are numerically calculated and studied, utilizing the parameters of rocket exhaust plasma. Results indicate that increase of dust radius and density enhance the reflection and absorption coefficient. High dust radius and density make the wave hardly transmit through the dusty plasmas. Interaction enhancements between wave and dusty plasmas are developed through effective collision frequency improvements. Numerical results coincide with observed results by indicating that GHz band wave communication is effected by dusty plasma as the presence of dust grains significantly affect propagation of EM waves in the dusty plasmas. The results are helpful to analyze the effect of dust in plasmas and also provide a theoretical basis for the experiments. (paper)

Outward Migration of Giant Planets in Orbital Resonance

Science.gov (United States)

D'Angelo, G.; Marzari, F.

2013-05-01

A pair of giant planets interacting with a gaseous disk may be subject to convergent orbital migration and become locked into a mean motion resonance. If the orbits are close enough, the tidal gaps produced by the planets in the disk may overlap. This represents a necessary condition to activate the outward migration of the pair. However, a number of other conditions must also be realized in order for this mechanism to operate. We have studied how disk properties, such as turbulence viscosity, temperature, surface density gradient, mass, and age, may affect the outcome of the outward migration process. We have also investigated the implications on this mechanism of the planets' gas accretion. If the pair resembles Jupiter and Saturn, the 3:2 orbital resonance may drive them outward until they reach stalling radii for migration, which are within ~10 AU of the star for disks representative of the early proto-solar nebula. However, planet post-formation conditions in the disk indicate that such planets become typically locked in the 1:2 orbital resonance, which does not lead to outward migration. Planet growth via gas accretion tends to alter the planets' mass-ratio and/or the disk accretion rate toward the star, reducing or inhibiting outward migration. Support from NASA Outer Planets Research Program and NASA Origins of Solar Systems Program is gratefully acknowledged.

Electro-acoustic shock waves in dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamun, A.A.; Rahman, A.

2005-10-01

A rigorous theoretical investigation has been made of electro- acoustic [particularly, dust-ion acoustic (DIA) and dust-acoustic (DA)] shock waves in unmagnetized dusty plasmas. The reductive perturbation method has been employed for the study of the small but finite amplitude DIA and DA shock waves. It has been reported that the dust grain charge fluctuation can be one of the candidates for the source of dissipation, and can be responsible for the formation of DIA shock waves in an unmagnetized dusty plasma with static charged dust particles. It has also been reported that the strong co-relation among dust particles can be one of the candidates for the source of dissipation, and can be responsible for the formation of DA shock waves in an unmagnetized strongly coupled dusty plasma. The basic features and the underlying physics of DIA and DA shock waves, which are relevant to space and laboratory dusty plasmas, are briefly discussed. (author)

On the Diversity in Mass and Orbital Radius of Giant Planets Formed via Disk Instability

Science.gov (United States)

Müller, Simon; Helled, Ravit; Mayer, Lucio

2018-02-01

We present a semi-analytical population synthesis model of protoplanetary clumps formed by disk instability at radial distances of 80–120 au. Various clump density profiles, initial mass functions, protoplanetary disk models, stellar masses, and gap opening criteria are considered. When we use more realistic gap opening criteria, we find that gaps open only rarely, which strongly affects clump survival rates and their physical properties (mass, radius, and radial distance). The inferred surviving population is then shifted toward less massive clumps at smaller radial distances. We also find that populations of surviving clumps are very sensitive to the model assumptions and used parameters. Depending on the chosen parameters, the protoplanets occupy a mass range between 0.01 and 16 M J and may either orbit close to the central star or as far out as 75 au, with a sweet spot at 10–30 au for the massive ones. However, in all of the cases we consider, we find that massive giant planets at very large radial distances are rare, in qualitative agreement with current direct imaging surveys. We conclude that caution should be taken in deriving population synthesis models as well as when comparing the models’ results with observations.

The rotation of accretion-disks and the power spectra of X-rays 'flickering'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Xiaohe; Bao Gang

1990-07-01

The X-ray producing, inner region of the accretion disk in Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) is likely to be non-stationary and non-axisymmetric. This non-stationarity and non-axisymmetry in disk surface brightness may be modeled by considering the pre-sense of many 'hot spots' on a steady, axisymmetric disk. As long as a 'spot' can survive for a few orbital periods, its orbital frequency can be introduced into the light curve either by relativistic orbital motion or by eclipsing of the spot by the disk. These rotational effects vary with the local properties of the spot population. Depending on the radial variation of spot brightness, lifetime and number density, the observed variability power spectrum may differ from that due to the intrinsic variability of spots alone, within the orbital frequency range in which these spots occur. In this paper, we explore the relation between properties assumed for the spot population and the resulting predictions for the observed variability. The implications of our results for the 'flickering' of X-ray sources powered by accretion disks (both AGN and galactic sources) are also discussed. (author). 24 refs, 6 figs

ICPP: Introduction to Dusty Plasma Physics

Science.gov (United States)

Kant Shukla, Padma

2000-10-01

Two omnipresent ingredients of the Universe are plasmas and charged dust. The interplay between these two has opened up a new and fascinating research area, that of dusty plasmas, which are ubiquitous in in different parts of our solar system, namely planetary rings, circumsolar dust rings, interplanetary medium, cometary comae and tails, interstellar molecular clouds, etc. Dusty plasmas also occur in noctilucent clouds in the arctic troposphere and mesosphere, cloud-to-ground lightening in thunderstorms containing smoke-contaminated air over the US, in the flame of humble candle, as well as in microelectronics and in low-temperature laboratory discharges. In the latter, charged dust grains are strongly correlated. Dusty plasma physics has appeared as one of the most rapidly growing field of science, besides the field of the Bose-Einstein condensate, as demonstrated by the number of published papers in scientific journals and conference proceedings. In fact, it is a truly interdisciplinary science because it has many potential applications in astrophysics (viz. in understanding the formation of dust clusters and structures, instabilities of interstellar molecular clouds and star formation, decoupling of magnetic fields from plasmas, etc.) as well as in the planetary magnetospheres of our solar system [viz. the Saturn (particularly, the physics of spokes and braids in B and F rings), Jupiter, Uranus, Neptune, and Mars] and in strongly coupled laboratory dusty plasmas. Since dusty plasma system involves the charging and the dynamics of extremely massive charged dust particulates, it can be characterized as a complex plasma system with new physics insights. In this talk, I shall describe the basic physics of dusty plasmas and present the status of numerous collective processes that are relevant to space research and laboratory experiments. The focus will be on theoretical and experimental observations of novel waves and instabilities, various forces, and some

Equatorial circular orbits in the Kerr-de Sitter spacetimes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stuchlik, Zdenek; Slany, Petr

2004-01-01

Equatorial motion of test particles in Kerr-de Sitter spacetimes is considered. Circular orbits are determined, their properties are discussed for both black-hole and naked-singularity spacetimes, and their relevance for thin accretion disks is established. The circular orbits constitute two families that coalesce at the so-called static radius. The orientation of the motion along the circular orbits is, in accordance with case of asymptotically flat Kerr spacetimes, defined by relating the motion to the locally nonrotating frames. The minus-family orbits are all counterrotating, while the plus-family orbits are usually corotating relative to these frames. However, the plus-family orbits become counterrotating in the vicinity of the static radius in all Kerr-de Sitter spacetimes, and they become counterrotating in the vicinity of the ring singularity in Kerr-de Sitter naked-singularity spacetimes with a low enough rotational parameter. In such spacetimes, the efficiency of the conversion of the rest energy into heat energy in the geometrically thin plus-family accretion disks can reach extremely high values exceeding the efficiency of the annihilation process. The transformation of a Kerr-de Sitter naked singularity into an extreme black hole due to accretion in the thin disks is briefly discussed for both the plus-family and minus-family disks. It is shown that such a conversion leads to an abrupt instability of the innermost parts of the plus-family accretion disks that can have strong observational consequences

Golden mean Siegel disk universality and renormalization

OpenAIRE

Gaidashev, Denis; Yampolsky, Michael

2016-01-01

We provide a computer-assisted proof of one of the central open questions in one-dimensional renormalization theory -- universality of the golden-mean Siegel disks. We further show that for every function in the stable manifold of the golden-mean renormalization fixed point the boundary of the Siegel disk is a quasicircle which coincides with the closure of the critical orbit, and that the dynamics on the boundary of the Siegel disk is rigid. Furthermore, we extend the renormalization from on...

Instabilities at planetary gap edges in 3D self-gravitating disks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lin Min-Kai

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Numerical simulations are presented to study the stability of gaps opened by giant planets in 3D self-gravitating disks. In weakly self-gravitating disks, a few vortices develop at the gap edge and merge on orbital time-scales. The result is one large but weak vortex with Rossby number -0.01. In moderately self-gravitating disks, more vortices develop and their merging is resisted on dynamical time-scales. Self-gravity can sustain multi-vortex configurations, with Rossby number -0.2 to -0.1, over a time-scale of order 100 orbits. Self-gravity also enhances the vortex vertical density stratification, even in disks with initial Toomre parameter of order 10. However, vortex formation is suppressed in strongly self-gravitating disks and replaced by a global spiral instability associated with the gap edge which develops during gap formation.

A Pulsar and a Disk

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-07-01

V appeared.Hong and collaborators were then left with the task of piecing together this strange behavior into a picture of what was happening with this binary system.The authors proposed model for SXP 214. Here the binary has a ~30-day orbit tilted at 15 to the circumstellar disk. The pulsar passes through the circumstellar disk of its companion once per orbit. The interval marked A (orange line) is suggested as the period of time corresponding to the Chandra observations in this study: just as the neutron star is emerging from the disk after passing through it. [Hong et al. 2016]Passing Through a DiskIn the model the authors propose, the pulsar is on a ~30-day eccentric orbit that takes it through the circumstellar disk of its companion once per orbit.In this picture, the authors Chandra detections must have been made just as the pulsar was emerging from the circumstellar disk. The disk had initially hidden the soft X-ray emission from the pulsar, but as the pulsar emerged, that component became brighter, causing both the overall rise in X-ray counts and the shift in the spectrum to lower energies.Since the pulsars accretion is fueled by material picked up as it passes through the circumstellar disk, the accretion from a recent passage through the disk likely also caused the observed spin-up to the shorter period.If the authors model is correct, this series of observations of the pulsar as it emerges from the disk provides a rare opportunity to examine what happens to X-ray emission during this passage. More observations of this intriguing system can help us learn about the properties of the disk and the emission geometry of the neutron star surface.CitationJaeSub Hong et al 2016 ApJ 826 4. doi:10.3847/0004-637X/826/1/4

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.

Applying a Particle-only Model to the HL Tau Disk

Science.gov (United States)

Tabeshian, Maryam; Wiegert, Paul A.

2018-04-01

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

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.

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

Mach cones in space and laboratory dusty magnetoplasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamun, A.A.; Shukla, P.K

2004-07-01

We present a rigorous theoretical investigation on the possibility for the formation of Mach cones in both space and laboratory dusty magnetoplasmas. We find the parametric regimes for which different types of Mach cones, such as dust acoustic Mach cones, dust magneto-acoustic Mach cones, oscillonic Mach cones, etc. are formed in space and laboratory dusty magnetoplasmas. We also identify the basic features of such different classes of Mach cones (viz. dust- acoustic, dust magneto-acoustic, oscillonic Mach cones, etc.), and clearly explain how they are relevant to space and laboratory dusty manetoplasmas. (author)

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

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).

Dusty-Plasma Particle Accelerator

Science.gov (United States)

Foster, John E.

2005-01-01

A dusty-plasma apparatus is being investigated as means of accelerating nanometer- and micrometer-sized particles. Applications for the dusty-plasma particle accelerators fall into two classes: Simulation of a variety of rapidly moving dust particles and micrometeoroids in outer-space environments that include micrometeoroid streams, comet tails, planetary rings, and nebulae and Deposition or implantation of nanoparticles on substrates for diverse industrial purposes that could include hardening, increasing thermal insulation, altering optical properties, and/or increasing permittivities of substrate materials. Relative to prior apparatuses used for similar applications, dusty-plasma particle accelerators offer such potential advantages as smaller size, lower cost, less complexity, and increased particle flux densities. A dusty-plasma particle accelerator exploits the fact that an isolated particle immersed in plasma acquires a net electric charge that depends on the relative mobilities of electrons and ions. Typically, a particle that is immersed in a low-temperature, partially ionized gas, wherein the average kinetic energy of electrons exceeds that of ions, causes the particle to become negatively charged. The particle can then be accelerated by applying an appropriate electric field. A dusty-plasma particle accelerator (see figure) includes a plasma source such as a radio-frequency induction discharge apparatus containing (1) a shallow cup with a biasable electrode to hold the particles to be accelerated and (2) a holder for the substrate on which the particles are to impinge. Depending on the specific design, a pair of electrostatic-acceleration grids between the substrate and discharge plasma can be used to both collimate and further accelerate particles exiting the particle holder. Once exposed to the discharge plasma, the particles in the cup quickly acquire a negative charge. Application of a negative voltage pulse to the biasable electrode results in the

ORIGIN OF CHEMICAL AND DYNAMICAL PROPERTIES OF THE GALACTIC THICK DISK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bekki, Kenji; Tsujimoto, Takuji

2011-01-01

We adopt a scenario in which the Galactic thick disk was formed by minor merging between the first generation of the Galactic thin disk (FGTD) and a dwarf galaxy about ∼9 Gyr ago and thereby investigate chemical and dynamical properties of the Galactic thick disk. In this scenario, the dynamical properties of the thick disk have long been influenced both by the mass growth of the second generation of the Galactic thin disk (i.e., the present thin disk) and by its non-axisymmetric structures. On the other hand, the early star formation history and chemical evolution of the thin disk was influenced by the remaining gas of the thick disk. Based on N-body simulations and chemical evolution models, we investigate the radial metallicity gradient, structural and kinematical properties, and detailed chemical abundance patterns of the thick disk. Our numerical simulations show that the ancient minor merger event can significantly flatten the original radial metallicity gradient of the FGTD, in particular, in the outer part, and also can be responsible for migration of inner metal-rich stars into the outer part (R > 10 kpc). The simulations show that the central region of the thick disk can develop a bar due to dynamical effects of a separate bar in the thin disk. Whether or not rotational velocities (V φ ) can correlate with metallicities ([Fe/H]) for the simulated thick disks depends on the initial metallicity gradients of the FGTDs. The simulated orbital eccentricity distributions in the thick disk for models with higher mass ratios (∼0.2) and lower orbital eccentricities (∼0.5) of minor mergers are in good agreement with the corresponding observations. The simulated V φ -|z| relation of the thick disk in models with low orbital inclination angles of mergers are also in good agreement with the latest observational results. The vertical metallicity gradient of the simulated thick disk is rather flat or very weakly negative in the solar neighborhood. Our Galactic

Stability and special solutions to the conducting dusty gas model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calmelet, C.J.

1987-01-01

Models of the flow of a dusty, conducting and non-conducting gas are examined. Exact solutions for a conducting dusty gas model in the presence of a magnetic field are developed for two different flow domains. The exact solutions are calculated in the cases of negligible and non-negligible induced magnetic field. Stability theorems are developed which depend on the flow parameters of the dusty gas and the magnetic field. In particular, a universal stability theorem is obtained when the dusty gas flow is electrically conducting in the presence of an applied magnetic field, and the dust particles are non-uniformly distributed

White paper on dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Whipple, E.C.

1986-04-01

Dusty plasmas is the name given to plasmas heavily laden with charged dust grains which together with the surrounding ions and electrons constitute a kind of plasma regime. This field of study is receiving increased attention because of the observation of dust during recent spacecraft missions to the planets and comets, together with the dawning recognition that the evolution of dusty plasma clouds in space may be quite different from that of nondusty clouds. Recent work in this field is reviewed and recommendations are made on the kind of research that is needed in the immediate future

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

The AMBRE project: The thick thin disk and thin thick disk of the Milky Way

Science.gov (United States)

Hayden, M. R.; Recio-Blanco, A.; de Laverny, P.; Mikolaitis, S.; Worley, C. C.

2017-11-01

We analyze 494 main sequence turnoff and subgiant stars from the AMBRE:HARPS survey. These stars have accurate astrometric information from Gaia DR1, providing reliable age estimates with relative uncertainties of ±1 or 2 Gyr and allowing precise orbital determinations. The sample is split based on chemistry into a low-[Mg/Fe] sequence, which are often identified as thin disk stellar populations, and high-[Mg/Fe] sequence, which are often associated with thick disk stellar populations. We find that the high-[Mg/Fe] chemical sequence has extended star formation for several Gyr and is coeval with the oldest stars of the low-[Mg/Fe] chemical sequence: both the low- and high-[Mg/Fe] sequences were forming stars at the same time. We find that the high-[Mg/Fe] stellar populations are only vertically extended for the oldest, most-metal poor and highest [Mg/Fe] stars. When comparing vertical velocity dispersion for the low- and high-[Mg/Fe] sequences, the high-[Mg/Fe] sequence has lower vertical velocity dispersion than the low-[Mg/Fe] sequence for stars of similar age. This means that identifying either group as thin or thick disk based on chemistry is misleading. The stars belonging to the high-[Mg/Fe] sequence have perigalacticons that originate in the inner disk, while the perigalacticons of stars on the low-[Mg/Fe] sequence are generally around the solar neighborhood. From the orbital properties of the stars, the high-[Mg/Fe] and low-[Mg/Fe] sequences are most likely a reflection of the chemical enrichment history of the inner and outer disk populations, respectively; radial mixing causes both populations to be observed in situ at the solar position. Based on these results, we emphasize that it is important to be clear in defining what populations are being referenced when using the terms thin and thick disk, and that ideally the term thick disk should be reserved for purely geometric definitions to avoid confusion and be consistent with definitions in external

MIGRATION OF EXTRASOLAR PLANETS: EFFECTS FROM X-WIND ACCRETION DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

2009-01-01

Magnetic fields are dragged in from the interstellar medium during the gravitational collapse that forms star/disk systems. Consideration of mean field magnetohydrodynamics in these disks shows that magnetic effects produce sub-Keplerian rotation curves and truncate the inner disk. This Letter explores the ramifications of these predicted disk properties for the migration of extrasolar planets. Sub-Keplerian flow in gaseous disks drives a new migration mechanism for embedded planets and modifies the gap-opening processes for larger planets. This sub-Keplerian migration mechanism dominates over Type I migration for sufficiently small planets (m P ∼ + ) and/or close orbits (r ∼< 1 AU). Although the inclusion of sub-Keplerian torques shortens the total migration time by only a moderate amount, the mass accreted by migrating planetary cores is significantly reduced. Truncation of the inner disk edge (for typical system parameters) naturally explains final planetary orbits with periods P ∼ 4 days. Planets with shorter periods, P ∼ 2 days, can be explained by migration during FU-Orionis outbursts, when the mass accretion rate is high and the disk edge moves inward. Finally, the midplane density is greatly increased at the inner truncation point of the disk (the X-point); this enhancement, in conjunction with continuing flow of gas and solids through the region, supports the in situ formation of giant planets.

Gravitomagnetic acceleration from black hole accretion disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poirier, J; Mathews, G J

2016-01-01

We demonstrate how the motion of the neutral masses in an accretion disk orbiting a black hole creates a general-relativistic magnetic-like (gravitomagnetic) field that vertically accelerates neutral particles near an accretion disk upward and then inward toward the axis of the accretion disk. Even though this gravitomagnetic field is not the only mechanism contributing to the production of jets, it presents a novel means to identify one general relativistic effect from a much more complicated problem. In addition, as the accelerated material above or below the accretion disk nears the axis with a nearly vertical direction, a frame-dragging effect twists the trajectories around the axis thus contributing to the collimation of the jet. (note)

Gravitomagnetic acceleration from black hole accretion disks

Science.gov (United States)

Poirier, J.; Mathews, G. J.

2016-05-01

We demonstrate how the motion of the neutral masses in an accretion disk orbiting a black hole creates a general-relativistic magnetic-like (gravitomagnetic) field that vertically accelerates neutral particles near an accretion disk upward and then inward toward the axis of the accretion disk. Even though this gravitomagnetic field is not the only mechanism contributing to the production of jets, it presents a novel means to identify one general relativistic effect from a much more complicated problem. In addition, as the accelerated material above or below the accretion disk nears the axis with a nearly vertical direction, a frame-dragging effect twists the trajectories around the axis thus contributing to the collimation of the jet.

EFFECTS OF LOCAL DISSIPATION PROFILES ON MAGNETIZED ACCRETION DISK SPECTRA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tao, Ted; Blaes, Omer

2013-01-01

We present spectral calculations of non-LTE accretion disk models appropriate for high-luminosity stellar mass black hole X-ray binary systems. We first use a dissipation profile based on scaling the results of shearing box simulations of Hirose et al. to a range of annuli parameters. We simultaneously scale the effective temperature, orbital frequency, and surface density with luminosity and radius according to the standard α-model. This naturally brings increased dissipation to the disk surface layers (around the photospheres) at small radii and high luminosities. We find that the local spectrum transitions directly from a modified blackbody to a saturated Compton scattering spectrum as we increase the effective temperature and orbital frequency while decreasing midplane surface density. Next, we construct annuli models based on the parameters of a L/L Edd = 0.8 disk orbiting a 6.62 solar mass black hole using two modified dissipation profiles that explicitly put more dissipation per unit mass near the disk surface. The new dissipation profiles are qualitatively similar to the one found by Hirose et al., but produce strong near power-law spectral tails. Our models also include physically motivated magnetic acceleration support based once again on scaling the Hirose et al. results. We present three full-disk spectra, each based on one of the dissipation prescriptions. Our most aggressive dissipation profile results in a disk spectrum that is in approximate quantitative agreement with certain observations of the steep power-law spectral states from some black hole X-ray binaries.

Predictions for shepherding planets in scattered light images of debris disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rodigas, Timothy J.; Hinz, Philip M.; Malhotra, Renu

2014-01-01

Planets can affect debris disk structure by creating gaps, sharp edges, warps, and other potentially observable signatures. However, there is currently no simple way for observers to deduce a disk-shepherding planet's properties from the observed features of the disk. Here we present a single equation that relates a shepherding planet's maximum mass to the debris ring's observed width in scattered light, along with a procedure to estimate the planet's eccentricity and minimum semimajor axis. We accomplish this by performing dynamical N-body simulations of model systems containing a star, a single planet, and an exterior disk of parent bodies and dust grains to determine the resulting debris disk properties over a wide range of input parameters. We find that the relationship between planet mass and debris disk width is linear, with increasing planet mass producing broader debris rings. We apply our methods to five imaged debris rings to constrain the putative planet masses and orbits in each system. Observers can use our empirically derived equation as a guide for future direct imaging searches for planets in debris disk systems. In the fortuitous case of an imaged planet orbiting interior to an imaged disk, the planet's maximum mass can be estimated independent of atmospheric models.

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

Dust trapping by vortices in transitional disks: evidence for non-ideal magnetohydrodynamic effects in protoplanetary disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Zhaohuan; Stone, James M.

2014-01-01

We study particle trapping at the edge of a gap opened by a planet in a protoplanetary disk. In particular, we explore the effects of turbulence driven by the magnetorotational instability on particle trapping, using global three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations including Lagrangian dust particles. We study disks either in the ideal MHD limit or dominated by ambipolar diffusion (AD) which plays an essential role at the outer regions of a protoplanetary disk. With ideal MHD, strong turbulence (the equivalent viscosity parameter α ∼ 10 –2 ) in disks prevents vortex formation at the edge of the gap opened by a 9 M J planet, and most particles (except the particles that drift fastest) pile up at the outer gap edge almost axisymmetrically. When AD is considered, turbulence is significantly suppressed (α ≲ 10 –3 ), and a large vortex forms at the edge of the planet induced gap, which survives ∼1000 orbits. The vortex can efficiently trap dust particles that span 3 orders of magnitude in size within 100 planetary orbits. We have also carried out two-dimensional hydrodynamical (HD) simulations using viscosity as an approximation to MHD turbulence. These HD simulations can reproduce vortex generation at the gap edge as seen in MHD simulations. Finally, we use our simulation results to generate synthetic images for ALMA dust continuum observations on Oph IRS 48 and HD 142527, which show good agreement with existing observations. Predictions for future ALMA cycle 2 observations have been made. We conclude that the asymmetry in ALMA observations can be explained by dust trapping vortices and the existence of vortices could be the evidence that the outer protoplanetary disks are dominated by AD with α < 10 –3 at the disk midplane.

Dusty plasma phase in a steady state plasma device

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liang Xiaoping; Zheng Jian; Ma Jinxiu; Liu Wangdong; Zhuang Ge; Xie Jinlin; Wang Congrong; Yu Changxuan

2000-01-01

A DC discharge dusty plasma device used for study of waves in dusty plasma is introduced. A dusty plasma column is produced with about 30 cm in length and about 8.4 cm in diameter. The electron saturation current of Langmuir probe is obviously decreasing while the dust grains are present in the plasma. The negative charge on dust grains is directly proportional to the rotation rate of the dispenser. And the dust grains carry up to 40% of the negative charges in the whole plasma

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.

The physics and chemistry of dusty plasmas: A laboratory and theoretical investigation

Science.gov (United States)

Whipple, E. C.

1986-01-01

Theoretical work on dusty plasmas was conducted in three areas: collective effects in a dusty plasma, the role of dusty plasmas in cometary atmospheres, and the role of dusty plasmas in planetary atmospheres (particularly in the ring systems of the giant planets). Laboratory investigations consisted of studies of dust/plasma interactions and stimulated molecular excitation and infrared emission by charged dust grains. Also included is a list of current publications.

UNSTABLE PLANETARY SYSTEMS EMERGING OUT OF GAS DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumura, Soko; Thommes, Edward W.; Chatterjee, Sourav; Rasio, Frederic A.

2010-01-01

The discovery of over 400 extrasolar planets allows us to statistically test our understanding of the formation and dynamics of planetary systems via numerical simulations. Traditional N-body simulations of multiple-planet systems without gas disks have successfully reproduced the eccentricity (e) distribution of the observed systems by assuming that the planetary systems are relatively closely packed when the gas disk dissipates, so that they become dynamically unstable within the stellar lifetime. However, such studies cannot explain the small semimajor axes a of extrasolar planetary systems, if planets are formed, as the standard planet formation theory suggests, beyond the ice line. In this paper, we numerically study the evolution of three-planet systems in dissipating gas disks, and constrain the initial conditions that reproduce the observed a and e distributions simultaneously. We adopt initial conditions that are motivated by the standard planet formation theory, and self-consistently simulate the disk evolution and planet migration, by using a hybrid N-body and one-dimensional gas disk code. We also take into account eccentricity damping, and investigate the effect of saturation of corotation resonances on the evolution of planetary systems. We find that the a distribution is largely determined in a gas disk, while the e distribution is determined after the disk dissipation. We also find that there may be an optimum disk mass which leads to the observed a-e distribution. Our simulations generate a larger fraction of planetary systems trapped in mean-motion resonances (MMRs) than the observations, indicating that the disk's perturbation to the planetary orbits may be important to explain the observed rate of MMRs. We also find a much lower occurrence of planets on retrograde orbits than the current observations of close-in planets suggest.

Effect of the raw materials processing on their dustiness

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

López Lilaoa, A.; Juárezb, M.; Sanfelix Fornera, V.; Mallol Gascha, G.; Monfort Gimeno, E.

2017-01-01

During the handling and/or processing of powdered materials in the CERAMICS INDUSTRY, one of the most important risks regarding the environmental and occupational health is the potential generation of dust. In this regard, a parameter of great interest is the dustiness of the processed materials; this parameter quantifies the tendency of the powdered materials to generate dust when handled. In this study, to determine the dustiness of a ceramic raw material composition (mixture of the body raw materials), the continuous drop method has been used. This test apparatus was selected because it is considered to better simulate how ceramic materials are handled in the CERAMICS INDUSTRY. The obtained results show that the dustiness of the same ceramic composition exhibits significant changes during the manufacturing process, depending on the presentation form. In this regard, the dry milling sample presents the highest dustiness, which can be significantly reduced (>75%) applying the the moisturization and agglomeration. The obtained results also shown that the best presentation form, regarding the minimization of the dust generation, is achieved in the spray-drying process, where the dustiness is reduced by 95%. [es

Linear and nonlinear stability of periodic orbits in annular billiards

Science.gov (United States)

Dettmann, Carl P.; Fain, Vitaly

2017-04-01

An annular billiard is a dynamical system in which a particle moves freely in a disk except for elastic collisions with the boundary and also a circular scatterer in the interior of the disk. We investigate the stability properties of some periodic orbits in annular billiards in which the scatterer is touching or close to the boundary. We analytically show that there exist linearly stable periodic orbits of an arbitrary period for scatterers with decreasing radii that are located near the boundary of the disk. As the position of the scatterer moves away from a symmetry line of a periodic orbit, the stability of periodic orbits changes from elliptic to hyperbolic, corresponding to a saddle-center bifurcation. When the scatterer is tangent to the boundary, the periodic orbit is parabolic. We prove that slightly changing the reflection angle of the orbit in the tangential situation leads to the existence of Kolmogorov-Arnold-Moser islands. Thus, we show that there exists a decreasing to zero sequence of open intervals of scatterer radii, along which the billiard table is not ergodic.

Propagation of electromagnetic waves in a weak collisional and fully ionized dusty plasma

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jia, Jieshu; Yuan, Chengxun, E-mail: yuancx@hit.edu.cn; Gao, Ruilin; Wang, Ying; Zhou, Zhong-Xiang [Department of Physics, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); Liu, Sha; Yue, Feng [Shanghai Institute of Spaceflight Control Technology, Shanghai 200233 (China); Wu, Jian [China Research Institute of Radio wave Propagation, Beijing 102206 (China); Li, Hui [Department of Physics, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001 (China); China Research Institute of Radio wave Propagation, Beijing 102206 (China)

2016-04-15

The propagation properties of electromagnetic (EM) waves in fully ionized dusty plasmas is the subject of this study. The dielectric relationships for EM waves propagating in a fully ionized dusty plasma was derived from the Boltzmann distribution law, taking into consideration the collision and charging effects of the dust grains. The propagation properties of the EM waves in a dusty plasma were numerically calculated and studied. The study results indicated that the dusty grains with an increased radius and charge were more likely to impede the penetration of EM waves. Dust grains with large radii and high charge cause the attenuation of the EM wave in the dusty plasma. The different density of the dust in the plasma appeared to have no obvious effect on the transmission of the EM waves. The propagation of the EM waves in a weakly ionized dusty plasma varies from that in a fully ionized dusty plasma. The results are helpful to analyze the effects of dust in dusty plasmas and also provide a theoretical basis for future studies.

Propagation of electromagnetic waves in a weak collisional and fully ionized dusty plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jia, Jieshu; Yuan, Chengxun; Gao, Ruilin; Wang, Ying; Zhou, Zhong-Xiang; Liu, Sha; Yue, Feng; Wu, Jian; Li, Hui

2016-01-01

The propagation properties of electromagnetic (EM) waves in fully ionized dusty plasmas is the subject of this study. The dielectric relationships for EM waves propagating in a fully ionized dusty plasma was derived from the Boltzmann distribution law, taking into consideration the collision and charging effects of the dust grains. The propagation properties of the EM waves in a dusty plasma were numerically calculated and studied. The study results indicated that the dusty grains with an increased radius and charge were more likely to impede the penetration of EM waves. Dust grains with large radii and high charge cause the attenuation of the EM wave in the dusty plasma. The different density of the dust in the plasma appeared to have no obvious effect on the transmission of the EM waves. The propagation of the EM waves in a weakly ionized dusty plasma varies from that in a fully ionized dusty plasma. The results are helpful to analyze the effects of dust in dusty plasmas and also provide a theoretical basis for future studies.

THE STABILITY OF LOW SURFACE BRIGHTNESS DISKS BASED ON MULTI-WAVELENGTH MODELING

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

MacLachlan, J. M.; Wood, K.; Matthews, L. D.; Gallagher, J. S.

2011-01-01

To investigate the structure and composition of the dusty interstellar medium (ISM) of low surface brightness (LSB) disk galaxies, we have used multi-wavelength photometry to construct spectral energy distributions for three low-mass, edge-on LSB galaxies (V rot = 88-105 km s -1 ). We use Monte Carlo radiation transfer codes that include the effects of transiently heated small grains and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules to model and interpret the data. We find that, unlike the high surface brightness galaxies previously modeled, the dust disks appear to have scale heights equal to or exceeding their stellar scale heights. This result supports the findings of previous studies that low-mass disk galaxies have dust scale heights comparable to their stellar scale heights and suggests that the cold ISM of low-mass, LSB disk galaxies may be stable against fragmentation and gravitational collapse. This may help to explain the lack of observed dust lanes in edge-on LSB galaxies and their low current star formation rates. Dust masses are found in the range (1.16-2.38) x 10 6 M sun , corresponding to face-on (edge-on), V-band, optical depths 0.034 ∼ face ∼ eq ∼< 1.99).

THE FORMATION MECHANISM OF GAS GIANTS ON WIDE ORBITS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dodson-Robinson, Sarah E.; Veras, Dimitri; Ford, Eric B.; Beichman, C. A.

2009-01-01

The recent discoveries of massive planets on ultra-wide orbits of HR 8799 and Fomalhaut present a new challenge for planet formation theorists. Our goal is to figure out which of three giant planet formation mechanisms-core accretion (with or without migration), scattering from the inner disk, or gravitational instability-could be responsible for Fomalhaut b, HR 8799 b, c and d, and similar planets discovered in the future. This paper presents the results of numerical experiments comparing the long-period planet formation efficiency of each possible mechanism in model A star, G star, and M star disks. First, a simple core accretion simulation shows that planet cores forming beyond 35 AU cannot reach critical mass, even under the most favorable conditions one can construct. Second, a set of N-body simulations demonstrates that planet-planet scattering does not create stable, wide-orbit systems such as HR 8799. Finally, a linear stability analysis verifies previous work showing that global spiral instabilities naturally arise in high-mass disks. We conclude that massive gas giants on stable orbits with semimajor axes a ∼> 35 AU form by gravitational instability in the disk. We recommend that observers examine the planet detection rate as a function of stellar age, controlling for the planets' dimming with time. Any age trend would indicate that planets on wide orbits are transient relics of scattering from the inner disk. If planet detection rate is found to be independent of stellar age, it would confirm our prediction that gravitational instability is the dominant mode of producing detectable planets on wide orbits. We also predict that the occurrence ratio of long-period to short-period gas giants should be highest for M dwarfs due to the inefficiency of core accretion and the expected small fragment mass (∼10 M Jup ) in their disks.

A Direct Imaging Survey of Spitzer-detected Debris Disks: Occurrence of Giant Planets in Dusty Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Meshkat, Tiffany; Mawet, Dimitri; Bryan, Marta L.; Hinkley, Sasha; Bowler, Brendan P.; Stapelfeldt, Karl R.; Batygin, Konstantin; Padgett, Deborah; Morales, Farisa Y.; Serabyn, Eugene; Christiaens, Valentin; Brandt, Timothy D.; Wahhaj, Zahed

2017-12-01

We describe a joint high-contrast imaging survey for planets at the Keck and Very Large Telescope of the last large sample of debris disks identified by the Spitzer Space Telescope. No new substellar companions were discovered in our survey of 30 Spitzer-selected targets. We combine our observations with data from four published surveys to place constraints on the frequency of planets around 130 debris disk single stars, the largest sample to date. For a control sample, we assembled contrast curves from several published surveys targeting 277 stars that do not show infrared excesses. We assumed a double power-law distribution in mass and semimajor axis (SMA) of the form f(m,a)={{Cm}}α {a}β , where we adopted power-law values and logarithmically flat values for the mass and SMA of planets. We find that the frequency of giant planets with masses 5-20 M Jup and separations 10-1000 au around stars with debris disks is 6.27% (68% confidence interval 3.68%-9.76%), compared to 0.73% (68% confidence interval 0.20%-1.80%) for the control sample of stars without disks. These distributions differ at the 88% confidence level, tentatively suggesting distinctness of these samples. Some of the data presented herein were obtained at the W.M. Keck Observatory, which is operated as a scientific partnership among the California Institute of Technology, the University of California and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The Observatory was made possible by the generous financial support of the W.M. Keck Foundation.

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.

Gravitomagnetic Acceleration of Black Hole Accretion Disk Matter to Polar Jets

Science.gov (United States)

Poirier, John; Mathews, Grant

2015-04-01

It is shown that the motion of the neutral masses in an accretion disk orbiting a black hole creates a magnetic-like (gravitomagnetic) field that vertically accelerates neutral particles near the accretion disk away from the disk and then inward toward the axis of the accretion disk. Moreover, as the accelerated material nears the axis, a frame-dragging effect twists the trajectories around the axis thus contributing to the formation of a narrow polar jet emanating from the poles.

Review of gravitomagnetic acceleration from accretion disks

Science.gov (United States)

Poirier, J.; Mathews, G. J.

2015-11-01

We review the development of the equations of gravitoelectromagnetism and summarize how the motion of the neutral masses in an accretion disk orbiting a black hole creates a general-relativistic magnetic-like (gravitomagnetic) field that vertically accelerates neutral particles near the accretion disk upward and then inward toward the axis of the accretion disk. Even though this gravitomagnetic field is not the only mechanism to produce collimated jets, it is a novel means to identify one general relativistic effect from a much more complicated problem. In addition, as the accelerated material above or below the accretion disk nears the axis with a nearly vertical direction, a frame-dragging effect twists the trajectories around the axis thus contributing to the collimation of the jet.

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

Charge density fluctuation of low frequency in a dusty plasma

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

李芳; 吕保维; O.Havnes

1997-01-01

The charge density fluctuation of low frequency in a dusty plasma, which is derived from the longitudinal dielectric permittivity of the dusty plasma, has been studied by kinetic theory. The results show that the P value, which describes the relative charge density on the dust in the plasma, and the charging frequency of a dust particle Ωc, which describes the ratio of charge changing of the dust particles, determine the character of the charge density fluctuation of low frequency. For a dusty plasma of P<<1, when the charging frequency Ωc is much smaller than the dusty plasma frequency wd, there is a strong charge density fluctuation which is of character of dust acoustic eigen wave. For a dusty plasma of P>>1, when the frequency Ωc, is much larger than wd there are weaker fluctuations with a wide spectrum. The results have been applied to the ionosphere and the range of radius and density of dust particles is found, where a strong charge density fluctuation of low frequency should exist.

WIRED for EC: New White Dwarfs with WISE Infrared Excesses and New Classification Schemes from the Edinburgh–Cape Blue Object Survey

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dennihy, E.; Clemens, J. C.; Dunlap, B. H.; O’Brien, P. C.; Fuchs, J. T. [Physics and Astronomy Department, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599 (United States); Debes, John H. [Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Kilkenny, D. [Department of Physics, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville 7535 (South Africa)

2017-11-10

We present a simple method for identifying candidate white dwarf systems with dusty exoplanetary debris based on a single temperature blackbody model fit to the infrared excess. We apply this technique to a sample of Southern Hemisphere white dwarfs from the recently completed Edinburgh–Cape Blue Object Survey and identify four new promising dusty debris disk candidates. We demonstrate the efficacy of our selection method by recovering three of the four Spitzer confirmed dusty debris disk systems in our sample. Further investigation using archival high-resolution imaging shows that Spitzer data of the unrecovered fourth object is likely contaminated by a line-of-sight object that either led to a misclassification as a dusty disk in the literature or is confounding our method. Finally, in our diagnostic plot, we show that dusty white dwarfs, which also host gaseous debris, lie along a boundary of our dusty debris disk region, providing clues to the origin and evolution of these especially interesting systems.

THE FAINTEST WISE DEBRIS DISKS: ENHANCED METHODS FOR DETECTION AND VERIFICATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Patel, Rahul I. [Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Metchev, Stanimir A.; Trollo, Joseph [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration, The University of Western Ontario, 1151 Richmond St., London, ON N6A 3K7 (Canada); Heinze, Aren [Institute for Astronomy, 2680 Woodlawn Dr., Honolulu, HI 96822-1839 (United States)

2017-02-01

In an earlier study, we reported nearly 100 previously unknown dusty debris disks around Hipparcos main-sequence stars within 75 pc by selecting stars with excesses in individual WISE colors. Here, we further scrutinize the Hipparcos  75 pc sample to (1) gain sensitivity to previously undetected, fainter mid-IR excesses and (2) remove spurious excesses contaminated by previously unidentified blended sources. We improve on our previous method by adopting a more accurate measure of the confidence threshold for excess detection and by adding an optimally weighted color average that incorporates all shorter-wavelength WISE photometry, rather than using only individual WISE colors. The latter is equivalent to spectral energy distribution fitting, but only over WISE bandpasses. In addition, we leverage the higher-resolution WISE images available through the unWISE.me image service to identify contaminated WISE excesses based on photocenter offsets among the W 3- and W 4-band images. Altogether, we identify 19 previously unreported candidate debris disks. Combined with the results from our earlier study, we have found a total of 107 new debris disks around 75 pc Hipparcos main-sequence stars using precisely calibrated WISE photometry. This expands the 75 pc debris disk sample by 22% around Hipparcos main-sequence stars and by 20% overall (including non-main-sequence and non- Hipparcos stars).

STRUCTURE AND EVOLUTION OF CIRCUMBINARY DISKS AROUND SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLE BINARIES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rafikov, Roman R.

