Modeling Protoplanetary Disks to Characterize the Evolution of their Structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-01-01

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

A Test Suite for 3D Radiative Hydrodynamics Simulations of Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boley, Aaron C.; Durisen, R. H.; Nordlund, A.; Lord, J.

2006-12-01

Radiative hydrodynamics simulations of protoplanetary disks with different treatments for radiative cooling demonstrate disparate evolutions (see Durisen et al. 2006, PPV chapter). Some of these differences include the effects of convection and metallicity on disk cooling and the susceptibility of the disk to fragmentation. Because a principal reason for these differences may be the treatment of radiative cooling, the accuracy of cooling algorithms must be evaluated. In this paper we describe a radiative transport test suite, and we challenge all researchers who use radiative hydrodynamics to study protoplanetary disk evolution to evaluate their algorithms with these tests. The test suite can be used to demonstrate an algorithm's accuracy in transporting the correct flux through an atmosphere and in reaching the correct temperature structure, to test the algorithm's dependence on resolution, and to determine whether the algorithm permits of inhibits convection when expected. In addition, we use this test suite to demonstrate the accuracy of a newly developed radiative cooling algorithm that combines vertical rays with flux-limited diffusion. This research was supported in part by a Graduate Student Researchers Program fellowship.

The Evolution of Gas in Protoplanetary Systems: The Herschel GASPS Open Time Key Programme

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberge, A.; Dent, W.

2010-01-01

The Gas in Protoplanetary Systems (GASPS) Open Time Key Programme for the Herschel Space Observatory will be the first extensive, systematic survey of gas in circumstellar disks over the critical transition from gas-rich protoplanetary through to gas-poor debris. The brightest spectral lines from disks lie in the far-infrared and arise from radii spanning roughly 10 to 100 AU, where giant planets are expected to form. Herschel is uniquely able to observe this wavelength regime with the sensitivity to allow a large scale survey. We will execute a 2-phase study using the PACS instrument. Phase I is a spectroscopic survey about 250 young stars for fine structure emission lines of [CII] (at 157 microns) and [OI] (at 63 microns). In Phase II, the brightest sources will be followed up with additional PACS spectroscopy ([OI] at 145 microns and some rotational lines of water). We expect that the gas mass sensitivity will be more than an order of magnitude lower than that achieved by ISO and Spitzer or expected for SOFIA. We will also measure the dust continuum to an equivalent mass sensitivity. We will observe several nearby clusters with ages from 1 to 30 Myr, encompassing a wide range of disk masses and stellar luminosities. The sample covers disk evolution from protoplanetary disks through to young debris disks, i.e. the main epoch of planet formation. With this extensive dataset, the GASPS project will: 1) trace gas and dust in the planet formation region across a large multivariate parameter space, 2) provide the first definitive measurement of the gas dissipation timescale in disks, 3) elucidate the evolutionary link between protoplanetary and debris disks, 4) investigate water abundances in the planetforming regions of disks, and 5) provide a huge database of disk observations and models with long-lasting legacy value for follow-up studies.

Planetesimal formation during protoplanetary disk buildup

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drążkowska, J.; Dullemond, C. P.

2018-06-01

Context. Models of dust coagulation and subsequent planetesimal formation are usually computed on the backdrop of an already fully formed protoplanetary disk model. At the same time, observational studies suggest that planetesimal formation should start early, possibly even before the protoplanetary disk is fully formed. Aims: In this paper we investigate under which conditions planetesimals already form during the disk buildup stage, in which gas and dust fall onto the disk from its parent molecular cloud. Methods: We couple our earlier planetesimal formation model at the water snow line to a simple model of disk formation and evolution. Results: We find that under most conditions planetesimals only form after the buildup stage, when the disk becomes less massive and less hot. However, there are parameters for which planetesimals already form during the disk buildup. This occurs when the viscosity driving the disk evolution is intermediate (αv 10-3-10-2) while the turbulent mixing of the dust is reduced compared to that (αt ≲ 10-4), and with the assumption that the water vapor is vertically well-mixed with the gas. Such a αt ≪ αv scenario could be expected for layered accretion, where the gas flow is mostly driven by the active surface layers, while the midplane layers, where most of the dust resides, are quiescent. Conclusions: In the standard picture where protoplanetary disk accretion is driven by global turbulence, we find that no planetesimals form during the disk buildup stage. Planetesimal formation during the buildup stage is only possible in scenarios in which pebbles reside in a quiescent midplane while the gas and water vapor are diffused at a higher rate.