2013-01-01

We explore properties of circumbinary disks around supermassive black hole (SMBH) binaries in centers of galaxies by reformulating standard viscous disk evolution in terms of the viscous angular momentum flux F J . If the binary stops gas inflow and opens a cavity in the disk, then the inner disk evolves toward a constant-F J (rather than a constant M-dot ) state. We compute disk properties in different physical regimes relevant for SMBH binaries, focusing on the gas-assisted evolution of systems starting at separations 10 –4 – 10 –2 pc, and find the following. (1) Mass pileup at the inner disk edge caused by the tidal barrier accelerates binary inspiral. (2) Binaries can be forced to merge even by a disk with a mass below that of the secondary. (3) Torque on the binary is set non-locally, at radii far larger than the binary semi-major axis; its magnitude does not reflect disk properties in the vicinity of the binary. (4) Binary inspiral exhibits hysteresis—it depends on the past evolution of the disk. (5) The Eddington limit can be important for circumbinary disks even if they accrete at sub-Eddington rates, but only at late stages of the inspiral. (6) Gas overflow across the orbit of the secondary can be important for low secondary mass, high- M-dot systems, but mainly during the inspiral phase dominated by the gravitational wave emission. (7) Circumbinary disks emit more power and have harder spectra than constant M-dot disks; their spectra are very sensitive to the amount of overflow across the secondary orbit

Revealing the structure and dust content of debris disks on solar systems scales with GPI

Science.gov (United States)

Duchene, Gaspard; Fitzgerald, Michael P.; Kalas, Paul; Graham, James R.; Arriaga, Pauline; Bruzzone, Sebastian; Chen, Christine; Dawson, Rebekah Ilene; Dong, Ruobing; Draper, Zachary; Esposito, Thomas; Follette, Katherine; Hung, Li-Wei; Lawler, Samantha; Metchev, Stanimir; Millar-Blanchaer, Max; Murray-Clay, Ruth; Perrin, Marshall D.; Rameau, Julien; Wang, Jason; Wolff, Schuyler; Macintosh, Bruce; GPIES Team

2016-01-01

High contrast scattered light images offer the best prospect to assess the detailed geometry and structure of dusty debris disks. In turn, such images can yield profound insight on the architecture of the underlying planetary system as dust grains respond to the gravitational pull of planetary bodies. A new generation of extreme adaptive optics systems now enables an unprecedented exploration of circumstellar disks on solar system scales. Here we review the new science derived from over a dozen debris disks imaged with the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) as part of the GPI Exoplanet Survey (GPIES). In addition to its exquisite imaging capability, GPI's polarimetric mode provides invaluable insight on the dust content of each disk, in most cases for the very first time. These early results typically reveal narrow belts of material with evacuated regions roughly 50-100 AU in radius, subtle asymmetries in structure and high degree of linear polarization. We will provide an overview of the disk observations made during the GPIES campaign to date and will discuss in more detail some of the most remarkable systems.This work is supported by grants NSF AST-0909188, -1411868, -1413718; NASA NNX-15AD95G, -14AJ80G, -11AD21G; and the NExSS research network.

Kadomstev–Petviashvili (KP) equation in warm dusty plasma with ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In this work, the propagation of nonlinear waves in warm dusty plasmas with ... Mamun et al [7] have also derived rarefactive solitary waves in low-temperature dusty plasmas such as those in laboratory and astrophysical environments. ... plasma environments that clearly indicate the presence of nonthermal electron pop-.

The unusual ISM in Blue and Dusty Gas Rich Galaxies (BADGRS).

Science.gov (United States)

Dunne, L.; Zhang, Z.; De Vis, P.; Clark, C. J. R.; Oteo, I.; Maddox, S. J.; Cigan, P.; de Zotti, G.; Gomez, H. L.; Ivison, R. J.; Rowlands, K.; Smith, M. W. L.; van der Werf, P.; Vlahakis, C.; Millard, J. S.

2018-06-01

The Herschel-ATLAS unbiased survey of cold dust in the local Universe is dominated by a surprising population of very blue (FUV - K 0.5). Dubbed `Blue and Dusty Gas Rich Sources' (BADGRS) they have cold diffuse dust temperatures, and the highest dust-to-stellar mass ratios of any galaxies in the local Universe. Here, we explore the molecular ISM in a representative sample of BADGRS, using very deep {CO(J_{up}=1,2,3)} observations across the central and outer disk regions. We find very low CO brightnesses (Tp = 5 - 30 mK), despite the bright far-infrared emission and metallicities in the range 0.5 UV attenuation for their UV colour suggestive of an SMC-type dust attenuation curve, different star formation histories or different dust/star geometry. They lie in a similar part of the IRX-β space as z ˜ 5 galaxies and may be useful as local analogues for high gas fraction galaxies in the early Universe.

Nonextensive dust acoustic waves in a charge varying dusty plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Bacha, Mustapha; Tribeche, Mouloud

2012-01-01

Our recent analysis on nonlinear nonextensive dust-acoustic waves (DA) [Amour and Tribeche in Phys. Plasmas 17:063702, 2010] is extended to include self-consistent nonadiabatic grain charge fluctuation. The appropriate nonextensive electron charging current is rederived based on the orbit-limited motion theory. Our results reveal that the amplitude, strength and nature of the nonlinear DA waves (solitons and shocks) are extremely sensitive to the degree of ion nonextensivity. Stronger is the electron correlation, more important is the charge variation induced nonlinear wave damping. The anomalous dissipation effects may prevail over that dispersion as the electrons evolve far away from their Maxwellian equilibrium. Our investigation may be of wide relevance to astronomers and space scientists working on interstellar dusty plasmas where nonthermal distributions are turning out to be a very common and characteristic feature.

Planet-driven Spiral Arms in Protoplanetary Disks. II. Implications

Science.gov (United States)

Bae, Jaehan; Zhu, Zhaohuan

2018-06-01

We examine whether various characteristics of planet-driven spiral arms can be used to constrain the masses of unseen planets and their positions within their disks. By carrying out two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations varying planet mass and disk gas temperature, we find that a larger number of spiral arms form with a smaller planet mass and a lower disk temperature. A planet excites two or more spiral arms interior to its orbit for a range of disk temperatures characterized by the disk aspect ratio 0.04≤slant {(h/r)}p≤slant 0.15, whereas exterior to a planet’s orbit multiple spiral arms can form only in cold disks with {(h/r)}p≲ 0.06. Constraining the planet mass with the pitch angle of spiral arms requires accurate disk temperature measurements that might be challenging even with ALMA. However, the property that the pitch angle of planet-driven spiral arms decreases away from the planet can be a powerful diagnostic to determine whether the planet is located interior or exterior to the observed spirals. The arm-to-arm separations increase as a function of planet mass, consistent with previous studies; however, the exact slope depends on disk temperature as well as the radial location where the arm-to-arm separations are measured. We apply these diagnostics to the spiral arms seen in MWC 758 and Elias 2–27. As shown in Bae et al., planet-driven spiral arms can create concentric rings and gaps, which can produce a more dominant observable signature than spiral arms under certain circumstances. We discuss the observability of planet-driven spiral arms versus rings and gaps.

Propagation characteristics of electromagnetic waves in dusty plasma with full ionization

Science.gov (United States)

Dan, Li; Guo, Li-Xin; Li, Jiang-Ting

2018-01-01

This study investigates the propagation characteristics of electromagnetic (EM) waves in fully ionized dusty plasmas. The propagation characteristics of fully ionized plasma with and without dust under the Fokker-Planck-Landau (FPL) and Bhatnagar-Gross-Krook (BGK) models are compared to those of weakly ionized plasmas by using the propagation matrix method. It is shown that the FPL model is suitable for the analysis of the propagation characteristics of weakly collisional and fully ionized dusty plasmas, as is the BGK model. The influence of varying the dust parameters on the propagation properties of EM waves in the fully ionized dusty plasma was analyzed using the FPL model. The simulation results indicated that the densities and average radii of dust grains influence the reflection and transmission coefficients of fully ionized dusty plasma slabs. These results may be utilized to analyze the effects of interaction between EM waves and dusty plasmas, such as those associated with hypersonic vehicles.

OGLE-LMC-ECL-11893: The discovery of a long-period eclipsing binary with a circumstellar disk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, Subo [Kavli Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Peking University, Yi He Yuan Road 5, Hai Dian District, Beijing 100871 (China); Katz, Boaz [Institute for Advanced Study, 1 Einstein Drive, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Prieto, Jose L. [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, 4 Ivy Lane, Peyton Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Udalski, Andrzej; Kozlowski, Szymon [Warsaw University Observatory, Al. Ujazdowskie 4, 00-478 Warszawa (Poland); Street, R. A.; Tsapras, Y. [Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, 6740 Cortona Drive, suite 102, Goleta, CA 93117 (United States); Bramich, D. M. [Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute, Qatar Foundation, Tornado Tower, Floor 19, P.O. Box 5825, Doha (Qatar); Hundertmark, M.; Horne, K.; Dominik, M.; Jaimes, R. Figuera [SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, North Haugh, St Andrews KY16 9SS (United Kingdom); Snodgrass, C. [Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Justus-von-Liebig-Weg 3, D-37077 Göttingen (Germany)

2014-06-10

We report the serendipitous discovery of a disk-eclipse system OGLE-LMC-ECL-11893. The eclipse occurs with a period of 468 days, a duration of about 15 days, and a deep (up to Δm{sub I} ≈ 1.5), peculiar, and asymmetric profile. A possible origin of such an eclipse profile involves a circumstellar disk. The presence of the disk is confirmed by the H-α line profile from the follow-up spectroscopic observations, and the star is identified as Be/Ae type. Unlike the previously known disk-eclipse candidates, the eclipses of OGLE-LMC-ECL-11893 retain the same shape throughout the span of ∼17 yr (13 orbital periods), indicating no measurable orbital precession of the disk.

Exploring the Effects of Disk Thickness on the Black Hole Reflection Spectrum

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Corbin; Reynolds, Christopher S.

2018-03-01

The relativistically broadened reflection spectrum, observed in both AGN and X-ray binaries, has proven to be a powerful probe of the properties of black holes and the environments in which they reside. Emitted from the innermost regions of the accretion disk, this X-ray spectral component carries with it information not only about the plasma that resides in these extreme conditions, but also the black hole spin, a marker of the formation and accretion history of these objects. The models currently used to interpret the reflection spectrum are often simplistic, however, approximating the disk as an infinitely thin, optically thick plane of material orbiting in circular Keplerian orbits around the central object. Using a new relativistic ray-tracing suite (Fenrir) that allows for more complex disk approximations, we examine the effects that disk thickness may have on the reflection spectrum. Assuming a lamppost corona, we find that finite disk thickness can have a variety of effects on the reflection spectrum, including a truncation of the blue wing (from self-shadowing of the accretion disk) and an enhancement of the red wing (from the irradiation of the central “eye wall” of the inner disk). We deduce the systematic errors on black hole spin and height that may result from neglecting these effects.

Dusty Dwarfs Galaxies Occulting A Bright Background Spiral

Science.gov (United States)

Holwerda, Benne

2017-08-01

The role of dust in shaping the spectral energy distributions of low mass disk galaxies remains poorly understood. Recent results from the Herschel Space Observatory imply that dwarf galaxies contain large amounts of cool (T 20K) dust, coupled with very modest optical extinctions. These seemingly contradictory conclusions may be resolved if dwarfs harbor a variety of dust geometries, e.g., dust at larger galactocentric radii or in quiescent dark clumps. We propose HST observations of six truly occulting dwarf galaxies drawn from the Galaxy Zoo catalog of silhouetted galaxy pairs. Confirmed, true occulting dwarfs are rare as most low-mass disks in overlap are either close satellites or do not have a confirmed redshift. Dwarf occulters are the key to determining the spatial extent of dust, the small scale structure introduced by turbulence, and the prevailing dust attenuation law. The recent spectroscopic confirmation of bona-fide low mass occulting dwarfs offers an opportunity to map dust in these with HST. What is the role of dust in the SED of these dwarf disk galaxies? With shorter feedback scales, how does star-formation affect their morphology and dust composition, as revealed from their attenuation curve? The resolution of HST allows us to map the dust disks down to the fine scale structure of molecular clouds and multi-wavelength imaging maps the attenuation curve and hence dust composition in these disks. We therefore ask for 2 orbits on each of 6 dwarf galaxies in F275W, F475W, F606W, F814W and F125W to map dust from UV to NIR to constrain the attenuation curve.

A RING/DISK/OUTFLOW SYSTEM ASSOCIATED WITH W51 NORTH: A VERY MASSIVE STAR IN THE MAKING

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zapata, Luis A.; Schilke, Peter; Menten, Karl; Ho, Paul T. P.; Rodriguez, Luis F.; Palau, Aina; Garrod, Robin T.

2009-01-01

Sensitive and high angular resolution (∼0.''4) SO 2 [22 2,20 → 22 1,21 ] and SiO[5 → 4] line and 1.3 and 7 mm continuum observations made with the Submillimeter Array (SMA) and the Very Large Array (VLA) toward the young massive cluster W51 IRS2 are presented. We report the presence of a large (of about 3000 AU) and massive (40 M sun ) dusty circumstellar disk and a hot gas molecular ring around a high-mass protostar or a compact small stellar system associated with W51 North. The simultaneous observations of the silicon monoxide molecule, an outflow gas tracer, further revealed a massive (200 M sun ) and collimated (∼14 0 ) outflow nearly perpendicular to the dusty and molecular structures suggesting thus the presence of a single very massive protostar with a bolometric luminosity on the order of 10 5 L sun . A molecular hybrid local thermodynamic equilibrium model of a Keplerian and infalling disk with an inner cavity and a central stellar mass of more than 60 M sun agrees well with the SO 2 [22 2,20 → 22 1,21 ] line observations. Finally, these results suggest that mechanisms, such as mergers of low- and intermediate-mass stars, might not be necessary for forming very massive stars.

RESOLVING THE PLANET-HOSTING INNER REGIONS OF THE LkCa 15 DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thalmann, C.; Garufi, A.; Quanz, S. P.; Daemgen, S.; Engler, N. [ETH Zurich, Institute for Astronomy, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 27, 8093 Zurich (Switzerland); Janson, M. [Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm (Sweden); Boccaletti, A. [LESIA, Observatoire de Paris, PSL Research University, CNRS, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, UPMC Paris 6, Sorbonne Université, 5 place Jules Janssen, F-92195 Meudon CEDEX (France); Sissa, E.; Gratton, R.; Desidera, S. [INAF–Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo dell’Osservatorio 5, I-35122 Padova (Italy); Salter, G.; Langlois, M. [Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, LAM (Laboratoire d’Astrophysique de Marseille) UMR 7326, F-13388 Marseille (France); Benisty, M.; Bonnefoy, M.; Chauvin, G.; Lagrange, A.-M.; Lannier, J. [Université Grenoble Alpes, IPAG, F-38000 Grenoble (France); Dominik, C. [Anton Pannekoek Institute, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam (Netherlands); Feldt, M.; Henning, T., E-mail: thalmann@phys.ethz.ch [Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, D-69117 Heidelberg (Germany); and others

2016-09-10

LkCa 15 hosts a pre-transitional disk as well as at least one accreting protoplanet orbiting in its gap. Previous disk observations have focused mainly on the outer disk, which is cleared inward of ∼50 au. The planet candidates, on the other hand, reside at orbital radii around 15 au, where disk observations have been unreliable until recently. Here, we present new J -band imaging polarimetry of LkCa 15 with SPHERE IRDIS, yielding the most accurate and detailed scattered-light images of the disk to date down to the planet-hosting inner regions. We find what appear to be persistent asymmetric structures in the scattering material at the location of the planet candidates, which could be responsible at least for parts of the signals measured with sparse-aperture masking. These images further allow us to trace the gap edge in scattered light at all position angles and search the inner and outer disks for morphological substructure. The outer disk appears smooth with slight azimuthal variations in polarized surface brightness, which may be due to shadowing from the inner disk or a two-peaked polarized phase function. We find that the near-side gap edge revealed by polarimetry matches the sharp crescent seen in previous ADI imaging very well. Finally, the ratio of polarized disk to stellar flux is more than six times larger in the J -band than in the RI bands.

Tidal Disruption Events from Eccentric Nuclear Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Wernke, Heather N.; Madigan, Ann-Marie

2018-04-01

Stars that get too close to a supermassive black hole are in danger of being tidally disrupted. Stellar two-body relaxation is commonly assumed to be the main driver of these events. Recent work has shown, however, that secular gravitational torques from eccentric nuclear disks can push stars to extreme eccentricities at much higher rates than predicted by two-body relaxation. This work did not include the effects of general relativity, however, which could quench secular torques via rapid apsidal precession. Here we show that, for a star in danger of disruption, general relativity acts on a timescale of less than an orbital period. This short timescale means that general relativity does not have enough time to have a major effect on the orbit. When driven by secular torques from eccentric nuclear disks, tidal disruption event rates are not affected by general relativity.

A mysterious dust clump in a disk around an evolved binary star system.

Science.gov (United States)

Jura, M; Turner, J

1998-09-10

The discovery of planets in orbit around the pulsar PSR1257+12 shows that planets may form around post-main-sequence stars. Other evolved stars, such as HD44179 (an evolved star which is part of the binary system that has expelled the gas and dust that make the Red Rectangle nebula), possess gravitationally bound orbiting dust disks. It is possible that planets might form from gravitational collapse in such disks. Here we report high-angular-resolution observations at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths of the dusk disk associated with the Red Rectangle. We find a dust clump with an estimated mass near that of Jupiter in the outer region of the disk. The clump is larger than our Solar System, and far beyond where planet formation would normally be expected, so its nature is at present unclear.

Three Millennia of Southwestern North American Dustiness and Future Implications.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cody C Routson

Full Text Available Two sediment records of dust deposition from Fish Lake, in southern Colorado, offer a new perspective on southwest United States (Southwest aridity and dustiness over the last ~3000 years. Micro scanning X-ray fluorescence and grain size analysis provide separate measures of wind-deposited dust in the lake sediment. Together these new records confirm anomalous dustiness in the 19th and 20th centuries, associated with recent land disturbance, drought, and livestock grazing. Before significant anthropogenic influences, changes in drought frequency and aridity also generated atmospheric dust loading. Medieval times were associated with high levels of dustiness, coincident with widespread aridity. These records indicate the Southwest is naturally prone to dustiness. As global and regional temperatures rise and the Southwest shifts toward a more arid landscape, the Southwest will likely become dustier, driving negative impacts on snowpack and water availability, as well as human health.

HIGH-TEMPERATURE IONIZATION IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Desch, Steven J. [School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, P.O. Box 871404, Tempe, AZ 85287-1404 (United States); Turner, Neal J. [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Mail Stop 169-506, California Institute of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States)

2015-10-01

We calculate the abundances of electrons and ions in the hot (≳500 K), dusty parts of protoplanetary disks, treating for the first time the effects of thermionic and ion emission from the dust grains. High-temperature ionization modeling has involved simply assuming that alkali elements such as potassium occur as gas-phase atoms and are collisionally ionized following the Saha equation. We show that the Saha equation often does not hold, because free charges are produced by thermionic and ion emission and destroyed when they stick to grain surfaces. This means the ionization state depends not on the first ionization potential of the alkali atoms, but rather on the grains’ work functions. The charged species’ abundances typically rise abruptly above about 800 K, with little qualitative dependence on the work function, gas density, or dust-to-gas mass ratio. Applying our results, we find that protoplanetary disks’ dead zone, where high diffusivities stifle magnetorotational turbulence, has its inner edge located where the temperature exceeds a threshold value ≈1000 K. The threshold is set by ambipolar diffusion except at the highest densities, where it is set by Ohmic resistivity. We find that the disk gas can be diffusively loaded onto the stellar magnetosphere at temperatures below a similar threshold. We investigate whether the “short-circuit” instability of current sheets can operate in disks and find that it cannot, or works only in a narrow range of conditions; it appears not to be the chondrule formation mechanism. We also suggest that thermionic emission is important for determining the rate of Ohmic heating in hot Jupiters.

HIGH-TEMPERATURE IONIZATION IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Desch, Steven J.; Turner, Neal J.

2015-01-01

We calculate the abundances of electrons and ions in the hot (≳500 K), dusty parts of protoplanetary disks, treating for the first time the effects of thermionic and ion emission from the dust grains. High-temperature ionization modeling has involved simply assuming that alkali elements such as potassium occur as gas-phase atoms and are collisionally ionized following the Saha equation. We show that the Saha equation often does not hold, because free charges are produced by thermionic and ion emission and destroyed when they stick to grain surfaces. This means the ionization state depends not on the first ionization potential of the alkali atoms, but rather on the grains’ work functions. The charged species’ abundances typically rise abruptly above about 800 K, with little qualitative dependence on the work function, gas density, or dust-to-gas mass ratio. Applying our results, we find that protoplanetary disks’ dead zone, where high diffusivities stifle magnetorotational turbulence, has its inner edge located where the temperature exceeds a threshold value ≈1000 K. The threshold is set by ambipolar diffusion except at the highest densities, where it is set by Ohmic resistivity. We find that the disk gas can be diffusively loaded onto the stellar magnetosphere at temperatures below a similar threshold. We investigate whether the “short-circuit” instability of current sheets can operate in disks and find that it cannot, or works only in a narrow range of conditions; it appears not to be the chondrule formation mechanism. We also suggest that thermionic emission is important for determining the rate of Ohmic heating in hot Jupiters

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.

MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMIC SIMULATION OF A DISK SUBJECTED TO LENSE-THIRRING PRECESSION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sorathia, Kareem A.; Krolik, Julian H.; Hawley, John F.

2013-01-01

When matter orbits around a central mass obliquely with respect to the mass's spin axis, the Lense-Thirring effect causes it to precess at a rate declining sharply with radius. Ever since the work of Bardeen and Petterson, it has been expected that when a fluid fills an orbiting disk, the orbital angular momentum at small radii should then align with the mass's spin. Nearly all previous work has studied this alignment under the assumption that a phenomenological 'viscosity' isotropically degrades fluid shears in accretion disks, even though it is now understood that internal stress in flat disks is due to anisotropic MHD turbulence. In this paper we report a pair of matched simulations, one in MHD and one in pure (non-viscous) HD in order to clarify the specific mechanisms of alignment. As in the previous work, we find that disk warps induce radial flows that mix angular momentum of different orientation; however, we also show that the speeds of these flows are generically transonic and are only very weakly influenced by internal stresses other than pressure. In particular, MHD turbulence does not act in a manner consistent with an isotropic viscosity. When MHD effects are present, the disk aligns, first at small radii and then at large; alignment is only partial in the HD case. We identify the specific angular momentum transport mechanisms causing alignment and show how MHD effects permit them to operate more efficiently. Last, we relate the speed at which an alignment front propagates outward (in the MHD case) to the rate at which Lense-Thirring torques deliver angular momentum at smaller radii

A DWARF TRANSITIONAL PROTOPLANETARY DISK AROUND XZ TAU B

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Osorio, Mayra; Macías, Enrique; Anglada, Guillem; Gómez, José F. [Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC), Glorieta de la Astronomía s/n, E-18008 Granada (Spain); Carrasco-González, Carlos; Galván-Madrid, Roberto; Zapata, Luis; Rodríguez, Luis F. [Instituto de Radioastronomía y Astrofísica UNAM, Apartado Postal 3-72 (Xangari), 58089 Morelia, Michoacán (Mexico); Calvet, Nuria [Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 825 Dennison Building, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Nagel, Erick [Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Guanajuato, Guanajuato, Gto 36240 (Mexico); Torrelles, José M. [Institut de Ciències de l’Espai (CSIC)-Institut de Ciències del Cosmos (UB)/IEEC, Martí i Franquès 1, E-08028 Barcelona (Spain); Zhu, Zhaohuan, E-mail: osorio@iaa.es [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

2016-07-01

We report the discovery of a dwarf protoplanetary disk around the star XZ Tau B that shows all the features of a classical transitional disk but on a much smaller scale. The disk has been imaged with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), revealing that its dust emission has a quite small radius of ∼3.4 au and presents a central cavity of ∼1.3 au in radius that we attribute to clearing by a compact system of orbiting (proto)planets. Given the very small radii involved, evolution is expected to be much faster in this disk (observable changes in a few months) than in classical disks (observable changes requiring decades) and easy to monitor with observations in the near future. From our modeling we estimate that the mass of the disk is large enough to form a compact planetary system.

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.

OT2_amoor_4: A census of debris disks in nearby young moving groups with Herschel.

Science.gov (United States)

Moór, A.

2011-09-01

Nearly all young stars harbour circumstellar disks, that serve as the reservoir for mass accretion onto the star, and later become the birthplace of planetary systems. After the disappearance of the gas component from the disk a dusty debris disk is formed that is believed to mark the location of the planetesimal belt as well. For outlining the evolution of such debris disks traditionally open clusters and field stars were studied, however we argue that the recently discovered young moving groups are more suitable objects for such analyses, due to their proximity and good coverage of the first 50 Myr period of the planetary system evolution. In this proposal we request 70/160 um Herschel/PACS photometric observations for so-far unobserved moving group members. These observations will provide a complete coverage of all known members within 80 pc of five nearby young moving groups (beta Pic Moving Group, Tucana-Horologium, Carina, Columba, and Argus), in the A to K spectral range. Based on the new observations we will identify new debris disks, characterize the disk population within individual moving groups, and study disk evolution by comparing the groups of different ages. The results will be used to verify predictions of the self-stirring model of the evolution of planetesimal disks. We will also compare the properties of debris disks in groups of the same age, looking for additional 'environmental' parameters that affect disk structure over a whole moving group. Our study will be a significant contribution to the census of debris disks in young moving groups, increasing the number of observed sources by a factor of 1.5. Since Spitzer could perform only a limited census and the so-far approved Herschel programs added very few additional moving group obervations, our programme is expected to have a high legacy value.

Low-frequency dust-lower-hybrid modes in a dusty plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salimullah, M.

1995-10-01

The existence of low-frequency dust-lower-hybrid modes in a magnetized dusty plasma has been examined. These modes arise on account of the inequalities of charge and number densities of electrons, ions, and dust particles, and finite Larmor radius effects in a dusty plasma. (author). 14 refs

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.

DID FOMALHAUT, HR 8799, AND HL TAURI FORM PLANETS VIA THE GRAVITATIONAL INSTABILITY? PLACING LIMITS ON THE REQUIRED DISK MASSES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nero, D.; Bjorkman, J. E.

2009-01-01

Disk fragmentation resulting from the gravitational instability has been proposed as an efficient mechanism for forming giant planets. We use the planet Fomalhaut b, the triple-planetary system HR 8799, and the potential protoplanet associated with HL Tau to test the viability of this mechanism. We choose the above systems since they harbor planets with masses and orbital characteristics favored by the fragmentation mechanism. We do not claim that these planets must have formed as the result of fragmentation, rather the reverse: if planets can form from disk fragmentation, then these systems are consistent with what we should expect to see. We use the orbital characteristics of these recently discovered planets, along with a new technique to more accurately determine the disk cooling times, to place both lower and upper limits on the disk surface density-and thus mass-required to form these objects by disk fragmentation. Our cooling times are over an order of magnitude shorter than those of Rafikov, which makes disk fragmentation more feasible for these objects. We find that the required mass interior to the planet's orbital radius is ∼0.1 M sun for Fomalhaut b, the protoplanet orbiting HL Tau, and the outermost planet of HR 8799. The two inner planets of HR 8799 probably could not have formed in situ by disk fragmentation.

Investigations on isotopic composition of dusty mist of southern Tajikistan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abdullaev, S.F.; Abdurasulova, N.A.; Maslov, V.A.; Madvaliev, U.; Juraev, A.A.; Davlatshoev, T. S.U.

2012-01-01

Atmosphere physics laboratory under S.U. Umarov Physical and Technical Institute Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Tajikistan have carried out investigations on optical and micro physical properties of arid zone aerosols from 1982. Traces of man-made radioactive isotopes were revealed in sands and dust compositions taken in arid zone of Tajikistan during Soviet-American tests on investigation of arid aerosol. Produced result was the basis for further investigation of element composition for dusty haze distributed from south till central part of the country. We investigated samples of soil collected by natural sedimentation along dusty haze distribution and samples of dusty aerosol (in total 80 samples).

Linear and Nonlinear Electrostatic Waves in Unmagnetized Dusty Plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamun, A. A.; Shukla, P. K.

2010-01-01

A rigorous and systematic theoretical study has been made of linear and nonlinear electrostatic waves propagating in unmagnetized dusty plasmas. The basic features of linear and nonlinear electrostatic waves (particularly, dust-ion-acoustic and dust-acoustic waves) for different space and laboratory dusty plasma conditions are described. The experimental observations of such linear and nonlinear features of dust-ion-acoustic and dust-acoustic waves are briefly discussed.

Can Eccentric Debris Disks Be Long-lived? A First Numerical Investigation and Application to Zeta(exp 2) Reticuli

Science.gov (United States)

Faramaz, V.; Beust, H.; Thebault, P.; Augereau, J.-C.; Bonsor, A.; delBurgo, C.; Ertel, S.; Marshall, J. P.; Milli, J.; Montesinos, B.;

Quasi-electrostatic waves in dusty plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Das, A.C.; Goswami, K.S.; Misra, A.K.

1997-01-01

Low frequency quasi-electrostatic waves in cold dusty plasma are investigated taking account of liberation and absorption of electrons and ions by the dust and their momentum transfer mechanism. (author)

Binary pulsars as probes of a Galactic dark matter disk

Science.gov (United States)

Caputo, Andrea; Zavala, Jesús; Blas, Diego

2018-03-01

As a binary pulsar moves through a wind of dark matter particles, the resulting dynamical friction modifies the binary's orbit. We study this effect for the double disk dark matter (DDDM) scenario, where a fraction of the dark matter is dissipative and settles into a thin disk. For binaries within the dark disk, this effect is enhanced due to the higher dark matter density and lower velocity dispersion of the dark disk, and due to its co-rotation with the baryonic disk. We estimate the effect and compare it with observations for two different limits in the Knudsen number (Kn). First, in the case where DDDM is effectively collisionless within the characteristic scale of the binary (Kn ≫ 1) and ignoring the possible interaction between the pair of dark matter wakes. Second, in the fully collisional case (Kn ≪ 1), where a fluid description can be adopted and the interaction of the pair of wakes is taken into account. We find that the change in the orbital period is of the same order of magnitude in both limits. A comparison with observations reveals good prospects to probe currently allowed DDDM models with timing data from binary pulsars in the near future. We finally comment on the possibility of extending the analysis to the intermediate (rarefied gas) case with Kn ∼ 1.

Diskoseismology: Probing accretion disks. I - Trapped adiabatic oscillations

Science.gov (United States)

Nowak, Michael A.; Wagoner, Robert V.

1991-01-01

The normal modes of acoustic oscillations within thin accretion disks which are terminated by an innermost stable orbit around a slowly rotating black hole or weakly magnetized compact neutron star are analyzed. The dominant relativistic effects which allow modes to be trapped within the inner region of the disk are approximated via a modified Newtonian potential. A general formalism is developed for investigating the adiabatic oscillations of arbitrary unperturbed disk models. The generic behavior is explored by way of an expansion of the Lagrangian displacement about the plane of symmetry and by assuming separable solutions with the same radial wavelength for the horizontal and vertical perturbations. The lowest eigenfrequencies and eigenfunctions of a particular set of radial and quadrupole modes which have minimum motion normal for the plane are obtained. These modes correspond to the standard dispersion relation of disk theory.

Mid-infrared interferometric variability of DG Tauri: Implications for the inner-disk structure

Science.gov (United States)

Varga, J.; Gabányi, K. É.; Ábrahám, P.; Chen, L.; Kóspál, Á.; Menu, J.; Ratzka, Th.; van Boekel, R.; Dullemond, C. P.; Henning, Th.; Jaffe, W.; Juhász, A.; Moór, A.; Mosoni, L.; Sipos, N.

2017-08-01

Context. DG Tau is a low-mass pre-main sequence star, whose strongly accreting protoplanetary disk exhibits a so-far enigmatic behavior: its mid-infrared thermal emission is strongly time-variable, even turning the 10 μm silicate feature from emission to absorption temporarily. Aims: We look for the reason for the spectral variability at high spatial resolution and at multiple epochs. Methods: Infrared interferometry can spatially resolve the thermal emission of the circumstellar disk, also giving information about dust processing. We study the temporal variability of the mid-infrared interferometric signal, observed with the VLTI/MIDI instrument at six epochs between 2011 and 2014. We fit a geometric disk model to the observed interferometric signal to obtain spatial information about the disk. We also model the mid-infrared spectra by template fitting to characterize the profile and time dependence of the silicate emission. We use physically motivated radiative transfer modeling to interpret the mid-infrared interferometric spectra. Results: The inner disk (r 1-3 au) spectra show a crystalline silicate feature in emission, similar to the spectra of comet Hale-Bopp. The striking difference between the inner and outer disk spectral feature is highly unusual among T Tauri stars. The mid-infrared variability is dominated by the outer disk. The strength of the silicate feature changed by more than a factor of two. Between 2011 and 2014 the half-light radius of the mid-infrared-emitting region decreased from 1.15 to 0.7 au. Conclusions: For the origin of the absorption we discuss four possible explanations: a cold obscuring envelope, an accretion heated inner disk, a temperature inversion on the disk surface and a misaligned inner geometry. The silicate emission in the outer disk can be explained by dusty material high above the disk plane, whose mass can change with time, possibly due to turbulence in the disk. Based on observations made with the ESO Very Large

Solution of Riemann problem for ideal polytropic dusty gas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nath, Triloki; Gupta, R.K.; Singh, L.P.

2017-01-01

Highlights : • A direct approach is used to solve the Riemann problem for dusty ideal polytropic gas. • An analytical solution to the Riemann problem for dusty gas flow is obtained. • The existence and uniqueness of the solution in dusty gas is discussed. • Properties of elementary wave solutions of Riemann problem are discussed. • Effect of mass fraction of solid particles on the solution is presented. - Abstract: The Riemann problem for a quasilinear hyperbolic system of equations governing the one dimensional unsteady flow of an ideal polytropic gas with dust particles is solved analytically without any restriction on magnitude of the initial states. The elementary wave solutions of the Riemann problem, that is shock waves, rarefaction waves and contact discontinuities are derived explicitly and their properties are discussed, for a dusty gas. The existence and uniqueness of the solution for Riemann problem in dusty gas is discussed. Also the conditions leading to the existence of shock waves or simple waves for a 1-family and 3-family curves in the solution of the Riemann problem are discussed. It is observed that the presence of dust particles in an ideal polytropic gas leads to more complex expression as compared to the corresponding ideal case; however all the parallel results remain same. Also, the effect of variation of mass fraction of dust particles with fixed volume fraction (Z) and the ratio of specific heat of the solid particles and the specific heat of the gas at constant pressure on the variation of velocity and density across the shock wave, rarefaction wave and contact discontinuities are discussed.

Stratified Simulations of Collisionless Accretion Disks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hirabayashi, Kota; Hoshino, Masahiro, E-mail: hirabayashi-k@eps.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Department of Earth and Planetary Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-0033 (Japan)

2017-06-10

This paper presents a series of stratified-shearing-box simulations of collisionless accretion disks in the recently developed framework of kinetic magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), which can handle finite non-gyrotropy of a pressure tensor. Although a fully kinetic simulation predicted a more efficient angular-momentum transport in collisionless disks than in the standard MHD regime, the enhanced transport has not been observed in past kinetic-MHD approaches to gyrotropic pressure anisotropy. For the purpose of investigating this missing link between the fully kinetic and MHD treatments, this paper explores the role of non-gyrotropic pressure and makes the first attempt to incorporate certain collisionless effects into disk-scale, stratified disk simulations. When the timescale of gyrotropization was longer than, or comparable to, the disk-rotation frequency of the orbit, we found that the finite non-gyrotropy selectively remaining in the vicinity of current sheets contributes to suppressing magnetic reconnection in the shearing-box system. This leads to increases both in the saturated amplitude of the MHD turbulence driven by magnetorotational instabilities and in the resultant efficiency of angular-momentum transport. Our results seem to favor the fast advection of magnetic fields toward the rotation axis of a central object, which is required to launch an ultra-relativistic jet from a black hole accretion system in, for example, a magnetically arrested disk state.

3+1 dimensional envelop waves and its stability in magnetized dusty plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duan Wenshan

2006-01-01

It is well known that there are envelope solitary waves in unmagnetized dusty plasmas which are described by a nonlinear Schrodinger equation (NLSE). A three dimension nonlinear Schrodinger equation for small but finite amplitude dust acoustic waves is first obtained for magnetized dusty plasma in this paper. It suggest that in magnetized dusty plasmas the envelope solitary waves exist. The modulational instability for three dimensional NLSE is studied as well. The regions of stability and instability are well determined in this paper

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

Electromagnetic waves in dusty magnetoplasmas using two-potential theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zubia, K.; Jamil, M.; Salimullah, M.

2009-01-01

The low-frequency long wavelength electromagnetic waves, viz., shear Alfven waves in a cold dusty plasma, have been examined employing two-potential theory and plasma fluid model. The presence of the unmagnetized dust particles and magnetized plasma components gives rise to a new ion-dust lower hybrid cutoff frequency for the electromagnetic shear Alfven wave propagation. The importance and relevance of the present work to the space dusty plasma environments are also pointed out.

SIGNIFICANT ENHANCEMENT OF H{sub 2} FORMATION IN DISK GALAXIES UNDER STRONG RAM PRESSURE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henderson, Benjamin; Bekki, Kenji [ICRAR, M468, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Crawley, WA 6009 (Australia)

2016-05-10

We show for the first time that H{sub 2} formation on dust grains can be enhanced in disk galaxies under strong ram pressure (RP). We numerically investigate how the time evolution of H i and H{sub 2} components in disk galaxies orbiting a group/cluster of galaxies can be influenced by the hydrodynamical interaction between the gaseous components of the galaxies and the hot intracluster medium. We find that compression of H i caused by RP increases H{sub 2} formation in disk galaxies before RP rapidly strips H i, cutting off the fuel supply and causing a drop in H{sub 2} density. We also find that the level of this H{sub 2} formation enhancement in a disk galaxy under RP depends on the mass of its host cluster dark matter halo, the initial positions and velocities of the disk galaxy, and the disk inclination angle with respect to the orbital plane. We demonstrate that dust growth is a key factor in the evolution of the H i and H{sub 2} mass in disk galaxies under strong RP. We discuss how the correlation between H{sub 2} fractions and surface gas densities of disk galaxies evolves with time in the galaxies under RP. We also discuss whether galaxy-wide star formation rates (SFRs) in cluster disk galaxies can be enhanced by RP if the SFRs depend on H{sub 2} densities.

Solitary Waves in Space Dusty Plasma with Dust of Opposite Polarity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Elwakil, S.A.; Zahran, M.A.; El-Shewy, E.K.; Abdelwahed, H.G.

2009-01-01

The nonlinear propagation of small but finite amplitude dust-acoustic solitary waves (DAWs) in an unmagnetized, collisionless dusty plasma has been investigated. The fluid model is a generalize to the model of Mamun and Shukla to a more realistic space dusty plasma in different regions of space viz.., cometary tails, mesosphere, Jupiter s magnetosphere, etc., by considering a four component dusty plasma consists of charged dusty plasma of opposite polarity, isothermal electrons and vortex like ion distributions in the ambient plasma. A reductive perturbation method were employed to obtain a modified Korteweg-de Vries (mKdV) equation for the first-order potential and a stationary solution is obtained. The effect of the presence of positively charged dust fluid, the specific charge ratioμ, temperature of the positively charged dust fluid, the ratio of constant temperature of free hot ions and the constant temperature of trapped ions and ion temperature are also discussed.

Circumstellar Gas in Young Planetary Debris Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Roberge, A.

Circumstellar (CS) disks orbiting young stars fall into two categories: primordial disks, composed of unprocessed interstellar dust and gas, and debris disks, produced by the destruction of solid planetary bodies. In the first class, the most abundant gas is H_2; in the second, it appears that the H_2 gas has disappeared, possibly through incorporation into gas giant planets. The lifetime of H_2 gas in a CS disk is therefore of great importance, as it dictates the timescale for the formation of giant planets. FUSE observations of H_2 in CS disk systems have shown that FUV absorption spectroscopy may sensitively probe for small amounts of gas along the line of sight to the star. Most importantly, the FUSE non-detection of H_2 gas in the Beta Pictoris disk suggests that the primordial gas lifetime is less than about 12 Myr, and that gas giant planets must form very quickly. However, this suggestion is based on one system, and needs to be tested in additional systems with a range of ages, especially since there are indications that age is not the only factor in the evolution of a CS disk. We propose for FUSE observations of 3 additional debris disk systems, Fomalhaut, HD3003, and HD2884. Fomalhaut is an intermediate age debris disk, one of the Fabulous Four CS disks first discovered in 1984. The other two disks are younger, with ages similar to that of Beta Pic. All three stars are brighter in the FUV than Beta Pic, permitting us to sensitively probe for traces of H_2 gas. We will also measure the amount of secondary atomic gas produced from planetary bodies in these disks, in an effort to understand the entire evolution of CS gas in young planetary systems.

Diagnostic methods of thermal dusty plasma flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nefedov, A.P.

1995-01-01

The presence in the high-temperature flows of condensed disperse phase (CDP) particles may lead either to an increase of the electron number density n e if the particles assume a positive charge or to its decrease if the charge is negative. The existence of CDP also may effect on optical parameters of the thermal dusty plasma flows, on heat and radiative transfer in the plasma. The entire range of states, from a Debye plasma to a highly nonideal system of charged particles, is realized in a thermal dusty plasma under standard conditions T=2000-3000 K, n e =10 8 - 10 14 cm -3 . The advanced probe and optical diagnostic instruments are needed to study the optical and electrophysical properties of thermal dusty plasma flows. The diagnostic techniques must give the data about such parameters of gas and dispersed phase as temperatures of gas and particles, number densities of electrons, atoms and ions of alkali metals, sizes, velocities and concentrations of CDP particles. It should be noted that number density of alkali metal atoms and gas temperature may be measured by the well known full absorption and generalized reversal methods. This paper describes the probe and optical techniques for diagnostic of dusty plasma flows developed in High Energy Density Research Center of Russian Academy of Sciences. The Forward Angle Scattering Transmissometer (FAST) allows measurement of the average size (Sauter diameter), mass number density, and refractive index of particles in the 0.5-15.0 gm size range. The basis of the method is a dependence of the measured extinction of radiation upon an angular acceptance aperture of the photo detector. The FAST instrument allows one to determine the mass density and the Sauter diameter of a polydispersion of particles without a priori specification of the particle size distribution model and exact data about the article refractive index

Diagnostic methods of thermal dusty plasma flows

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nefedov, A.P.

1995-01-01

The presence in the high-temperature flows of condensed disperse phase (CDP) particles may lead either to an increase of the electron number density n e if the particles assume a positive charge or to its decrease if the charge is negative. The existence of CDP also may effect on optical parameters of the thermal dusty plasma flows, on heat and radiative transfer in the plasma. The entire range of states, from a Debye plasma to a highly nonideal system of charged particles, is realized in a thermal dusty plasma under standard conditions T=2000-3000 K, n e =10 8 -10 14 cm -3 . The advanced probe and optical diagnostic instruments are needed to study the optical and electrophysical properties of thermal dusty plasma flows. The diagnostic techniques must give the data about such parameters of gas and dispersed phase as temperatures of gas and particles, number densities of electrons, atoms and ions of alkali metals, sizes, velocities and concentrations of CDP particles. It should be noted that number density of alkali metal atoms and gas temperature may be measured by the well known full absorption and generalized reversal methods. This paper describes the probe and optical techniques for diagnostic of dusty plasma flows developed in High Energy Density Research Center of Russian Academy of Sciences. The Forward Angle Scattering Transmissometer (FAST) allows measurement of the average size (Sauter diameter), mass number density, and refractive index of particles in the 0.5-15.0 μm size range. The basis of the method is a dependence of the measured extinction of radiation upon an angular acceptance aperture of the photo detector. The FAST instrument allows one to determine the mass density and the Sauter diameter of a polydispersion of particles without a priori specification of the particle size distribution model and exact data about the particle refractive index

Ion-acoustic dressed solitons in a dusty plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiwari, R.S.; Mishra, M.K.