Towards a Global Evolutionary Model of Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Xue-Ning

2016-04-01

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

EFFECTS OF DUST FEEDBACK ON VORTICES IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fu, Wen; Liang, Edison; Li, Hui

2014-11-10

We carried out two-dimensional, high-resolution simulations to study the effect of dust feedback on the evolution of vortices induced by massive planets in protoplanetary disks. Various initial dust to gas disk surface density ratios (0.001-0.01) and dust particle sizes (Stokes number 4 × 10{sup –4}-0.16) are considered. We found that while dust particles migrate inward, vortices are very effective at collecting them. When dust density becomes comparable to gas density within the vortex, a dynamical instability is excited and it alters the coherent vorticity pattern and destroys the vortex. This dust feedback effect is stronger with a higher initial dust/gasmore » density ratio and larger dust grain. Consequently, we found that the disk vortex lifetime can be reduced up to a factor of 10. We discuss the implications of our findings on the survivability of vortices in protoplanetary disks and planet formation.« less

ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE CO SNOW LINE IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Martin, Rebecca G.; Livio, Mario

2014-03-10

CO is thought to be a vital building block for prebiotic molecules that are necessary for life. Thus, understanding where CO existed in a solid phase within the solar nebula is important for understanding the origin of life. We model the evolution of the CO snow line in a protoplanetary disk. We find that the current observed location of the CO snow line in our solar system, and in the solar system analog TW Hydra, cannot be explained by a fully turbulent disk model. With time-dependent disk models we find that the inclusion of a dead zone (a region ofmore » low turbulence) can resolve this problem. Furthermore, we obtain a fully analytic solution for the CO snow line radius for late disk evolutionary times. This will be useful for future observational attempts to characterize the demographics and predict the composition and habitability of exoplanets.« less

An Analytical Model for the Evolution of the Protoplanetary Disks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Khajenabi, Fazeleh; Kazrani, Kimia; Shadmehri, Mohsen, E-mail: f.khajenabi@gu.ac.ir

We obtain a new set of analytical solutions for the evolution of a self-gravitating accretion disk by holding the Toomre parameter close to its threshold and obtaining the stress parameter from the cooling rate. In agreement with the previous numerical solutions, furthermore, the accretion rate is assumed to be independent of the disk radius. Extreme situations where the entire disk is either optically thick or optically thin are studied independently, and the obtained solutions can be used for exploring the early or the final phases of a protoplanetary disk evolution. Our solutions exhibit decay of the accretion rate as amore » power-law function of the age of the system, with exponents −0.75 and −1.04 for optically thick and thin cases, respectively. Our calculations permit us to explore the evolution of the snow line analytically. The location of the snow line in the optically thick regime evolves as a power-law function of time with the exponent −0.16; however, when the disk is optically thin, the location of the snow line as a function of time with the exponent −0.7 has a stronger dependence on time. This means that in an optically thin disk inward migration of the snow line is faster than an optically thick disk.« less

IONIZATION AND DUST CHARGING IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ivlev, A. V.; Caselli, P.; Akimkin, V. V., E-mail: ivlev@mpe.mpg.de

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 ofmore » 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.« less

Fluffy dust forms icy planetesimals by static compression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kataoka, Akimasa; Tanaka, Hidekazu; Okuzumi, Satoshi; Wada, Koji

2013-09-01

Context. Several barriers have been proposed in planetesimal formation theory: bouncing, fragmentation, and radial drift problems. Understanding the structure evolution of dust aggregates is a key in planetesimal formation. Dust grains become fluffy by coagulation in protoplanetary disks. However, once they are fluffy, they are not sufficiently compressed by collisional compression to form compact planetesimals. Aims: We aim to reveal the pathway of dust structure evolution from dust grains to compact planetesimals. Methods: Using the compressive strength formula, we analytically investigate how fluffy dust aggregates are compressed by static compression due to ram pressure of the disk gas and self-gravity of the aggregates in protoplanetary disks. Results: We reveal the pathway of the porosity evolution from dust grains via fluffy aggregates to form planetesimals, circumventing the barriers in planetesimal formation. The aggregates are compressed by the disk gas to a density of 10-3 g/cm3 in coagulation, which is more compact than is the case with collisional compression. Then, they are compressed more by self-gravity to 10-1 g/cm3 when the radius is 10 km. Although the gas compression decelerates the growth, the aggregates grow rapidly enough to avoid the radial drift barrier when the orbital radius is ≲6 AU in a typical disk. Conclusions: We propose a fluffy dust growth scenario from grains to planetesimals. It enables icy planetesimal formation in a wide range beyond the snowline in protoplanetary disks. This result proposes a concrete initial condition of planetesimals for the later stages of the planet formation.