2006-01-01

Using the reductive perturbation method, equations for ion-acoustic waves governing the evolution of first- and second-order potentials in a dusty plasma including the dynamics of charged dust grains have been derived. The renormalization procedure of Kodama and Taniuti is used to obtain a steady state nonsecular solution of these equations. The variation of velocity and width of the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) as well as dressed solitons with amplitude have been studied for different concentrations and charge multiplicity of dust grains. The higher-order perturbation corrections to the KdV soliton description significantly affect the characteristics of the solitons in dusty plasma. It is found that in the presence of positively charged dust grains the system supports only compressive solitons. However, the plasma with negatively charged dust grains can support compressive solitons only up to a certain concentration of dust. Above this critical concentration of negative charge, the dusty plasma can support rarefactive solitons. An expression for the critical concentration of negatively charged dust in terms of charge and mass ratio of dust grains with plasma ions is also derived

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.

Are dusty galaxies blue? Insights on UV attenuation from dust-selected galaxies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Casey, C. M.; Cooray, A. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA 92697 (United States); Scoville, N. Z. [California Institute of Technology, 1216 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Sanders, D. B.; Lee, N. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawai' i, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Finkelstein, S. L. [Department of Astronomy, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Capak, P. [Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology, 1200 East California Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Conley, A. [Center for Astrophysics and Space Astronomy 389-UCB, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); De Zotti, G. [Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo dell' Osservatorio 2, I-35122 Padova (Italy); Farrah, D. [Department of Physics, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061 (United States); Fu, H. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242 (United States); Le Floc' h, E. [CEA-Saclay, Orme des Merisiers, bât. 709, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Ilbert, O. [Aix Marseille Université, CNRS, Laboratoire d' Astrophysique de marseille, UMR 7326, F-13388 Marseille (France); Ivison, R. J. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh, EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom); Takeuchi, T. T. [Nagoya University, Division of Particle and Astrophysical Science, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8602 (Japan)

2014-12-01

Galaxies' rest-frame ultraviolet (UV) properties are often used to directly infer the degree to which dust obscuration affects the measurement of star formation rates (SFRs). While much recent work has focused on calibrating dust attenuation in galaxies selected at rest-frame ultraviolet wavelengths, locally and at high-z, here we investigate attenuation in dusty, star forming galaxies (DSFGs) selected at far-infrared wavelengths. By combining multiwavelength coverage across 0.15-500 μm in the COSMOS field, in particular making use of Herschel imaging, and a rich data set on local galaxies, we find an empirical variation in the relationship between the rest-frame UV slope (β) and the ratio of infrared-to-ultraviolet emission (L {sub IR}/L {sub UV} ≡ IRX) as a function of infrared luminosity, or total SFR. Both locally and at high-z, galaxies above SFR ≳ 50 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1} deviate from the nominal IRX-β relation toward bluer colors by a factor proportional to their increasing IR luminosity. We also estimate contamination rates of DSFGs on high-z dropout searches of <<1% at z ≲ 4-10, providing independent verification that contamination from very dusty foreground galaxies is low in Lyman-break galaxy searches. Overall, our results are consistent with the physical interpretation that DSFGs, e.g., galaxies with >50 M {sub ☉} yr{sup –1}, are dominated at all epochs by short-lived, extreme burst events, producing many young O and B stars that are primarily, yet not entirely, enshrouded in thick dust cocoons. The blue rest-frame UV slopes of DSFGs are inconsistent with the suggestion that most DSFGs at z ∼ 2 exhibit steady-state star formation in secular disks.

ALMA REVEALS THE ANATOMY OF THE mm-SIZED DUST AND MOLECULAR GAS IN THE HD 97048 DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Walsh, Catherine; Maud, Luke T. [Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9531, 2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands); Juhász, Attila [Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA (United Kingdom); Meeus, Gwendolyn [Departamento de Física Teórica, Universidad Autonoma de Madrid, Campus Cantoblanco, E-28049 Madrid (Spain); Dent, William R. F. [Joint ALMA Observatory (JAO), Alonso de Córdova 3107, Vitacura, Santiago (Chile); Aikawa, Yuri [Center for Computer Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 305-8577 Tsukuba (Japan); Millar, Tom J. [School of Mathematics and Physics, Queen’s University Belfast, University Road, Belfast BT7 1NN (United Kingdom); Nomura, Hideko, E-mail: cwalsh@strw.leidenuniv.nl, E-mail: c.walsh1@leeds.ac.uk [Department of Earth and Planetary Science, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1 Ookayama, Meguro-ku, 152-8551 Tokyo (Japan)

2016-11-10

Transitional disks show a lack of excess emission at infrared wavelengths due to a large dust cavity, that is often corroborated by spatially resolved observations at ∼ mm wavelengths. We present the first spatially resolved ∼ mm-wavelength images of the disk around the Herbig Ae/Be star, HD 97048. Scattered light images show that the disk extends to ≈640 au. ALMA data reveal a circular-symmetric dusty disk extending to ≈350 au, and a molecular disk traced in CO J = 3-2 emission, extending to ≈750 au. The CO emission arises from a flared layer with an opening angle ≈30°–40°. HD 97048 is another source for which the large (∼ mm-sized) dust grains are more centrally concentrated than the small (∼ μ m-sized) grains and molecular gas, likely due to radial drift. The images and visibility data modeling suggest a decrement in continuum emission within ≈50 au, consistent with the cavity size determined from mid-infrared imaging (34 ± 4 au). The extracted continuum intensity profiles show ring-like structures with peaks at ≈50, 150, and 300 au, with associated gaps at ≈100 and 250 au. This structure should be confirmed in higher-resolution images (FWHM ≈ 10–20 au). These data confirm the classification of HD 97048 as a transitional disk that also possesses multiple ring-like structures in the dust continuum emission. Additional data are required at multiple and well-separated frequencies to fully characterize the disk structure, and thereby constrain the mechanism(s) responsible for sculpting the HD 97048 disk.

ALMA Reveals the Anatomy of the mm-sized Dust and Molecular Gas in the HD 97048 Disk

Science.gov (United States)

Walsh, Catherine; Juhász, Attila; Meeus, Gwendolyn; Dent, William R. F.; Maud, Luke T.; Aikawa, Yuri; Millar, Tom J.; Nomura, Hideko

2016-11-01

Transitional disks show a lack of excess emission at infrared wavelengths due to a large dust cavity, that is often corroborated by spatially resolved observations at ˜ mm wavelengths. We present the first spatially resolved ˜ mm-wavelength images of the disk around the Herbig Ae/Be star, HD 97048. Scattered light images show that the disk extends to ≈640 au. ALMA data reveal a circular-symmetric dusty disk extending to ≈350 au, and a molecular disk traced in CO J = 3-2 emission, extending to ≈750 au. The CO emission arises from a flared layer with an opening angle ≈30°-40°. HD 97048 is another source for which the large (˜ mm-sized) dust grains are more centrally concentrated than the small (˜μm-sized) grains and molecular gas, likely due to radial drift. The images and visibility data modeling suggest a decrement in continuum emission within ≈50 au, consistent with the cavity size determined from mid-infrared imaging (34 ± 4 au). The extracted continuum intensity profiles show ring-like structures with peaks at ≈50, 150, and 300 au, with associated gaps at ≈100 and 250 au. This structure should be confirmed in higher-resolution images (FWHM ≈ 10-20 au). These data confirm the classification of HD 97048 as a transitional disk that also possesses multiple ring-like structures in the dust continuum emission. Additional data are required at multiple and well-separated frequencies to fully characterize the disk structure, and thereby constrain the mechanism(s) responsible for sculpting the HD 97048 disk.

ALMA REVEALS THE ANATOMY OF THE mm-SIZED DUST AND MOLECULAR GAS IN THE HD 97048 DISK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Walsh, Catherine; Maud, Luke T.; Juhász, Attila; Meeus, Gwendolyn; Dent, William R. F.; Aikawa, Yuri; Millar, Tom J.; Nomura, Hideko

2016-01-01

Transitional disks show a lack of excess emission at infrared wavelengths due to a large dust cavity, that is often corroborated by spatially resolved observations at ∼ mm wavelengths. We present the first spatially resolved ∼ mm-wavelength images of the disk around the Herbig Ae/Be star, HD 97048. Scattered light images show that the disk extends to ≈640 au. ALMA data reveal a circular-symmetric dusty disk extending to ≈350 au, and a molecular disk traced in CO J = 3-2 emission, extending to ≈750 au. The CO emission arises from a flared layer with an opening angle ≈30°–40°. HD 97048 is another source for which the large (∼ mm-sized) dust grains are more centrally concentrated than the small (∼ μ m-sized) grains and molecular gas, likely due to radial drift. The images and visibility data modeling suggest a decrement in continuum emission within ≈50 au, consistent with the cavity size determined from mid-infrared imaging (34 ± 4 au). The extracted continuum intensity profiles show ring-like structures with peaks at ≈50, 150, and 300 au, with associated gaps at ≈100 and 250 au. This structure should be confirmed in higher-resolution images (FWHM ≈ 10–20 au). These data confirm the classification of HD 97048 as a transitional disk that also possesses multiple ring-like structures in the dust continuum emission. Additional data are required at multiple and well-separated frequencies to fully characterize the disk structure, and thereby constrain the mechanism(s) responsible for sculpting the HD 97048 disk.

The age of the galactic disk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sandage, A.

1988-07-01

The galactic disk is a dissipative structure and must, therefore be younger than the halo if galaxy formation generally proceeds by collapse. Just how much younger the oldest stars in the galactic disk are than the oldest halo stars remains an open question. A fast collapse (on a time scale no longer than the rotation period of the extended protogalaxy) permits an age gap of the order of approximately 10 to the 9th power years. A slow collapse, governed by the cooling rate of the partially pressure supported falling gas that formed into what is now the thick stellar disk, permits a longer age gap, claimed by some to be as long as 6 Gyr. Early methods of age dating the oldest components of the disk contain implicit assumptions concerning the details of the age-metallicity relation for stars in the solar neighborhood. The discovery that this relation for open clusters outside the solar circle is different that in the solar neighborhood (Geisler 1987), complicates the earlier arguments. The oldest stars in the galactic disk are at least as old as NGC 188. The new data by Janes on NGC 6791, shown first at this conference, suggest a disk age of at least 12.5 Gyr, as do data near the main sequence termination point of metal rich, high proper motion stars of low orbital eccentricity. Hence, a case can still be made that the oldest part of the galactic thick disk is similar in age to the halo globular clusters, if their ages are the same as 47 Tuc

Helical Tomography of an Accretion Disk by Superhump Light Curves of the 2001 Outburst of WZ Sagittae

Science.gov (United States)

Osaki, Yoji

2003-06-01

A new method for analyzing complex superhump light curves for the 2001 outburst of WZ Sagittae is proposed. The complexity arises because intrinsically time-varying and non-axisymmetric distributions of superhump light sources are coupled with the aspect effects around the binary orbital phase because of its high orbital inclination. The new method can disentangle these complexities by separating the non-axisymmetric spatial distribution in the disk from the time variation with the superhump period. It may be called a helical tomography of an accretion disk because it can reconstruct a series of disk images (i.e., disk's azimuthal structures) at different superhump phases. The power spectral data of superhump light curves of the 2001 outburst of WZ Sge by Patterson et al. (2002, PASP, 114, 721) are now interpreted under a new light based on the concept of helical tomography, and the azimuthal wave numbers of various frequency modes are identified. In particular, a frequen! cy component, nω0 - Ω, where ω0 and Ω are the orbital frequency and a low frequency of the apsidal precession of the eccentric disk, is understood as an (n - 1)-armed traveling wave in the disk. A vigorous excitation of a wave component of cos(2Θ - 3ω0t) in the first week of the superhump era of WZ Sge, where Θ is the azimuthal angle, supports Lubow's (1991, AAA 54.064.175) theory of non-linear wave coupling of the eccentric Lindblad resonance for the superhump phenomenon. This method can in principle be applied to other SU UMa stars with high orbital inclination if light curves are fully covered over the beat cycle.

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.

Exploring Disks Around Planets

Science.gov (United States)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-07-01

masses on the properties of the disks. Szulgyi specifically examines a range of planetary temperatures between 10,000 K and 1,000 K for the 1 MJ planet. Since the planet cools as it radiates away its formation heat, the different temperatures represent an evolutionary sequence over time.Predicted CharacteristicsSzulgyis work produced a number of intriguing observations, including the following:For the 1 MJ planet, a spherical circumplanetary envelope forms at high temperatures, flattening into a disk as the planet cools. Higher-mass planets form disks even at high temperatures.The disk has a steep temperature profile from inside to outside, and the whole disk is too hot for water to remain frozen. This suggests that satellites couldnt form in the disk earlier than 1 Myr after the planet birth. The outskirts of the disk cool first as the planet cools, indicating that satellites may eventually form in these outer parts and then migrate inward.The planets open gaps in the circumstellar disk as they orbit. As a planet radiates away its formation heat, the gap it opens becomes deeper and wider (though this is a small effect). For high-mass planets (5 MJ), the gap eccentricity increases, which creates a hostile environment for satellite formation.Szulgyi discusses a number of features of these disks that we can plan to search for in the future with our increasing telescope power including signatures in direct imaging and observations of their kinematics. The results from these simulations will help us both to detect these circumplanetary disks and to understand our observations when we do. These future observations will then allow us to learn about late-stage giant-planet formation as well as the formation of their satellites.CitationJ. Szulgyi 2017 ApJ 842 103. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/aa7515

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.

Ideal gas behavior of a strongly coupled complex (dusty) plasma.

Science.gov (United States)

Oxtoby, Neil P; Griffith, Elias J; Durniak, Céline; Ralph, Jason F; Samsonov, Dmitry

2013-07-05

In a laboratory, a two-dimensional complex (dusty) plasma consists of a low-density ionized gas containing a confined suspension of Yukawa-coupled plastic microspheres. For an initial crystal-like form, we report ideal gas behavior in this strongly coupled system during shock-wave experiments. This evidence supports the use of the ideal gas law as the equation of state for soft crystals such as those formed by dusty plasmas.

Ideal gas behavior of a strongly-coupled complex (dusty) plasma

OpenAIRE

Oxtoby, Neil P.; Griffith, Elias J.; Durniak, Céline; Ralph, Jason F.; Samsonov, Dmitry

2012-01-01

In a laboratory, a two-dimensional complex (dusty) plasma consists of a low-density ionized gas containing a confined suspension of Yukawa-coupled plastic microspheres. For an initial crystal-like form, we report ideal gas behavior in this strongly-coupled system during shock-wave experiments. This evidence supports the use of the ideal gas law as the equation of state for soft crystals such as those formed by dusty plasmas.

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.

THE LONG-TERM DYNAMICAL EVOLUTION OF DISK-FRAGMENTED MULTIPLE SYSTEMS IN THE SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Yun [Department of Astronomy, School of Physics, Peking University, Yiheyuan Lu 5, Haidian Qu, Beijing 100871 (China); Kouwenhoven, M. B. N. [Department of Mathematical Sciences, Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, 111 Ren’ai Road, Suzhou Dushu Lake Science and Education Innovation District, Suzhou Industrial Park, Suzhou 215123 (China); Stamatellos, D. [Jeremiah Horrocks Institute for Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy, University of Central Lancashire, Preston PR1 2HE (United Kingdom); Goodwin, Simon P., E-mail: t.kouwenhoven@xjtlu.edu.cn [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Sheffield, Hicks Building, Hounsfield Road, Sheffield S3 7RH (United Kingdom)

2016-11-10

The origin of very low-mass hydrogen-burning stars, brown dwarfs (BDs), and planetary-mass objects (PMOs) at the low-mass end of the initial mass function is not yet fully understood. Gravitational fragmentation of circumstellar disks provides a possible mechanism for the formation of such low-mass objects. The kinematic and binary properties of very low-mass objects formed through disk fragmentation at early times (<10 Myr) were discussed in our previous paper. In this paper we extend the analysis by following the long-term evolution of disk-fragmented systems up to an age of 10 Gyr, covering the ages of the stellar and substellar populations in the Galactic field. We find that the systems continue to decay, although the rates at which companions escape or collide with each other are substantially lower than during the first 10 Myr, and that dynamical evolution is limited beyond 1 Gyr. By t = 10 Gyr, about one third of the host stars are single, and more than half have only one companion left. Most of the other systems have two companions left that orbit their host star in widely separated orbits. A small fraction of companions have formed binaries that orbit the host star in a hierarchical triple configuration. The majority of such double-companion systems have internal orbits that are retrograde with respect to their orbits around their host stars. Our simulations allow a comparison between the predicted outcomes of disk fragmentation with the observed low-mass hydrogen-burning stars, BDs, and PMOs in the solar neighborhood. Imaging and radial velocity surveys for faint binary companions among nearby stars are necessary for verification or rejection of the formation mechanism proposed in this paper.

Nonmodal phenomena in differentially rotating dusty plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Poedts, Stefaan; Rogava, Andria D.

2000-10-01

In this paper the foundation is layed for the nonmodal investigation of velocity shear induced phenomena in a differentially rotating flow of a dusty plasma. The simplest case of nonmagnetized flow is considered. It is shown that, together with the innate properties of the dusty plasma, the presence of differential rotation, Coriolis forces, and self-gravity casts a considerable richness on the nonmodal dynamics of linear perturbations in the flow. In particular: (i) dust-acoustic waves acquire the ability to extract energy from the mean flow and (ii) shear-induced, nonperiodic modes of collective plasma behavior-shear-dust-acoustic vortices-are generated. The presence of self-gravity and the nonzero Coriolis parameter (``epicyclic shaking'') makes these collective modes transiently unstable. .

Nonmodal phenomena in differentially rotating dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poedts, Stefaan; Rogava, Andria D.

2000-01-01

In this paper the foundation is layed for the nonmodal investigation of velocity shear induced phenomena in a differentially rotating flow of a dusty plasma. The simplest case of nonmagnetized flow is considered. It is shown that, together with the innate properties of the dusty plasma, the presence of differential rotation, Coriolis forces, and self-gravity casts a considerable richness on the nonmodal dynamics of linear perturbations in the flow. In particular: (i) dust-acoustic waves acquire the ability to extract energy from the mean flow and (ii) shear-induced, nonperiodic modes of collective plasma behavior--shear-dust-acoustic vortices--are generated. The presence of self-gravity and the nonzero Coriolis parameter ('epicyclic shaking') makes these collective modes transiently unstable

TRANSITIONAL DISKS AS SIGNPOSTS OF YOUNG, MULTIPLANET SYSTEMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dodson-Robinson, Sarah E.; Salyk, Colette

2011-01-01

Although there has yet been no undisputed discovery of a still-forming planet embedded in a gaseous protoplanetary disk, the cleared inner holes of transitional disks may be signposts of young planets. Here, we show that the subset of accreting transitional disks with wide, optically thin inner holes of 15 AU or more can only be sculpted by multiple planets orbiting inside each hole. Multiplanet systems provide two key ingredients for explaining the origins of transitional disks. First, multiple planets can clear wide inner holes where single planets open only narrow gaps. Second, the confined, non-axisymmetric accretion flows produced by multiple planets provide a way for an arbitrary amount of mass transfer to occur through an apparently optically thin hole without overproducing infrared excess flux. Rather than assuming that the gas and dust in the hole are evenly and axisymmetrically distributed, one can construct an inner hole with apparently optically thin infrared fluxes by covering a macroscopic fraction of the hole's surface area with locally optically thick tidal tails. We also establish that other clearing mechanisms, such as photoevaporation, cannot explain our subset of accreting transitional disks with wide holes. Transitional disks are therefore high-value targets for observational searches for young planetary systems.

Occultations from an Active Accretion Disk in a 72-day Detached Post-Algol System Detected by K2

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zhou, G.; Rappaport, S.; Nelson, L.

2018-01-01

Disks in binary systems can cause exotic eclipsing events. MWC 882 (BD –22 4376, EPIC 225300403) is such a disk-eclipsing system identified from observations during Campaign 11 of the K2 mission. We propose that MWC 882 is a post-Algol system with a B7 donor star of mass in a 72-day orbit around...... an A0 accreting star of mass . The disk around the accreting star occults the donor star once every orbit, inducing 19-day long, 7% deep eclipses identified by K2 and subsequently found in pre-discovery All-Sky Automated Survey and All Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae observations. We coordinated...

A possible mechanism to detect super-earth formation in protoplanetary disks

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Ruobing; Chiang, Eugene; Li, Hui; Li, Shengtai

2017-06-01

Using combined gas+dust global hydrodynamics and radiative transfer simulations, we calculate the distribution of gas and sub-mm-sized dust in protoplanetary disks with a super-Earth at tens of AU, and examine observational signatures of such systems in resolved observations. We confirm previous results that in a typical disk with a low viscosity ($\\alpha\\lesssim10^{-4}$), a super-Earth is able to open two gaps at $\\sim$scale-height away around its orbit in $\\sim$mm-sized dust (St$\\sim$0.01), due to differential dust drift in a perturbed gas background. Additional rings and gaps may also be produced under certain conditions. These features, particularly a signature ``double-gap'' feature, can be detected in a Taurus target by ALMA in dust continuum under an angular resolution of $\\sim0\\arcsec.025$ with two hours of integration. The features are robust --- it can survive in a variety of background disk profiles, withstand modest planetary radial migration ($|r/\\dot{r}|\\sim$ a few Myr), and last for thousands of orbits. Multiple ring/gap systems observed by ALMA were typically modeled using multiple (Saturn-to-Jupiter sized) planets. Here, we argue that a single super-Earth in a low viscosity disk could produce multiple rings and gaps as well. By examining the prevalence of such features in nearby disks, upcoming high angular resolution ALMA surveys may infer how common super-Earth formation events are at tens of au.

Debris Disk Studies with the ngVLA

Science.gov (United States)

Wilner, David; Matthews, Brenda; Matra, Luca; Kennedy, Grant; Wyatt, Mark; Greaves, Jane

2018-01-01

We discuss the potential for the ngVLA to advance understanding of debris disks around main-sequence stars. Since the dust-producing planetesimals that replenish these disks through collisions persist only in stable regions like belts and resonances, their locations and physical properties encode essential information about the formation of exoplanetary systems and their dynamical evolution. Observations at long millimeter wavelengths can play a special role because the large grains that dominate the emission are faithful tracers of the dust-producing planetesimals, unlike small grains seen at shorter wavelengths that are rapidly redistributed by stellar radiation and winds. Sensitive observations of debris disks with the ngVLA can (1) reveal structures resulting from otherwise inaccessible planets on wide orbits, (2) test collisional models using spectral slopes to constrain mm/cm grain size distributions, and (3) for select sources, probe the water content of exocomets using the 21 cm HI line.

Irradiation instability at the inner edges of accretion disks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fung, Jeffrey; Artymowicz, Pawel, E-mail: fung@astro.utoronto.ca [Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto, 50 St. George Street, Toronto, ON M5S 3H4 (Canada)

2014-07-20

An instability can potentially operate in highly irradiated disks where the disk sharply transitions from being radially transparent to opaque (the 'transition region'). Such conditions may exist at the inner edges of transitional disks around T Tauri stars and accretion disks around active galactic nuclei. We derive the criterion for this instability, which we term the 'irradiation instability', or IRI. We also present the linear growth rate as a function of β, the ratio between radiation force and gravity, and c{sub s}, the sound speed of the disk, obtained using two methods: a semi-analytic analysis of the linearized equations and a numerical simulation using the GPU-accelerated hydrodynamical code PEnGUIn. In particular, we find that IRI occurs at β ∼ 0.1 if the transition region extends as wide as ∼0.05r, and at higher β values if it is wider. This threshold value applies to c{sub s} ranging from 3% of the Keplerian orbital speed to 5%, and becomes higher if c{sub s} is lower. Furthermore, in the nonlinear evolution of the instability, disks with a large β and small c{sub s} exhibit 'clumping', extreme local surface density enhancements that can reach over 10 times the initial disk surface density.

Jeans instability of inhomogeneous dusty plasma with polarization force, ionization and recombination

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jain, Shweta; Sharma, Prerana; Chhajlani, R K

2017-01-01

The self-gravitational Jeans instability has been studied in dusty plasma containing significant background of neutral pressure and recombination of ions and electrons on the dust surface. The full dynamics of charged dust grains, ions and neutral species are employed considering the electrons as Maxwellian. We have derived the general dispersion relation for collisional dusty plasma with ionization, recombination and polarization force. The general dispersion relation describes the effects of considered parameters which are solved in different dusty plasma situations. Further, the dispersion relation is solved numerically. The present work is applicable to understand the structure formation of interstellar molecular clouds in astrophysical plasma. (paper)

Jeans instability of inhomogeneous dusty plasma with polarization force, ionization and recombination

Science.gov (United States)

Jain, Shweta; Sharma, Prerana; Chhajlani, R. K.

2017-05-01

The self-gravitational Jeans instability has been studied in dusty plasma containing significant background of neutral pressure and recombination of ions and electrons on the dust surface. The full dynamics of charged dust grains, ions and neutral species are employed considering the electrons as Maxwellian. We have derived the general dispersion relation for collisional dusty plasma with ionization, recombination and polarization force. The general dispersion relation describes the effects of considered parameters which are solved in different dusty plasma situations. Further, the dispersion relation is solved numerically. The present work is applicable to understand the structure formation of interstellar molecular clouds in astrophysical plasma.

KINEMATICS OF THE CO GAS IN THE INNER REGIONS OF THE TW Hya DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rosenfeld, Katherine A.; Qi Chunhua; Andrews, Sean M.; Wilner, David J. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Corder, Stuartt A. [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903 (United States); Dullemond, C. P. [Institut fuer Theoretische Astrophysik, Universitaet Heidelberg, Albert-Ueberle-Str. 2, D-69120 Heidelberg (Germany); Lin Shinyi [Department of Physics, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093 (United States); Hughes, A. M. [Department of Astronomy, University of California at Berkeley, 601 Campbell Hall, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); D' Alessio, Paola [Centro de Radioastronomia y Astrofisica, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Apartado Postal 72-3 (Xangari), 58089 Morelia, Michoacan (Mexico); Ho, P. T. P. [Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, P.O. Box 23-141, Taipei 106, Taiwan (China)

2012-10-01

We present a detailed analysis of the spatially and spectrally resolved {sup 12}CO J = 2-1 and J = 3-2 emission lines from the TW Hya circumstellar disk, based on science verification data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). These lines exhibit substantial emission in their high-velocity wings (with projected velocities out to 2.1 km s{sup -1}, corresponding to intrinsic orbital velocities >20 km s{sup -1}) that trace molecular gas as close as 2 AU from the central star. However, we are not able to reproduce the intensity of these wings and the general spatio-kinematic pattern of the lines with simple models for the disk structure and kinematics. Using three-dimensional non-local thermodynamic equilibrium molecular excitation and radiative transfer calculations, we construct some alternative models that successfully account for these features by modifying either (1) the temperature structure of the inner disk (inside the dust-depleted disk cavity; r < 4 AU), (2) the intrinsic (Keplerian) disk velocity field, or (3) the distribution of disk inclination angles (a warp). The latter approach is particularly compelling because a representative warped disk model qualitatively reproduces the observed azimuthal modulation of optical light scattered off the disk surface. In any model scenario, the ALMA data clearly require a substantial molecular gas reservoir located inside the region where dust optical depths are known to be substantially diminished in the TW Hya disk, in agreement with previous studies based on infrared spectroscopy. The results from these updated model prescriptions are discussed in terms of their potential physical origins, which might include dynamical perturbations from a low-mass companion with an orbital separation of a few AU.

Dynamic and optical characterization of dusty plasmas for use as solar sails

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheldon, Robert; Thomas, Edward Jr.; Abbas, Mian; Gallagher, Dennis; Adrian, Mark; Craven, Paul

2002-01-01

Solar sails presently have mass loadings of 5 gm/m2 that, when including the support structure and payload, could easily average to >10 gm/m2. For reasonably sized spacecraft, the critical parameter is the total mass per total area, which when combined with the reflectivity, yield the true acceleration. We propose that dusty plasmas trapped in a 'Mini-Magnetosphere' (Winglee, 2000) can produce a solar sail with a total mass loading <0.01 gm/m2, and reflectivities of ∼1%. This configuration provides an acceleration equivalent to a standard sail of 95% reflectivity with <1 gm/m2. However, the physics of dusty plasma sails is not mature and several important questions need to be resolved before a large scale effort is warranted. Foremost among these questions are, what is the largest force a dusty plasma can sustain before it demagnetizes and separates from the binding magnetic field; what are the charging properties of dust under solar UV conditions; what is the light scattering cross section for the dust; what is the optimum dust grain size for magnetization and scattering; and, what are the optimum dust grain materials? We outline what we know about dusty plasmas, and what we are hoping to learn from two existing dusty plasma experiments at the National Space Science and Technology Center (NSSTC) and Auburn University

Scattering characteristics of electromagnetic waves in time and space inhomogeneous weakly ionized dusty plasma sheath

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Li-xin; Chen, Wei; Li, Jiang-ting; Ren, Yi; Liu, Song-hua

2018-05-01

The dielectric coefficient of a weakly ionised dusty plasma is used to establish a three-dimensional time and space inhomogeneous dusty plasma sheath. The effects of scattering on electromagnetic (EM) waves in this dusty plasma sheath are investigated using the auxiliary differential equation finite-difference time-domain method. Backward radar cross-sectional values of various parameters, including the dust particle radius, charging frequency of dust particles, dust particle concentration, effective collision frequency, rate of the electron density variation with time, angle of EM wave incidence, and plasma frequency, are analysed within the time and space inhomogeneous plasma sheath. The results show the noticeable effects of dusty plasma parameters on EM waves.

EARTH, MOON, SUN, AND CV ACCRETION DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montgomery, M. M.

2009-01-01

Net tidal torque by the secondary on a misaligned accretion disk, like the net tidal torque by the Moon and the Sun on the equatorial bulge of the spinning and tilted Earth, is suggested by others to be a source to retrograde precession in non-magnetic, accreting cataclysmic variable (CV) dwarf novae (DN) systems that show negative superhumps in their light curves. We investigate this idea in this work. We generate a generic theoretical expression for retrograde precession in spinning disks that are misaligned with the orbital plane. Our generic theoretical expression matches that which describes the retrograde precession of Earths' equinoxes. By making appropriate assumptions, we reduce our generic theoretical expression to those generated by others, or to those used by others, to describe retrograde precession in protostellar, protoplanetary, X-ray binary, non-magnetic CV DN, quasar, and black hole systems. We find that spinning, tilted CV DN systems cannot be described by a precessing ring or by a precessing rigid disk. We find that differential rotation and effects on the disk by the accretion stream must be addressed. Our analysis indicates that the best description of a retrogradely precessing spinning, tilted, CV DN accretion disk is a differentially rotating, tilted disk with an attached rotating, tilted ring located near the innermost disk annuli. In agreement with the observations and numerical simulations by others, we find that our numerically simulated CV DN accretion disks retrogradely precess as a unit. Our final, reduced expression for retrograde precession agrees well with our numerical simulation results and with selective observational systems that seem to have main-sequence secondaries. Our results suggest that a major source to retrograde precession is tidal torques like that by the Moon and the Sun on the Earth. In addition, these tidal torques should be common to a variety of systems where one member is spinning and tilted, regardless if

On Shocks Driven by High-mass Planets in Radiatively Inefficient Disks. II. Three-dimensional Global Disk Simulations

Science.gov (United States)

Lyra, Wladimir; Richert, Alexander J. W.; Boley, Aaron; Turner, Neal; Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark; Okuzumi, Satoshi; Flock, Mario

2016-02-01

Recent high-resolution, near-infrared images of protoplanetary disks have shown that these disks often present spiral features. Spiral arms are among the structures predicted by models of disk-planet interaction and thus it is tempting to suspect that planetary perturbers are responsible for these signatures. However, such interpretation is not free of problems. The observed spirals have large pitch angles, and in at least one case (HD 100546) it appears effectively unpolarized, implying thermal emission of the order of 1000 K (465 ± 40 K at closer inspection). We have recently shown in two-dimensional models that shock dissipation in the supersonic wake of high-mass planets can lead to significant heating if the disk is sufficiently adiabatic. Here we extend this analysis to three dimensions in thermodynamically evolving disks. We use the Pencil Code in spherical coordinates for our models, with a prescription for thermal cooling based on the optical depth of the local vertical gas column. We use a 5MJ planet, and show that shocks in the region around the planet where the Lindblad resonances occur heat the gas to substantially higher temperatures than the ambient gas. The gas is accelerated vertically away from the midplane to form shock bores, and the gas falling back toward the midplane breaks up into a turbulent surf. This turbulence, although localized, has high α values, reaching 0.05 in the inner Lindblad resonance, and 0.1 in the outer one. We find evidence that the disk regions heated up by the shocks become superadiabatic, generating convection far from the planet’s orbit.

The CIDA-QUEST large-scale survey of Orion OB1: evidence for rapid disk dissipation in a dispersed stellar population.

Science.gov (United States)

Briceño, C; Vivas, A K; Calvet, N; Hartmann, L; Pacheco, R; Herrera, D; Romero, L; Berlind, P; Sánchez, G; Snyder, J A; Andrews, P

2001-01-05

We are conducting a large-scale, multiepoch, optical photometric survey [Centro de Investigaciones de Astronomia-Quasar Equatorial Survey Team (CIDA-QUEST)] covering about 120 square degrees to identify the young low-mass stars in the Orion OB1 association. We present results for an area of 34 square degrees. Using photometric variability as our main selection criterion, as well as follow-up spectroscopy, we confirmed 168 previously unidentified pre-main sequence stars that are about 0.6 to 0.9 times the mass of the sun (Mo), with ages of about 1 million to 3 million years (Ori OB1b) and about 3 million to 10 million years (Ori OB1a). The low-mass stars are spatially coincident with the high-mass (at least 3 Mo) members of the associations. Indicators of disk accretion such as Halpha emission and near-infrared emission from dusty disks fall sharply from Ori OB1b to Ori OB1a, indicating that the time scale for disk dissipation and possibly the onset of planet formation is a few million years.

Jeans instability with exchange effects in quantum dusty magnetoplasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jamil, M.; Rasheed, A.; Rozina, Ch.; Jung, Y.-D.; Salimullah, M.

2015-01-01

Jeans instability is examined in magnetized quantum dusty plasmas using the quantum hydrodynamic model. The quantum effects are considered via exchange-correlation potential, recoil effect, and Fermi degenerate pressure, in addition to thermal effects of plasma species. It is found that the electron exchange and correlation potential have significant effects over the threshold value of wave vector and Jeans instability. The presence of electron exchange and correlation effect shortens the time of dust sound that comparatively stabilizes the self gravitational collapse. The results at quantum scale are helpful in understanding the collapse of the self-gravitating dusty plasma systems

Orbital Advection with Magnetohydrodynamics and Vector Potential

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lyra, Wladimir [Department of Physics and Astronomy, California State University Northrige, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge CA 91130 (United States); McNally, Colin P. [Astronomy Unit, School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS (United Kingdom); Heinemann, Tobias [Niels Bohr International Academy, The Niels Bohr Institute, Blegdamsvej 17, DK-2100, Copenhagen Ø (Denmark); Masset, Frédéric, E-mail: wlyra@csun.edu [Instituto de Ciencias Físicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad s/n, 62210 Cuernavaca, Mor. (Mexico)

2017-10-01

Orbital advection is a significant bottleneck in disk simulations, and a particularly tricky one when used in connection with magnetohydrodynamics. We have developed an orbital advection algorithm suitable for the induction equation with magnetic potential. The electromotive force is split into advection and shear terms, and we find that we do not need an advective gauge since solving the orbital advection implicitly precludes the shear term from canceling the advection term. We prove and demonstrate the third order in time accuracy of the scheme. The algorithm is also suited to non-magnetic problems. Benchmarked results of (hydrodynamical) planet–disk interaction and of the magnetorotational instability are reproduced. We include detailed descriptions of the construction and selection of stabilizing dissipations (or high-frequency filters) needed to generate practical results. The scheme is self-consistent, accurate, and elegant in its simplicity, making it particularly efficient for straightforward finite-difference methods. As a result of the work, the algorithm is incorporated in the public version of the Pencil Code, where it can be used by the community.

Orbital Advection with Magnetohydrodynamics and Vector Potential

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyra, Wladimir; McNally, Colin P.; Heinemann, Tobias; Masset, Frédéric

2017-01-01

Orbital advection is a significant bottleneck in disk simulations, and a particularly tricky one when used in connection with magnetohydrodynamics. We have developed an orbital advection algorithm suitable for the induction equation with magnetic potential. The electromotive force is split into advection and shear terms, and we find that we do not need an advective gauge since solving the orbital advection implicitly precludes the shear term from canceling the advection term. We prove and demonstrate the third order in time accuracy of the scheme. The algorithm is also suited to non-magnetic problems. Benchmarked results of (hydrodynamical) planet–disk interaction and of the magnetorotational instability are reproduced. We include detailed descriptions of the construction and selection of stabilizing dissipations (or high-frequency filters) needed to generate practical results. The scheme is self-consistent, accurate, and elegant in its simplicity, making it particularly efficient for straightforward finite-difference methods. As a result of the work, the algorithm is incorporated in the public version of the Pencil Code, where it can be used by the community.

Heating the Primordial Soup: X-raying the Circumstellar Disk of T Cha

Science.gov (United States)

Principe, David; Huenemoerder, D.; Kastner, J. H.; Bessell, M. S.; Sacco, G.

2014-01-01

The classical T Tauri Star (cTTS) T Chamaeleontis (T Cha) presents a unique opportunity to probe pre-main sequence star-disk interactions and late-stage circumstellar disk evolution. T Cha is the only known example of a nearly edge-on, actively accreting star/disk system within ~110 pc, and furthermore may be orbited by a low-mass companion or massive planet that has cleared an inner hole in its disk. The star is characterized by strong variability in the optical 3 magnitudes in the V band) as well as large and variable extinction (AV in the range of 1-5). Like most cTTS, T Cha is also a luminous X-ray source. We present preliminary results of two observations (totaling 150 ks) of T Cha with Chandra’s HETGS. Our motivations are to (a) determine the intrinsic X-ray spectrum of T Cha, so as to establish whether its X-ray emission can be attributed to accretion shocks, coronal emission, or a combination; (b) investigate whether its X-ray flux exhibits modulation that may be related to the stellar rotational period 3.3 days); and (c) take advantage of the nearly-edge-on disk viewing geometry to model the spectrum of X-rays absorbed by the gaseous disk orbiting T Cha. These results will serve as much-needed input to models of magnetospheric accretion and irradiated, planet-forming disks. This research is supported via award number GO3-14022X to RIT issued by the Chandra X-ray Observatory Center, which is operated by the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory for and on behalf of NASA under contract NAS803060. Additional support is provided by National Science Foundation grant AST-1108950 to RIT.

A miniature sensor for electrical field measurements in dusty planetary atmospheres

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Renno, N O; Rogacki, S; Kok, J F; Kirkham, H

2008-01-01

Dusty phenomena such as regular wind-blown dust, dust storms, and dust devils are the most important, currently active, geological processes on Mars. Electric fields larger than 100 kV/m have been measured in terrestrial dusty phenomena. Theoretical calculations predict that, close to the surface, the bulk electric fields in martian dusty phenomena reach the breakdown value of the isolating properties of thin martian air of about a few 10 kV/m. The fact that martian dusty phenomena are electrically active has important implications for dust lifting and atmospheric chemistry. Electric field sensors are usually grounded and distort the electric fields in their vicinity. Grounded sensors also produce large errors when subject to ion currents or impacts from clouds of charged particles. Moreover, they are incapable of providing information about the direction of the electric field, an important quantity. Finally, typical sensors with more than 10 cm of diameter are not capable of measuring electric fields at distances as small as a few cm from the surface. Measurements this close to the surface are necessary for studies of the effects of electric fields on dust lifting. To overcome these shortcomings, we developed the miniature electric-field sensor described in this article.

Visualizing SPH Cataclysmic Variable Accretion Disk Simulations with Blender

Science.gov (United States)

Kent, Brian R.; Wood, Matthew A.

2015-01-01

We present innovative ways to use Blender, a 3D graphics package, to visualize smoothed particle hydrodynamics particle data of cataclysmic variable accretion disks. We focus on the methods of shape key data constructs to increasedata i/o and manipulation speed. The implementation of the methods outlined allow for compositing of the various visualization layers into a final animation. The viewing of the disk in 3D from different angles can allow for a visual analysisof the physical system and orbits. The techniques have a wide ranging set of applications in astronomical visualization,including both observation and theoretical data.

ARE PROTOPLANETARY DISKS BORN WITH VORTICES? ROSSBY WAVE INSTABILITY DRIVEN BY PROTOSTELLAR INFALL

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bae, Jaehan; Hartmann, Lee [Deptartment of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 1085 S. University Ave., Ann Arbor, MI 48109 (United States); Zhu, Zhaohuan, E-mail: jaehbae@umich.edu, E-mail: lhartm@umich.edu, E-mail: zhuzh@astro.princeton.edu [Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University, 4 Ivy Lane, Peyton Hall, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States)

2015-05-20

We carry out two-fluid, two-dimensional global hydrodynamic simulations to test whether protostellar infall can trigger the Rossby wave instability (RWI) in protoplanetry disks. Our results show that infall can trigger the RWI and generate vortices near the outer edge of the mass landing on the disk (i.e., centrifugal radius). We find that the RWI is triggered under a variety of conditions, although the details depend on the disk parameters and the infall pattern. The common key feature of triggering the RWI is the steep radial gradient of the azimuthal velocity induced by the local increase in density at the outer edge of the infall region. Vortices form when the instability enters the nonlinear regime. In our standard model where self-gravity is neglected, vortices merge together to a single vortex within ∼20 local orbital times, and the merged vortex survives for the remaining duration of the calculation (>170 local orbital times). The vortex takes part in outward angular momentum transport, with a Reynolds stress of ≲10{sup −2}. Our two-fluid calculations show that vortices efficiently trap dust particles with stopping times of the order of the orbital time, locally enhancing the dust to gas ratio for particles of the appropriate size by a factor of ∼40 in our standard model. When self-gravity is considered, however, vortices tend to be impeded from merging and may eventually dissipate. We conclude it may well be that protoplanetary disks have favorable conditions for vortex formation during the protostellar infall phase, which might enhance early planetary core formation.