Numerical 3D Hydrodynamics Study of Gravitational Instabilities in a Circumbinary Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desai, Karna Mahadev; Steiman-Cameron, Thomas Y.; Michael, Scott; Cai, Kai; Durisen, Richard H.

2016-01-01

We present a 3D hydrodynamical study of gravitational instabilities (GIs) in a circumbinary protoplanetary disk around a Solar mass star and a brown dwarf companion (0.02 M⊙). GIs can play an important, and at times dominant, role in driving the structural evolution of protoplanetary disks. The reported simulations were performed employing CHYMERA, a radiative 3D hydrodynamics code developed by the Indiana University Hydrodynamics Group. The simulations include disk self-gravity and radiative cooling governed by realistic dust opacities. We examine the role of GIs in modulating the thermodynamic state of the disks, and determine the strengths of GI-induced density waves, non-axisymmetric density structures, radial mass transport, and gravitational torques. The principal goal of this study is to determine how the presence of the companion affects the nature and strength of GIs. Results are compared with a parallel simulation of a protoplanetary disk without the presence of the brown dwarf binary companion. We detect no fragmentation in either disk. A persistent vortex forms in the inner region of both disks. The vortex seems to be stabilized by the presence of the binary companion.

The Evolution of CO in Protoplanetary Disks During Planet Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwarz, Kamber; Bergin, Edwin

2018-01-01

CO has long been used as a tracer of gas mass. However, recent observations have revealed a low CO to dust mass ratio in numerous protoplanetary disks. In at least some of these systems it is the CO, rather than the total gas mass, which is missing. During my PhD I have used models of protoplanetary disk chemistry as well as millimeter observations to explore the causes and extent of CO depletion in disks. My ALMA observations of CO isotopologues in the TW Hya protoplanetary disk revealed that CO is under-abundant in that system by nearly two orders of magnitude, failing to return to ISM abundances even inside the midplane CO snow line. I have also explored the physical conditions needed to remove carbon from gas phase CO via chemically process using a large grid of chemical models. My analysis reveals that in the warm molecular layer, a wide range of physical conditions can result in an order of magnitude reduction of CO in the outer disk. In the inner disk, ionization, such as from cosmic rays, is needed for chemical reprocessing to occur. However, it is very difficult for chemical processes alone to result in two orders of magnitude of depletion, such as is seen in TW Hya and inferred for other disks. In the midplane, where planets form, it is even more difficult to remove carbon from CO without invoking cosmic rays. My work shows that while CO is missing from the gas in protoplanetary disks, chemistry is unlikely to be the sole cause.

Chemical Evolution of a Protoplanetary Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semenov, Dmitry A.

2011-12-01

In this paper we review recent progress in our understanding of the chemical evolution of protoplanetary disks. Current observational constraints and theoretical modeling on the chemical composition of gas and dust in these systems are presented. Strong variations of temperature, density, high-energy radiation intensities in these disks, both radially and vertically, result in a peculiar disk chemical structure, where a variety of processes are active. In hot, dilute and heavily irradiated atmosphere only the most photostable simple radicals and atoms and atomic ions exist, formed by gas-phase processes. Beneath the atmosphere a partly UV-shielded, warm molecular layer is located, where high-energy radiation drives rich ion-molecule and radical-radical chemistry, both in the gas phase and on dust surfaces. In a cold, dense, dark disk midplane many molecules are frozen out, forming thick icy mantles where surface chemistry is active and where complex polyatomic (organic) species are synthesized. Dynamical processes affect disk chemical composition by enriching it in abundances of complex species produced via slow surface processes, which will become detectable with ALMA.

Consequences of tidal interaction between disks and orbiting protoplanets for the evolution of multi-planet systems with architecture resembling that of Kepler 444

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Papaloizou, J. C. B.