ARE PROTOPLANETARY DISKS BORN WITH VORTICES? ROSSBY WAVE INSTABILITY DRIVEN BY PROTOSTELLAR INFALL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bae, Jaehan; Hartmann, Lee; Zhu, Zhaohuan

2015-01-01

We carry out two-fluid, two-dimensional global hydrodynamic simulations to test whether protostellar infall can trigger the Rossby wave instability (RWI) in protoplanetry disks. Our results show that infall can trigger the RWI and generate vortices near the outer edge of the mass landing on the disk (i.e., centrifugal radius). We find that the RWI is triggered under a variety of conditions, although the details depend on the disk parameters and the infall pattern. The common key feature of triggering the RWI is the steep radial gradient of the azimuthal velocity induced by the local increase in density at the outer edge of the infall region. Vortices form when the instability enters the nonlinear regime. In our standard model where self-gravity is neglected, vortices merge together to a single vortex within ∼20 local orbital times, and the merged vortex survives for the remaining duration of the calculation (>170 local orbital times). The vortex takes part in outward angular momentum transport, with a Reynolds stress of ≲10 −2 . Our two-fluid calculations show that vortices efficiently trap dust particles with stopping times of the order of the orbital time, locally enhancing the dust to gas ratio for particles of the appropriate size by a factor of ∼40 in our standard model. When self-gravity is considered, however, vortices tend to be impeded from merging and may eventually dissipate. We conclude it may well be that protoplanetary disks have favorable conditions for vortex formation during the protostellar infall phase, which might enhance early planetary core formation

Progress in the study of dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mendis, D A

2002-01-01

While the study of dust-plasma interactions is by no means new, early progress in the field was slow and uneven. It received a major boost in the early 1980s with the Voyager spacecraft observations of peculiar features in the Saturnian ring system (e.g. the 'radial spokes') which could not be explained by gravitation alone and led to the development of the gravito-electrodynamic theory of dust dynamics. This theory scored another major success more recently in providing the only possible explanation of collimated high-speed beams of fine dust particles observed to sporadically emanate from Jupiter by the Ulysses and Galileo spacecrafts. These dynamical studies were complimented in the early 1990s by the study of collective processes in dusty plasmas. Not only has this led to the discovery of a whole slew of new wave modes and instabilities with wide ranging consequences for the space environment, it also spurred laboratory studies leading to the observation of several of them, including the very low frequency dust acoustic mode, which can be made strikingly visual by laser light scattering off the dust. The most fascinating new development in dusty plasmas, which occurred about 7 years ago, was the crystallization of dusty plasmas in several laboratories. In these so-called 'plasma crystals', micrometre-sized dust, which are either externally introduced or internally grown in the plasma, acquire large negative charges and form Coulomb lattices as was theoretically anticipated for some time. This entirely new material, whose crystalline structure is so strikingly observed by laser light scattering, could be a valuable tool for studying physical processes in condensed matter, such as melting, annealing and lattice defects. Recognizing the crucial role of gravity on the crystal structure, microgravity experiments have already been performed in aircraft, sounding rockets, the Mir Space Station, and most recently in the International Space Station, leading to

ALIGNMENT OF PROTOSTARS AND CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS DURING THE EMBEDDED PHASE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Spalding, Christopher; Batygin, Konstantin; Adams, Fred C.

2014-01-01

Star formation proceeds via the collapse of a molecular cloud core over multiple dynamical timescales. Turbulence within cores results in a spatially non-uniform angular momentum of the cloud, causing a stochastic variation in the orientation of the disk forming from the collapsing material. In the absence of star-disk angular momentum coupling, such disk-tilting would provide a natural mechanism for the production of primordial spin-orbit misalignments in the resulting planetary systems. However, owing to high accretion rates in the embedded phase of star formation, the inner edge of the circumstellar disk extends down to the stellar surface, resulting in efficient gravitational and accretional angular momentum transfer between the star and the disk. Here, we demonstrate that the resulting gravitational coupling is sufficient to suppress any significant star-disk misalignment, with accretion playing a secondary role. The joint tilting of the star-disk system leads to a stochastic wandering of star-aligned bipolar outflows. Such wandering widens the effective opening angle of stellar outflows, allowing for more efficient clearing of the remainder of the protostar's gaseous envelope. Accordingly, the processes described in this work provide an additional mechanism responsible for sculpting the stellar initial mass function

Multi-dimensional instability of electrostatic solitary structures in magnetized nonthermal dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamun, A.A.; Russel, S.M.; Mendoza-Briceno, C.A.; Alam, M.N.; Datta, T.K.; Das, A.K.

1999-05-01

A rigorous theoretical investigation has been made of multi-dimensional instability of obliquely propagating electrostatic solitary structures in a hot magnetized nonthermal dusty plasma which consists of a negatively charged hot dust fluid, Boltzmann distributed electrons, and nonthermally distributed ions. The Zakharov-Kuznetsov equation for the electrostatic solitary structures that exist in such a dusty plasma system is derived by the reductive perturbation method. The multi-dimensional instability of these solitary waves is also studied by the small-k (long wavelength plane wave) perturbation expansion method. The nature of these solitary structures, the instability criterion, and their growth rate depending on dust-temperature, external magnetic field, and obliqueness are discussed. The implications of these results to some space and astrophysical dusty plasma situations are briefly mentioned. (author)

ALMA observations of a misaligned binary protoplanetary disk system in Orion

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, Jonathan P. [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, HI 96816 (United States); Mann, Rita K.; Francesco, James Di; Johnstone, Doug; Matthews, Brenda [NRC Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics, 5071 West Saanich Road, Victoria, BC, V9E 2E7 (Canada); Andrews, Sean M.; Ricci, Luca [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Hughes, A. Meredith [Van Vleck Observatory, Astronomy Department, Wesleyan University, 96 Foss Hill Drive, Middletown, CT 06459 (United States); Bally, John, E-mail: jpw@ifa.hawaii.edu [CASA, University of Colorado, CB 389, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States)

2014-12-01

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of a wide binary system in Orion, with projected separation 440 AU, in which we detect submillimeter emission from the protoplanetary disks around each star. Both disks appear moderately massive and have strong line emission in CO 3-2, HCO{sup +} 4-3, and HCN 3-2. In addition, CS 7-6 is detected in one disk. The line-to-continuum ratios are similar for the two disks in each of the lines. From the resolved velocity gradients across each disk, we constrain the masses of the central stars, and show consistency with optical-infrared spectroscopy, both indicative of a high mass ratio ∼9. The small difference between the systemic velocities indicates that the binary orbital plane is close to face-on. The angle between the projected disk rotation axes is very high, ∼72°, showing that the system did not form from a single massive disk or a rigidly rotating cloud core. This finding, which adds to related evidence from disk geometries in other systems, protostellar outflows, stellar rotation, and similar recent ALMA results, demonstrates that turbulence or dynamical interactions act on small scales well below that of molecular cores during the early stages of star formation.

ACCRETION DISKS AROUND KICKED BLACK HOLES: POST-KICK DYNAMICS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ponce, Marcelo; Faber, Joshua A.; Lombardi, James C.

2012-01-01

Numerical calculations of merging black hole binaries indicate that asymmetric emission of gravitational radiation can kick the merged black hole at up to thousands of km s –1 , and a number of systems have been observed recently whose properties are consistent with an active galactic nucleus containing a supermassive black hole moving with substantial velocity with respect to its broader accretion disk. We study here the effect of an impulsive kick delivered to a black hole on the dynamical evolution of its accretion disk using a smoothed particle hydrodynamics code, focusing attention on the role played by the kick angle with respect to the orbital angular momentum vector of the pre-kicked disk. We find that for more vertical kicks, for which the angle between the kick and the normal vector to the disk θ ∼ 45°, matter rapidly accretes toward the black hole. There is a systematic trend for higher potential luminosities for more oblique kick angles for a given black hole mass, disk mass, and kick velocity, and we find large amplitude oscillations in time in the case of a kick oriented 60° from the vertical.

Electro-acoustic solitary waves in dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamun, A.A.; Sayed, F.

2005-10-01

present a rigorous theoretical investigation of electro- acoustic [particularly, dust-ion acoustic (DIA) and dust-acoustic (DA)] solitary waves in dusty plasmas. We employ the reductive perturbation method for small but finite amplitude solitary waves as well as the pseudo-potential approach for arbitrary amplitude ones. We also analyze the effects of non-planar geometry and dust charge fluctuations on both DIA and DA solitary waves, the effect of finite ion-temperature on DIA solitary waves, and the effects of dust-fluid temperature and non-isothermal ion distributions on DA solitary waves. It has been reported that these effects do not only significantly modify the basic features of DIA or DA solitary waves, but also introduce some important new features. The basic features and the underlying physics of DIA and DA solitary waves, which are relevant to space and laboratory dusty plasmas, are briefly discussed. (author)

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.

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

Dustiness risk in the mine of Nižná Slaná

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Milan Bobro

2005-11-01

Full Text Available The fibrogeneous dust is considered as a specific harmful substance in mine working sites. Such a kind of dust cumulates in lungs and this fact usually results in the lungs dusting, the so – called pneumoconiosis. Thus, the dustiness risk poses a probability of the lungs damage by pneumoconiosis. For the calculation of the dustiness risk it is necessary to know the following data: the value of average dustiness kc in the working site per a definite time period, the dispersivity of dust “D” (it determines a portion of dust particles with a diameter under 5 μm, the so – called respirable particles and the percentage content of quartz Qr in the respirable grain size fraction. The contribution presents a calculation of the dustiness risk “R” according to the equation (1, where “R” is in percentage, “ša” is the analytically specific harmfulness and “KDc” is the total cumulative dust dose received by a worker in the time of his dust exposure. The total cumulative dust dose is calculated on the basis of the equation (4, where “kc” is the average dust concentration in the assessed time period, t is the time of exposure, V is the average amount of air anspired by the exposed worker per a time unit (standardized at the value of 1,2 m3h-1. 10-6- recalculation from mg to kg for “KDc”. If the values of “Qr”, “D” and “kc” during the worker exposure on a definite workplace are constant, the dustiness risk “R” is calculated according to the equation (1 and (5 respectively. In the case of “n” time intervals for which the values “Qr”, “D” and “kc” are known, the dustiness risk “R” is calculated according to the equation (7. The total personal risk of the worker is given by the equation (8.

The effect of radial migration on galactic disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vera-Ciro, Carlos; D'Onghia, Elena; Navarro, Julio; Abadi, Mario

2014-01-01

We study the radial migration of stars driven by recurring multi-arm spiral features in an exponential disk embedded in a dark matter halo. The spiral perturbations redistribute angular momentum within the disk and lead to substantial radial displacements of individual stars, in a manner that largely preserves the circularity of their orbits and that results, after 5 Gyr (∼40 full rotations at the disk scale length), in little radial heating and no appreciable changes to the vertical or radial structure of the disk. Our results clarify a number of issues related to the spatial distribution and kinematics of migrators. In particular, we find that migrators are a heavily biased subset of stars with preferentially low vertical velocity dispersions. This 'provenance bias' for migrators is not surprising in hindsight, for stars with small vertical excursions spend more time near the disk plane, and thus respond more readily to non-axisymmetric perturbations. We also find that the vertical velocity dispersion of outward migrators always decreases, whereas the opposite holds for inward migrators. To first order, newly arrived migrators simply replace stars that have migrated off to other radii, thus inheriting the vertical bias of the latter. Extreme migrators might therefore be recognized, if present, by the unexpectedly small amplitude of their vertical excursions. Our results show that migration, understood as changes in angular momentum that preserve circularity, can strongly affect the thin disk, but cast doubts on models that envision the Galactic thick disk as a relic of radial migration.

FDTD Simulation on Terahertz Waves Propagation Through a Dusty Plasma

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Maoyan; Zhang, Meng; Li, Guiping; Jiang, Baojun; Zhang, Xiaochuan; Xu, Jun

2016-08-01

The frequency dependent permittivity for dusty plasmas is provided by introducing the charging response factor and charge relaxation rate of airborne particles. The field equations that describe the characteristics of Terahertz (THz) waves propagation in a dusty plasma sheath are derived and discretized on the basis of the auxiliary differential equation (ADE) in the finite difference time domain (FDTD) method. Compared with numerical solutions in reference, the accuracy for the ADE FDTD method is validated. The reflection property of the metal Aluminum interlayer of the sheath at THz frequencies is discussed. The effects of the thickness, effective collision frequency, airborne particle density, and charge relaxation rate of airborne particles on the electromagnetic properties of Terahertz waves through a dusty plasma slab are investigated. Finally, some potential applications for Terahertz waves in information and communication are analyzed. supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 41104097, 11504252, 61201007, 41304119), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Nos. ZYGX2015J039, ZYGX2015J041), and the Specialized Research Fund for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (No. 20120185120012)

The Gemini NICI planet-finding campaign: the orbit of the young exoplanet β Pictoris b

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nielsen, Eric L.; Liu, Michael C.; Chun, Mark; Ftaclas, Christ [Institute for Astronomy, University of Hawaii, 2680 Woodlawn Drive, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Wahhaj, Zahed [European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Cordova 3107, Vitacura, Casilla 19001, Santiago (Chile); Biller, Beth A. [Institute for Astronomy, The University of Edinburgh, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom); Hayward, Thomas L. [Gemini Observatory, Southern Operations Center, c/o AURA, Casilla 603, La Serena (Chile); Males, Jared R.; Close, Laird M.; Morzinski, Katie M.; Skemer, Andrew J.; Hinz, Philip M. [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Kuchner, Marc J. [Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 667, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Rodigas, Timothy J. [Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institute of Washington, 5241 Broad Branch Road, NW, Washington, DC 20015 (United States); Toomey, Douglas W. [Mauna Kea Infrared, LLC, 21 Pookela Street, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States)

2014-10-20

We present new astrometry for the young (12-21 Myr) exoplanet β Pictoris b taken with the Gemini/NICI and Magellan/MagAO instruments between 2009 and 2012. The high dynamic range of our observations allows us to measure the relative position of β Pic b with respect to its primary star with greater accuracy than previous observations. Based on a Markov Chain Monte Carlo analysis, we find the planet has an orbital semi-major axis of 9.1{sub −0.5}{sup +5.3} AU and orbital eccentricity <0.15 at 68% confidence (with 95% confidence intervals of 8.2-48 AU and 0.00-0.82 for semi-major axis and eccentricity, respectively, due to a long narrow degenerate tail between the two). We find that the planet has reached its maximum projected elongation, enabling higher precision determination of the orbital parameters than previously possible, and that the planet's projected separation is currently decreasing. With unsaturated data of the entire β Pic system (primary star, planet, and disk) obtained thanks to NICI's semi-transparent focal plane mask, we are able to tightly constrain the relative orientation of the circumstellar components. We find the orbital plane of the planet lies between the inner and outer disks: the position angle (P.A.) of nodes for the planet's orbit (211.8 ± 0.°3) is 7.4σ greater than the P.A. of the spine of the outer disk and 3.2σ less than the warped inner disk P.A., indicating the disk is not collisionally relaxed. Finally, for the first time we are able to dynamically constrain the mass of the primary star β Pic to 1.76{sub −0.17}{sup +0.18} M {sub ☉}.

Influence of relative humidity and physical load during storage on dustiness of inorganic nanomaterials: implications for testing and risk assessment

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levin, Marcus, E-mail: mle@nrcwe.dk [Technical University of Denmark, Department of Micro and Nanotechnology (Denmark); Rojas, Elena [CIC biomaGUNE (Spain); Vanhala, Esa; Vippola, Minnamari [Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (Finland); Liguori, Biase; Kling, Kirsten I.; Koponen, Ismo K. [National Research Centre for the Working Environment (Denmark); Mølhave, Kristian [Technical University of Denmark, Department of Micro and Nanotechnology (Denmark); Tuomi, Timo [Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (Finland); Gregurec, Danijela; Moya, Sergio [CIC biomaGUNE (Spain); Jensen, Keld A. [National Research Centre for the Working Environment (Denmark)

2015-08-15

Dustiness testing using a down-scaled EN15051 rotating drum was used to investigate the effects of storage conditions such as relative humidity and physical loading on the dustiness of five inorganic metal oxide nanostructured powder materials. The tests consisted of measurements of gravimetrical respirable dustiness index and particle size distributions. Water uptake of the powders during 7 days of incubation was investigated as an explanatory factor of the changes. Consequences of these varying storage conditions in exposure modelling were tested using the control banding and risk management tool NanoSafer. Drastic material-specific effects on powder respirable dustiness index were observed with the change in TiO{sub 2} from 30 % RH (639 mg/kg) to 50 % RH (1.5 mg/kg). All five tested materials indicate a decreasing dustiness index with relative humidity increasing from 30 to 70 % RH. Test of powder water uptake showed an apparent link with the decreasing dustiness index. Effects of powder compaction appeared more material specific with both increasing and decreasing dustiness indices observed as an effect of compaction. Tests of control banding exposure models using the measured dustiness indices in three different exposure scenarios showed that in two of the tested materials, one 20 % change in RH changed the exposure banding from the lowest level to the highest. The study shows the importance of powder storage conditions prior to tests for classification of material dustiness indices. It also highlights the importance of correct storage information and relative humidity and expansion of the dustiness test conditions specifically, when using dustiness indices as a primary parameter for source strength in exposure assessment.

Influence of relative humidity and physical load during storage on dustiness of inorganic nanomaterials: implications for testing and risk assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Levin, Marcus; Rojas, Elena; Vanhala, Esa; Vippola, Minnamari; Liguori, Biase; Kling, Kirsten I.; Koponen, Ismo K.; Mølhave, Kristian; Tuomi, Timo; Gregurec, Danijela; Moya, Sergio; Jensen, Keld A.

2015-01-01

Dustiness testing using a down-scaled EN15051 rotating drum was used to investigate the effects of storage conditions such as relative humidity and physical loading on the dustiness of five inorganic metal oxide nanostructured powder materials. The tests consisted of measurements of gravimetrical respirable dustiness index and particle size distributions. Water uptake of the powders during 7 days of incubation was investigated as an explanatory factor of the changes. Consequences of these varying storage conditions in exposure modelling were tested using the control banding and risk management tool NanoSafer. Drastic material-specific effects on powder respirable dustiness index were observed with the change in TiO 2 from 30 % RH (639 mg/kg) to 50 % RH (1.5 mg/kg). All five tested materials indicate a decreasing dustiness index with relative humidity increasing from 30 to 70 % RH. Test of powder water uptake showed an apparent link with the decreasing dustiness index. Effects of powder compaction appeared more material specific with both increasing and decreasing dustiness indices observed as an effect of compaction. Tests of control banding exposure models using the measured dustiness indices in three different exposure scenarios showed that in two of the tested materials, one 20 % change in RH changed the exposure banding from the lowest level to the highest. The study shows the importance of powder storage conditions prior to tests for classification of material dustiness indices. It also highlights the importance of correct storage information and relative humidity and expansion of the dustiness test conditions specifically, when using dustiness indices as a primary parameter for source strength in exposure assessment

Dust Acoustic Mode Manifestations in Earth's Dusty Ionosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kopnin, S.I.; Popel, S.I.

2005-01-01

Dust acoustic mode manifestations in the dusty ionosphere are studied. The reason for an appearance of the low-frequency radio noises associated with such meteor fluxes as Perseids, Orionids, Leonids, and Gemenids is determined

Dustiness behaviour of loose and compacted Bentonite and organoclay powders: What is the difference in exposure risk?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jensen, Keld Alstrup; Koponen, Ismo Kalevi; Clausen, Per Axel; Schneider, Thomas

2009-01-01

Single-drop and rotating drum dustiness testing was used to investigate the dustiness of loose and compacted montmorillonite (Bentonite) and an organoclay (Nanofil 5), which had been modified from montmorillonite-rich Bentonite. The dustiness was analysed based on filter measurements as well as particle size distributions, the particle generation rate, and the total number of generated particles. Particle monitoring was completed using a TSI Fast Mobility Particle Sizer (FMPS) and a TSI Aerosol Particle Sizer (APS) at 1 s resolution. Low-pressure uniaxial powder compaction of the starting materials showed a logarithmic compaction curve and samples subjected to 3.5 kg/cm 2 were used for dustiness testing to evaluate the role of powder compaction, which could occur in powders from large shipments or high-volume storage facilities. The dustiness tests showed intermediate dustiness indices (1,077-2,077 mg/kg powder) in tests of Nanofil 5, Bentonite, and compacted Bentonite, while a high-level dustiness index was found for compacted Nanofil 5 (3,487 mg/kg powder). All powders produced multimodal particle size-distributions in the dust cloud with one mode around 300 nm (Bentonite) or 400 nm (Nanofil 5) as well as one (Nanofil 5) or two modes (Bentonite) with peaks between 1 and 2.5 μm. The dust release was found to occur either as a burst (loose Bentonite and Nanofil 5), constant rate (compacted Nanofil 5), or slowly increasing rate (compacted Bentonite). In rotating drum experiments, the number of particles generated in the FMPS and APS size-ranges were in general agreement with the mass-based dustiness index, but the same order was not observed in the single-drop tests. Compaction of Bentonite reduced the number of generated particles with app. 70 and 40% during single-drop and rotating drum dustiness tests, respectively. Compaction of Nanofil 5 reduced the dustiness in the single-drop test, but it was more than doubled in the rotating drum test. Physically relevant

CAPTURE OF PLANETESIMALS BY GAS DRAG FROM CIRCUMPLANETARY DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujita, Tetsuya; Ohtsuki, Keiji; Suetsugu, Ryo; Tanigawa, Takayuki

2013-01-01

Growing giant planets have circumplanetary disks around them in the late stage of their formation if their mass is sufficiently large. We examine capture of relatively large planetesimals that are decoupled from the gas inflow, due to gas drag from a circumplanetary disk of a growing giant planet. Assuming that the structure of the circumplanetary disk is axisymmetric, and solving the three-body problem including gas drag, we perform analytic and numerical calculations for capture of planetesimals. When planetesimal random velocity is small, planetesimals approaching in the retrograde direction are more easily captured, owing to their larger velocity relative to the gas. Planetesimals with large orbital inclinations interact with the disk for a short period of time and show lower capture rates. The effect of ablation on capture rates seems insignificant, although mass loss due to ablation would be significant in the case of high random velocity. We also examine the effect of non-uniform radial distribution of planetesimals in the protoplanetary disk due to gap opening by the planet. When the random velocity of planetesimals is small, the planetesimal capture rate decreases rapidly as the half width of the gap in the planetesimal disk increases from two planetary Hill radii to three planetary Hill radii; planetesimals with low random velocities cannot approach the planet in the case of a sufficiently wide gap. Our results show that the radial distribution and random velocity of planetesimals in the protoplanetary disk are essentially important for the understanding of capture of planetesimals by circumplanetary disks

Collisional dynamics of perturbed particle disks in the solar system

Science.gov (United States)

Roberts, W. W.; Stewart, G. R.

1987-01-01

Investigations of the collisional evolution of particulate disks subject to the gravitational perturbation of a more massive particle orbiting within the disk are underway. Both numerical N-body simulations using a novel collision algorithm and analytical kinetic theory are being employed to extend our understanding of perturbed disks in planetary rings and during the formation of the solar system. Particular problems proposed for investigation are: (1) The development and testing of general criteria for a small moonlet to clear a gap and produce observable morphological features in planetary rings; (2) The development of detailed models of collisional damping of the wavy edges observed on the Encke division of Saturn's A ring; and (3) The determination of the extent of runaway growth of the few largest planetesimals during the early stages of planetary accretion.

Non-linear development of secular gravitational instability in protoplanetary disks

Science.gov (United States)

Tominaga, Ryosuke T.; Inutsuka, Shu-ichiro; Takahashi, Sanemichi Z.

2018-01-01

We perform non-linear simulation of secular gravitational instability (GI) in protoplanetary disks, which has been proposed as a mechanism of planetesimal and multiple ring formation. Since the timescale of the growth of the secular GI is much longer than the Keplerian rotation period, we develop a new numerical scheme for a long-term calculation utilizing the concept of symplectic integration. With our new scheme, we first investigate the non-linear development of the secular GI in a disk without a pressure gradient in the initial state. We find that the surface density of dust increases by more than a factor of 100 while that of gas does not increase even by a factor of 2, which results in the formation of dust-dominated rings. A line mass of the dust ring tends to be very close to the critical line mass of a self-gravitating isothermal filament. Our results indicate that the non-linear growth of the secular GI provides a powerful mechanism to concentrate the dust. We also find that the dust ring formed via the non-linear growth of the secular GI migrates inward with a low velocity, which is driven by the self-gravity of the ring. We give a semi-analytical expression for the inward migration speed of the dusty ring.

Computing the complex : Dusty plasmas in the presence of magnetic fields and UV radiation

Science.gov (United States)

Land, V.

2007-12-01

About 90% of the visible universe is plasma. Interstellar clouds, stellar cores and atmospheres, the Solar wind, the Earth's ionosphere, polar lights, and lightning are all plasma; ionized gases, consisting of electrons, ions, and neutrals. Not only many industries, like the microchip and solar cell industry, but also future fusion power stations, rely heavily on the use of plasma. More and more, home appliances include plasma technologies, like compact fluorescent light sources, and plasma screens. Dust particles, which can disrupt plasma processes, enter these plasmas, through chemical reactions in the plasma, or through interactions between plasma and walls. For instance, during microchip fabrication, dust particles can destroy the tiny, nanometre-sized structures on the surface of these chips. On the other hand, dust particles orbiting Young Stellar Objects coagulate and form the seeds of planets. In order to understand fundamental processes, such as planet formation, or to optimize industrial plasma processes, a thorough description of dusty plasma is necessary. Dust particles immersed in plasma collect ions and electrons from the plasma and charge up electrically. Therefore, the presence of dust changes plasma, while at the same time many forces start acting on the dust. Therefore, the dust and plasma become coupled, making dusty plasma a very complex medium to describe, in which many length and time scales play a role, from the Debye length to the length of the electrodes, and from the inverse plasma frequencies to the dust transport times. Using a self-consistent fluid model, we simulate these multi-scale dusty plasmas in radio frequency discharges under micro-gravity. We show that moderate non-linear scattering of ions by the dust particles is the most important aspect in the calculation of the ion drag force. This force is also responsible for the formation of a dust-free 'void' in dusty plasma under micro-gravity, caused by ions moving from the centre of

Propagation and scattering of waves in dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vladimirov, S.V.

1994-01-01

Wave propagation and scattering in dusty plasmas with variable charges on dust particles are considered. New kinetic theory including instant charge of a dust particle as a new independent variable is further developed. (author). 9 refs

A planet in a polar orbit of 1.4 solar-mass star

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guenther E.W.

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Although more than a thousand transiting extrasolar planets have been discovered, only very few of them orbit stars that are more massive than the Sun. The discovery of such planets is interesting, because they have formed in disks that are more massive but had a shorter life time than those of solar-like stars. Studies of planets more massive than the Sun thus tell us how the properties of the proto-planetary disks effect the formation of planets. Another aspect that makes these planets interesting is that they have kept their original orbital inclinations. By studying them we can thus find out whether the orbital axes planets are initially aligned to the stars rotational axes, or not. Here we report on the discovery of a planet of a 1.4 solar-mass star with a period of 5.6 days in a polar orbit made by CoRoT. This new planet thus is one of the few known close-in planets orbiting a star that is substantially more massive than the Sun.

Smearing of mass accretion rate variation by viscous processes in accretion disks in compact binary systems

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, A.; Chakrabarti, Sandip K.

2016-09-01

Variation of mass supply rate from the companion can be smeared out by viscous processes inside an accretion disk. Hence, by the time the flow reaches the inner edge, the variation in X-rays need not reflect the true variation of the mass supply rate at the outer edge. However, if the viscosity fluctuates around a mean value, one would expect the viscous time scale t_{{visc}} also to spread around a mean value. In high mass X-ray binaries, which are thought to be primarily wind-fed, the size of the viscous Keplerian disk is smaller and thus such a spread could be lower as compared to the low mass X-ray binaries which are primarily fed by Roche lobe overflow. If there is an increasing or decreasing trend in viscosity, the interval between enhanced emission would be modified systematically. In the absence of a detailed knowledge about the variation of mass supply rates at the outer edge, we study ideal circumstances where modulation must take place exactly in orbital time scales, such as when there is an ellipticity in the orbit. We study a few compact binaries using long term All Sky monitor (ASM) data (1.5-12 keV) of Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer (RXTE) and all sky survey data (15-50 keV) of Swift satellites by different methods to look for such smearing effects and to infer what these results can tell us about the viscous processes inside the respective disks. We employ three different methods to seek imprints of periodicity on the X-ray variation and found that in all the cases, the location of the peak in the power density spectra is consistent with the orbital frequencies. Interestingly, in high mass X-ray binaries the peaks are sharp with high rms values, consistent with a small Keplerian disk in a wind fed system. However, in low mass X-ray binaries with larger Keplerian disk component, the peaks are spreaded out with much lower rms values. X-ray reflections, or superhump phenomena which may also cause such X-ray modulations would not be affected by the size of

Occultations from an Active Accretion Disk in a 72-day Detached Post-Algol System Detected by K2

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, G.; Rappaport, S.; Nelson, L.; Huang, C. X.; Senhadji, A.; Rodriguez, J. E.; Vanderburg, A.; Quinn, S.; Johnson, C. I.; Latham, D. W.; Torres, G.; Gary, B. L.; Tan, T. G.; Johnson, M. C.; Burt, J.; Kristiansen, M. H.; Jacobs, T. L.; LaCourse, D.; Schwengeler, H. M.; Terentev, I.; Bieryla, A.; Esquerdo, G. A.; Berlind, P.; Calkins, M. L.; Bento, J.; Cochran, W. D.; Karjalainen, M.; Hatzes, A. P.; Karjalainen, R.; Holden, B.; Butler, R. P.

2018-02-01

Disks in binary systems can cause exotic eclipsing events. MWC 882 (BD –22 4376, EPIC 225300403) is such a disk-eclipsing system identified from observations during Campaign 11 of the K2 mission. We propose that MWC 882 is a post-Algol system with a B7 donor star of mass 0.542+/- 0.053 {M}ȯ in a 72-day orbit around an A0 accreting star of mass 3.24+/- 0.29 {M}ȯ . The 59.9+/- 6.2 {R}ȯ disk around the accreting star occults the donor star once every orbit, inducing 19-day long, 7% deep eclipses identified by K2 and subsequently found in pre-discovery All-Sky Automated Survey and All Sky Automated Survey for Supernovae observations. We coordinated a campaign of photometric and spectroscopic observations for MWC 882 to measure the dynamical masses of the components and to monitor the system during eclipse. We found the photometric eclipse to be gray to ≈1%. We found that the primary star exhibits spectroscopic signatures of active accretion, and we observed gas absorption features from the disk during eclipse. We suggest that MWC 882 initially consisted of a ≈3.6 M ⊙ donor star transferring mass via Roche lobe overflow to a ≈2.1 M ⊙ accretor in a ≈7-day initial orbit. Through angular momentum conservation, the donor star is pushed outward during mass transfer to its current orbit of 72 days. The observed state of the system corresponds with the donor star having left the red giant branch ∼0.3 Myr ago, terminating active mass transfer. The present disk is expected to be short-lived (102 yr) without an active feeding mechanism, presenting a challenge to this model.

A NICER View of the Accretion Disk in GX 339-4

Science.gov (United States)

Steiner, James Francis; Bulbul, Esra; Cackett, Ed; Fabian, Andy; Gendreau, Keith C.; Neilsen, Joseph; Ranga Reddy Pasham, Dheeraj; Remillard, Ron; Uttley, Phil; Wood, Kent S.

2018-01-01

The poster-child black hole transient GX 339-4 has gone into outburst once again. With no pileup, low-background, and high fidelity in the soft X-ray bandpass, NICER is uniquely positioned to detect emergent thermal disk emission from an optically thick accretion flow approaching the innermost-stable circular orbit. We present NICER's results on the 2017 outburst, and detail its implications for the disk-truncation controversy. We also investigate the X-ray state evolution, as seen in NICER's spectral range of 0.2 to 12 keV.

Influence of relative humidity and physical load during storage on dustiness of inorganic nanomaterials: implications for testing and risk assessment

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Levin, Marcus; Rojas, Elena; Vanhala, Esa

2015-01-01

water uptake showed an apparent link with the decreasing dustiness index. Effects of powder compaction appeared more material specific with both increasing and decreasing dustiness indices observed as an effect of compaction. Tests of control banding exposure models using the measured dustiness indices......Dustiness testing using a down-scaled EN15051 rotating drum was used to investigate the effects of storage conditions such as relative humidity and physical loading on the dustiness of five inorganic metal oxide nanostructured powder materials. The tests consisted of measurements of gravimetrical...... respirable dustiness index and particle size distributions. Water uptake of the powders during 7 days of incubation was investigated as an explanatory factor of the changes. Consequences of these varying storage conditions in exposure modelling were tested using the control banding and risk management tool...

THERMODYNAMIC REASONS OF AGGLOMERATION OF DUST PARTICLES IN THE THERMAL DUSTY PLASMA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

V.I.Vishnyakov

2003-01-01

Full Text Available The thermodynamic equilibrium of thermal dusty plasmas consisting of ionized gas (plasma and solid particles (dust grains, which interact with each other, is studied. The tendency of grains in dusty plasmas to agglomerate corresponds to the tendency of dusty plasmas to balanced states. When grains agglomerate, electrical perturbations generated by each grain concentrate inside the agglomerate. The plasma is perturbed only by the agglomerate's exterior surface. The greater number of possible states for electrons and ions in plasma depends on the volume of perturbation of grains. The fewer are the perturbations the greater is the amount of possible states for electrons and ions in plasma. If the grains collected from a distance smaller than 8 Debye lengths, the total volume of perturbations is minimized; the free energy of the plasma is also minimized.

Dust-lower-hybrid waves in a magnetized self-gravitating dusty plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salimullah, M.; Roy Chowdhury, A.; Dasgupta, B.

1997-11-01

General dispersion relation for a self-gravitating magnetized and finite temperature dusty plasma has been derived using the Vlasov-kinetic theory in guiding center technique. Results of earlier studies in unmagnetized situations turn out to be special cases of our general dispersion relation. In addition to the usual dust-acoustic waves in unmagnetized plasmas, we find an ultra-low-frequency mode in the frequency range between cyclotron frequencies of ions and charged dust particles and the Jean's instability of the self-gravitating dusty plasma systems. (author)

DUST TRANSPORT IN PROTOSTELLAR DISKS THROUGH TURBULENCE AND SETTLING

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

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

2010-01-01

We apply ionization balance and magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) calculations to investigate whether magnetic activity moderated by recombination on dust grains can account for the mass accretion rates and the mid-infrared spectra and variability of protostellar disks. The MHD calculations use the stratified shearing-box approach and include grain settling and the feedback from the changing dust abundance on the resistivity of the gas. The two-decade spread in accretion rates among solar-mass T Tauri stars is too large to result solely from variations in the grain size and stellar X-ray luminosity, but can plausibly be produced by varying these parameters together with the disk magnetic flux. The diverse shapes and strengths of the mid-infrared silicate bands can come from the coupling of grain settling to the distribution of the magnetorotational turbulence, through the following three effects. First, recombination on grains 1 μm or smaller yields a magnetically inactive dead zone extending more than two scale heights from the midplane, while turbulent motions in the magnetically active disk atmosphere overshoot the dead zone boundary by only about one scale height. Second, grains deep in the dead zone oscillate vertically in wave motions driven by the turbulent layer above, but on average settle at the rates found in laminar flow, so that the interior of the dead zone is a particle sink and the disk atmosphere will become dust-depleted unless resupplied from elsewhere. Third, with sufficient depletion, the dead zone is thinner and mixing dredges grains off the midplane. The last of these processes enables evolutionary signatures such as the degree of settling to sometimes decrease with age. The MHD results also show that the magnetic activity intermittently lifts clouds of small grains into the atmosphere. Consequently the photosphere height changes by up to one-third over timescales of a few orbits, while the extinction along lines of sight grazing the disk surface

Studies on Charge Variation and Waves in Dusty Plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Kausik, Siddhartha Sankar

Plasma and dust grains are both ubiquitous ingredients of the universe. The interplay between them has opened up a new and fascinating research domain, that of dusty plasmas, which contain macroscopic particles of solid matter besides the usual plasma constituents. The research in dusty plasmas received a major boost in the early eighties with Voyager spacecraft observation on the formation of Saturn rings. Dusty plasmas are defined as partially or fully-ionized gases that contain micron-sized particles of electrically charged solid material, either dielectric or conducting. The physics of dusty plasmas has recently been studied intensively because of its importance for a number of applications in space and laboratory plasmas. This thesis presents the experimental studies on charge variation and waves in dusty plasmas. The experimental observations are carried out in two different experimental devices. Three different sets of experiments are carried out in two different experimental devices. Three different sets of experiments are carried out to study the dust charge variation in a filament discharge argon plasma. The dust grains used in these experiments are grains of silver. In another get of experiment, dust acoustic waves are studied in a de glow discharge argon plasma. Alumina dust grains are sprinkled in this experiment. The diagnostic tools used in these experiments are Langmuir probe and Faraday cup. The instruments used in these experiments are electrometer, He-Ne laser and charge coupled device (CCD) camera. Langmuir probe is used to measure plasma parameters, while Faraday cup and electrometer are used to measure very low current (~pA) carried by a collimated dust beam. He-Ne laser illuminates the dust grains and CCD camera is used to capture the images of dust acoustic waves. Silver dust grains are produced in the dust chamber by gas-evaporation technique. Due to differential pressure maintained between the dust and plasma chambers, the dust grains move

Large amplitude ion-acoustic solitons in dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tiwari, R. S.; Jain, S. L.; Mishra, M. K.

2011-01-01

Characteristics of ion-acoustic soliton in dusty plasma, including the dynamics of heavily charged massive dust grains, are investigated following the Sagdeev Potential formalism. Retaining fourth order nonlinearities of electric potential in the expansion of the Sagdeev Potential in the energy equation for a pseudo particle and integrating the resulting energy equation, large amplitude soliton solution is determined. Variation of amplitude (A), half width (W) at half maxima and the product P = AW 2 of the Korteweg-deVries (KdV), dressed and large amplitude soliton as a function of wide range of dust concentration are numerically studied for recently observed parameters of dusty plasmas. We have also presented the region of existence of large amplitude ion-acoustic soliton in the dusty plasma by analyzing the structure of the pseudo potential. It is found that in the presence of positively charged dust grains, system supports only compressive solitons, on the other hand, in the presence of negatively charged dust grains, the system supports compressive solitons up to certain critical concentration of dust grains and above this critical concentration, the system can support rarefactive solitons also. The effects of dust concentration, charge, and mass of the dust grains, on the characteristics of KdV, dressed and large amplitude the soliton, i.e., amplitude (A), half width at half maxima (W), and product of amplitude (A) and half width at half maxima (P = AW 2 ), are discussed in detail

STEADY STATE DUST DISTRIBUTIONS IN DISK VORTICES: OBSERVATIONAL PREDICTIONS AND APPLICATIONS TO TRANSITIONAL DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyra, Wladimir; Lin, Min-Kai

2013-01-01

The Atacama Large Millimeter Array has returned images of transitional disks in which large asymmetries are seen in the distribution of millimeter sized dust in the outer disk. The explanation in vogue borrows from the vortex literature and suggests that these asymmetries are the result of dust trapping in giant vortices, excited via Rossby wave instabilities at planetary gap edges. Due to the drag force, dust trapped in vortices will accumulate in the center and diffusion is needed to maintain a steady state over the lifetime of the disk. While previous work derived semi-analytical models of the process, in this paper we provide analytical steady-steady solutions. Exact solutions exist for certain vortex models. The solution is determined by the vortex rotation profile, the gas scale height, the vortex aspect ratio, and the ratio of dust diffusion to gas-dust friction. In principle, all of these quantities can be derived from observations, which would validate the model and also provide constrains on the strength of the turbulence inside the vortex core. Based on our solution, we derive quantities such as the gas-dust contrast, the trapped dust mass, and the dust contrast at the same orbital location. We apply our model to the recently imaged Oph IRS 48 system, finding values within the range of the observational uncertainties

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.

The Taurus Boundary of Stellar/Substellar (TBOSS) Survey. II. Disk Masses from ALMA Continuum Observations

Science.gov (United States)

Ward-Duong, K.; Patience, J.; Bulger, J.; van der Plas, G.; Ménard, F.; Pinte, C.; Jackson, A. P.; Bryden, G.; Turner, N. J.; Harvey, P.; Hales, A.; De Rosa, R. J.

2018-02-01

We report 885 μm ALMA continuum flux densities for 24 Taurus members spanning the stellar/substellar boundary with spectral types from M4 to M7.75. Of the 24 systems, 22 are detected at levels ranging from 1.0 to 55.7 mJy. The two nondetections are transition disks, though other transition disks in the sample are detected. Converting ALMA continuum measurements to masses using standard scaling laws and radiative transfer modeling yields dust mass estimates ranging from ∼0.3 to 20 M ⊕. The dust mass shows a declining trend with central object mass when combined with results from submillimeter surveys of more massive Taurus members. The substellar disks appear as part of a continuous sequence and not a distinct population. Compared to older Upper Sco members with similar masses across the substellar limit, the Taurus disks are brighter and more massive. Both Taurus and Upper Sco populations are consistent with an approximately linear relationship in M dust to M star, although derived power-law slopes depend strongly upon choices of stellar evolutionary model and dust temperature relation. The median disk around early-M stars in Taurus contains a comparable amount of mass in small solids as the average amount of heavy elements in Kepler planetary systems on short-period orbits around M-dwarf stars, with an order of magnitude spread in disk dust mass about the median value. Assuming a gas-to-dust ratio of 100:1, only a small number of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs have a total disk mass amenable to giant planet formation, consistent with the low frequency of giant planets orbiting M dwarfs.

Low-frequency electromagnetic solitary and shock waves in an inhomogeneous dusty magnetoplasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shukla, P.K.

2003-01-01

It is shown that the nonlinear dynamics of one-dimensional Shukla mode [Phys. Lett. A 316, 238 (2003)] is governed by a modified Kortweg-de Vries-Burgers equation. The latter admits stationary solutions in the form of either a solitary wave or a monotonic/oscillatory shock. The present nonlinear waves may help to understand the salient features of localized density and magnetic field structures in molecular dusty clouds as well as in low-temperature laboratory dusty plasma discharges

Giant Planets Can Act as Stabilizing Agents on Debris Disks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Muñoz-Gutiérrez, M. A.; Pichardo, B.; Peimbert, A., E-mail: mmunoz.astro@gmail.com [Instituto de Astronomía, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Apdo. postal 70-264 Ciudad Universitaria, México (Mexico)

2017-07-01

We have explored the evolution of a cold debris disk under the gravitational influence of dwarf-planet-sized objects (DPs), both in the presence and absence of an interior giant planet. Through detailed long-term numerical simulations, we demonstrate that when the giant planet is not present, DPs can stir the eccentricities and inclinations of disk particles, in linear proportion to the total mass of the DPs; on the other hand, when the giant planet is included in the simulations, the stirring is approximately proportional to the mass squared. This creates two regimes: below a disk mass threshold (defined by the total mass of DPs), the giant planet acts as a stabilizing agent of the orbits of cometary nuclei, diminishing the effect of the scatterers; above the threshold, the giant contributes to the dispersion of the particles.

Dust-acoustic waves and stability in the permeating dusty plasma. II. Power-law distributions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gong Jingyu; Du Jiulin; Liu Zhipeng

2012-01-01

The dust-acoustic waves and the stability theory for the permeating dusty plasma with power-law distributions are studied by using nonextensive q-statistics. In two limiting physical cases, when the thermal velocity of the flowing dusty plasma is much larger than, and much smaller than the phase velocity of the waves, we derived the dust-acoustic wave frequency, the instability growth rate, and the instability critical flowing velocity. As compared with the formulae obtained in part I [Gong et al., Phys. Plasmas 19, 043704 (2012)], all formulae of the present cases and the resulting plasma characteristics are q-dependent, and the power-law distribution of each plasma component of the permeating dusty plasma has a different q-parameter and thus has a different nonextensive effect. Further, we make numerical analyses of an example that a cometary plasma tail is passing through the interplanetary space dusty plasma and we show that these power-law distributions have significant effects on the plasma characteristics of this kind of plasma environment.

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

ON SHOCKS DRIVEN BY HIGH-MASS PLANETS IN RADIATIVELY INEFFICIENT DISKS. II. THREE-DIMENSIONAL GLOBAL DISK SIMULATIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyra, Wladimir; Richert, Alexander J. W.; Boley, Aaron; Turner, Neal; Okuzumi, Satoshi; Flock, Mario; Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark

2016-01-01

Recent high-resolution, near-infrared images of protoplanetary disks have shown that these disks often present spiral features. Spiral arms are among the structures predicted by models of disk–planet interaction and thus it is tempting to suspect that planetary perturbers are responsible for these signatures. However, such interpretation is not free of problems. The observed spirals have large pitch angles, and in at least one case (HD 100546) it appears effectively unpolarized, implying thermal emission of the order of 1000 K (465 ± 40 K at closer inspection). We have recently shown in two-dimensional models that shock dissipation in the supersonic wake of high-mass planets can lead to significant heating if the disk is sufficiently adiabatic. Here we extend this analysis to three dimensions in thermodynamically evolving disks. We use the Pencil Code in spherical coordinates for our models, with a prescription for thermal cooling based on the optical depth of the local vertical gas column. We use a 5M J planet, and show that shocks in the region around the planet where the Lindblad resonances occur heat the gas to substantially higher temperatures than the ambient gas. The gas is accelerated vertically away from the midplane to form shock bores, and the gas falling back toward the midplane breaks up into a turbulent surf. This turbulence, although localized, has high α values, reaching 0.05 in the inner Lindblad resonance, and 0.1 in the outer one. We find evidence that the disk regions heated up by the shocks become superadiabatic, generating convection far from the planet’s orbit

PLANET FORMATION IN STELLAR BINARIES. I. PLANETESIMAL DYNAMICS IN MASSIVE PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rafikov, Roman R.; Silsbee, Kedron

2015-01-01

About 20% of exoplanets discovered by radial velocity surveys reside in stellar binaries. To clarify their origin one has to understand the dynamics of planetesimals in protoplanetary disks within binaries. The standard description, accounting for only gas drag and gravity of the companion star, has been challenged recently, as the gravity of the protoplanetary disk was shown to play a crucial role in planetesimal dynamics. An added complication is the tendency of protoplanetary disks in binaries to become eccentric, giving rise to additional excitation of planetesimal eccentricity. Here, for the first time, we analytically explore the secular dynamics of planetesimals in binaries such as α Cen and γ Cep under the combined action of (1) gravity of the eccentric protoplanetary disk, (2) perturbations due to the (coplanar) eccentric companion, and (3) gas drag. We derive explicit solutions for the behavior of planetesimal eccentricity e p in non-precessing disks (and in precessing disks in certain limits). We obtain the analytical form of the distribution of the relative velocities of planetesimals, which is a key input for understanding their collisional evolution. Disk gravity strongly influences relative velocities and tends to push the sizes of planetesimals colliding with comparable objects at the highest speed to small values, ∼1 km. We also find that planetesimals in eccentric protoplanetary disks apsidally aligned with the binary orbit collide at lower relative velocities than in misaligned disks. Our results highlight the decisive role that disk gravity plays in planetesimal dynamics in binaries

GAP OPENING BY EXTREMELY LOW-MASS PLANETS IN A VISCOUS DISK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Duffell, Paul C.; MacFadyen, Andrew I.

2013-01-01

By numerically integrating the compressible Navier-Stokes equations in two dimensions, we calculate the criterion for gap formation by a very low mass (q ∼ 10 –4 ) protoplanet on a fixed orbit in a thin viscous disk. In contrast with some previously proposed gap-opening criteria, we find that a planet can open a gap even if the Hill radius is smaller than the disk scale height. Moreover, in the low-viscosity limit, we find no minimum mass necessary to open a gap for a planet held on a fixed orbit. In particular, a Neptune-mass planet will open a gap in a minimum mass solar nebula with suitably low viscosity (α ∼ –4 ). We find that the mass threshold scales as the square root of viscosity in the low mass regime. This is because the gap width for critical planet masses in this regime is a fixed multiple of the scale height, not of the Hill radius of the planet.

A NEW SUB-PERIOD-MINIMUM CATACLYSMIC VARIABLE WITH PARTIAL HYDROGEN DEPLETION AND EVIDENCE OF SPIRAL DISK STRUCTURE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Littlefield, C.; Garnavich, P.; Magno, K.; Applegate, A.; Pogge, R.; Irwin, J.; Marion, G. H.; Kirshner, R.; Vinkó, J.

2013-01-01

We present time-resolved spectroscopy and photometry of CSS 120422:111127+571239 (=SBS 1108+574), a recently discovered SU UMa-type dwarf nova whose 55 minute orbital period is well below the cataclysmic variable (CV) period minimum of ∼78 minutes. In contrast with most other known CVs, its spectrum features He I emission of comparable strength to the Balmer lines, implying a hydrogen abundance less than 0.1 of long-period CVs—but still at least 10 times higher than that in AM CVn stars. Together, the short orbital period and remarkable helium-to-hydrogen ratio suggest that mass transfer in CSS 120422 began near the end of the donor star's main-sequence lifetime, meaning that this CV is a strong candidate progenitor of an AM CVn system as described by Podsiadlowski et al. Moreover, a Doppler tomogram of the Hα line reveals two distinct regions of enhanced emission. While one is the result of the stream-disk impact, the other is probably attributable to spiral disk structure generated when material in the outer disk achieves a 2:1 orbital resonance with respect to the donor.

RINGED ACCRETION DISKS: INSTABILITIES

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)

2016-04-01

We analyze the possibility that several instability points may be formed, due to the Paczyński mechanism of violation of mechanical equilibrium, in the orbiting matter around a supermassive Kerr black hole. We consider a recently proposed model of a ringed accretion disk, made up by several tori (rings) that can be corotating or counter-rotating relative to the Kerr attractor due to the history of the accretion process. Each torus is governed by the general relativistic hydrodynamic Boyer condition of equilibrium configurations of rotating perfect fluids. We prove that the number of the instability points is generally limited and depends on the dimensionless spin of the rotating attractor.

Radiation Hydrodynamical Turbulence in Protoplanetary Disks: Numerical Models and Observational Constraints

Science.gov (United States)

Flock, Mario; Nelson, Richard P.; Turner, Neal J.; Bertrang, Gesa H.-M.; Carrasco-González, Carlos; Henning, Thomas; Lyra, Wladimir; Teague, Richard

2017-12-01

Planets are born in protostellar disks, which are now observed with enough resolution to address questions about internal gas flows. Magnetic forces are possibly drivers of the flows, but ionization state estimates suggest that much of the gas mass decouples from magnetic fields. Thus, hydrodynamical instabilities could play a major role. We investigate disk dynamics under conditions typical for a T Tauri system, using global 3D radiation-hydrodynamics simulations with embedded particles and a resolution of 70 cells per scale height. Stellar irradiation heating is included with realistic dust opacities. The disk starts in joint radiative balance and hydrostatic equilibrium. The vertical shear instability (VSI) develops into turbulence that persists up to at least 1600 inner orbits (143 outer orbits). Turbulent speeds are a few percent of the local sound speed at the midplane, increasing to 20%, or 100 m s-1, in the corona. These are consistent with recent upper limits on turbulent speeds from optically thin and thick molecular line observations of TW Hya and HD 163296. The predominantly vertical motions induced by the VSI efficiently lift particles upward. Grains 0.1 and 1 mm in size achieve scale heights greater than expected in isotropic turbulence. We conclude that while kinematic constraints from molecular line emission do not directly discriminate between magnetic and nonmagnetic disk models, the small dust scale heights measured in HL Tau and HD 163296 favor turbulent magnetic models, which reach lower ratios of the vertical kinetic energy density to the accretion stress.

A Case Study on Idiopathic Orbital Pseudotumor: Surgery and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

This is a case study of five isolated orbital nerve inflammatory pseudotumor cases ... Optic disk edema was observed by ophthalmoscopy. ... The patients on clinical examination were found to have protrusion, reduced visual acuity of the right ...

Low frequency waves in streaming quantum dusty plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Rozina, Ch.; Jamil, M.; Khan, Arroj A.; Zeba, I.; Saman, J.

2017-09-01

The influence of quantum effects on the excitation of two instabilities, namely quantum dust-acoustic and quantum dust-lower-hybrid waves due to the free streaming of ion/dust particles in uniformly magnetized dusty plasmas has been investigated using a quantum hydrodynamic model. We have obtained dispersion relations under some particular conditions applied on streaming ions and two contrastreaming dust particle beams at equilibrium and have analyzed the growth rates graphically. We have shown that with the increase of both the electron number density and the streaming speed of ion there is enhancement in the instability due to the fact that the dense plasma particle system with more energetic species having a high speed results in the increase of the growth rate in the electrostatic mode. The application of this work has been pointed out for laboratory as well as for space dusty plasmas.

Polarized Light Imaging of the HD 142527 Transition Disk with the Gemini Planet Imager: Dust around the Close-in Companion

Science.gov (United States)

Rodigas, Timothy J.; Follette, Katherine B.; Weinberger, Alycia; Close, Laird; Hines, Dean C.

2014-08-01

When giant planets form, they grow by accreting gas and dust. HD 142527 is a young star that offers a scaled-up view of this process. It has a broad, asymmetric ring of gas and dust beyond ~100 AU and a wide inner gap. Within the gap, a low-mass stellar companion orbits the primary star at just ~12 AU, and both the primary and secondary are accreting gas. In an attempt to directly detect the dusty counterpart to this accreted gas, we have observed HD 142527 with the Gemini Planet Imager in polarized light at Y band (0.95-1.14 μm). We clearly detect the companion in total intensity and show that its position and photometry are generally consistent with the expected values. We also detect a point source in polarized light that may be spatially separated by ~ a few AU from the location of the companion in total intensity. This suggests that dust is likely falling onto or orbiting the companion. Given the possible contribution of scattered light from this dust to previously reported photometry of the companion, the current mass limits should be viewed as upper limits only. If the dust near the companion is eventually confirmed to be spatially separated, this system would resemble a scaled-up version of the young planetary system inside the gap of the transition disk around LkCa 15. Based on observations obtained at the Gemini Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the NSF on behalf of the Gemini partnership: the National Science Foundation (United States), the National Research Council (Canada), CONICYT (Chile), the Australian Research Council (Australia), Ministrio da Cincia, Tecnologia e Inovao (Brazil), and Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnologa e Innovacin Productiva (Argentina).

EXTREMELY LARGE AND HOT MULTILAYER KEPLERIAN DISK AROUND THE O-TYPE PROTOSTAR W51N: THE PRECURSORS OF THE HCH II REGIONS?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zapata, Luis A.; Tang, Ya-Wen; Leurini, Silvia

2010-01-01

We present sensitive high angular resolution (0.''57-0.''78) SO, SO 2 , CO, C 2 H 5 OH, HC 3 N, and HCOCH 2 OH line observations at millimeter and submillimeter wavelengths of the young O-type protostar W51 North made with the Submillimeter Array. We report the presence of a large (about 8000 AU) and hot molecular circumstellar disk around this object, which connects the inner dusty disk with the molecular ring or toroid reported recently and confirms the existence of a single bipolar outflow emanating from this object. The molecular emission from the large disk is observed in layers with the transitions characterized by high excitation temperatures in their lower energy states (up to 1512 K) being concentrated closer to the central massive protostar. The molecular emission from those transitions with low or moderate excitation temperatures is found in the outermost parts of the disk and exhibits an inner cavity with an angular size of around 0.''7. We modeled all lines with a local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) synthetic spectrum. A detailed study of the kinematics of the molecular gas together with an LTE model of a circumstellar disk shows that the innermost parts of the disk are also Keplerian plus a contracting velocity. The emission of the HCOCH 2 OH reveals the possible presence of a warm 'companion' located to the northeast of the disk, however its nature is unclear. The emission of the SO and SO 2 is observed in the circumstellar disk as well as in the outflow. We suggest that the massive protostar W51 North appears to be in a phase before the presence of a hypercompact or an ultracompact H II (HC/UCH II) region and propose a possible sequence on the formation of the massive stars.

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

Ringed Accretion Disks: Evolution of Double Toroidal Configurations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pugliese, D.; Stuchlík, Z., E-mail: daniela.pugliese@fpf.slu.cz, 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)

2017-04-01

We investigate ringed accretion disks composed of two tori (rings) orbiting on the equatorial plane of a central supermassive Kerr black hole. We discuss the emergence of the instability phases of each ring of the macro-configuration (ringed disk) according to the Paczynski violation of mechanical equilibrium. In the full general relativistic treatment, we consider the effects of the geometry of the Kerr spacetimes relevant to the characterization of the evolution of these configurations. The discussion of ring stability in different spacetimes enables us to identify particular classes of central Kerr attractors depending on their dimensionless spin. As a result of this analysis, we set constraints on the evolutionary schemes of the ringed disks relative to the torus morphology and on their rotation relative to the central black hole and to each other. The dynamics of the unstable phases of this system is significant for the high-energy phenomena related to accretion onto supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei and the extremely energetic phenomena in quasars, which could be observed in their X-ray emission.

Ultra-low-frequency electrostatic modes in a magnetized dusty plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salimullah, M.; Amin, M.R.; Roy Chowdhury, A.R.; Salahuddin, M.

1997-11-01

A study on the extremely low-frequency possible electrostatic modes in a finite temperature magnetized dusty plasma taking the charged dust grains as the third component has been carried out using the appropriate Vlasov-kinetic theory for the dynamics of the electrons, ions and the dust particles. It is found that the inequalities of charge and number density of plasma species, and the finite-Larmor-radius thermal kinetic effects of the mobile charged dust grains, introduce the existence of very low-frequency electrostatic eigenmodes in the three-component homogeneous magnetized dusty plasma. The relevance of the present investigation to space and astrophysical situations as well as laboratory experiments for dust Coulomb crystallization has been pointed out. (author)

Parametric instabilities in magnetized bi-ion and dusty plasmas

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

-ion or dusty plasma with parametric pumping of the magnetic field is analysed. The equation of motion governing the perturbed plasma is derived and parametrically excited transverse modes propagating along the magnetic field are found.

SUPERMASSIVE BLACK HOLES IN A STAR-FORMING GASEOUS CIRCUMNUCLEAR DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Del Valle, L.; Escala, A.; Molina, J. [Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile (Chile); Maureira-Fredes, C.; Amaro-Seoane, P. [Max Planck Institut fur Gravitationsphysik (Albert-Einstein-Institut), D-14476 Potsdam (Germany); Cuadra, J., E-mail: ldelvalleb@gmail.com [Instituto de Astrofísica, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile (Chile)

2015-09-20

Using N-body/smoothed particle hydrodynamics simulations we study the evolution of the separation of a pair of supermassive black holes (SMBHs) embedded in a star-forming circumnuclear disk (CND). This type of disk is expected to be formed in the central kiloparsec of the remnant of gas-rich galaxy mergers. Our simulations indicate that orbital decay of the SMBHs occurs more quickly when the mean density of the CND is higher, due to increased dynamical friction. However, in simulations where the CND is fragmented in high-density gaseous clumps (clumpy CND), the orbits of the SMBHs are erratically perturbed by the gravitational interaction with these clumps, delaying, in some cases, the orbital decay of the SMBHs. The densities of these gaseous clumps in our simulations and in recent studies of clumpy CNDs are two orders of magnitude higher than the observed density of molecular clouds in isolated galaxies or ultraluminous infrared galaxies (ULIRGs), thus, we expect that SMBH orbits are perturbed less in real CNDs than in the simulated CNDs of this study and other recent studies. We also find that the migration timescale has a weak dependence on the star formation rate of the CND. Furthermore, the migration timescale of an SMBH pair in a star-forming clumpy CND is at most a factor of three longer than the migration timescale of a pair of SMBHs in a CND modeled with more simple gas physics. Therefore, we estimate that the migration timescale of the SMBHs in a clumpy CND is on the order of 10{sup 7} years.

RELAXATION OF WARPED DISKS: THE CASE OF PURE HYDRODYNAMICS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sorathia, Kareem A.; Krolik, Julian H. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21218 (United States); Hawley, John F. [Department of Astronomy, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904 (United States)

2013-05-10

Orbiting disks may exhibit bends due to a misalignment between the angular momentum of the inner and outer regions of the disk. We begin a systematic simulational inquiry into the physics of warped disks with the simplest case: the relaxation of an unforced warp under pure fluid dynamics, i.e., with no internal stresses other than Reynolds stress. We focus on the nonlinear regime in which the bend rate is large compared to the disk aspect ratio. When warps are nonlinear, strong radial pressure gradients drive transonic radial motions along the disk's top and bottom surfaces that efficiently mix angular momentum. The resulting nonlinear decay rate of the warp increases with the warp rate and the warp width, but, at least in the parameter regime studied here, is independent of the sound speed. The characteristic magnitude of the associated angular momentum fluxes likewise increases with both the local warp rate and the radial range over which the warp extends; it also increases with increasing sound speed, but more slowly than linearly. The angular momentum fluxes respond to the warp rate after a delay that scales with the square root of the time for sound waves to cross the radial extent of the warp. These behaviors are at variance with a number of the assumptions commonly used in analytic models to describe linear warp dynamics.

PLANET-PLANET SCATTERING IN PLANETESIMAL DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raymond, Sean N.; Armitage, Philip J.; Gorelick, Noel

2009-01-01

We study the final architecture of planetary systems that evolve under the combined effects of planet-planet and planetesimal scattering. Using N-body simulations we investigate the dynamics of marginally unstable systems of gas and ice giants both in isolation and when the planets form interior to a planetesimal belt. The unstable isolated systems evolve under planet-planet scattering to yield an eccentricity distribution that matches that observed for extrasolar planets. When planetesimals are included the outcome depends upon the total mass of the planets. For M tot ∼> 1 M J the final eccentricity distribution remains broad, whereas for M tot ∼ J a combination of divergent orbital evolution and recircularization of scattered planets results in a preponderance of nearly circular final orbits. We also study the fate of marginally stable multiple planet systems in the presence of planetesimal disks, and find that for high planet masses the majority of such systems evolve into resonance. A significant fraction leads to resonant chains that are planetary analogs of Jupiter's Galilean satellites. We predict that a transition from eccentric to near-circular orbits will be observed once extrasolar planet surveys detect sub-Jovian mass planets at orbital radii of a ≅ 5-10 AU.

COMPLEX VARIABILITY OF THE Hα EMISSION LINE PROFILE OF THE T TAURI BINARY SYSTEM KH 15D: THE INFLUENCE OF ORBITAL PHASE, OCCULTATION BY THE CIRCUMBINARY DISK, AND ACCRETION PHENOMENA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamilton, Catrina M.; Johns-Krull, Christopher M.; Mundt, Reinhard; Herbst, William; Winn, Joshua N.

2012-01-01

We have obtained 48 high-resolution echelle spectra of the pre-main-sequence eclipsing binary system KH 15D (V582 Mon, P = 48.37 days, e ∼ 0.6, M A = 0.6 M ☉ , M B = 0.7 M ☉ ). The eclipses are caused by a circumbinary disk (CBD) seen nearly edge on, which at the epoch of these observations completely obscured the orbit of star B and a large portion of the orbit of star A. The spectra were obtained over five contiguous observing seasons from 2001/2002 to 2005/2006 while star A was fully visible, fully occulted, and during several ingress and egress events. The Hα line profile shows dramatic changes in these time series data over timescales ranging from days to years. A fraction of the variations are due to 'edge effects' and depend only on the height of star A above or below the razor sharp edge of the occulting disk. Other observed variations depend on the orbital phase: the Hα emission line profile changes from an inverse P-Cygni-type profile during ingress to an enhanced double-peaked profile, with both a blue and a red emission component, during egress. Each of these interpreted variations are complicated by the fact that there is also a chaotic, irregular component present in these profiles. We find that the complex data set can be largely understood in the context of accretion onto the stars from a CBD with gas flows as predicted by the models of eccentric T Tauri binaries put forward by Artymowicz and Lubow, Günther and Kley, and de Val-Borro et al. In particular, our data provide strong support for the pulsed accretion phenomenon, in which enhanced accretion occurs during and after perihelion passage.

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.

Non-linear collective phenomena in dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsytovich, V N; Morfill, G E

2004-01-01

Dusty plasmas are unusual states of matter where the interactions between the dust grains can be collective and are not a sum of all pair particle interactions. This state of matter is appropriate to form non-linear dissipative collective self-organized structures. It is found that the potential around the grains can be over-screened leading to a new phenomenon-collective attraction of pairs of large charge grains of equal sign. The grain clouds can self-contract and their collapse is terminated at distances where the interaction becomes repulsive. The homogeneous dusty plasma distribution is universally unstable to form structures. The potential of the collective attraction is proportional to the square of the dimensionless parameter P = n d Z d /n i , where n d and n i are the average dust and ion densities, respectively, and Z d is the dust charge in units of electron charge. The collective attraction is determined by finite grain size and by the presence of absorption of plasma flux on grains. The physics of attraction is related to the space charge accumulation caused by collective flux disturbances. The collective attraction operates for systems with size larger than the mean free path for ion-dust absorption, the condition met in many existing low temperature dusty plasma experiments, in edge plasmas of fusion devices and in space dusty plasmas. The collective attraction exceeds the previously known non-collective attraction such as shadow attraction or wake attraction. The collective attraction can be responsible for pairing of dust grains (this process is completely classical in contrast to the known pairing in superconductivity) and can serve as the main process for the formation of more complicated dust complexes up to dust-plasma crystals. The equilibrium structures formed by collective attraction have universal properties and can exist in a limited domain of parameters (similar to the equilibrium balance known for stars). The balance conditions for

Center-of-mass and breathing oscillations in small complex plasma disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sheridan, T.E.

2005-01-01

Center-of-mass and breathing oscillations of a complex (dusty) plasma disk are excited for n=3 and 5 microspheres (≅10 μm diameter) with neutral argon pressures P≅1-4 Pa. The mode frequencies and damping rates are determined directly from measured resonance curves. Millikan's coefficient for the Epstein drag force, the Debye length, and the particle charge is found by comparison with theory. The damping rates are the same for both modes and for n=3 and 5, as predicted. Millikan's coefficient is found to be δ=1.55±0.16, in agreement with δ=1.44 for diffuse reflection. A consistent value of the Debye length that decreases with pressure is measured. The average particle charge for n=3 particles is found to be more negative than that for n=5 particles for the same conditions, indicating that the effective ion collection area of the particles increases as their separation decreases

Long-lived Dust Asymmetries at Dead Zone Edges in Protoplanetary Disks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Miranda, Ryan [Cornell Center for Astrophysics and Planetary Science, Department of Astronomy, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 (United States); Li, Hui; Li, Shengtai; Jin, Sheng, E-mail: rjm456@cornell.edu [Theoretical Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM 87545 (United States)

2017-02-01

A number of transition disks exhibit significant azimuthal asymmetries in thermal dust emission. One possible origin for these asymmetries is dust trapping in vortices formed at the edges of dead zones. We carry out high-resolution, two-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of this scenario, including the effects of dust feedback. We find that, although feedback weakens the vortices and slows down the process of dust accumulation, the dust distribution in the disk can nonetheless remain asymmetric for many thousands of orbits. We show that even after 10{sup 4} orbits, or 2.5 Myr when scaled to the parameters of Oph IRS 48 (a significant fraction of its age), the dust is not dispersed into an axisymmetric ring, in contrast to the case of a vortex formed by a planet. This is because accumulation of mass at the dead zone edge constantly replenishes the vortex, preventing it from being fully destroyed. We produce synthetic dust emission images using our simulation results. We find that multiple small clumps of dust may be distributed azimuthally. These clumps, if not resolved from one another, appear as a single large feature. A defining characteristic of a disk with a dead zone edge is that an asymmetric feature is accompanied by a ring of dust located about twice as far from the central 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.

Failed Radiatively Accelerated Dusty Outflow Model of the Broad Line Region in Active Galactic Nuclei. I. Analytical Solution

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Czerny, B.; Panda, S.; Wildy, C.; Sniegowska, M. [Center for Theoretical Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotników 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw (Poland); Li, Yan-Rong; Wang, J.-M. [Key Laboratory for Particle Astrophysics, Institute of High Energy Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19B Yuquan Road, Beijing 100049 (China); Hryniewicz, K.; Sredzinska, J. [Copernicus Astronomical Center, Polish Academy of Sciences, Bartycka 18, 00-716 Warsaw (Poland); Karas, V., E-mail: bcz@cft.edu.pl [Astronomical Institute, Academy of Sciences, Bocni II 1401, CZ-141 00 Prague (Czech Republic)

2017-09-10

The physical origin of the broad line region in active galactic nuclei is still unclear despite many years of observational studies. The reason is that the region is unresolved, and the reverberation mapping results imply a complex velocity field. We adopt a theory-motivated approach to identify the principal mechanism responsible for this complex phenomenon. We consider the possibility that the role of dust is essential. We assume that the local radiation pressure acting on the dust in the accretion disk atmosphere launches the outflow of material, but higher above the disk the irradiation from the central parts causes dust evaporation and a subsequent fallback. This failed radiatively accelerated dusty outflow is expected to represent the material forming low ionization lines. In this paper we formulate simple analytical equations to describe the cloud motion, including the evaporation phase. The model is fully described just by the basic parameters of black hole mass, accretion rate, black hole spin, and viewing angle. We study how the spectral line generic profiles correspond to this dynamic. We show that the virial factor calculated from our model strongly depends on the black hole mass in the case of enhanced dust opacity, and thus it then correlates with the line width. This could explain why the virial factor measured in galaxies with pseudobulges differs from that obtained from objects with classical bulges, although the trend predicted by the current version of the model is opposite to the observed trend.

THE ROLE OF THE ACCRETION DISK, DUST, AND JETS IN THE IR EMISSION OF LOW-LUMINOSITY ACTIVE GALACTIC NUCLEI

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mason, R. E. [Gemini Observatory, Northern Operations Center, 670 N. A' ohoku Place, Hilo, HI 96720 (United States); Ramos Almeida, C. [Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, C/Vía Láctea, s/n, E-38205 La Laguna, Tenerife (Spain); Levenson, N. A. [Gemini Observatory, Southern Operations Center, c/o AURA, Casilla 603, La Serena (Chile); Nemmen, R. [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Alonso-Herrero, A., E-mail: rmason@gemini.edu [Instituto de Física de Cantabria, CSIC-UC, Avenida de los Castros s/n, E-39005 Santander (Spain)

2013-11-10

We use recent high-resolution infrared (IR; 1-20 μm) photometry to examine the origin of the IR emission in low-luminosity active galactic nuclei (LLAGN). The data are compared with published model fits that describe the spectral energy distribution (SED) of LLAGN in terms of an advection-dominated accretion flow, truncated thin accretion disk, and jet. The truncated disk in these models is usually not luminous enough to explain the observed IR emission, and in all cases its spectral shape is much narrower than the broad IR peaks in the data. Synchrotron radiation from the jet appears to be important in very radio-loud nuclei, but the detection of strong silicate emission features in many objects indicates that dust must also contribute. We investigate this point by fitting the IR SED of NGC 3998 using dusty torus and optically thin (τ{sub mid-IR} ∼ 1) dust shell models. While more detailed modeling is necessary, these initial results suggest that dust may account for the nuclear mid-IR emission of many LLAGN.

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.

Shifting of the resonance location for planets embedded in circumstellar disks

Science.gov (United States)

Marzari, F.

2018-03-01

Context. In the early evolution of a planetary system, a pair of planets may be captured in a mean motion resonance while still embedded in their nesting circumstellar disk. Aims: The goal is to estimate the direction and amount of shift in the semimajor axis of the resonance location due to the disk gravity as a function of the gas density and mass of the planets. The stability of the resonance lock when the disk dissipates is also tested. Methods: The orbital evolution of a large number of systems is numerically integrated within a three-body problem in which the disk potential is computed as a series of expansion. This is a good approximation, at least over a limited amount of time. Results: Two different resonances are studied: the 2:1 and the 3:2. In both cases the shift is inwards, even if by a different amount, when the planets are massive and carve a gap in the disk. For super-Earths, the shift is instead outwards. Different disk densities, Σ, are considered and the resonance shift depends almost linearly on Σ. The gas dissipation leads to destabilization of a significant number of resonant systems, in particular if it is fast. Conclusions: The presence of a massive circumstellar disk may significantly affect the resonant behavior of a pair of planets by shifting the resonant location and by decreasing the size of the stability region. The disk dissipation may explain some systems found close to a resonance but not locked in it.

The Substellar Companion ROXs12 B: Near-Infrared Spectrum, System Architecture, and Spin-Orbit Misalignment

Science.gov (United States)

Bowler, Brendan; Kraus, Adam L.; Bryan, Marta; Knutson, Heather; Brogi, Matteo; Rizzuto, Aaron; Mace, Gregory N.; Vanderburg, Andrew; Liu, Michael C.; Hillenbrand, Lynne; Cieza, Lucas

2018-01-01

ROXs 12 B is a substellar companion near the deuterium-burning limit orbiting a young star in Ophiuchus/Upper Scorpius. We present moderate-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy of this little-studied object, which shows clear evidence of low surface gravity and youth. Although ROXs 12 B does not possess obvious signs of a circumplanetary disk, we find that at least half of young (alignment in this system. The rotation axis of ROXs 12 A and the orbital axis of ROXs 12 B are likely misaligned, suggesting this companion formed more akin to fragmenting binary stars than planets in an equatorial disk.

Orbital Signatures from Observed Light Curves of Blazars A ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Possible extents of this inner region and a break frequency as an orbital sig- nature are ... many is dictated by statistical analysis (Mohan et al. 2014). ... ting region, even inside of ISCO, implying that its source is on the disk (Doeleman et al.

TURBULENT DISKS ARE NEVER STABLE: FRAGMENTATION AND TURBULENCE-PROMOTED PLANET FORMATION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hopkins, Philip F. [TAPIR, Mailcode 350-17, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Christiansen, Jessie L., E-mail: phopkins@caltech.edu [SETI Institute/NASA Ames Research Center, M/S 244-30, Moffett Field, CA 94035 (United States)

2013-10-10

A fundamental assumption in our understanding of disks is that when the Toomre Q >> 1, the disk is stable against fragmentation into self-gravitating objects (and so cannot form planets via direct collapse). But if disks are turbulent, this neglects a spectrum of stochastic density fluctuations that can produce rare, high-density mass concentrations. Here, we use a recently developed analytic framework to predict the statistics of these fluctuations, i.e., the rate of fragmentation and mass spectrum of fragments formed in a turbulent Keplerian disk. Turbulent disks are never completely stable: we calculate the (always finite) probability of forming self-gravitating structures via stochastic turbulent density fluctuations in such disks. Modest sub-sonic turbulence above Mach number M∼0.1 can produce a few stochastic fragmentation or 'direct collapse' events over ∼Myr timescales, even if Q >> 1 and cooling is slow (t{sub cool} >> t{sub orbit}). In transsonic turbulence this extends to Q ∼ 100. We derive the true Q-criterion needed to suppress such events, which scales exponentially with Mach number. We specify to turbulence driven by magneto-rotational instability, convection, or spiral waves and derive equivalent criteria in terms of Q and the cooling time. Cooling times ∼> 50 t{sub dyn} may be required to completely suppress fragmentation. These gravo-turbulent events produce mass spectra peaked near ∼(Q M{sub disk}/M{sub *}){sup 2} M{sub disk} (rocky-to-giant planet masses, increasing with distance from the star). We apply this to protoplanetary disk models and show that even minimum-mass solar nebulae could experience stochastic collapse events, provided a source of turbulence.

TURBULENT DISKS ARE NEVER STABLE: FRAGMENTATION AND TURBULENCE-PROMOTED PLANET FORMATION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hopkins, Philip F.; Christiansen, Jessie L.

2013-01-01

A fundamental assumption in our understanding of disks is that when the Toomre Q >> 1, the disk is stable against fragmentation into self-gravitating objects (and so cannot form planets via direct collapse). But if disks are turbulent, this neglects a spectrum of stochastic density fluctuations that can produce rare, high-density mass concentrations. Here, we use a recently developed analytic framework to predict the statistics of these fluctuations, i.e., the rate of fragmentation and mass spectrum of fragments formed in a turbulent Keplerian disk. Turbulent disks are never completely stable: we calculate the (always finite) probability of forming self-gravitating structures via stochastic turbulent density fluctuations in such disks. Modest sub-sonic turbulence above Mach number M∼0.1 can produce a few stochastic fragmentation or 'direct collapse' events over ∼Myr timescales, even if Q >> 1 and cooling is slow (t cool >> t orbit ). In transsonic turbulence this extends to Q ∼ 100. We derive the true Q-criterion needed to suppress such events, which scales exponentially with Mach number. We specify to turbulence driven by magneto-rotational instability, convection, or spiral waves and derive equivalent criteria in terms of Q and the cooling time. Cooling times ∼> 50 t dyn may be required to completely suppress fragmentation. These gravo-turbulent events produce mass spectra peaked near ∼(Q M disk /M * ) 2 M disk (rocky-to-giant planet masses, increasing with distance from the star). We apply this to protoplanetary disk models and show that even minimum-mass solar nebulae could experience stochastic collapse events, provided a source of turbulence

Stimulated brillouin scattering of electromagnetic waves in a dusty plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salimullah, M.; Sen, A.

1991-08-01

The stimulated Brilluoin scattering of electromagnetic waves in a homogeneous, unmagnetized and collisionless dusty plasma has been investigated theoretically. The Vlasov equation has been solved perturbatively to find the nonlinear response of the plasma particles. The presence of the dust particles introduces a background inhomogeneous electric field which significantly influences the dispersive properties of the plasma. At the ion acoustic branch we find the usual scattering slightly modified by the charged dust grains. However, at the frequency lower than the ion acoustic branch we find a new mode of the plasma arising from the oscillations of the ions in the static structure of the dust distribution. This low frequency branch causes enhanced stimulated Brillouin scattering of electromagnetic waves in a dusty plasma. (author). 15 refs

SMACK: A New Algorithm for Modeling Collisions and Dynamics of Planetesimals in Debris Disks

Science.gov (United States)

Nesvold, Erika Rose; Kuchner, Marc J.; Rein, Hanno; Pan, Margaret

2013-01-01

We 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. We show that SMACK is stable to numerical viscosity and numerical heating over 10(exp 7) yr, and that it can reproduce analytic models of disk evolution. We use SMACK to model the evolution of a debris ring containing a planet on an eccentric orbit. Differential precession creates a spiral structure as the ring evolves, but collisions subsequently break up the spiral, leaving a narrower eccentric ring.

Chemo-orbital evidence from SDSS/SEGUE G dwarf stars for a mixed origin of the Galactic thick disk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

van de Ven G.

2012-02-01

Full Text Available About 13,000 G dwarf within 7disk. Combining [α/Fe] and [Fe/H] measurements with six-dimensional position-velocity parameters, we find that the sample is composed of two distinct stellar populations. The metal-rich population encompasses the thin disk with α-deficient stars and smoothly extends into a thick disk with α-enhanced stars, consistent with an in-situ formation through radial migration. On the other hand, the metal-poor population with enhanced α-abundance, higher scale height, and disperse kinematical properties, is difficult to explain with radial migration but might have originated from gas-rich mergers. The thick disk of the Milky Way seems to have a mixed origin.

MAGNETOROTATIONAL-INSTABILITY-DRIVEN ACCRETION IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai Xuening

2011-01-01

Non-ideal MHD effects play an important role in the gas dynamics in protoplanetary disks (PPDs). This paper addresses the influence of non-ideal MHD effects on the magnetorotational instability (MRI) and angular momentum transport in PPDs using the most up-to-date results from numerical simulations. We perform chemistry calculations using a complex reaction network with standard prescriptions for X-ray and cosmic-ray ionizations. We first show that whether or not grains are included, the recombination time is at least one order of magnitude less than the orbital time within five disk scale heights, justifying the validity of local ionization equilibrium and strong coupling limit in PPDs. The full conductivity tensor at different disk radii and heights is evaluated, with the MRI active region determined by requiring that (1) the Ohmic Elsasser number Λ be greater than 1 and (2) the ratio of gas to magnetic pressure β be greater than β min (Am) as identified in the recent study by Bai and Stone, where Am is the Elsasser number for ambipolar diffusion. With full flexibility as to the magnetic field strength, we provide a general framework for estimating the MRI-driven accretion rate M-dot and the magnetic field strength in the MRI active layer. We find that the MRI active layer always exists at any disk radius as long as the magnetic field in PPDs is sufficiently weak. However, the optimistically predicted M-dot in the inner disk (r = 1-10 AU) appears insufficient to account for the observed range of accretion rates in PPDs (around 10 -8 M sun yr -1 ) even in the grain-free calculation, and the presence of solar abundance sub-micron grains further reduces M-dot by one to two orders of magnitude. Moreover, we find that the predicted M-dot increases with radius in the inner disk where accretion is layered, which would lead to runaway mass accumulation if disk accretion is solely driven by the MRI. Our results suggest that stronger sources of ionization and

X-rays from HD 100546- A Young Herbig Star Orbited by Giant Protoplanets

Science.gov (United States)

Skinner, Stephen

A protoplanetary system consisting of at least two giant planets has beendetected orbiting the young nearby Herbig Be star HD 100546. The inner protoplanet orbits inside a gap within 14 AU of the star and is exposed to strong stellar UV and X-ray radiation. The detection of very warm disk gas provides evidence that stellar heating is affecting physical conditions in the planet-forming environment. We obtained a deep 74 ksec X-ray observation of HD 100546 in 2015 with XMM-Newton yielding an excellent-quality spectrum. We propose here to analyze the XMM-Newton data to determine the X-ray ionization and heating rates in the disk. X-ray ionization and heating affect the thermal and chemical structure of the disk and are key parameters for constructing realistic planet formation models. We are requesting ADAP funding to support the analysis and publication of this valuable XMM-Newton data set, which is now in the public archive.

Spitzer Imaging of Planck-Herschel Dusty Proto-Clusters at z=2-3

Science.gov (United States)

Cooray, Asantha; Ma, Jingzhe; Greenslade, Joshua; Kubo, Mariko; Nayyeri, Hooshang; Clements, David; Cheng, Tai-An

2018-05-01

We have recently introduced a new proto-cluster selection technique by combing Herschel/SPIRE imaging data and Planck/HFIk all-sky survey point source catalog. These sources are identified as Planck point sources with clumps of Herschel source over-densities with far-IR colors comparable to z=0 ULIRGS redshifted to z=2 to 3. The selection is sensitive to dusty starbursts and obscured QSOs and we have recovered couple of the known proto-clusters and close to 30 new proto-clusters. The candidate proto-clusters selected from this technique have far-IR flux densities several times higher than those that are optically selected, such as using LBG selection, implying that the member galaxies are in a special phase of heightened dusty starburst and dusty QSO activity. This far-IR luminous phase may be short but likely to be necessary piece to understand the whole stellar mass assembly history of clusters. Moreover, our photo-clusters are missed in optical selections, suggesting that optically selected proto-clusters alone do not provide adequate statistics and a comparison of the far-IR and optical selected clusters may reveal the importance of the dusty stellar mass assembly. Here, we propose IRAC observations of six of the highest priority new proto-clusters, to establish the validity of the technique and to determine the total stellar mass through SED models. For a modest observing time the science program will have a substantial impact on an upcoming science topic in cosmology with implications for observations with JWST and WFIRST to understand the mass assembly in the universe.

DISCERNING EXOPLANET MIGRATION MODELS USING SPIN-ORBIT MEASUREMENTS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morton, Timothy D.; Johnson, John Asher

2011-01-01

We investigate the current sample of exoplanet spin-orbit measurements to determine whether a dominant planet migration channel can be identified, and at what confidence. We use the predictions of Kozai migration plus tidal friction and planet-planet scattering as our misalignment models, and we allow for a fraction of intrinsically aligned systems, explainable by disk migration. Bayesian model comparison demonstrates that the current sample of 32 spin-orbit measurements strongly favors a two-mode migration scenario combining planet-planet scattering and disk migration over a single-mode Kozai migration scenario. Our analysis indicates that between 34% and 76% of close-in planets (95% confidence) migrated via planet-planet scattering. Separately analyzing the subsample of 12 stars with T eff >6250 K-which Winn et al. predict to be the only type of stars to maintain their primordial misalignments-we find that the data favor a single-mode scattering model over Kozai with 85% confidence. We also assess the number of additional hot star spin-orbit measurements that will likely be necessary to provide a more confident model selection, finding that an additional 20-30 measurement has a >50% chance of resulting in a 95% confident model selection, if the current model selection is correct. While we test only the predictions of particular Kozai and scattering migration models in this work, our methods may be used to test the predictions of any other spin-orbit misaligning mechanism.

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.

Jeans instability of an inhomogeneous streaming dusty plasma

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

The dynamics of a self-gravitating unmagnetized, inhomogeneous, streaming dusty plasma is studied in the present work. The presence of the shear flow causes the coupling between gravitational and electrostatic forces. In the absence of self-gravity, the fluctuations in the plasma may grow at the expense of the density ...

Molecular dynamics of the structure and thermodynamics of dusty ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The static structure and thermodynamic properties of two-dimensional dusty plasma are analyzed for some typical values of coupling and screening parameters using classical molecular dynamics. Radial distribution function and static structure factor are computed. The radial distribution functions display the typical ...