2016-11-01

We study orbital evolution of multi-planet systems with masses in the terrestrial planet regime induced through tidal interaction with a protoplanetary disk assuming that this is the dominant mechanism for producing orbital migration and circularization. We develop a simple analytic model for a system that maintains consecutive pairs in resonance while undergoing orbital circularization and migration. This model enables migration times for each planet to be estimated once planet masses, circularization times and the migration time for the innermost planet are specified. We applied it to a system with the current architecture of Kepler 444 adopting a simple protoplanetary disk model and planet masses that yield migration times inversely proportional to the planet mass, as expected if they result from torques due to tidal interaction with the protoplanetary disk. Furthermore the evolution time for the system as a whole is comparable to current protoplanetary disk lifetimes. In addition we have performed a number of numerical simulations with input data obtained from this model. These indicate that although the analytic model is inexact, relatively small corrections to the estimated migration rates yield systems for which period ratios vary by a minimal extent. Because of relatively large deviations from exact resonance in the observed system of up to 2 %, the migration times obtained in this way indicate only weak convergent migration such that a system for which the planets did not interact would contract by only {˜ }1 % although undergoing significant inward migration as a whole. We have also performed additional simulations to investigate conditions under which the system could undergo significant convergent migration before reaching its final state. These indicate that migration times have to be significantly shorter and resonances between planet pairs significantly closer during such an evolutionary phase. Relative migration rates would then have to decrease allowing period ratios to increase to become more distant from resonances as the system approached its final state in the inner regions of the protoplanetary disk.

Planet Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klahr, Hubert; Brandner, Wolfgang

2011-02-01

1. Historical notes on planet formation Bodenheimer; 2. The formation and evolution of planetary systems Bouwman et al.; 3. Destruction of protoplanetary disks by photoevaporation Richling, Hollenbach and Yorke; 4. Turbulence in protoplanetary accretion disks Klahr, Rozyczka, Dziourkevitch, Wunsch and Johansen; 5. The origin of solids in the early solar system Trieloff and Palme; 6. Experiments on planetesimal formation Wurm and Blum; 7. Dust coagulation in protoplanetary disks Henning, Dullemond, Wolf and Dominik; 8. The accretion of giant planet cores Thommes and Duncan; 9. Planetary transits: direct vision of extrasolar planets Lecavelier des Etangs and Vidal-Madjar; 10. The core accretion - gas capture model Hubickyj; 11. Properties of exoplanets Marcy, Fischer, Butler and Vogt; 12. Giant planet formation: theories meet observations Boss; 13. From hot Jupiters to hot Neptures … and below Lovis, Mayor and Udry; 14. Disk-planet interaction and migration Masset and Kley; 15. The Brown Dwarf - planet relation Bate; 16. From astronomy to astrobiology Brandner; 17. Overview and prospective Lin.

Anatomy of a flaring proto-planetary disk around a young intermediate-mass star.

PubMed

Lagage, Pierre-Olivier; Doucet, Coralie; Pantin, Eric; Habart, Emilie; Duchêne, Gaspard; Ménard, François; Pinte, Christophe; Charnoz, Sébastien; Pel, Jan-Willem

2006-10-27

Although planets are being discovered around stars more massive than the Sun, information about the proto-planetary disks where such planets have built up is sparse. We have imaged mid-infrared emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons at the surface of the disk surrounding the young intermediate-mass star HD 97048 and characterized the disk. The disk is in an early stage of evolution, as indicated by its large content of dust and its hydrostatic flared geometry, indicative of the presence of a large amount of gas that is well mixed with dust and gravitationally stable. The disk is a precursor of debris disks found around more-evolved A stars such as beta-Pictoris and provides the rare opportunity to witness the conditions prevailing before (or during) planet formation.

Lunar and Planetary Science XXXV: Origin of Planetary Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

The session titled Origin of Planetary Systems" included the following reports:Convective Cooling of Protoplanetary Disks and Rapid Giant Planet Formation; When Push Comes to Shove: Gap-opening, Disk Clearing and the In Situ Formation of Giant Planets; Late Injection of Radionuclides into Solar Nebula Analogs in Orion; Growth of Dust Particles and Accumulation of Centimeter-sized Objects in the Vicinity of a Pressure enhanced Region of a Solar Nebula; Fast, Repeatable Clumping of Solid Particles in Microgravity ; Chondrule Formation by Current Sheets in Protoplanetary Disks; Radial Migration of Phyllosilicates in the Solar Nebula; Accretion of the Outer Planets: Oligarchy or Monarchy?; Resonant Capture of Irregular Satellites by a Protoplanet ; On the Final Mass of Giant Planets ; Predicting the Atmospheric Composition of Extrasolar Giant Planets; Overturn of Unstably Stratified Fluids: Implications for the Early Evolution of Planetary Mantles; and The Evolution of an Impact-generated Partially-vaporized Circumplanetary Disk.

Rossby Waves in the Protoplanetary Nebula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheehan, Daniel P.

1998-01-01

Fluid waves and instabilities are considered critical to the evolution of protoplanetary nebulae, particularly for their roles in mass, angular momentum, and energy transport. A number have been identified, however, notably absent, is an influential wave commonly found in planetary atmospheres and oceans: the planetary Rossby wave (PRW). Since, in the Earth's atmosphere, the PRW is of primary importance in shaping large-scale meteorological phenomena, it is reasonable to consider whether it might have similar importance in the protoplanetary nebula. The thrust of the research project this summer (1998) was to determine whether a nebular analog to the PRW is viable, a so-called nebular Rossby wave (NRW), and if so, to explore possible ramifications of this wave to the evolution of the nebula. This work was carried out primarily by S. Davis, J. Cuzzi and me, with significant discussions with P. Cassen. We believe we have established a good case for the NRW and as a result believe we have opened up a new and possibly interesting line of research in regard to the nebular development, in particular with regard to zonal jet formation, a potent accretion mechanism, and possible ties to vortex formation. The standard model of the protoplanetary nebula consists of a large disk of gas with about 1% entrained dust gravitationally bound to a large central mass, m(sub c) i.e., the protostar. The planet-forming region of the disk extends to roughly 100 A.U. in radius. Disk thickness, H, is believed to be on the order of 10-100 times less than disk radius. Disk lifetime is on the order of a million years.

Planetesimal Formation by the Streaming Instability in a Photoevaporating Disk

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carrera, Daniel; Johansen, Anders; Davies, Melvyn B.

2017-04-10

Recent years have seen growing interest in the streaming instability as a candidate mechanism to produce planetesimals. However, these investigations have been limited to small-scale simulations. We now present the results of a global protoplanetary disk evolution model that incorporates planetesimal formation by the streaming instability, along with viscous accretion, photoevaporation by EUV, FUV, and X-ray photons, dust evolution, the water ice line, and stratified turbulence. Our simulations produce massive (60–130 M {sub ⊕}) planetesimal belts beyond 100 au and up to ∼20 M {sub ⊕} of planetesimals in the middle regions (3–100 au). Our most comprehensive model forms 8more » M {sub ⊕} of planetesimals inside 3 au, where they can give rise to terrestrial planets. The planetesimal mass formed in the inner disk depends critically on the timing of the formation of an inner cavity in the disk by high-energy photons. Our results show that the combination of photoevaporation and the streaming instability are efficient at converting the solid component of protoplanetary disks into planetesimals. Our model, however, does not form enough early planetesimals in the inner and middle regions of the disk to give rise to giant planets and super-Earths with gaseous envelopes. Additional processes such as particle pileups and mass loss driven by MHD winds may be needed to drive the formation of early planetesimal generations in the planet-forming regions of protoplanetary disks.« less

On the Outer Edges of Protoplanetary Dust Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Birnstiel, Tilman; Andrews, Sean M.

2014-01-01

The expectation that aerodynamic drag will force the solids in a gas-rich protoplanetary disk to spiral in toward the host star on short timescales is one of the fundamental problems in planet formation theory. The nominal efficiency of this radial drift process is in conflict with observations, suggesting that an empirical calibration of solid transport mechanisms in a disk is highly desirable. However, the fact that both radial drift and grain growth produce a similar particle size segregation in a disk (such that larger particles are preferentially concentrated closer to the star) makes it difficult to disentangle a clear signature of drift alone. We highlight a new approach, by showing that radial drift leaves a distinctive "fingerprint" in the dust surface density profile that is directly accessible to current observational facilities. Using an analytical framework for dust evolution, we demonstrate that the combined effects of drift and (viscous) gas drag naturally produce a sharp outer edge in the dust distribution (or, equivalently, a sharp decrease in the dust-to-gas mass ratio). This edge feature forms during the earliest phase in the evolution of disk solids, before grain growth in the outer disk has made much progress, and is preserved over longer timescales when both growth and transport effects are more substantial. The key features of these analytical models are reproduced in detailed numerical simulations, and are qualitatively consistent with recent millimeter-wave observations that find gas/dust size discrepancies and steep declines in dust continuum emission in the outer regions of protoplanetary disks.