GAP CLEARING BY PLANETS IN A COLLISIONAL DEBRIS DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nesvold, Erika R. [Department of Physics, University of Maryland Baltimore County 1000 Hilltop Circle Baltimore, MD 21250 (United States); Kuchner, Marc J., E-mail: Erika.Nesvold@umbc.edu, E-mail: Marc.Kuchner@nasa.gov [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Exoplanets and Stellar Astrophysics Laboratory, Code 667 Greenbelt, MD 21230 (United States)

2015-01-10

We apply our 3D debris disk model, 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 (α = 2/7). We find that gap sizes in a collisional disk still obey a power law scaling with planet mass, but that the index α of the power law depends on the age of the system t relative to the collisional timescale t {sub coll} of the disk by α = 0.32(t/t {sub coll}){sup –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 resonances near the chaotic zone. We investigate the effects of the initial eccentricity distribution of the disk particles and find a negligible effect on the gap size at Jovian planet masses, since collisions tend to erase memory of the initial particle eccentricity distributions. Finally, we find that the presence of Trojan analogs is a potentially powerful diagnostic of planets in the mass range ∼1-10 M {sub Jup}. We apply our model to place new upper limits on planets around Fomalhaut, HR 4796 A, HD 202628, HD 181327, and β Pictoris.

GAP CLEARING BY PLANETS IN A COLLISIONAL DEBRIS DISK

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nesvold, Erika R.; Kuchner, Marc J.

2015-01-01

We apply our 3D debris disk model, 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 (α = 2/7). We find that gap sizes in a collisional disk still obey a power law scaling with planet mass, but that the index α of the power law depends on the age of the system t relative to the collisional timescale t coll of the disk by α = 0.32(t/t coll ) –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 resonances near the chaotic zone. We investigate the effects of the initial eccentricity distribution of the disk particles and find a negligible effect on the gap size at Jovian planet masses, since collisions tend to erase memory of the initial particle eccentricity distributions. Finally, we find that the presence of Trojan analogs is a potentially powerful diagnostic of planets in the mass range ∼1-10 M Jup . We apply our model to place new upper limits on planets around Fomalhaut, HR 4796 A, HD 202628, HD 181327, and β Pictoris

Viscosity calculated in simulations of strongly coupled dusty plasmas with gas friction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Yan; Goree, J.; Liu Bin

2011-01-01

A two-dimensional strongly coupled dusty plasma is modeled using Langevin and frictionless molecular dynamical simulations. The static viscosity η and the wave-number-dependent viscosity η(k) are calculated from the microscopic shear in the random motion of particles. A recently developed method of calculating the wave-number-dependent viscosity η(k) is validated by comparing the results of η(k) from the two simulations. It is also verified that the Green-Kubo relation can still yield an accurate measure of the static viscosity η in the presence of a modest level of friction as in dusty plasma experiments.

Symbolic computation on cylindrical-modified dust-ion-acoustic nebulons in dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tian Bo; Gao Yitian

2007-01-01

In this Letter, for the dust-ion-acoustic waves with azimuthal perturbation in a dusty plasma, a cylindrical modified Kadomtsev-Petviashvili (CMKP) model is constructed by virtue of symbolic computation, with three families of exact analytic solutions obtained as well. Dark and bright CMKP nebulons are investigated with pictures and related to such dusty-plasma environments as the supernova shells and Saturn's F-ring. Difference of the CMKP nebulons from other known nebulons is also analyzed, and possibly-observable CMKP-nebulonic effects for the future plasma experiments are proposed, especially those on the possible notch/slot and dark-bright bi-existence

A SENSITIVE IDENTIFICATION OF WARM DEBRIS DISKS IN THE SOLAR NEIGHBORHOOD THROUGH PRECISE CALIBRATION OF SATURATED WISE PHOTOMETRY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patel, Rahul I.; Metchev, Stanimir A.; Heinze, Aren

2014-01-01

We present a sensitive search for WISE W3 (12 μm) and W4 (22 μm) excesses from warm optically thin dust around Hipparcos main sequence stars within 75 pc from the Sun. We use contemporaneously measured photometry from WISE, remove sources of contamination, and derive and apply corrections to saturated fluxes to attain optimal sensitivity to >10 μm excesses. We use data from the WISE All-Sky Survey Catalog rather than the AllWISE release because we find that its saturated photometry is better behaved, allowing us to detect small excesses even around saturated stars in WISE. Our new discoveries increase by 45% the number of stars with warm dusty excesses and expand the number of known debris disks (with excess at any wavelength) within 75 pc by 29%. We identify 220 Hipparcos debris disk host stars, 108 of which are new detections at any wavelength. We present the first measurement of a 12 μm and/or 22 μm excess for 10 stars with previously known cold (50-100 K) disks. We also find five new stars with small but significant W3 excesses, adding to the small population of known exozodi, and we detect evidence for a W2 excess around HIP 96562 (F2V), indicative of tenuous hot (780 K) dust. As a result of our WISE study, the number of debris disks with known 10-30 μm excesses within 75 pc (379) has now surpassed the number of disks with known >30 μm excesses (289, with 171 in common), even if the latter have been found to have a higher occurrence rate in unbiased samples

Properties of a thin accretion disk around a rotating non-Kerr black hole

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Songbai; Jing Jiliang

2012-01-01

We study the accretion process in the thin disk around a rotating non-Kerr black hole with a deformed parameter and an unbound rotation parameter. Our results show that the presence of the deformed parameter ε modifies the standard properties of the disk. For the case in which the black hole is more oblate than a Kerr black hole, the larger deviation leads to the smaller energy flux, the lower radiation temperature and the fainter spectra luminosity in the disk. For the black hole with positive deformed parameter, we find that the effect of the deformed parameter on the disk becomes more complicated. It depends not only on the rotation direction of the black hole and the orbit particles, but also on the sign of the difference between the deformed parameter ε and a certain critical value ε c . These significant features in the mass accretion process may provide a possibility to test the no-hair theorem in the strong-field regime in future astronomical observations.

Screening in weakly ionized dusty plasmas; effect of dust density perturbations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tolias, P.; Ratynskaia, S.

2013-01-01

The screening of the charge of a non-emitting dust grain immersed in a weakly ionized dusty plasma is studied on the basis of a self-consistent hydrodynamic description. The dust number density is considered large enough so that the test grain is not isolated from other grains and dust collective effects are important. Not only dust charge perturbations but also dust density perturbations are taken into account, the latter are shown to have a strong effect on both the short and long range part of the potential. The realization of collective attraction via the newly obtained potential is discussed, a mechanism that could be central to the understanding of phase-transitions and self-organization processes in dusty plasmas.

Production of low-density plasma by coaxially segmented rf discharge for void-free dusty cloud in microgravity experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzukawa, Wataru; Ikada, Reijiro; Tanaka, Yasuhiro; Iizuka, Satoru

2006-01-01

A technique is presented for producing a low density plasma by introducing a coaxially segmented parallel-plate radio-frequency discharge for void-free dusty-cloud formation. Main plasma for the dusty plasma experiment is produced in a central core part of the parallel-plate discharge, while a plasma for igniting the core plasma discharge is produced in the periphery region surrounding the core plasma. The core plasma density can be markedly decreased to reduce the ion drag force, which is important for a formation of void-free dusty cloud under microgravity

Jet creation in post-AGB binaries: the circum-companion accretion disk around BD+46°442

Science.gov (United States)

Bollen, Dylan; Van Winckel, Hans; Kamath, Devika

2017-11-01

Aims: We aim at describing and understanding binary interaction processes in systems with very evolved companions. Here, we focus on understanding the origin and determining the properties of the high-velocity outflow observed in one such system. Methods: We present a quantitative analysis of BD+46°442, a post-AGB binary that shows active mass transfer that leads to the creation of a disk-driven outflow or jet. We obtained high-resolution optical spectra from the HERMES spectrograph, mounted on the 1.2 m Flemish Mercator Telescope. By performing a time-series analysis of the Hα profile, we identified the different components of the system. We deduced the jet geometry by comparing the orbital phased data with our jet model. In order to image the accretion disk around the companion of BD+46°442, we applied the technique of Doppler tomography. Results: The orbital phase-dependent variations in the Hα profile can be related to an accretion disk around the companion, from which a high-velocity outflow or jet is launched. Our model shows that there is a clear correlation between the inclination angle and the jet opening angle. The latitudinally dependent velocity structure of our jet model shows a good correspondence to the data, with outflow velocities higher than at least 400 km s-1. The intensity peak in the Doppler map might be partly caused by a hot spot in the disk, or by a larger asymmetrical structure in the disk. Conclusions: We show that BD+46°442 is a result of a binary interaction channel. The origin of the fast outflow in this system might be to a gaseous disk around the secondary component, which is most likely a main-sequence star. Our analysis suggests that the outflow has a rather wide opening angle and is not strongly collimated. Our time-resolved spectral monitoring reveals the launching site of the jet in the binary BD+46°442. Similar orbital phase-dependent Hα profiles are commonly observed in post-AGB binaries. Post-AGB binaries provide ideal

Viscosity of two-dimensional strongly coupled dusty plasma modified by a perpendicular magnetic field

Science.gov (United States)

Feng, Yan; Lin, Wei; Murillo, M. S.

2017-11-01

Transport properties of two-dimensional (2D) strongly coupled dusty plasmas have been investigated in detail, but never for viscosity with a strong perpendicular magnetic field; here, we examine this scenario using Langevin dynamics simulations of 2D liquids with a binary Yukawa interparticle interaction. The shear viscosity η of 2D liquid dusty plasma is estimated from the simulation data using the Green-Kubo relation, which is the integration of the shear stress autocorrelation function. It is found that, when a perpendicular magnetic field is applied, the shear viscosity of 2D liquid dusty plasma is modified substantially. When the magnetic field is increased, its viscosity increases at low temperatures, while at high temperatures its viscosity diminishes. It is determined that these different variational trends of η arise from the different behaviors of the kinetic and potential parts of the shear stress under external magnetic fields.

Simulation of kinetic processes in the nuclear-excited helium non-ideal dusty plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Budnik, A.P.; Kosarev, V.A.; Rykov, V.A.; Fortov, V.E.; Vladimirov, V.I.; Deputatova, L.V.

2009-01-01

The paper is devoted to the studying of kinetic processes in the nuclear-excited plasma of the helium gas with the fine uranium (or its chemical compounds) particles admixture. A new theoretical model for the mathematical simulation of the kinetic processes in dusty plasma of helium gas was developed. The main goal of this investigation is to determine possibilities of a creation of non-ideal dusty plasma, containing nano- and micro-particles, and excited by fission fragments (copyright 2009 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim) (orig.)

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.

Contribution to the study of perturbed planetary and protoplanetary disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Charnoz, Sebastien

2000-01-01

We studied some dynamical and photometric aspects of perturbed planetary and protoplanetary disks. In the first part of this work, using simple numerical models, the thermodynamic evolution of a colliding planetesimal disk perturbed by a giant planet core was studied. As soon as a giant planet embryo (- 15 earth masses) appears, a heat transfer is triggered in the disk, increasing strongly random velocities over a few astronomical units. The long term evolution of this transitory mechanism was investigated as well as its dependence to the perturber's mass. This is a generic mechanism that may have played an important role during the accretion of both terrestrial and giant planet embryos. Consequences concerning the origin of the Asteroid Belt are discussed, as well as the effect of fragmentation that could not been considered, because of numerical limitations. The second part of this work is a photometric study of Saturn's F ring, that is perturbed by its two nearby shepherding satellites. A 300 images data set, obtained at CFH telescope, was used. We put in evidence the presence of some elongated structures in the F ring, which origin is still a matter of debate. By combining our data set with some other spatial telescope images, new accurate orbital solutions for the F ring were derived, yielding a new radius of 140060 Angstroms ±60 km, that is 150 km smaller than the orbit derived in 1980-81. This may be the sign that the F ring suffered an important radial re-structuration during the last twenty years, which possible cause is also discussed. (author) [fr

Evolution of Spin, Orbital, and Superorbital Modulations of 4U 0114+650

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Chin-Ping; Ng, C.-Y.; Chou, Yi; Lin, Lupin Chun-Che; Yen, David Chien-Chang

2017-01-01

We report a systematic analysis of the spin, orbital, and superorbital modulations of 4U 0114+650, a high-mass X-ray binary that consists of one of the slowest spinning neutron stars. Using the dynamic power spectrum, we found that the spin period varied dramatically and is anticorrelated with the long-term X-ray flux variation that can be observed using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer ASM, Swift BAT, and the Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image. The spin-up rate over the entire data set is consistent with previously reported values; however, the local spin-up rate is considerably higher. The corresponding local spin-up timescale is comparable to the local spin-up rate of OAO 1657−415, indicating that 4U 0114+650 could also have a transient disk. Moreover, the spin period evolution shows two ∼1000-day spin-down/random-walk epochs that appeared together with depressions of the superorbital modulation amplitude. This implies that the superorbital modulation was closely related to the presence of the accretion disk, which is not favored in the spin-down/random-walk epochs because the accretion is dominated by the direct wind accretion. The orbital period is stable during the entire time span; however, the orbital profile significantly changes with time. We found that the depth of the dip near the inferior conjunction of the companion is highly variable, which disfavors the eclipsing scenario. Moreover, the dip was less obvious during the spin-down/random-walk epochs, indicating its correlation with the accretion disk. Further monitoring in both X-ray and optical bands could reveal the establishment of the accretion disk in this system.

Evolution of Spin, Orbital, and Superorbital Modulations of 4U 0114+650

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Chin-Ping; Chou, Yi; Ng, C.-Y.; Lin, Lupin Chun-Che; Yen, David Chien-Chang

2017-07-01

We report a systematic analysis of the spin, orbital, and superorbital modulations of 4U 0114+650, a high-mass X-ray binary that consists of one of the slowest spinning neutron stars. Using the dynamic power spectrum, we found that the spin period varied dramatically and is anticorrelated with the long-term X-ray flux variation that can be observed using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer ASM, Swift BAT, and the Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image. The spin-up rate over the entire data set is consistent with previously reported values; however, the local spin-up rate is considerably higher. The corresponding local spin-up timescale is comparable to the local spin-up rate of OAO 1657-415, indicating that 4U 0114+650 could also have a transient disk. Moreover, the spin period evolution shows two ˜1000-day spin-down/random-walk epochs that appeared together with depressions of the superorbital modulation amplitude. This implies that the superorbital modulation was closely related to the presence of the accretion disk, which is not favored in the spin-down/random-walk epochs because the accretion is dominated by the direct wind accretion. The orbital period is stable during the entire time span; however, the orbital profile significantly changes with time. We found that the depth of the dip near the inferior conjunction of the companion is highly variable, which disfavors the eclipsing scenario. Moreover, the dip was less obvious during the spin-down/random-walk epochs, indicating its correlation with the accretion disk. Further monitoring in both X-ray and optical bands could reveal the establishment of the accretion disk in this system.

Evolution of Spin, Orbital, and Superorbital Modulations of 4U 0114+650

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Chin-Ping; Ng, C.-Y. [Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road (Hong Kong); Chou, Yi [Graduate Institute of Astronomy, National Central University, Jhongli 32001, Taiwan (China); Lin, Lupin Chun-Che [Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Academia Sinica, Taiwan (China); Yen, David Chien-Chang, E-mail: cphu@hku.hk [Department of Mathematics, Fu Jen Catholic University, New Taipei City 24205, Taiwan (China)

2017-07-20

We report a systematic analysis of the spin, orbital, and superorbital modulations of 4U 0114+650, a high-mass X-ray binary that consists of one of the slowest spinning neutron stars. Using the dynamic power spectrum, we found that the spin period varied dramatically and is anticorrelated with the long-term X-ray flux variation that can be observed using the Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer ASM, Swift BAT, and the Monitor of All-sky X-ray Image. The spin-up rate over the entire data set is consistent with previously reported values; however, the local spin-up rate is considerably higher. The corresponding local spin-up timescale is comparable to the local spin-up rate of OAO 1657−415, indicating that 4U 0114+650 could also have a transient disk. Moreover, the spin period evolution shows two ∼1000-day spin-down/random-walk epochs that appeared together with depressions of the superorbital modulation amplitude. This implies that the superorbital modulation was closely related to the presence of the accretion disk, which is not favored in the spin-down/random-walk epochs because the accretion is dominated by the direct wind accretion. The orbital period is stable during the entire time span; however, the orbital profile significantly changes with time. We found that the depth of the dip near the inferior conjunction of the companion is highly variable, which disfavors the eclipsing scenario. Moreover, the dip was less obvious during the spin-down/random-walk epochs, indicating its correlation with the accretion disk. Further monitoring in both X-ray and optical bands could reveal the establishment of the accretion disk in this system.

THE ORBIT OF THE ORPHAN STREAM

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Newberg, Heidi Jo; Willett, Benjamin A.; Yanny, Brian; Xu Yan

2010-01-01

We use recent Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Exploration (SEGUE) spectroscopy and the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and SEGUE imaging data to measure the sky position, distance, and radial velocities of stars in the tidal debris stream that is commonly referred to as the 'Orphan Stream'. We fit orbital parameters to the data and find a prograde orbit with an apogalacticon, perigalacticon, and eccentricity of 90 kpc, 16.4 kpc, and e = 0.7, respectively. Neither the dwarf galaxy UMa II nor the Complex A gas cloud has velocities consistent with a kinematic association with the Orphan Stream. It is possible that Segue-1 is associated with the Orphan Stream, but no other known Galactic clusters or dwarf galaxies in the Milky Way lie along its orbit. The detected portion of the stream ranges from 19 to 47 kpc from the Sun and is an indicator of the mass interior to these distances. There is a marked increase in the density of Orphan Stream stars near (l, b) = (253 0 , 49 0 ), which could indicate the presence of the progenitor at the edge of the SDSS data. If this is the progenitor, then the detected portion of the Orphan Stream is a leading tidal tail. We find blue horizontal branch (BHB) stars and F turnoff stars associated with the Orphan Stream. The turnoff color is (g - r) 0 = 0.22. The BHB stars have a low metallicity of [Fe/H] WBG = -2.1. The orbit is best fit to a halo potential with a halo plus disk mass of about 2.6 x 10 11 M sun , integrated to 60 kpc from the Galactic center. Our fits are done to orbits rather than full N-body simulations; we show that if N-body simulations are used, the inferred mass of the galaxy would be slightly smaller. Our best fit is found with a logarithmic halo speed of v halo = 73 ± 24 km s -1 , a disk+bulge mass of M(R 11 M sun , and a halo mass of M(R 11 M sun . However, we can find similar fits to the data that use a Navarro-Frenk-White halo profile or that have smaller disk masses and correspondingly larger

Ion streaming instability in a quantum dusty magnetoplasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shukla, Nitin; Shukla, P. K.; Brodin, G.; Stenflo, L.

2008-01-01

It is shown that a relative drift between the ions and the charged dust particles in a magnetized quantum dusty plasma can produce an oscillatory instability in a quantum dust acousticlike wave. The threshold and growth rate of the instability are presented. The result may explain the origin of low-frequency electrostatic fluctuations in semiconductors quantum wells

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.

Cylindrical and spherical dust-acoustic wave modulations in dusty ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. The nonlinear wave modulation of planar and non-planar (cylindrical and spherical) dust-acoustic waves (DAW) propagating in dusty plasmas, in the presence of non-extensive distribu- tions for ions and electrons is investigated. By employing multiple scales technique, a cylindrically and spherically modified ...

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.

The effect of dust size distribution on the damping of the solitary waves in a dusty plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Xue; Xu, Yan-Xia; Qi, Xin; Wang, Cang-Long; Duan, Wen-Shan; Yang, Lei

2013-01-01

The effect of the dust size distribution on the damping rate of the solitary wave in a dusty plasma is investigated in the present paper. It is found that the damping rate increases as either the mean radius of dust grains increases or as the total number density of the dust grains increases. The damping rate is less for usual dusty plasma (about which the number density of the smaller dust grains is larger than that of the larger dust grains) than that of the unusual dusty plasma (about which the number density of the larger dust grains is larger than that of the smaller dust grains)

New aspects of the Jeans instability in dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verheest, Frank; Hellberg, Manfred A; Mace, Richard L

1998-01-01

In contrast to a gas, a dusty plasma can support a variety of wave modes each in principle able to impart to the dust grains the randomizing energy necessary to avoid Jeans collapse on some length scale. Consequently, the stability to Jeans collapse is more complex in a dusty plasma than it is for a charge-neutral gas. After recalling some of the fundamental ideas related to the ordinary Jeans instability in neutral gases, we will extend the discussion to plasmas containing charged dust grains. Besides the usual Jeans criterion based upon thermal agitation, various other ways of countering the gravitational collapse can be considered. One is via excitation of electrostatic dust-acoustic modes, the other via novel Alfven-Jeans instabilities for perpendicularly propagating electromagnetic waves on the extraordinary mode branch. The wavelengths that are unstable are modified due to the presence of a magnetic field and of charged particles. These mechanisms yield different minimum threshold length scales for the onset of instability/condensation

Spin relaxation in InGaN quantum disks in GaN nanowires

KAUST Repository

Banerjee, Animesh; Dog,; Heo, Junseok; Manchon, Aurelien; Guo, Wei; Bhattacharya, Pallab K.

2011-01-01

The spin relaxation time of photoinduced conduction electrons has been measured in InGaN quantum disks in GaN nanowires as a function of temperature and In composition in the disks. The relaxation times are of the order of ∼100 ps at 300 K and are weakly dependent on temperature. Theoretical considerations show that the Elliott-Yafet scattering mechanism is essentially absent in these materials and the results are interpreted in terms of the D'yakonov-Perel' relaxation mechanism in the presence of Rashba spin-orbit coupling of the wurtzite structure. The calculated spin relaxation times are in good agreement with the measured values. © 2011 American Chemical Society.

Spin relaxation in InGaN quantum disks in GaN nanowires

KAUST Repository

Banerjee, Animesh

2011-12-14

The spin relaxation time of photoinduced conduction electrons has been measured in InGaN quantum disks in GaN nanowires as a function of temperature and In composition in the disks. The relaxation times are of the order of ∼100 ps at 300 K and are weakly dependent on temperature. Theoretical considerations show that the Elliott-Yafet scattering mechanism is essentially absent in these materials and the results are interpreted in terms of the D\\'yakonov-Perel\\' relaxation mechanism in the presence of Rashba spin-orbit coupling of the wurtzite structure. The calculated spin relaxation times are in good agreement with the measured values. © 2011 American Chemical Society.

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;

Streaming instabilities in a collisional dusty plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamun, A. A.; Shukla, P. K.

2000-01-01

A pair of low-frequency electrostatic modes, which are very similar to those experimentally observed by Praburam and Goree [Phys. Plasmas 3, 1212 (1996)], are found to exist in a dusty plasma with a significant background neutral pressure and background ion streaming. One of these two modes is the dust-acoustic mode and the other one is a new mode which is due to the combined effects of the ion streaming and ion--neutral collisions. It has been shown that in the absence of the ion streaming, the dust-acoustic mode is damped due to the combined effects of the ion--neutral and dust--neutral collisions and the electron--ion recombination onto the dust grain surface. This result disagrees with Kaw and Singh [Phys. Rev. Lett. 79, 423 (1997)], who reported collisional instability of the dust-acoustic mode in such a dusty plasma. It has also been found that a streaming instability with the growth rate of the order of the dust plasma frequency is triggered when the background ion streaming speed relative to the charged dust particles is comparable or higher than the ion--thermal speed. This point completely agrees with Rosenberg [J. Vac. Soc. Technol. A 14, 631 (1996)

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.

Nonlinear propagation of dust-acoustic solitary waves in a dusty ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

component unmag- netized dusty plasma consisting of trapped electrons, Maxwellian ions, and arbitrarily charged cold mobile dust was done. It has been found that, owing to the departure from the Maxwellian elec- tron distribution to a vortex-like ...

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.

General relativistic razor-thin disks with magnetically polarized matter

Science.gov (United States)

Navarro-Noguera, Anamaría; Lora-Clavijo, F. D.; González, Guillermo A.

2018-06-01

The origin of magnetic fields in the universe still remains unknown and constitutes one of the most intriguing questions in astronomy and astrophysics. Their significance is enormous since they have a strong influence on many astrophysical phenomena. In regards of this motivation, theoretical models of galactic disks with sources of magnetic field may contribute to understand the physics behind them. Inspired by this, we present a new family of analytical models for thin disks composed by magnetized material. The solutions are axially symmetric, conformastatic and are obtained by solving the Einstein-Maxwell Field Equations for continuum media without the test field approximation, and assuming that the sources are razor-thin disk of magnetically polarized matter. We find analytical expressions for the surface energy density, the pressure, the polarization vector, the electromagnetic fields, the mass and the rotational velocity for circular orbits, for two particular solutions. In each case, the energy-momentum tensor agrees with the energy conditions and also the convergence of the mass for all the solutions is proved. Since the solutions are well-behaved, they may be used to model astrophysical thin disks, and also may contribute as initial data in numerical simulations. In addition, the process to obtain the solutions is described in detail, which may be used as a guide to find solutions with magnetized material in General Relativity.

The Kepler Dichotomy in Planetary Disks: Linking Kepler Observables to Simulations of Late-stage Planet Formation

Science.gov (United States)

Moriarty, John; Ballard, Sarah

2016-11-01

NASA’s Kepler Mission uncovered a wealth of planetary systems, many with planets on short-period orbits. These short-period systems reside around 50% of Sun-like stars and are similarly prevalent around M dwarfs. Their formation and subsequent evolution is the subject of active debate. In this paper, we simulate late-stage, in situ planet formation across a grid of planetesimal disks with varying surface density profiles and total mass. We compare simulation results with observable characteristics of the Kepler sample. We identify mixture models with different primordial planetesimal disk properties that self-consistently recover the multiplicity, radius, period and period ratio, and duration ratio distributions of the Kepler planets. We draw three main conclusions. (1) We favor a “frozen-in” narrative for systems of short-period planets, in which they are stable over long timescales, as opposed to metastable. (2) The “Kepler dichotomy,” an observed phenomenon of the Kepler sample wherein the architectures of planetary systems appear to either vary significantly or have multiple modes, can naturally be explained by formation within planetesimal disks with varying surface density profiles. Finally, (3) we quantify the nature of the “Kepler dichotomy” for both GK stars and M dwarfs, and find that it varies with stellar type. While the mode of planet formation that accounts for high multiplicity systems occurs in 24% ± 7% of planetary systems orbiting GK stars, it occurs in 63% ± 16% of planetary systems orbiting M dwarfs.

Orbital Signatures from Observed Light Curves of Blazars

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

2016-01-27

Jan 27, 2016 ... Variability in active galactic nuclei is observed in UV to X-ray emission based light curves. This could be attributed to orbital signatures of the plasma that constitutes the accretion flow on the putative disk or in the developing jet close to the inner region of the central black hole. We discuss some theoretical ...

Terrestrial planet formation in a protoplanetary disk with a local mass depletion: A successful scenario for the formation of Mars

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Izidoro, A.; Winter, O. C. [UNESP, Univ. Estadual Paulista - Grupo de Dinâmica Orbital and Planetologia, Guaratinguetá, CEP 12.516-410, São Paulo (Brazil); Haghighipour, N. [Institute for Astronomy and NASA Astrobiology Institute, University of Hawaii-Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822 (United States); Tsuchida, M., E-mail: izidoro@feg.unesp.br, E-mail: nader@ifa.hawaii.edu [UNESP, Univ. Estadual Paulista, DCCE-IBILCE, São José do Rio Preto, CEP 15.054-000, São Paulo (Brazil)

2014-02-10

Models of terrestrial planet formation for our solar system have been successful in producing planets with masses and orbits similar to those of Venus and Earth. However, these models have generally failed to produce Mars-sized objects around 1.5 AU. The body that is usually formed around Mars' semimajor axis is, in general, much more massive than Mars. Only when Jupiter and Saturn are assumed to have initially very eccentric orbits (e ∼ 0.1), which seems fairly unlikely for the solar system, or alternately, if the protoplanetary disk is truncated at 1.0 AU, simulations have been able to produce Mars-like bodies in the correct location. In this paper, we examine an alternative scenario for the formation of Mars in which a local depletion in the density of the protosolar nebula results in a non-uniform formation of planetary embryos and ultimately the formation of Mars-sized planets around 1.5 AU. We have carried out extensive numerical simulations of the formation of terrestrial planets in such a disk for different scales of the local density depletion, and for different orbital configurations of the giant planets. Our simulations point to the possibility of the formation of Mars-sized bodies around 1.5 AU, specifically when the scale of the disk local mass-depletion is moderately high (50%-75%) and Jupiter and Saturn are initially in their current orbits. In these systems, Mars-analogs are formed from the protoplanetary materials that originate in the regions of disk interior or exterior to the local mass-depletion. Results also indicate that Earth-sized planets can form around 1 AU with a substantial amount of water accreted via primitive water-rich planetesimals and planetary embryos. We present the results of our study and discuss their implications for the formation of terrestrial planets in our solar system.

FROM THE CONVERGENCE OF FILAMENTS TO DISK-OUTFLOW ACCRETION: MASSIVE STAR FORMATION IN W33A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galvan-Madrid, Roberto; Zhang Qizhou; Keto, Eric; Ho, Paul T. P.; Pineda, Jaime E.; Zapata, Luis A.; RodrIguez, Luis F.; Vazquez-Semadeni, Enrique

2010-01-01

Interferometric observations of the W33A massive star formation region, performed with the Submillimeter Array and the Very Large Array at resolutions from 5'' (0.1 pc) to 0.''5 (0.01 pc), are presented. Our three main findings are: (1) parsec-scale, filamentary structures of cold molecular gas are detected. Two filaments at different velocities intersect in the zone where the star formation is occurring. This is consistent with triggering of the star formation activity by the convergence of such filaments, as predicted by numerical simulations of star formation initiated by converging flows. (2) The two dusty cores (MM1 and MM2) at the intersection of the filaments are found to be at different evolutionary stages, and each of them is resolved into multiple condensations. MM1 and MM2 have markedly different temperatures, continuum spectral indices, molecular-line spectra, and masses of both stars and gas. (3) The dynamics of the 'hot-core' MM1 indicates the presence of a rotating disk in its center (MM1-Main) around a faint free-free source. The stellar mass is estimated to be ∼10 M sun . A massive molecular outflow is observed along the rotation axis of the disk.

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...

Infrared study of new star cluster candidates associated to dusty globules

Science.gov (United States)

Soto King, P.; Barbá, R.; Roman-Lopes, A.; Jaque, M.; Firpo, V.; Nilo, J. L.; Soto, M.; Minniti, D.

2014-10-01

We present results from a study of a sample of small star clusters associated to dusty globules and bright-rimmed clouds that have been observed under ESO/Chile public infrared survey Vista Variables in the Vía Láctea (VVV). In this short communication, we analyse the near-infrared properties of a set of four small clusters candidates associated to dark clouds. This sample of clusters associated to dusty globules are selected from the new VVV stellar cluster candidates developed by members of La Serena VVV Group (Barbá et al. 2014). Firstly, we are producing color-color and color-magnitude diagrams for both, cluster candidates and surrounding areas for comparison through PSF photometry. The cluster positions are determined from the morphology on the images and also from the comparison of the observed luminosity function for the cluster candidates and the surrounding star fields. Now, we are working in the procedures to establish the full sample of clusters to be analyzed and methods for subtraction of the star field contamination. These clusters associated to dusty globules are simple laboratories to study the star formation relatively free of the influence of large star-forming regions and populous clusters, and they will be compared with those clusters associated to bright-rimmed globules, which are influenced by the energetic action of nearby O and B massive stars.

ISO science - observations of dusty discs.

Science.gov (United States)

Heske, A.

1992-12-01

ISO, the Infrared Space Observatory, will be an infrared observing facility in space. Via submission of observing proposals, use of this facility will be open to the astronomical community. The scientific payload consists of two spectrometers, a camera and a photo-polarimeter. Following an overview of the ISO mission, this paper describes the highlights of the Central Programme - proposals which are being prepared by the instrument groups, the mission scientists and the astronomers of the ISO Science Operations Team - with special emphasis on the proposals concerned with dusty discs.

Disk-galaxy density distribution from orbital speeds using Newton's law

OpenAIRE

Nicholson, Kenneth F.

2000-01-01

Given the dimensions (including thickness) of an axisymmetric galaxy, Newton's law is used in integral form to find the density distributions required to match a wide range of orbital speed profiles. Newton's law is not modified and no dark matter halos are required. The speed distributiions can have extreme shapes if they are reasonably smooth. Several examples are given.

Collisional dynamics of perturbed particle disks in the solar system. Annual technical progress report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roberts, W.W.; Stewart, G.R.

1987-03-01

Investigations of the collisional evolution of particulate disks subject to the gravitational perturbation of a more massive particle orbiting within the disk are underway. Both numerical N-body simulations using a novel collision algorithm and analytical kinetic theory are being employed to extend our understanding of perturbed disks in planetary rings and during the formation of the solar system. Particular problems proposed for investigation are: (1) The development and testing of general criteria for a small moonlet to clear a gap and produce observable morphological features in planetary rings; (2) The development of detailed models of collisional damping of the wavy edges observed on the Encke division of Saturn's A ring; and (3) The determination of the extent of runaway growth of the few largest planetesimals during the early stages of planetary accretion

Globular Clusters: Absolute Proper Motions and Galactic Orbits

Science.gov (United States)

Chemel, A. A.; Glushkova, E. V.; Dambis, A. K.; Rastorguev, A. S.; Yalyalieva, L. N.; Klinichev, A. D.

2018-04-01

We cross-match objects from several different astronomical catalogs to determine the absolute proper motions of stars within the 30-arcmin radius fields of 115 Milky-Way globular clusters with the accuracy of 1-2 mas yr-1. The proper motions are based on positional data recovered from the USNO-B1, 2MASS, URAT1, ALLWISE, UCAC5, and Gaia DR1 surveys with up to ten positions spanning an epoch difference of up to about 65 years, and reduced to Gaia DR1 TGAS frame using UCAC5 as the reference catalog. Cluster members are photometrically identified by selecting horizontal- and red-giant branch stars on color-magnitude diagrams, and the mean absolute proper motions of the clusters with a typical formal error of about 0.4 mas yr-1 are computed by averaging the proper motions of selected members. The inferred absolute proper motions of clusters are combined with available radial-velocity data and heliocentric distance estimates to compute the cluster orbits in terms of the Galactic potential models based on Miyamoto and Nagai disk, Hernquist spheroid, and modified isothermal dark-matter halo (axisymmetric model without a bar) and the same model + rotating Ferre's bar (non-axisymmetric). Five distant clusters have higher-than-escape velocities, most likely due to large errors of computed transversal velocities, whereas the computed orbits of all other clusters remain bound to the Galaxy. Unlike previously published results, we find the bar to affect substantially the orbits of most of the clusters, even those at large Galactocentric distances, bringing appreciable chaotization, especially in the portions of the orbits close to the Galactic center, and stretching out the orbits of some of the thick-disk clusters.

Effects of dust grain charge fluctuation on obliquely propagating dust-acoustic potential in magnetized dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamun, A.A.; Hassan, M.H.A.

1999-05-01

Effects of dust grain charge fluctuation, obliqueness and external magnetic field on finite amplitude dust-acoustic solitary potential in a magnetized dusty plasma, consisting of electrons, ions and charge fluctuating dust grains, have been investigated by the reductive perturbation method. It has been shown that such a magnetized dusty plasma system may support dust-acoustic solitary potential on a very slow time scale involving the motion of dust grains, whose charge is self-consistently determined by local electron and ion currents. The effects of dust grain charge fluctuation, external magnetic field and obliqueness are found to modify the properties of this dust-acoustic solitary potential significantly. The implications of these results to some space and astrophysical dusty plasma systems, especially to planetary ring-systems and cometary tails, are briefly mentioned. (author)

Arbitrary amplitude dust-acoustic solitary structures in a three-component dusty plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamun, A.A.

1999-07-01

A rigorous theoretical investigation has been made of arbitrary amplitude dust-acoustic solitary structures in an unmagnetized three-component dusty plasma whose constituents are an inertial charged dust fluid and Boltzmann distributed ions and electrons. The pseudo-potential approach and the reductive perturbation technique are employed for this study. It is found from both weakly and highly nonlinear analyses that the dusty plasma model can support solitary waves only with negative potential but not with positive potential. The effects of equilibrium free electron density and its temperature on these solitary structures are discussed. The implications of these results to some astrophysical and space plasma systems, especially to planetary ring-systems and cometary tails, are briefly mentioned. (author)

Shedding light on the eccentricity valley: Gap heating and eccentricity excitation of giant planets in protoplanetary disks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsang, David; Cumming, Andrew; Turner, Neal J.

2014-01-01

We show that the first order (non-co-orbital) corotation torques are significantly modified by entropy gradients in a non-barotropic protoplanetary disk. Such non-barotropic torques can dramatically alter the balance that, for barotropic cases, results in the net eccentricity damping for giant gap-clearing planets embedded in the disk. We demonstrate that stellar illumination can heat the gap enough for the planet's orbital eccentricity to instead be excited. We also discuss the 'Eccentricity Valley' noted in the known exoplanet population, where low-metallicity stars have a deficit of eccentric planets between ∼0.1 and ∼1 AU compared to metal-rich systems. We show that this feature in the planet distribution may be due to the self-shadowing of the disk by a rim located at the dust sublimation radius ∼0.1 AU, which is known to exist for several T Tauri systems. In the shadowed region between ∼0.1 and ∼1 AU, lack of gap insolation allows disk interactions to damp eccentricity. Outside such shadowed regions stellar illumination can heat the planetary gaps and drive eccentricity growth for giant planets. We suggest that the self-shadowing does not arise at higher metallicity due to the increased optical depth of the gas interior to the dust sublimation radius.

Shedding light on the eccentricity valley: Gap heating and eccentricity excitation of giant planets in protoplanetary disks

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsang, David; Cumming, Andrew [Department of Physics, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 2T8 (Canada); Turner, Neal J., E-mail: dtsang@physics.mcgill.ca [Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States)

2014-02-20

We show that the first order (non-co-orbital) corotation torques are significantly modified by entropy gradients in a non-barotropic protoplanetary disk. Such non-barotropic torques can dramatically alter the balance that, for barotropic cases, results in the net eccentricity damping for giant gap-clearing planets embedded in the disk. We demonstrate that stellar illumination can heat the gap enough for the planet's orbital eccentricity to instead be excited. We also discuss the 'Eccentricity Valley' noted in the known exoplanet population, where low-metallicity stars have a deficit of eccentric planets between ∼0.1 and ∼1 AU compared to metal-rich systems. We show that this feature in the planet distribution may be due to the self-shadowing of the disk by a rim located at the dust sublimation radius ∼0.1 AU, which is known to exist for several T Tauri systems. In the shadowed region between ∼0.1 and ∼1 AU, lack of gap insolation allows disk interactions to damp eccentricity. Outside such shadowed regions stellar illumination can heat the planetary gaps and drive eccentricity growth for giant planets. We suggest that the self-shadowing does not arise at higher metallicity due to the increased optical depth of the gas interior to the dust sublimation radius.

Formation of Neutral Disk-Like Zone Around the Active Hot Stars in Symbiotic Binaries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cariková Z.

2012-06-01

Full Text Available In this contribution we present the ionization structure in the enhanced wind from the hot star in symbiotic binaries during active phases. Rotation of the hot star leads to the compression of the outflowing material towards its equatorial plane. As a result, a neutral disk-like zone around the active hot star near the orbital plane is created. We modeled the compression of the wind and calculated the neutral disk-like zone in the enhanced wind from the hot star using the equation of the photoionization equilibrium. the presence of such neutral disk-like zones was also suggested on the basis of the modeling the spectral energy distribution of symbiotic binaries. We confront the calculated ionization structures in the enhanced wind from the hot star with the observations. the calculated column density of the neutral hydrogen atoms in the neutral disk-like zone and the emission measure of the ionized part of the wind from the hot star are in a good agreement with the quantities derived from observations during active phases. the presence of such neutral disk-like zones is transient, being connected with the active phases of symbiotic binaries. During quiescent phases, such neutral disk-like zones cannot be created because of insufficient mass-loss rate from the hot star.

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.

Jeans instability in a quantum dusty magnetoplasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salimullah, M.; Jamil, M.; Shah, H. A.; Murtaza, G.

2009-01-01

Jeans instability in a homogeneous cold quantum dusty plasma in the presence of the ambient magnetic field and the quantum effect arising through the Bohm potential has been examined using the quantum magnetohydrodynamic model. It is found that the Jeans instability is significantly reduced by the presence of the dust-lower-hybrid wave and the ion quantum effect. The minimum wavenumber for Jeans stability depends clearly on ion quantum effect and the dust-lower-hybrid frequency also.

Fast and Slow Precession of Gaseous Debris Disks around Planet-accreting White Dwarfs

Science.gov (United States)

Miranda, Ryan; Rafikov, Roman R.

2018-04-01

Spectroscopic observations of some metal-rich white dwarfs (WDs), believed to be polluted by planetary material, reveal the presence of compact gaseous metallic disks orbiting them. The observed variability of asymmetric, double-peaked emission-line profiles in about half of such systems could be interpreted as the signature of precession of an eccentric gaseous debris disk. The variability timescales—from decades down to 1.4 year (recently inferred for the debris disk around HE 1349–2305)—are in rough agreement with the rate of general relativistic (GR) precession in the test-particle limit. However, it has not been demonstrated that this mechanism can drive such a fast, coherent precession of a radially extended (out to 1 {R}ȯ ) gaseous disk mediated by internal stresses (pressure). Here, we use the linear theory of eccentricity evolution in hydrodynamic disks to determine several key properties of eccentric modes in gaseous debris disks around WDs. We find a critical dependence of both the precession period and radial eccentricity distribution of the modes on the inner disk radius, r in. For small inner radii, {r}in}≲ (0.2{--}0.4) {R}ȯ , the modes are GR-driven, with periods of ≈1–10 year. For {r}in}≳ (0.2{--}0.4) {R}ȯ , the modes are pressure dominated, with periods of ≈3–20 year. Correspondence between the variability periods and inferred inner radii of the observed disks is in general agreement with this trend. In particular, the short period of HE 1349–2305 is consistent with its small r in. Circum-WD debris disks may thus serve as natural laboratories for studying the evolution of eccentric gaseous disks.

Constraining the Physics of AM Canum Venaticorum Systems with the Accretion Disk Instability Model

Science.gov (United States)

Cannizzo, John K.; Nelemans, Gijs

2015-01-01

Recent work by Levitan et al. has expanded the long-term photometric database for AM CVn stars. In particular, their outburst properties are well correlated with orbital period and allow constraints to be placed on the secular mass transfer rate between secondary and primary if one adopts the disk instability model for the outbursts. We use the observed range of outbursting behavior for AM CVn systems as a function of orbital period to place a constraint on mass transfer rate versus orbital period. We infer a rate approximately 5 x 10(exp -9) solar mass yr(exp -1) ((P(sub orb)/1000 s)(exp -5.2)). We show that the functional form so obtained is consistent with the recurrence time-orbital period relation found by Levitan et al. using a simple theory for the recurrence time. Also, we predict that their steep dependence of outburst duration on orbital period will flatten considerably once the longer orbital period systems have more complete observations.