Warps and intra-cavity kinematics in transition disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casassus, S.

2017-07-01

The inferrence of radial gaps in the "transition disk" stage of protoplanetary disk evolution motivates questions on their origin, and possible link to planet formation. This talk presented recent observations of cavities in transition disks. Here we report on the aspects related to the observations of warps, and on the structure and kinematics of the residual gas inside TD cavities.

Evidence for dust grain growth in young circumstellar disks.

PubMed

Throop, H B; Bally, J; Esposito, L W; McCaughrean, M J

2001-06-01

Hundreds of circumstellar disks in the Orion nebula are being rapidly destroyed by the intense ultraviolet radiation produced by nearby bright stars. These young, million-year-old disks may not survive long enough to form planetary systems. Nevertheless, the first stage of planet formation-the growth of dust grains into larger particles-may have begun in these systems. Observational evidence for these large particles in Orion's disks is presented. A model of grain evolution in externally irradiated protoplanetary disks is developed and predicts rapid particle size evolution and sharp outer disk boundaries. We discuss implications for the formation rates of planetary systems.

Dynamics of binary and planetary-system interaction with disks - Eccentricity changes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Atrymowicz, Pawel

1992-01-01

Protostellar and protoplanetary systems, as well as merging galactic nuclei, often interact tidally and resonantly with the astrophysical disks via gravity. Underlying our understanding of the formation processes of stars, planets, and some galaxies is a dynamical theory of such interactions. Its main goals are to determine the geometry of the binary-disk system and, through the torque calculations, the rate of change of orbital elements of the components. We present some recent developments in this field concentrating on eccentricity driving mechanisms in protoplanetary and protobinary systems. In those two types of systems the result of the interaction is opposite. A small body embedded in a disk suffers a decrease of orbital eccentricity, whereas newly formed binary stars surrounded by protostellar disks may undergo a significant orbital evolution increasing their eccentricities.

Early scattering of the solar protoplanetary disk recorded in meteoritic chondrules

PubMed Central

Marrocchi, Yves; Chaussidon, Marc; Piani, Laurette; Libourel, Guy

2016-01-01

Meteoritic chondrules are submillimeter spherules representing the major constituent of nondifferentiated planetesimals formed in the solar protoplanetary disk. The link between the dynamics of the disk and the origin of chondrules remains enigmatic. Collisions between planetesimals formed at different heliocentric distances were frequent early in the evolution of the disk. We show that the presence, in some chondrules, of previously unrecognized magnetites of magmatic origin implies the formation of these chondrules under impact-generated oxidizing conditions. The three oxygen isotopes systematic of magmatic magnetites and silicates can only be explained by invoking an impact between silicate-rich and ice-rich planetesimals. This suggests that these peculiar chondrules are by-products of the early mixing in the disk of populations of planetesimals from the inner and outer solar system. PMID:27419237

Evolution of UV-Irradiated Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bally, J.; Moeckel, N.; Throop, H.

2005-12-01

Most stars are born in transient clusters within OB associations. Within the first few million years of birth, stars and their protoplanetary disks can be exposed to intense UV radiation, close-passages of sibling stars, stellar winds, and supernova explosions. Disk photo-ablation may promote the rapid formation of kilometer-scale planetesimals by preferentially removing gas and small grains, and enhancing the relative abundance of centimeter and meter-scale bodies. Disk perturbations produced by close-by passages of sibling stars or binary companions can trigger tidally induced shocks which anneal grains. Close-by supernovae can inject live radioactive species such as 26Al and 60Fe either before or after the formation of a low-mass star and its disk. Intense UV radiation from the pre-supernova blue-supergiant and Wolf-Rayet phases of the most massive stars can result in enhanced disk photo-ablation.

X-ray insights into star and planet formation.