Large-scale dynamo of accretion disks around supermassive nonrotating black holes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Poplavsky A.L.

2006-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper one presents an analytical model of accretion disk magnetosphere dynamics around supermassive nonrotating black holes in the centers of active galactic nuclei. Based on general relativistic equations of magneto hydrodynamics, the nonstationary solutions for time-dependent dynamo action in the accretion disks, spatial and temporal distribution of magnetic field are found. It is shown that there are two distinct stages of dynamo process: the transient and the steady-state regimes, the induction of magnetic field at t > 6:6665 x 1011GM/c3 s becomes stationary, magnetic field is located near the innermost stable circular orbit, and its value rises up to ~ 105 G. Applications of such systems with nonrotating black holes in real active galactic nuclei are discussed.

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.

Vacuum birefringence and the x-ray polarization from black-hole accretion disks

Science.gov (United States)

Caiazzo, Ilaria; Heyl, Jeremy

2018-04-01

In the next decade, x-ray polarimetry will open a new window on the high-energy Universe, as several missions that include an x-ray polarimeter are currently under development. Observations of the polarization of x rays coming from the accretion disks of stellar-mass and supermassive black holes are among the new polarimeters' major objectives. In this paper, we show that these observations can be affected by the quantum electrodynamic (QED) effect of vacuum birefringence: after an x-ray photon is emitted from the accretion disk, its polarization changes as the photon travels through the accretion disk's magnetosphere, as a result of the vacuum becoming birefringent in the presence of a magnetic field. We show that this effect can be important for black holes in the energy band of the upcoming polarimeters and has to be taken into account in a complete model of the x-ray polarization that we expect to detect from black-hole accretion disks, both for stellar mass and for supermassive black holes. We find that, for a chaotic magnetic field in the disk, QED can significantly decrease the linear polarization fraction of edge-on photons, depending on the spin of the hole and on the strength of the magnetic field. This effect can provide, for the first time, a direct way to probe the magnetic field strength close to the innermost stable orbit of black-hole accretion disks and to study the role of magnetic fields in astrophysical accretion in general.

Evolution of perturbation in charge-varying dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Popel, S.I.; Golub, A.P.; Losseva, T.V.; Bingham, R.; Benkadda, S.

2001-01-01

The nonstationary problem of the evolution of perturbation and its transformation into nonlinear wave structure in dusty plasmas is considered. For this purpose two one-dimensional models based on a set of fluid equations, Poisson's equation, and a charging equation for dust are developed. The first (simplified) model corresponds to the case [Popel et al., Phys. Plasmas 3, 4313 (1996)] when exact steady-state shock wave solutions can exist. This simplified model includes variable-charged dust grains, Boltzmann electrons, and inertial ions. The second (ionization source) model takes into account the variation of the ion density and the ion momentum dissipation due to dust particle charging as well as the source of plasma particles due to ionization process. The computational method for solving the set of equations which describe the evolution in time of a nonlinear structure in a charge-varying dusty plasma is developed. The case of the evolution of an intensive initial nonmoving region with a constant enhanced ion density is investigated on the basis of these two models. The consideration within the ionization source model is performed for the data of the laboratory experiment [Luo et al., Phys. Plasmas 6, 3455 (1999)]. It is shown that the ionization source model allows one to obtain shock structures as a result of evolution of an initial perturbation and to explain the experimental value of the width of the shock wave front. Comparison of the numerical data obtained on the basis of the ionization source model and the simplified model shows that the main characteristic features of the shock structure are the same for both models. Nevertheless, the ionization source model is much more sensitive to the form of the initial perturbation than the simplified model. The solution of the problem of the evolution of perturbation and its transformation into shock wave in charge-varying dusty plasmas opens up possibilities for description of the real phenomena like supernova

The Evolution of a Supermassive Retrograde Binary Embedded in an Accretion Disk

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivanov P. B.

2015-06-01

Full Text Available In this note we discuss the main results of a study of a massive binary with unequal mass ratio, q, embedded in an accretion disk, with its orbital rotation being opposed to that of the disk. When the mass ratio is sufficiently large, a gap opens in the disk, but the mechanism of gap formation is very different from the prograde case. Inward migration occurs on a timescale of tev ~ Mp/Ṁ, where Mp is the mass of the less massive component (the perturber, and Ṁ is the accretion rate. When q ≪ 1, the accretion takes place mostly onto the more massive component, with the accretion rate onto the perturber being smaller than, or of order of, q1/3 Ṁ. However, this rate increases when supermassive binary black holes are considered and gravitational wave emission is important. We estimate a typical duration of time for which the accretion onto the perturber and gravitational waves could be detected.

Effect of polarization force on the Jeans instability of self-gravitating dusty plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prajapati, R.P.

2011-01-01

The effect of polarization force acting on massive charged dust grains is investigated analytically on the Jeans instability of self-gravitating dusty plasma. The gravitational force acting on the massive negatively charged interstellar dust grains are considered in presence of both electrical and polarization forces. The basic equations of the problem are formulated and a general dispersion relation is obtained using plane wave approximation in low frequency wave mode. The effect of polarization force in the dispersion relation of the problem, condition of the Jeans instability and expression of the critical Jeans wave number is examined. The unstable growing modes due to self-gravitational force are studied in the situation when polarization force on the dust grain exceeds over the electrical force in magnitude. It is observed that the polarization force increases the growth rate of the system. -- Highlights: → Jeans instability of gravitating dusty plasma with polarization force is investigated. → The fundamental Jeans instability criterion is modified due to polarization effect. → The critical Jeans length decreases due to increase in polarization force. → Polarization force destabilizes the unstable Jeans mode. → The collapsing of interstellar dusty cloud is discussed.

Observational constraints for the circumstellar disk of the B[e] star CPD-52 9243

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Cidale, L. S.; Borges Fernandes, M.; Andruchow, I.; Arias, M. L.; Kraus, M.; Chesneau, O.; Kanaan, S.; Curé, M.; de Wit, W. J.; Muratore, M. F.

2012-12-01

Context. The formation and evolution of gas and dust environments around B[e] supergiants are still open issues. Aims: We intend to study the geometry, kinematics and physical structure of the circumstellar environment (CE) of the B[e] supergiant CPD-52 9243 to provide further insights into the underlying mechanism causing the B[e] phenomenon. Methods: The influence of the different physical mechanisms acting on the CE (radiation pressure, rotation, bi-stability or tidal forces) is somehow reflected in the shape and kinematic properties of the gas and dust regions (flaring, Keplerian, accretion or outflowing disks). To investigate these processes we mainly used quasi-simultaneous observations taken with high spatial resolution optical long-baseline interferometry (VLTI/MIDI), near-IR spectroscopy of CO bandhead features (Gemini/Phoenix and VLT/CRIRES) and optical spectra (CASLEO/REOSC). Results: High angular resolution interferometric measurements obtained with VLTI/MIDI provide strong support for the presence of a dusty disk(ring)-like structure around CPD-52 9243, with an upper limit for its inner edge of ~8 mas (~27.5 AU, considering a distance of 3.44 kpc to the star). The disk has an inclination angle with respect to the line of sight of 46 ± 7°. The study of CO first overtone bandhead evidences a disk structure in Keplerian rotation. The optical spectrum indicates a rapid outflow in the polar direction. Conclusions: The IR emission (CO and warm dust) indicates Keplerian rotation in a circumstellar disk while the optical line transitions of various species are consistent with a polar wind. Both structures appear simultaneously and provide further evidence for the proposed paradigms of the mass-loss in supergiant B[e] stars. The presence of a detached cold CO ring around CPD-52 9243 could be due to a truncation of the inner disk caused by a companion, located possibly interior to the disk rim, clearing the center of the system. More spectroscopic and

Observations of imposed ordered structures in a dusty plasma at high magnetic field

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thomas, Edward, E-mail: etjr@auburn.edu; Lynch, Brian; Konopka, Uwe [Physics Department, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849 (United States); Merlino, Robert L. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242 (United States); Rosenberg, Marlene [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California–San Diego, La Jolla, California 92093 (United States)

2015-03-15

Dusty plasmas have been studied in argon, rf glow discharge plasmas at magnetic fields up to 2 T, where the electrons and ions are strongly magnetized. In this experiment, plasmas are generated between two parallel plate electrodes where the lower, powered electrode is solid and the upper, electrically floating electrode supports a semi-transparent, titanium mesh. We report on the formation of an ordered dusty plasma, where the dust particles form a spatial structure that is aligned to the mesh. We discuss possible mechanisms that may lead to the formation of the “dust grid” and point out potential implications and applications of these observations.

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

DISK-PLANETS INTERACTIONS AND THE DIVERSITY OF PERIOD RATIOS IN KEPLER'S MULTI-PLANETARY SYSTEMS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baruteau, Clement; Papaloizou, John C. B.

2013-01-01

The Kepler mission is dramatically increasing the number of planets known in multi-planetary systems. Many adjacent planets have orbital period ratios near resonant values, with a tendency to be larger than required for exact first-order mean-motion resonances. This feature has been shown to be a natural outcome of orbital circularization of resonant planetary pairs due to star-planet tidal interactions. However, this feature holds in multi-planetary systems with periods longer than 10 days, in which tidal circularization is unlikely to provide efficient divergent evolution of the planets' orbits to explain these orbital period ratios. Gravitational interactions between planets and their parent protoplanetary disk may instead provide efficient divergent evolution. For a planet pair embedded in a disk, we show that interactions between a planet and the wake of its companion can reverse convergent migration and significantly increase the period ratio from a near-resonant value. Divergent evolution due to wake-planet interactions is particularly efficient when at least one of the planets opens a partial gap around its orbit. This mechanism could help account for the diversity of period ratios in Kepler's multiple systems from super-Earth to sub-Jovian planets with periods greater than about 10 days. Diversity is also expected for pairs of planets massive enough to merge their gap. The efficiency of wake-planet interactions is then much reduced, but convergent migration may stall with a variety of period ratios depending on the density structure in the common gap. This is illustrated for the Kepler-46 system, for which we reproduce the period ratio of Kepler-46b and c

Local study of helical magnetorotational instability in viscous Keplerian disks

Science.gov (United States)

MahdaviGharavi, M.; Hajisharifi, K.; Mehidan, H.

2018-03-01

In this paper, regarding the recent detection of significant azimuthal magnetic field in some accretion disks such as protostellar (Donati et al. in Nature 438:466, 2005), the multi-fluid model has been employed to analysis the stability of Keplerian rotational viscous dusty plasma system in a current-free helical magnetic field structure. Using the fluid-Maxwell equations, the general dispersion relation of the excited modes in the system has been obtained by applying the local approximation method in the linear perturbation theory. The typical numerical analysis of the obtained dispersion relation in the high-frequency regime shows that the presence of azimuthal magnetic field component in Keplerian flow has a considerable role in the stability conditions of the system. It also shows that the magnetic field helicity has a stabilization role against the magnetorotational instability (MRI) in the system due to contraction of the unstable wavelength region and decreasing the maximum growth rate of the instability. In this sense, the stabilization role of the viscosity term is more considerable for HMRI (instability in the presence of azimuthal magnetic field component) than the corresponding MRI (instability in the absence of azimuthal magnetic field component). Moreover, considering the discovered azimuthal magnetic field in these systems, the MRI can be arisen in the over-all range of dust grains construction values in contract with traditional MRI. This investigation can greatly contribute to better understanding the physics of some astrophysical phenomena, such as the main source of turbulence and angular momentum transport in protostellar and the other sufficiently ionized astrophysical disks, where the azimuthal magnetic field component in these systems can play a significant role.

Dust Acoustic Solitons in the Dusty Plasma of the Earth's Ionosphere

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kopnin, S.I.; Kosarev, I.N.; Popel, S.I.; Yu, M.Y.

2005-01-01

Stratified structures that are observed at heights of 80-95 km in the lower part of the Earth's ionosphere are known as noctilucent clouds and polar mesosphere summer echoes. These structures are thought to be associated with the presence of vast amounts of charged dust or aerosols. The layers in the lower ionosphere where there are substantial amounts of dust are called the dusty ionosphere. The dust grains can carry a positive or a negative charge, depending on their constituent materials. As a rule, the grains are ice crystals, which may contain metallic inclusions. A grain with a sufficiently large metallic content can acquire a positive charge. Crystals of pure ice are charged negatively. The distribution of the dust grains over their charges has a profound impact on the ionizational and other properties of dust structures in the dusty ionosphere. In the present paper, a study is made of the effect of the sign of the dust charge on the properties of dust acoustic solitons propagating in the dusty ionosphere. It is shown that, when the dust charge is positive, dust acoustic solitons correspond to a hill in the electron density and a well in the ion density. When the dust is charged negatively, the situation is opposite. These differences in the properties of dust acoustic solitons can be used to diagnose the plasmas of noctilucent clouds and polar mesosphere summer echoes

Planet-driven Spiral Arms in Protoplanetary Disks. I. Formation Mechanism

Science.gov (United States)

Bae, Jaehan; Zhu, Zhaohuan

2018-06-01

Protoplanetary disk simulations show that a single planet can excite more than one spiral arm, possibly explaining the recent observations of multiple spiral arms in some systems. In this paper, we explain the mechanism by which a planet excites multiple spiral arms in a protoplanetary disk. Contrary to previous speculations, the formation of both primary and additional arms can be understood as a linear process when the planet mass is sufficiently small. A planet resonantly interacts with epicyclic oscillations in the disk, launching spiral wave modes around the Lindblad resonances. When a set of wave modes is in phase, they can constructively interfere with each other and create a spiral arm. More than one spiral arm can form because such constructive interference can occur for different sets of wave modes, with the exact number and launching position of the spiral arms being dependent on the planet mass as well as the disk temperature profile. Nonlinear effects become increasingly important as the planet mass increases, resulting in spiral arms with stronger shocks and thus larger pitch angles. This is found to be common for both primary and additional arms. When a planet has a sufficiently large mass (≳3 thermal masses for (h/r) p = 0.1), only two spiral arms form interior to its orbit. The wave modes that would form a tertiary arm for smaller mass planets merge with the primary arm. Improvements in our understanding of the formation of spiral arms can provide crucial insights into the origin of observed spiral arms in protoplanetary disks.

Low-frequency electrostatic dust-modes in a nonuniform magnetized dusty plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Paul, S.K.; Duha, S.S.; Mamun, A.A.

2004-07-01

A self-consistent and general description of obliquely propagating low frequency electrostatic dust-modes in a inhomogeneous, magnetized dusty plasma system has been presented. A number of different situations, which correspond to different low-frequency electrostatic dust-modes, namely, dust-acoustic mode, dust-drift mode, dust-cyclotron mode, dust-lower-hybrid mode, and other associated modes (such as, accelerated and retarded dust-acoustic modes, accelerated and retarded dust-lower-hybrid modes, etc.), have also been investigated. It has been shown that the effects of obliqueness and inhomogeneities in plasma particle number densities introduce new electrostatic dust modes as well as significantly modify the dispersion properties of the other low-frequency electrostatic dust-modes. The implications of these results to some space and astrophysical dusty plasma systems, especially to planetary ring-systems and cometary tails, are briefly mentioned. (author)

Wave chaos in the elastic disk.

Science.gov (United States)

Sondergaard, Niels; Tanner, Gregor

2002-12-01

The relation between the elastic wave equation for plane, isotropic bodies and an underlying classical ray dynamics is investigated. We study, in particular, the eigenfrequencies of an elastic disk with free boundaries and their connection to periodic rays inside the circular domain. Even though the problem is separable, wave mixing between the shear and pressure component of the wave field at the boundary leads to an effective stochastic part in the ray dynamics. This introduces phenomena typically associated with classical chaos as, for example, an exponential increase in the number of periodic orbits. Classically, the problem can be decomposed into an integrable part and a simple binary Markov process. Similarly, the wave equation can, in the high-frequency limit, be mapped onto a quantum graph. Implications of this result for the level statistics are discussed. Furthermore, a periodic trace formula is derived from the scattering matrix based on the inside-outside duality between eigenmodes and scattering solutions and periodic orbits are identified by Fourier transforming the spectral density.

Debris disks as signposts of terrestrial planet formation

Science.gov (United States)

Raymond, S. N.; Armitage, P. J.; Moro-Martín, A.; Booth, M.; Wyatt, M. C.; Armstrong, J. C.; Mandell, A. M.; Selsis, F.; West, A. A.

2011-06-01

There exists strong circumstantial evidence from their eccentric orbits that most of the known extra-solar planetary systems are the survivors of violent dynamical instabilities. Here we explore the effect of giant planet instabilities on the formation and survival of terrestrial planets. We numerically simulate the evolution of planetary systems around Sun-like stars that include three components: (i) an inner disk of planetesimals and planetary embryos; (ii) three giant planets at Jupiter-Saturn distances; and (iii) an outer disk of planetesimals comparable to estimates of the primitive Kuiper belt. We calculate the dust production and spectral energy distribution of each system by assuming that each planetesimal particle represents an ensemble of smaller bodies in collisional equilibrium. Our main result is a strong correlation between the evolution of the inner and outer parts of planetary systems, i.e. between the presence of terrestrial planets and debris disks. Strong giant planet instabilities - that produce very eccentric surviving planets - destroy all rocky material in the system, including fully-formed terrestrial planets if the instabilities occur late, and also destroy the icy planetesimal population. Stable or weakly unstable systems allow terrestrial planets to accrete in their inner regions and significant dust to be produced in their outer regions, detectable at mid-infrared wavelengths as debris disks. Stars older than ~100 Myr with bright cold dust emission (in particular at λ ~ 70 μm) signpost dynamically calm environments that were conducive to efficient terrestrial accretion. Such emission is present around ~16% of billion-year old Solar-type stars. Our simulations yield numerous secondary results: 1) the typical eccentricities of as-yet undetected terrestrial planets are ~0.1 but there exists a novel class of terrestrial planet system whose single planet undergoes large amplitude oscillations in orbital eccentricity and inclination; 2) by

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

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)

Experiment on dust acoustic solitons in strongly coupled dusty plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Boruah, Abhijit; Sharma, Sumita Kumari; Bailung, Heremba

2015-01-01

Dusty plasma, which contains nanometer to micrometer sized dust particles along with electrons and ions, supports a low frequency wave called Dust Acoustic wave, analogous to ion acoustic wave in normal plasma. Due to high charge and low temperature of the dust particles, dusty plasma can easily transform into a strongly coupled state when the Coulomb interaction potential energy exceeds the dust kinetic energy. Dust acoustic perturbations are excited in such strongly coupled dusty plasma by applying a short negative pulse (100 ms) of amplitude 5 - 20 V to an exciter. The perturbation steepens due to nonlinear effect and forms a solitary structure by balancing dispersion present in the medium. For specific discharge conditions, excitation amplitude above a critical value, the perturbation is found to evolve into a number of solitons. The experimental results on the excitation of multiple dust acoustic solitons in the strongly coupled regime are presented in this work. The experiment is carried out in radio frequency discharged plasma produced in a glass chamber at a pressure 0.01 - 0.1 mbar. Few layers of dust particles (∼ 5 μm in diameter) are levitated above a grounded electrode inside the chamber. Wave evolution is observed with the help of green laser sheet and recorded in a high resolution camera at high frame rate. The high amplitude soliton propagates ahead followed by smaller amplitude solitons with lower velocity. The separation between the solitons increases as time passes by. The characteristics of the observed dust acoustic solitons such as amplitude-velocity and amplitude- Mach number relationship are compared with the solutions of Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation. (author)

Dippers and dusty disc edges: new diagnostics and comparison to model predictions

Science.gov (United States)

Bodman, Eva H. L.; Quillen, Alice C.; Ansdell, Megan; Hippke, Michael; Boyajian, Tabetha S.; Mamajek, Eric E.; Blackman, Eric G.; Rizzuto, Aaron; Kastner, Joel H.

2017-09-01

We revisit the nature of large dips in flux from extinction by dusty circumstellar material that is observed by Kepler for many young stars in the Upper Sco and ρ Oph star formation regions. These young, low-mass 'dipper' stars are known to have low accretion rates and primarily host moderately evolved dusty circumstellar discs. Young low-mass stars often exhibit rotating starspots that cause quasi-periodic photometric variations. We found no evidence for periods associated with the dips that are different from the starspot rotation period in spectrograms constructed from the light curves. The material causing the dips in most of these light curves must be approximately corotating with the star. We find that disc temperatures computed at the disc corotation radius are cool enough that dust should not sublime. Crude estimates for stellar magnetic field strengths and accretion rates are consistent with magnetospheric truncation near the corotation radius. Magnetospheric truncation models can explain why the dips are associated with material near corotation and how dusty material is lifted out of the mid-plane to obscure the star that would account for the large fraction of young low-mass stars that are dippers. We propose that variations in disc orientation angle, stellar magnetic field dipole tilt axis and disc accretion rate are underlying parameters accounting for differences in the dipper light curves.

Gravitational Instabilities in a Young Protoplanetary Disk with Embedded Objects

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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

Gas, Dust, and Quenching of Dusty Galaxies in the Early Universe

Science.gov (United States)

Spilker, Justin Scott

In this dissertation, I study various aspects related to the gas and star formation in dusty star-forming galaxies in the distant universe. My dissertation is heavily based on observations made by the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), observing a sample of gravitationally lensed high-redshift dusty galaxies originally discovered by the South Pole Telescope (SPT). In addition to the introductions to the individual chapters, Chapter 1 provides a broader background to the study of these objects and places them in the overall context of galaxy evolution. In Chapter 2 I describe a technique designed to search for faint molecular lines in the spectrum of high-redshift dusty galaxies. The brightest molecular lines in the spectra of these objects are due to carbon monoxide, but a host of other species are present in the interstellar media. These other molecules trace gas of a wide range of temperatures and densities, but are generally ten times fainter than the brighter CO lines. I detected several other molecular lines, and used them to characterize the conditions of the interstellar gas. This work was published in Spilker et al. (2014). In Chapter 3, I describe a technique for modeling the effects of gravitational lensing which is optimized for data from interferometers such as ALMA. Using these models and data for a large sample of objects from ALMA, I studied the intrinsic properties of the sample such as the source sizes and luminosities. I used these intrinsic properties to revisit topics from the literature which benefit from the additional size information I determined. This work was published in Spilker et al. (2016). In Chapter 4, I use the modeling technique I developed to investigate the relationship between the star formation and the cold molecular gas from which stars form in two objects selected from the SPT sample. Using the models of the source, I was able to determine the mass of molecular gas in these objects using several independent

Dust-cyclotron and dust-lower-hybrid modes in self-gravitating magnetized dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mamun, A.A.

1999-07-01

A theoretical investigation has been made of two new ultra-low-frequency electrostatic modes, namely, dust-cyclotron mode and dust-lower-hybrid mode, propagating perpendicular to the external magnetic field, in a self-gravitating magnetized two fluid dusty plasma system. It has been shown that the effect of the self-gravitational force, acting on both dust grains and ions, significantly modifies the dispersion properties of both of these two electrostatic modes. It is also found that under certain conditions, this self-gravitational effect can destabilize these ultra-low-frequency electrostatic modes. The implications of these results to some space and astrophysical dusty plasma systems, especially to planetary ring-systems and cometary tails, are briefly mentioned. (author)

Modeling the η Corvi debris disk from the sub-AU scale to its outermost regions

Science.gov (United States)

Lebreton, J.; Beichman, C. A.; Bryden, G.; Defrère, D.; Mennesson, Bertr; Millan-Gabet, R.

2014-03-01

Dusty debris disks surrounding main sequence stars are thought to be analogues to thepopulations of small bodies of the Solar System (asteroids, comets/icy bodies and dust grains), however with often much higher masses and associated dust production rates. Mecanisms such as massive collisions or LHB-like events must therefore be invoked to justify their existence. This is especially striking for the nearby F2V star η Corvi that shows a very strong mid- and far-infrared excess despite an estimated age of ~1.4 Gyr (Lisse et al. 2012, Wyatt et al. 2005). We present new observations of the η Crv debris disk obtained in the far-infrared with Herschel/PACS and SPIRE and in the mid-infrared with the Keck Interferometer Nuller (Millan-Gabet et al. 2011). The Herschel/PACS images at 70, 100 and 160 μm reveal a well resolved belt of cold material at ~130 AU, as well as an unresolved component in the innermost parts of the system. This warmer counterpart is resolved in the mid-infrared as a strong null excess originating from within the ~2x4 AU field-of-view of the interferometer, which is reminiscent of the architecture of the Fomalhaut debris disk (Mennesson et al. 2012, Lebreton et al. 2013). The signature of warm silicate dust is also very clear in Spitzer/IRS high-resolution spectra (Chen et al. 2006) at intermediate wavelengths (10-35 μm). We undertake to establish a consistent model of the debris disk from the sub-AU scale to its outermost regions using the GRaTer radiative transfer code (Augereau et al. 1999a, Lebreton et al. 2013) by adjusting simultaneously the interferometric nulls, the resolved Herschel images and the spectro-photometric data against a large parameter space. Our analysis providesaccurate estimates of the fundamental parameters of the disk: its surface density profile, grain size distribution and mass, making it possible to unveil the origin of the dust and the relation between the cold (~50 K) Kuiper-like belt and the warm (~500 K) exo

Estimation of Dusty Days Using the Model of Time Series: A Case Study of Hormozgan Province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohsen Farahi

2016-04-01

Full Text Available Dust storm is one of the climatic hazards in the arid and semi-arid regions. Southern Iran with its hot and dry climate is more likely affected by the adverse consequences of dust storms due to the proximity to the dusty deserts of Saudi Arabia and Iraq, on one hand, and the synoptic situation for the occurrence of the dust storms in the Persian Gulf, on the other hand. In this study, the frequency of dusty days in Hormozgan Province was investigated and predicted. To this end, data were collected from the three synoptic stations in Bandar Abbas, Bandar Lengeh and Bandar-e Jask from the Iran Meteorological Organization during the statistical period of 1968-2008. Then, using the non-seasonal ARIMA (p, d, q, were analyzed in 16Minitab and the frequency of the dusty days in the region were predicted. Results of the study show that the ARIMA (1, 1, 1noc was the most appropriate pattern for predicting the frequency of dusty days in Hormozgan Province. The results showed that the predictions for Bandar-e Jask, compared to those of Bandar Abbas and Bandar Lengeh are more accurate in terms of continuous increasing trend and the interval stability of the time series prediction and the smaller difference between the observed values with the predicted values.

A Neptune-sized transiting planet closely orbiting a 5–10-million-year-old star.

Science.gov (United States)

David, Trevor J; Hillenbrand, Lynne A; Petigura, Erik A; Carpenter, John M; Crossfield, Ian J M; Hinkley, Sasha; Ciardi, David R; Howard, Andrew W; Isaacson, Howard T; Cody, Ann Marie; Schlieder, Joshua E; Beichman, Charles A; Barenfeld, Scott A

2016-06-30

Theories of the formation and early evolution of planetary systems postulate that planets are born in circumstellar disks, and undergo radial migration during and after dissipation of the dust and gas disk from which they formed. The precise ages of meteorites indicate that planetesimals—the building blocks of planets—are produced within the first million years of a star’s life. Fully formed planets are frequently detected on short orbital periods around mature stars. Some theories suggest that the in situ formation of planets close to their host stars is unlikely and that the existence of such planets is therefore evidence of large-scale migration. Other theories posit that planet assembly at small orbital separations may be common. Here we report a newly born, transiting planet orbiting its star with a period of 5.4 days. The planet is 50 per cent larger than Neptune, and its mass is less than 3.6 times that of Jupiter (at 99.7 per cent confidence), with a true mass likely to be similar to that of Neptune. The star is 5–10 million years old and has a tenuous dust disk extending outward from about twice the Earth–Sun separation, in addition to the fully formed planet located at less than one-twentieth of the Earth–Sun separation.

SEM/EDS characterisation of dusty deposits in precipitation and assessment of their origin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miloš Miler

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Detailed scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS analysis of dusty material in rainfall residue, deposited and collected on February 19th 2014 in Ljubljana, was carried out with the intention to characterise it according to its chemical and mineral composition and to assess its origin. The material consists of poorly sorted and sharp-edged particles of mostly very fine-grained silt and clay fractions, which is consistent with long-range aerial transport. Particles are represented by illite, chlorite and kaolinite group clay minerals, quartz, feldspars, carbonates, accessory minerals and secondary Fe-oxy-hydroxide minerals. Quantities of minerals and illite/ kaolinite ratio (4.5 correspond to dusts in rainfall residues originating from Moroccan Atlas, while chlorite/kaolinite ratio (2.8 agrees better with dust from central Libya. The element ratios Al/Si, Ca/Al, K/Ca, Mg/Al, Fe/Al and (Ca+Mg/Fe in the studied dusty deposit are in good agreement with ratios in dusts from rainfall residues originating from Morocco and northern Mauritania. This was also confirmed by the trajectories of cloud movement that caused precipitation with dusty deposit, although the back trajectory HYSPLIT simulation of air masses indicated northern Mauritania, central Niger, southern Algeria, southwestern and central Libya as the most possible source regions.

MULTI-EPOCH OBSERVATIONS OF HD 69830: HIGH-RESOLUTION SPECTROSCOPY AND LIMITS TO VARIABILITY

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Beichman, C. A.; Tanner, A. M.; Bryden, G.; Akeson, R. L.; Ciardi, D. R. [NASA Exoplanet Science Institute, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, 91125 (United States); Lisse, C. M. [Johns Hopkins University, Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, MD 20723 (United States); Boden, A. F. [Caltech Optical Observatories, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125 (United States); Dodson-Robinson, S. E.; Salyk, C. [University of Texas, Astronomy Department, Austin, TX 78712 (United States); Wyatt, M. C., E-mail: chas@pop.jpl.nasa.gov [Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB3 0HA (United Kingdom)

2011-12-10

The main-sequence solar-type star HD 69830 has an unusually large amount of dusty debris orbiting close to three planets found via the radial velocity technique. In order to explore the dynamical interaction between the dust and planets, we have performed multi-epoch photometry and spectroscopy of the system over several orbits of the outer dust. We find no evidence for changes in either the dust amount or its composition, with upper limits of 5%-7% (1{sigma} per spectral element) on the variability of the dust spectrum over 1 year, 3.3% (1{sigma}) on the broadband disk emission over 4 years, and 33% (1{sigma}) on the broadband disk emission over 24 years. Detailed modeling of the spectrum of the emitting dust indicates that the dust is located outside of the orbits of the three planets and has a composition similar to main-belt, C-type asteroids in our solar system. Additionally, we find no evidence for a wide variety of gas species associated with the dust. Our new higher signal-to-noise spectra do not confirm our previously claimed detection of H{sub 2}O ice leading to a firm conclusion that the debris can be associated with the break-up of one or more C-type asteroids formed in the dry, inner regions of the protoplanetary disk of the HD 69830 system. The modeling of the spectral energy distribution and high spatial resolution observations in the mid-infrared are consistent with a {approx}1 AU location for the emitting material.

Linear and nonlinear dynamics of current-driven waves in dusty plasmas

Science.gov (United States)

Ahmad, Ali; Ali Shan, S.; Haque, Q.; Saleem, H.

2012-09-01

The linear and nonlinear dynamics of a recently proposed plasma mode of dusty plasma is studied using kappa distribution for electrons. This electrostatic wave can propagate in the plasma due to the sheared flow of electrons and ions parallel to the external magnetic field in the presence of stationary dust. The coupling of this wave with the usual drift wave and ion acoustic wave is investigated. D'Angelo's mode is also modified in the presence of superthermal electrons. In the nonlinear regime, the wave can give rise to dipolar vortex structures if the shear in flow is weaker and tripolar vortices if the flow has steeper gradient. The results have been applied to Saturn's magnetosphere corresponding to negatively charged dust grains. But the theoretical model is applicable for positively charged dust as well. This work will be useful for future observations and studies of dusty environments of planets and comets.

STAR FORMATION IN DISK GALAXIES. I. FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF GIANT MOLECULAR CLOUDS VIA GRAVITATIONAL INSTABILITY AND CLOUD COLLISIONS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tasker, Elizabeth J.; Tan, Jonathan C.

2009-01-01

We investigate the formation and evolution of giant molecular clouds (GMCs) in a Milky-Way-like disk galaxy with a flat rotation curve. We perform a series of three-dimensional adaptive mesh refinement numerical simulations that follow both the global evolution on scales of ∼20 kpc and resolve down to scales ∼ H ≥ 100 cm -3 and track the evolution of individual clouds as they orbit through the galaxy from their birth to their eventual destruction via merger or via destructive collision with another cloud. After ∼140 Myr a large fraction of the gas in the disk has fragmented into clouds with masses ∼10 6 M sun and a mass spectrum similar to that of Galactic GMCs. The disk settles into a quasi-steady-state in which gravitational scattering of clouds keeps the disk near the threshold of global gravitational instability. The cloud collision time is found to be a small fraction, ∼1/5, of the orbital time, and this is an efficient mechanism to inject turbulence into the clouds. This helps to keep clouds only moderately gravitationally bound, with virial parameters of order unity. Many other observed GMC properties, such as mass surface density, angular momentum, velocity dispersion, and vertical distribution, can be accounted for in this simple model with no stellar feedback.

A Spectroscopic Orbit for the Late-type Be Star β CMi

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dulaney, Nicholas A.; Richardson, Noel D.; Gerhartz, Cody J.; Bjorkman, J. E.; Bjorkman, K. S.; Morrison, Nancy D.; Bratcher, Allison D.; Greco, Jennifer J.; Hardegree-Ullman, Kevin K.; Lembryk, Ludwik; Oswald, Wayne L.; Trucks, Jesica L. [Ritter Observatory, Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606-3390 (United States); Carciofi, Alex C. [Instituto de Astronomia, Geofísica e Ciências Atmosféricas, Universidade de São Paulo, SP 05508-900 (Brazil); Klement, Robert [European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Córdova 3107, Vitacura, Casilla 19001, Santiago (Chile); Wang, Luqian, E-mail: noel.richardson@UToledo.edu [Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 5060, Atlanta, GA 30302-5060 (United States)

2017-02-10

The late-type Be star β CMi is remarkably stable compared to other Be stars that have been studied. This has led to a realistic model of the outflowing Be disk by Klement et al. These results showed that the disk is likely truncated at a finite radius from the star, which Klement et al. suggest is evidence for an unseen binary companion in orbit. Here we report on an analysis of the Ritter Observatory spectroscopic archive of β CMi to search for evidence of the elusive companion. We detect periodic Doppler shifts in the wings of the H α line with a period of 170 days and an amplitude of 2.25 km s{sup −1}, consistent with a low-mass binary companion ( M ≈ 0.42 M {sub ⊙}). We then compared small changes in the violet-to-red peak height changes ( V / R ) with the orbital motion. We find weak evidence that it does follow the orbital motion, as suggested by recent Be binary models by Panoglou et al. Our results, which are similar to those for several other Be stars, suggest that β CMi may be a product of binary evolution where Roche lobe overflow has spun up the current Be star, likely leaving a hot subdwarf or white dwarf in orbit around the star. Unfortunately, no direct sign of this companion star is found in the very limited archive of International Ultraviolet Explorer spectra.

The nonlinear dustgrain-charging on large amplitude electrostatic waves in a dusty plasma with trapped ions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y.-N. Nejoh

1998-01-01

Full Text Available The nonlinear dustgrain-charging and the influence of the ion density and temperature on electrostatic waves in a dusty plasma having trapped ions are investigated by numerical calculation. This work is the first approach to the effect of trapped ions in dusty plasmas. The nonlinear variation of the dust-charge is examined, and it is shown that the characteristics of the dustcharge number sensitively depend on the plasma potential, Mach number, dust mass-to-charge ratio, trapped ion density and temperature. The fast and slow wave modes are shown in this system. An increase of the ion temperature decreases the dust-charging rate and the propagation speed of ion waves. It is found that the existence of electrostatic ion waves sensitively depends on the ion to electron density ratio. New findings of the variable-charge dust grain particles, ion density and temperature in a dusty plasma with trapped ions are predicted.

An upwind space-time conservation element and solution element scheme for solving dusty gas flow model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Asad Rehman

Full Text Available An upwind space-time conservation element and solution element (CE/SE scheme is extended to numerically approximate the dusty gas flow model. Unlike central CE/SE schemes, the current method uses the upwind procedure to derive the numerical fluxes through the inner boundary of conservation elements. These upwind fluxes are utilized to calculate the gradients of flow variables. For comparison and validation, the central upwind scheme is also applied to solve the same dusty gas flow model. The suggested upwind CE/SE scheme resolves the contact discontinuities more effectively and preserves the positivity of flow variables in low density flows. Several case studies are considered and the results of upwind CE/SE are compared with the solutions of central upwind scheme. The numerical results show better performance of the upwind CE/SE method as compared to the central upwind scheme. Keywords: Dusty gas flow, Solid particles, Upwind schemes, Rarefaction wave, Shock wave, Contact discontinuity

Nanodiamonds in dusty low-pressure plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vandenbulcke, L.; Gries, T.; Rouzaud, J. N.

2009-01-01

Dusty plasmas composed of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen have been evidenced by optical emission spectroscopy and microwave interferometry, due to the increase in electron energy and the decrease in electron density. These plasmas allow homogeneous synthesis of nanodiamond grains composed of either pure diamond nanocrystals only (2-10 nm in size) or of diamond nanocrystals and some sp 2 -hybridized carbon entities. The control of their size and their microstructure could open ways for a wide range of fields. Their formation from a plasma-activated gaseous phase is also attractive because the formation of nanodiamonds in the universe is still a matter of controversy

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.

Perturbation of a Schwarzschild Black Hole Due to a Rotating Thin Disk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Čížek, P.; Semerák, O., E-mail: oldrich.semerak@mff.cuni.cz [Institute of Theoretical Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University, Prague (Czech Republic)

2017-09-01

Will, in 1974, treated the perturbation of a Schwarzschild black hole due to a slowly rotating, light, concentric thin ring by solving the perturbation equations in terms of a multipole expansion of the mass-and-rotation perturbation series. In the Schwarzschild background, his approach can be generalized to perturbation by a thin disk (which is more relevant astrophysically), but, due to rather bad convergence properties, the resulting expansions are not suitable for specific (numerical) computations. However, we show that Green’s functions, represented by Will’s result, can be expressed in closed form (without multipole expansion), which is more useful. In particular, they can be integrated out over the source (a thin disk in our case) to yield good converging series both for the gravitational potential and for the dragging angular velocity. The procedure is demonstrated, in the first perturbation order, on the simplest case of a constant-density disk, including the physical interpretation of the results in terms of a one-component perfect fluid or a two-component dust in a circular orbit about the central black hole. Free parameters are chosen in such a way that the resulting black hole has zero angular momentum but non-zero angular velocity, as it is just carried along by the dragging effect of the disk.

MULTIPLICITY, DISKS, AND JETS IN THE NGC 2071 STAR-FORMING REGION

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carrasco-Gonzalez, Carlos [Max-Planck-Institut fuer Radioastronomie (MPIfR), Auf dem Huegel 69, 53121 Bonn (Germany); Osorio, Mayra; Anglada, Guillem; Gomez, Jose F. [Instituto de Astrofisica de Andalucia, CSIC, Camino Bajo de Huetor 50, E-18008 Granada (Spain); D' Alessio, Paola; Rodriguez, Luis F. [Centro de Radioastronomia y Astrofisica UNAM, Apartado Postal 3-72 (Xangari), 58089 Morelia, Michoacan (Mexico); Torrelles, Jose M., E-mail: carrasco@mpifr-bonn.mpg.de [Instituto de Ciencias del Espacio (CSIC)-UB/IEEC, Universitat de Barcelona, Marti i Franques 1, E-08028 Barcelona (Spain)

2012-02-10

We present centimeter (cm) and millimeter (mm) observations of the NGC 2071 star-forming region performed with the Very Large Array (VLA) and Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA). We detected counterparts at 3.6 cm and 3 mm for the previously known sources IRS 1, IRS 2, IRS 3, and VLA 1. All these sources show spectral energy distributions (SEDs) dominated by free-free thermal emission at cm wavelengths and thermal dust emission at mm wavelengths, suggesting that all of them are associated with young stellar objects (YSOs). IRS 1 shows a complex morphology at 3.6 cm, with changes in the direction of its elongation. We discuss two possible explanations to this morphology: the result of changes in the direction of a jet due to interactions with a dense ambient medium, or that we are actually observing the superposition of two jets arising from two components of a binary system. Higher angular resolution observations at 1.3 cm support the second possibility, since a double source is inferred at this wavelength. IRS 3 shows a clear jet-like morphology at 3.6 cm. Over a timespan of four years, we observed changes in the morphology of this source that we interpret as due to ejection of ionized material in a jet. The emission at 3 mm of IRS 3 is angularly resolved, with a deconvolved size (FWHM) of {approx}120 AU, and seems to be tracing a dusty circumstellar disk perpendicular to the radio jet. An irradiated accretion disk model around an intermediate-mass YSO can account for the observed SED and spatial intensity profile at 3 mm, supporting this interpretation.

MULTIPLICITY, DISKS, AND JETS IN THE NGC 2071 STAR-FORMING REGION

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carrasco-González, Carlos; Osorio, Mayra; Anglada, Guillem; Gómez, José F.; D'Alessio, Paola; Rodríguez, Luis F.; Torrelles, José M.

2012-01-01

We present centimeter (cm) and millimeter (mm) observations of the NGC 2071 star-forming region performed with the Very Large Array (VLA) and Combined Array for Research in Millimeter-wave Astronomy (CARMA). We detected counterparts at 3.6 cm and 3 mm for the previously known sources IRS 1, IRS 2, IRS 3, and VLA 1. All these sources show spectral energy distributions (SEDs) dominated by free-free thermal emission at cm wavelengths and thermal dust emission at mm wavelengths, suggesting that all of them are associated with young stellar objects (YSOs). IRS 1 shows a complex morphology at 3.6 cm, with changes in the direction of its elongation. We discuss two possible explanations to this morphology: the result of changes in the direction of a jet due to interactions with a dense ambient medium, or that we are actually observing the superposition of two jets arising from two components of a binary system. Higher angular resolution observations at 1.3 cm support the second possibility, since a double source is inferred at this wavelength. IRS 3 shows a clear jet-like morphology at 3.6 cm. Over a timespan of four years, we observed changes in the morphology of this source that we interpret as due to ejection of ionized material in a jet. The emission at 3 mm of IRS 3 is angularly resolved, with a deconvolved size (FWHM) of ∼120 AU, and seems to be tracing a dusty circumstellar disk perpendicular to the radio jet. An irradiated accretion disk model around an intermediate-mass YSO can account for the observed SED and spatial intensity profile at 3 mm, supporting this interpretation.

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.

Electrostatic sheath at the boundary of a collisional dusty plasma

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Department of Physics, Cotton College, Guwahati 781 001, India. Abstract. Considering the Boltzmann response of the ions ... respect to normal electronic charge (q ~105. –106e). The mass of the dust grains can have very high value too, up to ... degrees of plasma dynamics. Thus, the theoretical modeling of a dusty plasma ...

Potential Vorticity Evolution in the Co-orbital Region of Embedded Protoplanets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koller, J.

2004-01-01

This thesis presents two-dimensional hydrodynamic disk simulations with embedded protoplanets, emphasizing the non-linear dynamics in the co-orbital region. In particular, it demonstrates how a protoplanetary disk responds to embedded low mass planets at the inviscid limit. Since the potential vorticity (PV) flow is not conserved, due to the spiral shocks and possibly boundary layer effects emanating from the planet, the PV profile develops inflection points which eventually render the flow unstable. Vortices are produced in association with the potential vorticity minima. Born in the separatrix region, these vortices experience close encounters with the planet, consequently exerting strong torques on the planet. The existence of these vortices, if confirmed, have important implications on planetary migration rates. The formation of vortices is discussed in more detail and a key parameter is found which depends solely on planet mass and sound speed. With this key parameter, one can predict the disk evolution, PV growth rates, and threshold conditions for forming vortices in the co-orbital region. An analytical estimate for the change of PV due to shocks is compared to the actual change in PV in the hydrodynamic simulations. They match well except in the inner region where vortices form. In addition, extensive resolution tests were carried out but uncertainties remain about the physics of this particular region

Alfven waves in dusty plasmas with plasma particles described by anisotropic kappa distributions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Galvao, R. A.; Ziebell, L. F. [Instituto de Fisica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Caixa Postal 15051, CEP: 91501-970, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil); Gaelzer, R. [Instituto de Fisica e Matematica, Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Caixa Postal 354-Campus UFPel, CEP: 96010-900 Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil); Juli, M. C. de [Centro de Radio-Astronomia e Astrofisica Mackenzie-CRAAM, Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie, Rua da Consolacao 896, CEP: 01302-907 Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo (Brazil)

2012-12-15

We utilize a kinetic description to study the dispersion relation of Alfven waves propagating parallelly to the ambient magnetic field in a dusty plasma, taking into account the fluctuation of the charge of the dust particles, which is due to inelastic collisions with electrons and ions. We consider a plasma in which the velocity distribution functions of the plasma particles are modelled as anisotropic kappa distributions, study the dispersion relation for several combinations of the parameters {kappa}{sub Parallel-To} and {kappa}{sub Up-Tack }, and emphasize the effect of the anisotropy of the distributions on the mode coupling which occurs in a dusty plasma, between waves in the branch of circularly polarized waves and waves in the whistler branch.

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)

Linear and nonlinear dynamics of current-driven waves in dusty plasmas

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ahmad, Ali [National Centre for Physics (NCP), Shahdara Valley Road, 44000 Islamabad (Pakistan); Department of Physics, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Islamabad (Pakistan); Theoretical Plasma Physics Division, PINSTECH, P. O. Nilore, Islamabad (Pakistan); Ali Shan, S.; Haque, Q. [National Centre for Physics (NCP), Shahdara Valley Road, 44000 Islamabad (Pakistan); Theoretical Plasma Physics Division, PINSTECH, P. O. Nilore, Islamabad (Pakistan); Saleem, H. [National Centre for Physics (NCP), Shahdara Valley Road, 44000 Islamabad (Pakistan); Department of Physics, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), Islamabad (Pakistan)

2012-09-15

The linear and nonlinear dynamics of a recently proposed plasma mode of dusty plasma is studied using kappa distribution for electrons. This electrostatic wave can propagate in the plasma due to the sheared flow of electrons and ions parallel to the external magnetic field in the presence of stationary dust. The coupling of this wave with the usual drift wave and ion acoustic wave is investigated. D'Angelo's mode is also modified in the presence of superthermal electrons. In the nonlinear regime, the wave can give rise to dipolar vortex structures if the shear in flow is weaker and tripolar vortices if the flow has steeper gradient. The results have been applied to Saturn's magnetosphere corresponding to negatively charged dust grains. But the theoretical model is applicable for positively charged dust as well. This work will be useful for future observations and studies of dusty environments of planets and comets.

Thermal Marangoni convection in two-phase flow of dusty Casson fluid

Science.gov (United States)

Mahanthesh, B.; Gireesha, B. J.

2018-03-01

This paper deals with the thermal Marangoni convection effects in magneto-Casson liquid flow through suspension of dust particles. The transpiration cooling aspect is accounted. The surface tension is assumed to be fluctuating linearly with temperature. The fluid and dust particle's temperature of the interface is chosen as a quadratic function of interface arc length. The governing problem is modelled by conservation laws of mass, momentum and energy for fluid and dust particle phase. Stretching transformation technique is utilized to form ordinary differential equations from the partial differential equations. Later, the numerical solutions based on Runge-Kutta-Fehlberg method are established. The momentum and heat transport distributions are focused on the outcome of distinct governing parameters. The results of Nusselt number is also presented and discussed. It is established that the heat transfer rate is higher in the case of dusty non-Newtonian fluid than dusty Newtonian fluid. The rate of heat transfer can be enhanced by suspending dust particles in a base liquid.

Infrared emission in Seyfert 2 galaxies - Reprocessed radiation from a dusty torus?

Science.gov (United States)

Storchi-Bergmann, Thaisa; Mulchaey, John S.; Wilson, Andrew S.

1992-01-01

New and existing data for a sample of nine Seyfert 2 galaxies with known 'ionization cones' are combined in order to test whether collimation results from shadowing of radiation from a small isotropic nuclear source by a thick dusty torus. The number of ionizing photons emitted by the compact nucleus is calculated from the emission-line ratios measured for gas within the cones. On the assumption that this compact nuclear source radiates isotropically, the optical-UV power incident on the torus, which is expected to be reradiated in the IR, is determined. It is found that the observed IRAS luminosities are consistent with the torus model in eight of the nine objects with sufficient data to perform the calculation. It is concluded that the data are generally consistent with collimation and reradiation by a dusty torus.

EXTINCTION LAWS TOWARD STELLAR SOURCES WITHIN A DUSTY CIRCUMSTELLAR MEDIUM AND IMPLICATIONS FOR TYPE IA SUPERNOVAE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nagao, Takashi; Maeda, Keiichi [Department of Astronomy, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502 (Japan); Nozawa, Takaya, E-mail: nagao@kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp [National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1, Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588 (Japan)

2016-06-01

Many astronomical objects are surrounded by dusty environments. In such dusty objects, multiple scattering processes of photons by circumstellar (CS) dust grains can effectively alter extinction properties. In this paper, we systematically investigate the effects of multiple scattering on extinction laws for steady-emission sources surrounded by the dusty CS medium using a radiation transfer simulation based on the Monte Carlo technique. In particular, we focus on whether and how the extinction properties are affected by properties of CS dust grains by adopting various dust grain models. We confirm that behaviors of the (effective) extinction laws are highly dependent on the properties of CS grains, especially the total-to-selective extinction ratio R{sub V}, which characterizes the extinction law and can be either increased or decreased and compared with the case without multiple scattering. We find that the criterion for this behavior is given by a ratio of albedos in the B and V bands. We also find that either small silicate grains or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are necessary for realizing a low value of R{sub V} as often measured toward SNe Ia if the multiple scattering by CS dust is responsible for their non-standard extinction laws. Using the derived relations between the properties of dust grains and the resulting effective extinction laws, we propose that the extinction laws toward dusty objects could be used to constrain the properties of dust grains in CS environments.

EXTINCTION LAWS TOWARD STELLAR SOURCES WITHIN A DUSTY CIRCUMSTELLAR MEDIUM AND IMPLICATIONS FOR TYPE IA SUPERNOVAE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nagao, Takashi; Maeda, Keiichi; Nozawa, Takaya

2016-01-01

Many astronomical objects are surrounded by dusty environments. In such dusty objects, multiple scattering processes of photons by circumstellar (CS) dust grains can effectively alter extinction properties. In this paper, we systematically investigate the effects of multiple scattering on extinction laws for steady-emission sources surrounded by the dusty CS medium using a radiation transfer simulation based on the Monte Carlo technique. In particular, we focus on whether and how the extinction properties are affected by properties of CS dust grains by adopting various dust grain models. We confirm that behaviors of the (effective) extinction laws are highly dependent on the properties of CS grains, especially the total-to-selective extinction ratio R V , which characterizes the extinction law and can be either increased or decreased and compared with the case without multiple scattering. We find that the criterion for this behavior is given by a ratio of albedos in the B and V bands. We also find that either small silicate grains or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are necessary for realizing a low value of R V as often measured toward SNe Ia if the multiple scattering by CS dust is responsible for their non-standard extinction laws. Using the derived relations between the properties of dust grains and the resulting effective extinction laws, we propose that the extinction laws toward dusty objects could be used to constrain the properties of dust grains in CS environments.

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.

Dusty Relic to Shining Treasure: Embedded in a Multicultural Environment

Science.gov (United States)

Avery, Beth Fuseler; Batman, Cindy

2014-01-01

Far from being dusty old relics who are guardians of the book, embedded librarians need to be proactively leading students through the digital maze of the virtual library. Working with students more than 7,000 miles away changed perceptions of how to teach and learn, and how people interact online. We will share how as embedded librarians we…

Instability of the Shukla mode in a dusty plasma containing equilibrium density and magnetic field inhomogeneities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shukla, P.K.; Bharuthram, R.; Schlickeiser, R.

2004-01-01

It is shown that the dispersive Shukla mode [P.K. Shukla, Phys. Lett. A 316, 238 (2003)] can become unstable in the presence of equilibrium density and magnetic field inhomogeneities in a dusty plasma. A new dispersion relation for our nonuniform dusty magnetoplasma is derived and analyzed to show the modification of the Shukla mode frequency and its amplification due to combined action of the plasma density and magnetic field gradients. The present instability may account for the origin of low-frequency electromagnetic turbulence in molecular clouds and in cometary plasmas

Large-amplitude double layers in a dusty plasma with an arbitrary ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Formation of large-amplitude double layers in a dusty plasma whose constituents are electrons, ions, warm dust grains and positive ion beam are studied using Sagdeev's pseudopotential technique. Existence of double layers is investigated. It is found that both the temperature of dust particles and ion beam temperature ...

On the Shukla-Nambu-Salimullah potential in a streaming dusty magnetoplasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Salimullah, M.; Rizwan, A.M.; Nitta, H.; Nambu, M.; Shukla, P.K.

2004-01-01

Detailed properties of a recently found effective potential have been examined in a streaming and uniform dusty magnetoplasma. The modification of the symmetric Debye-Hueckel potential in the presence of the static magnetic field may lead to the manipulation of the robust dust crystal parameters in laboratory experiments

Imaging the Molecular Disk Orbiting the Twin Suns of V4046 Sgr

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, David R.; Kastner, J. H.; Wilner, D. J.; Zuckerman, B.

2009-05-01

V4046 Sgr is a 12 Myr-old spectroscopic binary with a period of 2.4 days. At a distance of 73 pc (Torres et al. 2008), it is the second closest classical T Tauri star to the Earth after TW Hydra. Previously, rotational transitions of CO, HCO+, CN, and HCN were detected with the 30m IRAM telescope (Kastner et al. 2008). The double peaked CO profiles can be fit by a model invoking a Keplerian disk with outer radius of 250 AU that is viewed at an inclination of 35 degrees. The CO line profile was asymmetric, with the redshifted emission peak in both C-12 and C-13 brighter than the blueshifted peak. We have used the SMA to spatially resolve the J=2-1 CO emission line and the 230 GHz continuum. The CO channel maps show a disk consistent with Keplerian rotation. At the velocity of the redshifted emission peak, these observations reveal enhanced CO emission a few arcseconds to the southwest of the binary. A question arises as to whether this enhanced CO emission is associated with a third star in the system. According to the analysis of Tokovinin et al. (2006), the probability that a binary with a 2.4 day period has an associated tertiary star is essentially 100%. We searched archival Chandra and HST (ACS and NICMOS) images in the vicinity of V4046 Sgr to look for a star at the position of the enhanced CO emission. While there is a star in the HST ACS images approximately coincident with the enhanced CO emission, our preliminary analysis suggests that this star is not physically associated with V4046 Sgr. We will present a detailed discussion of the SMA results. This work has been partially supported by a NASA ADA grant to RIT and UCLA.

ACCRETION KINEMATICS THROUGH THE WARPED TRANSITION DISK IN HD 142527 FROM RESOLVED CO(6–5) OBSERVATIONS

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Casassus, S.; Marino, S.; Pérez, S.; Plas, G. van der; Christiaens, V.; Montesinos, Matías [Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 36-D, Santiago (Chile); Roman, P.; Dunhill, A.; Cuadra, J.; Cieza, L.; Moral, Victor [Millennium Nucleus “Protoplanetary Disks,” Chile (Chile); Armitage, P. J. [JILA, University of Colorado and NIST, UCB 440, Boulder, CO 80309 (United States); Wootten, A., E-mail: scasassus@u.uchile.cl [National Radio Astronomy Observatory, 520 Edgemont Road, Charlottesville, VA 22903-2475 (United States)

2015-10-01

The finding of residual gas in the large central cavity of the HD 142527 disk motivates questions regarding the origin of its non-Keplerian kinematics and possible connections with planet formation. We aim to understand the physical structure that underlies the intra-cavity gaseous flows, guided by new molecular-line data in CO(6–5) with unprecedented angular resolutions. Given the warped structure inferred from the identification of scattered-light shadows cast on the outer disk, the kinematics are consistent, to first order, with axisymmetric accretion onto the inner disk occurring at all azimuths. A steady-state accretion profile, fixed at the stellar accretion rate, explains the depth of the cavity as traced in CO isotopologues. The abrupt warp and evidence for near free-fall radial flows in HD 142527 resemble theoretical models for disk tearing, which could be driven by the reported low-mass companion, whose orbit may be contained in the plane of the inner disk. The companion’s high inclination with respect to the massive outer disk could drive Kozai oscillations over long timescales; high-eccentricity periods may perhaps account for the large cavity. While shadowing by the tilted disk could imprint an azimuthal modulation in the molecular-line maps, further observations are required to ascertain the significance of azimuthal structure in the density field inside the cavity of HD 142527.

The parametric decay of dust ion acoustic waves in non-uniform quantum dusty magnetoplasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jamil, M.; Ali, Waris; Shah, H. A.; Shahid, M.; Murtaza, G.; Salimullah, M.

2011-01-01

The parametric decay instability of a dust ion acoustic wave into low-frequency electrostatic dust-lower-hybrid and electromagnetic shear Alfven waves has been investigated in detail in an inhomogeneous cold quantum dusty plasma in the presence of external/ambient uniform magnetic field. The quantum magnetohydrodynamic model of plasmas with quantum effect arising through the Bohm potential and Fermi degenerate pressure has been employed in order to find the linear and nonlinear responses of the plasma particles for three-wave nonlinear coupling in a dusty magnetoplasma. A relatively high frequency electrostatic dust ion acoustic wave has been taken as the pump wave. It couples with two other low-frequency internal possible modes of the dusty magnetoplasma, viz., the dust-lower-hybrid and shear Alfven waves. The nonlinear dispersion relation of the dust-lower-hybrid wave has been solved to obtain the growth rate of the parametric decay instability. The growth rate is at a maximum for a small value of the external magnetic field B 0 . It is noted that the growth rate is proportional to the unperturbed electron number density n oe and is independent of inhomogeneity beyond L e =2 cm. An extraordinary growth rate is observed with the quantum effect.

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)

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.

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.

Intergrain Coupling in Dusty-Plasma Coulomb Crystals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mohideen, U.; Smith, M.A.; Rahman, H.U.; Rosenberg, M.; Mendis, D.A.

1998-01-01

We have studied the lattice structure of dusty-plasma Coulomb crystals formed in rectangular conductive grooves as a function of plasma temperature and density. The crystal appears to be made of mutually repulsive columns of grains confined by the walls of the groove. The columns are oriented along the direction of the electrode sheath electric field. A simple phenomenological model wherein the intergrain spacing results from an attractive electric-field-induced dipole-dipole force balanced by a repulsive monopole Coulomb force is consistent with observed features of the Coulomb crystal. copyright 1998 The American Physical Society

(KP) equation in warm dusty plasma with variable dust charge, two ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

In this work, the propagation of nonlinear waves in warm dusty plasmas with variable dust charge, two-temperature ion and nonthermal electron is studied. By using the reductive perturbation theory, the Kadomstev–Petviashvili (KP) equation is derived. The energy of the soliton and the linear dispersion relation are obtained ...

THE GROWTH AND MIGRATION OF JOVIAN PLANETS IN EVOLVING PROTOSTELLAR DISKS WITH DEAD ZONES

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Matsumura, Soko; Pudritz, Ralph E.; Thommes, Edward W.

2009-01-01

The growth of Jovian mass planets during migration in their protoplanetary disks is one of the most important problems that needs to be solved in light of observations of the small orbital radii of exosolar planets. Studies of the migration of planets in standard gas disk models routinely show that the migration speeds are too high to form Jovian planets, and that such migrating planetary cores generally plunge into their central stars in less than a million years. In previous work, we have shown that a poorly ionized, less viscous region in a protoplanetary disk called a dead zone slows down the migration of fixed-mass planets. In this paper, we extend our numerical calculations to include dead zone evolution along with the disk, as well as planet formation via accretion of rocky and gaseous materials. Using our symplectic integrator-gas dynamics code, we find that dead zones, even in evolving disks wherein planets grow by accretion as they migrate, still play a fundamental role in saving planetary systems. We demonstrate that Jovian planets form within 2.5 Myr for disks that are 10 times more massive than a minimum-mass solar nebula (MMSN) with an opacity reduction and without slowing down migration artificially. Our simulations indicate that protoplanetary disks with an initial mass comparable to the MMSN only produce Neptunian mass planets. We also find that planet migration does not help core accretion as much in the oligarchic planetesimal-accretion scenario as was expected in the runaway planetesimal-accretion scenario. Therefore, we expect that an opacity reduction (or some other mechanisms) is needed to solve the formation timescale problem even for migrating protoplanets, as long as we consider the oligarchic growth. We also point out a possible role of a dead zone in explaining long-lived, strongly accreting gas disks.

Dusty plasmas over the Moon: theory research in support of the upcoming lunar missions

Science.gov (United States)

Popel, Sergey; Zelenyi, Lev; Zakharov, Alexander; Izvekova, Yulia; Dolnikov, Gennady; Dubinskii, Andrey; Kopnin, Sergey; Golub, Anatoly

The future Russian lunar missions Luna 25 and Luna 27 are planned to be equipped with instruments for direct detection of nano- and microscale dust particles and determination of plasma properties over the surface of the Moon. Lunar dust over the Moon is usually considered as a part of a dusty plasma system. Here, we present the main our theory results concerning the lunar dusty plasmas. We start with the description of the observational data on dust particles on and over the surface of the Moon. We show that the size distribution of dust on the lunar surface is in a good agreement with the Kolmogorov distribution, which is the size distribution of particles in the case of multiple crushing. We discuss the role of adhesion which has been identified as a significant force in the dust particle launching process. We evaluate the adhesive force for lunar dust particles with taking into account the roughness and adsorbed molecular layers. We show that dust particle launching can be explained if the dust particles rise at a height of about dozens of nanometers owing to some processes. This is enough for the particles to acquire charges sufficient for the dominance of the electrostatic force over the gravitational and adhesive forces. The reasons for the separation of the dust particles from the surface of the Moon are, in particular, their heating by solar radiation and cooling. We consider migration of free protons in regolith from the viewpoint of the photoemission properties of the lunar soil. Finally, we develop a model of dusty plasma system over the Moon and show that it includes charged dust, photoelectrons, and electrons and ions of the solar wind. We determine the distributions of the photoelectrons and find the characteristics of the dust which rise over the lunar regolith. We show that there are no significant constraints on the Moon landing sites for future lunar missions that will study dusty plasmas in the surface layer of the Moon. We discuss also waves in

Effects of dust size distribution on dust acoustic waves in magnetized two-ion-temperature dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Zongming; Duan Wenshan; He Guangjun

2008-01-01

A Zakharov-Kuznetsov (ZK) equation, a modified ZK (mZK) equation, and a coupled ZK (cZK) equation for small but finite amplitude dust acoustic waves in a magnetized two-ion-temperature dusty plasma with dust size distribution have been investigated in this paper. The variations of the linear dispersion relation and group velocity, nonlinear solitary wave amplitude, and width with an arbitrary dust size distribution function are studied numerically. We conclude that they all increase as the total number density of dust grains increases, and they are greater for unusual dusty plasma (the number density of larger dust grains is greater than that of smaller dust grains) than that of usual dusty plasma (the number density of smaller dust grains is greater than that of larger dust grains). It is noted that the frequency of the linear wave increases as the wave number along the magnetic direction increases. Furthermore, the width of the nonlinear waves increases but its amplitude decreases as the wave number along the magnetic direction increases

Nonlinear screening of dust grains and structurization of dusty plasma

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsytovich, V. N.; Gusein-zade, N. G.

2013-01-01

A review of theoretical ideas on the physics of structurization instability of a homogeneous dusty plasma, i.e., the formation of zones with elevated and depressed density of dust grains and their arrangement into different structures observed in laboratory plasma under microgravity conditions, is presented. Theoretical models of compact dust structures that can form in the nonlinear stage of structurization instability, as well as models of a system of voids (both surrounding a compact structure and formed in the center of the structure), are discussed. Two types of structures with very different dimensions are possible, namely, those smaller or larger than the characteristic mean free path of ions in the plasma flow. Both of them are characterized by relatively regular distributions of dust grains; however, the first ones usually require external confinement, while the structures of the second type can be self-sustained (which is of particular interest). In this review, they are called dust clusters and self-organized dust structures, respectively. Both types of the structures are characterized by new physical processes that take place only in the presence of the dust component. The role of nonlinearities in the screening of highly charged dust grains that are often observed in modern laboratory experiments turns out to be great, but these nonlinearities have not received adequate study as of yet. Although structurization takes place upon both linear and nonlinear screening, it can be substantially different under laboratory and astrophysical conditions. Studies on the nonlinear screening of large charges in plasma began several decades ago; however, up to now, this effect was usually disregarded when interpreting the processes occurring in laboratory dusty plasma. One of the aims of the present review was to demonstrate the possibility of describing the nonlinear screening of individual grains and take it into account with the help of the basic equations for the

The potential around a test charge in magnetized dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shukla, P.K.; Salimullah, M.

1996-01-01

The potential of a test dust particle in a magnetized dusty plasma is calculated, taking into account the dielectric constant associated with electrostatic ion-cyclotron waves. Besides the well-known Debye-Hueckel screening potential, an oscillatory potential distribution around a test dust particle is found, which strongly depends on the strength of the external magnetic field. copyright 1996 American Institute of Physics

Possible Analog for Early Solar System Disk Found

Science.gov (United States)

1998-10-01

SOCORRO, NM -- The smallest protoplanetary disk ever seen rotating around a young star has been detected by an international team of astronomers using the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array (VLA) radio telescope. If confirmed, this result could provide an "ideal laboratory" for studying potential planet-forming disks of a size similar to the one that formed our Solar System. The researchers used the VLA to image the core of an object known as NGC 2071, some 1300 light years from Earth. The team of astronomers was able to measure the rotation of a disk seen around a young star by tracking water masers - clusters of super-heated molecules that amplify radio emission -- within it. This is the first direct evidence of such motion in a protoplanetary disk. "This result is exciting because only through understanding protoplanetary disks can scientists answer the question of how easy - or hard - it is to create planets," said Jose M. Torrelles of the Institute for Astrophysics of Andalucia in Granada, Spain, leader of the research team. "Other protoplanetary disks have been found, but the system in NGC 2071 is the first that may be comparable to the disk that created our own Solar System. Its size is similar to the orbit of the planet Neptune around our Sun." "Because there is very little matter in one of these protoplanetary disks -- typically less than one hundredth the mass of our Sun -- they are extremely difficult to detect and study" said Paul Ho of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics and another team member. "We needed the highest possible resolution of the VLA to do this work." The VLA is an array of twenty-seven radio dishes, each 25 meters in diameter, located outside of Socorro. The individual antennas can be moved along tracks to change the array's alignment. The work on NGC 2071 was done when the array was stretched out to over 36 kilometers, thus providing the extremely high resolution necessary to image the system. This disk

Disks around Failed Stars - a Question of Age

Science.gov (United States)

2002-08-01

First Ground-Based Mid-Infrared Observations of Brown Dwarfs [1] Summary A team of European astronomers [2] have observed eight Brown Dwarfs, i.e., small and faint objects also known as "failed stars", with the TIMMI2 infrared sensitive instrument at the ESO 3.6-m telescope on La Silla. From two of these, mid-infrared radiation is detected - for the first time ever from such objects with a ground-based telescope . While the younger Brown Dwarf, aged a few million years, is found to be surrounded by a dusty disk, no warm dust is present around the older ones. The new observations support the following formation hypothesis for Brown Dwarfs: they are born in the same way as "real" stars, by contraction in interstellar clouds of gas and dust . During the later stages of this process, the infalling material is transferred onto the star via a gas and dust disk . This disk - in which planets may possibly form - then disperses with time. PR Photo 17a/02 : Image of Brown Dwarf LP 944-20 PR Photo 17b/02 : Models of the disk around Brown Dwarf Cha HA 2 Brown Dwarfs are faint and cool objects Astronomical objects known as "Brown Dwarfs" are "failed stars" . Their comparatively small mass, less than about 7% of that of our Sun (or about 75 times the mass of planet Jupiter), is too small to achieve sufficiently high pressure and temperature at their centre to ignite energy-producing nuclear processes. Some astronomers also refer to Brown Dwarfs as a "missing link" between planets and stars, being neither one nor the other, yet with similarities to both. They do not burn hydrogen to helium as "real" stars do, but continue to emit faint light as they slowly contract and cool during millions of years. They end their inglorious life with a whimper and finally fade into eternal insignificance. Although Brown Dwarfs were theoretically predicted already in 1963, astronomers had to wait until 1995 for the first one to be discovered. This was mainly due to their extreme faintness as

AN M DWARF COMPANION AND ITS INDUCED SPIRAL ARMS IN THE HD 100453 PROTOPLANETARY DISK

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dong, Ruobing [Nuclear Science Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Zhu, Zhaohuan [Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544 (United States); Fung, Jeffrey; Chiang, Eugene [Department of Astronomy, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Rafikov, Roman [Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ 08540 (United States); Wagner, Kevin, E-mail: rdong2013@berkeley.edu [Department of Astronomy/Steward Observatory, The University of Arizona, 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States)

2016-01-01

Recent VLT/SPHERE near-infrared imaging observations revealed two spiral arms with a near m = 2 rotational symmetry in the protoplanetary disk around the ∼1.7 M{sub ⊙} Herbig star HD 100453. A ∼0.3 M{sub ⊙} M dwarf companion, HD 100453 B, was also identified at a projected separation of 120 AU from the primary. In this Letter, we carry out hydrodynamic and radiative transfer simulations to examine the scattered light morphology of the HD 100453 disk as perturbed by the companion on a circular and coplanar orbit. We find that the companion truncates the disk at ∼45 AU in scattered light images, and excites two spiral arms in the remaining (circumprimary) disk with a near m = 2 rotational symmetry. Both the truncated disk size and the morphology of the spirals are in excellent agreement with the SPHERE observations at Y, J, H, and K1-bands, suggesting that the M dwarf companion is indeed responsible for the observed double-spiral-arm pattern. Our model suggests that the disk is close to face on (inclination angle ∼5°), and that the entire disk-companion system rotates counterclockwise on the sky. The HD 100453 observations, along with our modeling work, demonstrate that double spiral arm patterns in near-infrared scattered light images can be generically produced by companions, and support future observations to identify the companions responsible for the arms observed in the MWC 758 and SAO 206462 systems.

Inefficient Angular Momentum Transport in Accretion Disk Boundary Layers: Angular Momentum Belt in the Boundary Layer

Science.gov (United States)

Belyaev, Mikhail A.; Quataert, Eliot

2018-04-01

We present unstratified 3D MHD simulations of an accretion disk with a boundary layer (BL) that have a duration ˜1000 orbital periods at the inner radius of the accretion disk. We find the surprising result that angular momentum piles up in the boundary layer, which results in a rapidly rotating belt of accreted material at the surface of the star. The angular momentum stored in this belt increases monotonically in time, which implies that angular momentum transport mechanisms in the BL are inefficient and do not couple the accretion disk to the star. This is in spite of the fact that magnetic fields are advected into the BL from the disk and supersonic shear instabilities in the BL excite acoustic waves. In our simulations, these waves only carry a small fraction (˜10%) of the angular momentum required for steady state accretion. Using analytical theory and 2D viscous simulations in the R - ϕ plane, we derive an analytical criterion for belt formation to occur in the BL in terms of the ratio of the viscosity in the accretion disk to the viscosity in the BL. Our MHD simulations have a dimensionless viscosity (α) in the BL that is at least a factor of ˜100 smaller than that in the disk. We discuss the implications of these results for BL dynamics and emission.

A hot Jupiter orbiting a 2-million-year-old solar-mass T Tauri star.

Science.gov (United States)

Donati, J F; Moutou, C; Malo, L; Baruteau, C; Yu, L; Hébrard, E; Hussain, G; Alencar, S; Ménard, F; Bouvier, J; Petit, P; Takami, M; Doyon, R; Collier Cameron, A

2016-06-30

Hot Jupiters are giant Jupiter-like exoplanets that orbit their host stars 100 times more closely than Jupiter orbits the Sun. These planets presumably form in the outer part of the primordial disk from which both the central star and surrounding planets are born, then migrate inwards and yet avoid falling into their host star. It is, however, unclear whether this occurs early in the lives of hot Jupiters, when they are still embedded within protoplanetary disks, or later, once multiple planets are formed and interact. Although numerous hot Jupiters have been detected around mature Sun-like stars, their existence has not yet been firmly demonstrated for young stars, whose magnetic activity is so intense that it overshadows the radial velocity signal that close-in giant planets can induce. Here we report that the radial velocities of the young star V830 Tau exhibit a sine wave of period 4.93 days and semi-amplitude 75 metres per second, detected with a false-alarm probability of less than 0.03 per cent, after filtering out the magnetic activity plaguing the spectra. We find that this signal is unrelated to the 2.741-day rotation period of V830 Tau and we attribute it to the presence of a planet of mass 0.77 times that of Jupiter, orbiting at a distance of 0.057 astronomical units from the host star. Our result demonstrates that hot Jupiters can migrate inwards in less than two million years, probably as a result of planet–disk interactions.

Accretion Disks Around Binary Black Holes of Unequal Mass: GRMHD Simulations Near Decoupling

Science.gov (United States)

Gold, Roman; Paschalidis, Vasileios; Etienne, Zachariah B.; Shapiro, Stuart L.; Pfeiffer, Harald, P.

2013-01-01

We report on simulations in general relativity of magnetized disks onto black hole binaries. We vary the binary mass ratio from 1:1 to 1:10 and evolve the systems when they orbit near the binary disk decoupling radius. We compare (surface) density profiles, accretion rates (relative to a single, non-spinning black hole), variability, effective alpha-stress levels and luminosities as functions of the mass ratio. We treat the disks in two limiting regimes: rapid radiative cooling and no radiative cooling. The magnetic field lines clearly reveal jets emerging from both black hole horizons and merging into one common jet at large distances. The magnetic fields give rise to much stronger shock heating than the pure hydrodynamic flows, completely alter the disk structure, and boost accretion rates and luminosities. Accretion streams near the horizons are among the densest structures; in fact, the 1:10 no-cooling evolution results in a refilling of the cavity. The typical effective temperature in the bulk of the disk is approx. 10(exp5) (M / 10(exp 8)M solar mass (exp -1/4(L/L(sub edd) (exp 1/4K) yielding characteristic thermal frequencies approx. 10 (exp 15) (M /10(exp 8)M solar mass) (exp -1/4(L/L (sub edd) (1+z) (exp -1)Hz. These systems are thus promising targets for many extragalactic optical surveys, such as LSST, WFIRST, and PanSTARRS.

The Gaia inertial reference frame and the tilting of the Milky Way disk

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perryman, Michael; Spergel, David N.; Lindegren, Lennart

2014-01-01

While the precise relationship between the Milky Way disk and the symmetry planes of the dark matter halo remains somewhat uncertain, a time-varying disk orientation with respect to an inertial reference frame seems probable. Hierarchical structure formation models predict that the dark matter halo is triaxial and tumbles with a characteristic rate of ∼2 rad H 0 −1 (∼30 μas yr –1 ). These models also predict a time-dependent accretion of gas, such that the angular momentum vector of the disk should be misaligned with that of the halo. These effects, as well as tidal effects of the LMC, will result in the rotation of the angular momentum vector of the disk population with respect to the quasar reference frame. We assess the accuracy with which the positions and proper motions from Gaia can be referred to a kinematically non-rotating system, and show that the spin vector of the transformation from any rigid self-consistent catalog frame to the quasi-inertial system defined by quasars should be defined to better than 1 μas yr –1 . Determination of this inertial frame by Gaia will reveal any signature of the disk orientation varying with time, improve models of the potential and dynamics of the Milky Way, test theories of gravity, and provide new insights into the orbital evolution of the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy and the Magellanic Clouds.

A Complete ALMA Map of the Fomalhaut Debris Disk

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

MacGregor, Meredith A.; Wilner, David J. [Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States); Matrà, Luca; Kennedy, Grant M.; Wyatt, Mark C.; Shannon, Andrew [Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA (United Kingdom); Kalas, Paul; Duchene, Gaspard; Graham, James R. [Astronomy Department, University of California, Berkeley CA 94720-3411 (United States); Pan, Margaret [MIT Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, Cambridge, MA 02139 (United States); Hughes, A. Meredith [Department of Astronomy, Van Vleck Observatory, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06459 (United States); Rieke, George H.; Su, Kate [Steward Observatory, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85721 (United States); Clampin, Mark [NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (United States); Fitzgerald, Michael P. [Department of Physics and Astronomy, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States); Holland, Wayne S. [UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom); Institute for Astronomy, Royal Observatory, University of Edinburgh, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom); Panić, Olja [School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT (United Kingdom)

2017-06-10

We present ALMA mosaic observations at 1.3 mm (223 GHz) of the Fomalhaut system with a sensitivity of 14 μ Jy/beam. These observations provide the first millimeter map of the continuum dust emission from the complete outer debris disk with uniform sensitivity, enabling the first conclusive detection of apocenter glow. We adopt an MCMC modeling approach that accounts for the eccentric orbital parameters of a collection of particles within the disk. The outer belt is radially confined with an inner edge of 136.3 ± 0.9 au and width of 13.5 ± 1.8 au. We determine a best-fit eccentricity of 0.12 ± 0.01. Assuming a size distribution power-law index of q = 3.46 ± 0.09, we constrain the dust absorptivity power-law index β to be 0.9 < β < 1.5. The geometry of the disk is robustly constrained with inclination 65.°6 ± 0.°3, position angle 337.°9 ± 0.°3, and argument of periastron 22.°5 ± 4.°3. Our observations do not confirm any of the azimuthal features found in previous imaging studies of the disk with Hubble Space Telescope , SCUBA, and ALMA. However, we cannot rule out structures ≤10 au in size or that only affect smaller grains. The central star is clearly detected with a flux density of 0.75 ± 0.02 mJy, significantly lower than predicted by current photospheric models. We discuss the implications of these observations for the directly imaged Fomalhaut b and the inner dust belt detected at infrared wavelengths.

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.

Formation of large-amplitude dust ion-acoustic shocks in dusty plasmas

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Eliasson, B.; Shukla, P.K.

2005-01-01

Theoretical and numerical studies of self-steepening and shock formation of large-amplitude dust ion-acoustic waves in dusty plasmas are presented. A comparison is made between the nondispersive two fluid model, which predicts the formation of large-amplitude compressive and rarefactive dust ion-acoustic shocks, Vlasov simulations, and recent laboratory experiments

Collisional effect on lower hybrid waves instability in a dusty plasma ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

The effect of particle collisions on lower hybrid modes in a dusty plasma is studied. The dispersion relation derived from fluid theory is numerically solved for plasma parameters relevant to determine the modification in wave propagation due to collisions. This study is relevant to the earth's lower atmosphere, in particular, the ...

Mineral magnetism of dusty olivine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lappe, Sophie-Charlotte L. L.; Church, Nathan S.; Kasama, Takeshi

2011-01-01

The magnetic properties of olivine-hosted Fe-Ni particles have been studied to assess the potential of "dusty olivine" to retain a pre-accretionary remanence in chondritic meteorites. Both body-centered (bcc) and face-centered cubic (fcc) Fe-Ni phases were formed by reduction of a terrestrial...... olivine precursor. The presence of Ni complicates the magnetic properties during heating and cooling due to the fcc-bcc martensitic transition. First-order reversal curve (FORC) diagrams contain a central ridge with a broad coercivity distribution extending to 600 mT, attributed to non-interacting single......-domain (SD) particles, and a "butterfly" structure extending to 250 mT, attributed to single-vortex (SV) states. SD and SV states were imaged directly using electron holography. The location of the SD/SV boundary is broadly consistent with theoretical predictions. A method to measure the volume of individual...

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.

The Architecture of the GW Ori Young Triple-star System and Its Disk: Dynamical Masses, Mutual Inclinations, and Recurrent Eclipses

Science.gov (United States)

Czekala, Ian; Andrews, Sean M.; Torres, Guillermo; Rodriguez, Joseph E.; Jensen, Eric L. N.; Stassun, Keivan G.; Latham, David W.; Wilner, David J.; Gully-Santiago, Michael A.; Grankin, Konstantin N.; Lund, Michael B.; Kuhn, Rudolf B.; Stevens, Daniel J.; Siverd, Robert J.; James, David; Gaudi, B. Scott; Shappee, Benjamin J.; Holoien, Thomas W.-S.

2017-12-01

We present spatially and spectrally resolved Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of gas and dust orbiting the pre-main-sequence hierarchical triple-star system GW Ori. A forward modeling of the 13CO and C18O J = 2–1 transitions permits a measurement of the total stellar mass in this system, 5.29+/- 0.09 {M}ȯ , and the circumtriple disk inclination, 137\\buildrel{\\circ}\\over{.} 6+/- 2\\buildrel{\\circ}\\over{.} 0. Optical spectra spanning a 35 yr period were used to derive new radial velocities and, coupled with a spectroscopic disentangling technique, revealed that the A and B components of GW Ori form a double-lined spectroscopic binary with a period of 241.50 ± 0.05 days; a tertiary companion orbits that inner pair with a period of 4218 ± 50 days. Combining the results from the ALMA data and the optical spectra with three epochs of astrometry in the literature, we constrain the individual stellar masses in the system ({M}{{A}}≈ 2.7 {M}ȯ , {M}{{B}}≈ 1.7 {M}ȯ , {M}{{C}}≈ 0.9 {M}ȯ ) and find strong evidence that at least one of the stellar orbital planes (and likely both) is misaligned with the disk plane by as much as 45°. A V-band light curve spanning 30 yr reveals several new ∼30-day eclipse events 0.1–0.7 mag in depth and a 0.2 mag sinusoidal oscillation that is clearly phased with the AB–C orbital period. Taken together, these features suggest that the A–B pair may be partially obscured by material in the inner disk as the pair approaches apoastron in the hierarchical orbit. Lastly, we conclude that stellar evolutionary models are consistent with our measurements of the masses and basic photospheric properties if the GW Ori system is ∼1 Myr old.

EVIDENCE AGAINST AN EDGE-ON DISK AROUND THE EXTRASOLAR PLANET, 2MASS 1207 b AND A NEW THICK-CLOUD EXPLANATION FOR ITS UNDERLUMINOSITY

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Skemer, Andrew J.; Close, Laird M.; Szucs, Laszlo; Apai, Daniel; Pascucci, Ilaria; Biller, Beth A.

2011-01-01

Since the discovery of the first directly imaged, planetary-mass object, 2MASS 1207 b, several works have sought to explain a disparity between its observed temperature and luminosity. Given its known age, distance, and spectral type, 2MASS 1207 b is underluminous by a factor of ∼10 (∼2.5 mag) when compared to standard models of brown-dwarf/giant-planet evolution. In this paper, we study three possible sources of 2MASS 1207 b's underluminosity. First, we investigate Mohanty et al.'s hypothesis that a near edge-on disk, comprising large, gray-extincting grains, might be responsible for 2MASS 1207 b's underluminosity. After radiative transfer modeling, we conclude that the hypothesis is unlikely due to the lack of variability seen in multi-epoch photometry and unnecessary due to the increasing sample of underluminous brown dwarfs/giant exoplanets that cannot be explained by an edge-on disk. Next, we test the analogous possibility that a spherical shell of dust could explain 2MASS 1207 b's underluminosity. Models containing enough dust to create ∼2.5 mag of extinction, placed at reasonable radii, are ruled out by our new Gemini/T-ReCS 8.7 μm photometric upper limit for 2MASS 1207 b. Finally, we investigate the possibility that 2MASS 1207 b is intrinsically cooler than the commonly used AMES-DUSTY fits to its spectrum, and thus it is not, in fact, underluminous. New, thick-cloud model grids by Madhusudhan et al. fit 2MASS 1207 b's 1-10 μm spectral energy distribution well, but they do not quite fit its near-infrared spectrum. However, we suggest that with some 'tuning', they might be capable of simultaneously reproducing 2MASS 1207 b's spectral shape and luminosity. In this case, the whole class of young, underluminous brown dwarfs/giant exoplanets might be explained by atmospheres that are able to suspend thick, dusty clouds in their photospheres at temperatures lower than field brown dwarfs.

The dust acoustic wave in a bounded dusty plasma with strong electrostatic interactions between dust grains

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shukla, Nitin; Shukla, P.K.

2011-01-01

The dispersion relation for the dust acoustic wave (DAW) in an unmagnetized dusty plasma cylindrical waveguide is derived, accounting for strong electrostatic interactions between charged dust grains. It is found that the boundary effect limits the radial extent of the DAW. The present result should be helpful for understanding the frequency spectrum of the DAW in a dusty plasma waveguide with strongly coupled charged dust grains. - Highlights: → We study the dust acoustic wave (DAW) in a bounded plasma. → We account for interactions between dust grains. → The boundary effect limits the radial extent of the DAW.