PubMed

Feigelson, Eric D

2010-04-20

Although stars and planets form in cold environments, X-rays are produced in abundance by young stars. This review examines the implications of stellar X-rays for star and planet formation studies, highlighting the contributions of NASA's (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Chandra X-ray Observatory. Seven topics are covered: X-rays from protostellar outflow shocks, X-rays from the youngest protostars, the stellar initial mass function, the structure of young stellar clusters, the fate of massive stellar winds, X-ray irradiation of protoplanetary disks, and X-ray flare effects on ancient meteorites. Chandra observations of star-forming regions often show dramatic star clusters, powerful magnetic reconnection flares, and parsec-scale diffuse plasma. X-ray selected samples of premain sequence stars significantly advance studies of star cluster formation, the stellar initial mass function, triggered star-formation processes, and protoplanetary disk evolution. Although X-rays themselves may not play a critical role in the physics of star formation, they likely have important effects on protoplanetary disks by heating and ionizing disk gases.

X-ray insights into star and planet formation

PubMed Central

Feigelson, Eric D.

2010-01-01

Although stars and planets form in cold environments, X-rays are produced in abundance by young stars. This review examines the implications of stellar X-rays for star and planet formation studies, highlighting the contributions of NASA’s (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) Chandra X-ray Observatory. Seven topics are covered: X-rays from protostellar outflow shocks, X-rays from the youngest protostars, the stellar initial mass function, the structure of young stellar clusters, the fate of massive stellar winds, X-ray irradiation of protoplanetary disks, and X-ray flare effects on ancient meteorites. Chandra observations of star-forming regions often show dramatic star clusters, powerful magnetic reconnection flares, and parsec-scale diffuse plasma. X-ray selected samples of premain sequence stars significantly advance studies of star cluster formation, the stellar initial mass function, triggered star-formation processes, and protoplanetary disk evolution. Although X-rays themselves may not play a critical role in the physics of star formation, they likely have important effects on protoplanetary disks by heating and ionizing disk gases. PMID:20404197

Nature vs. Nurture: The influence of OB star environments on proto-planetary disk evolution.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouwman, Jeroen; Feigelson, Eric; Getman, Kostantin; Henning, Thomas; Lawson, Warrick; Linz, Hendrik; Luhman, Kevin; Roccatagliata, Veronica; Sicilia Aguilar, Aurora; Townsley, Leisa; Wang, Junfeng

2006-05-01

A natural approach for understanding the origin and diversity of planetary systems is to study the birth sites of planetary systems under varying environmental conditions. Dust grains in protoplanetary disks, the building blocks of planets, are structurally and chemically altered, and grow through coagulation into planetesimals. The disk geometry may change from a flaring to a more flattened structure, gaps may develop under the gravitational influence of protoplanets, and eventually the disk will dissipate, terminating the planet formation process. While the infrared properties of disks in quiet cloud environments have been extensively studied, investigations under the conditions of strong UV radiation and stellar winds in the proximity of OB stars have been limited. We propose a combined IRAC/IRS study of a large, well-defined and unbiased X-ray selected sample of pre-main-sequence stars in three OB associations: Pismis 24 in NGC 6357, NGC 2244 in the Rosette Nebula, and IC 1795 in the W3 complex. The samples are based on recent Chandra X-ray Observatory studies which reliably identify hundreds of cluster members and were carefully chosen to avoid high infrared nebular background. A new Chandra exposure of IC 1795 is requested, and an optical followup to characterise the host stars is planned. Modelling the Spitzer findings will provide the composition and size of dust present as well as the geometry, mass, and gaps in the global structure of the disk. As hundreds of cluster members will be covered with IRAC and dozens with IRS, good statistics on the disk evolution and dispersal as a function of location with respect to OB stars will be obtained. Comparison of disk properties within our sample and with existing Spitzer studies of quiescent star-forming regions should significantly advance the aim of characterising the influence of the environment on the evolution of protoplanetary disks. This effort relies on a powerful synergy between the Chandra and Spitzer Great Observatories.

Chemistry in protoplanetary disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semenov, D. A.

2012-01-01

In this lecture I discuss recent progress in the understanding of the chemical evolution of protoplanetary disks that resemble our Solar system during the first ten million years. At the verge of planet formation, strong variations of temperature, density, and radiation intensities in these disks lead to a layered chemical structure. In hot, dilute and heavily irradiated atmosphere only simple radicals, atoms, and atomic ions can survive, formed and destroyed by gas-phase processes. Beneath the atmosphere a partly UV-shielded, warm molecular layer is located, where high-energy radiation drives rich chemistry, both in the gas phase and on dust surfaces. In a cold, dense, dark disk midplane many molecules are frozen out, forming thick icy mantles where surface chemistry is active and where complex (organic) species are synthesized.

A DWARF TRANSITIONAL PROTOPLANETARY DISK AROUND XZ TAU B

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Osorio, Mayra; Macías, Enrique; Anglada, Guillem

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)more » 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.« less

Hydrodynamical processes in planet-forming accretion disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Min-Kai

Understanding the physics of accretion flows in circumstellar disk provides the foundation to any theory of planet formation. The last few years have witnessed dramatic a revision in the fundamental fluid dynamics of protoplanetary accretion disks. There is growing evidence that the key to answering some of the most pressing questions, such as the origin of disk turbulence, mass transport, and planetesimal formation, may lie within, and intimately linked to, purely hydrodynamical processes in protoplanetary disks. Recent studies, including those from the proposal team, have discovered and highlighted the significance of several new hydrodynamical instabilities in the planet-forming regions of these disks. These include, but not limited to: the vertical shear instability, active between 10 to 100 AU; the zombie vortex instability, operating in regions interior to about 1AU; and the convective over-stability at intermediate radii. Secondary Rossbywave and elliptic instabilities may also be triggered, feeding off the structures that emerge from the above primary instabilities. The result of these hydrodynamic processes range from small-scale turbulence that transports angular momentum, to large-scale vortices that concentrate dust particles and enhance planetesimal formation. Hydrodynamic processes pertain to a wide range of disk conditions, meaning that at least one of these processes are active at any given disk location and evolutionary epoch. This remains true even after planet formation, which affects their subsequent orbital evolution. Hydrodynamical processes also have direct observable consequences. For example, vortices have being invoked to explain recent ALMA images of asymmetric `dust-traps' in transition disks. Hydrodynamic activities thus play a crucial role at every stage of planet formation and disk evolution. We propose to develop theoretical models of the above hydrodynamic processes under physical disk conditions by properly accounting for disk thermodynamics, dust dynamics, disk self-gravity and three-dimensional effects. By including these effects, we go wellbeyond previous works based on idealized disk models. This effort is necessary to understand how these instabilities operate and interact in realistic protoplanetary disks. This will enable us to provide a unified picture of how various hydrodynamic activities fit together to drive global disk evolution. We will address key questions including the strength of the resulting hydrodynamic turbulence, the lifetime of large-scale vortices under realistic disk conditions, and their impact on the evolution of solids within the disk. Inclusion of these additional physics will likely uncover new, yet-unknown hydrodynamic processes. Our generalized models enables a direct link between theory and observations. For example, a self-consistent incorporation of dust dynamics into the theory of hydrodynamic instabilities is particularly important, since it is the dust component that is usually observed. We will also establish the connection between the properties of large-scale, observable structures such as vortices, to the underlying disk properties, such as disk mass, and vertical structure, which are difficult to infer directly from observations. We also propose to study, for the first time, the dynamical interaction between hydrodynamic turbulence and proto-planets, as well as the influence of largescale vortices on disk-planet interaction. This is necessary towards a realistic modeling of the orbital evolution of proto planets, and thus in predicting the final architecture of planetary systems. The proposal team's expertise and experience, ranging from mathematical analyses to state-of the-art numerical simulations in astrophysical fluid dynamics, provides a multi-method approach to these problems. This is necessary towards establishing a rigorous understanding of these fundamental hydrodynamical processes in protoplanetary accretion disks.

No Evidence for Protoplanetary Disk Destruction By OB Stars in the MYStIX Sample

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Richert, Alexander J. W.; Feigelson, Eric D.; Getman, Konstantin V.; Kuhn, Michael A.

2015-09-01

Hubble Space Telescope images of proplyds in the Orion Nebula, as well as submillimeter/radio measurements, show that the dominant O7 star {θ }1Ori C photoevaporates nearby disks around pre-main-sequence stars. Theory predicts that massive stars photoevaporate disks within distances of the order of 0.1 pc. These findings suggest that young, OB-dominated massive H ii regions are inhospitable to the survival of protoplanetary disks and, subsequently, to the formation and evolution of planets. In the current work, we test this hypothesis using large samples of pre-main-sequence stars in 20 massive star-forming regions selected with X-ray and infrared photometry in the MYStIX survey. Complete disk destruction would lead to a deficit of cluster members with an excess in JHKS and Spitzer/IRAC bands in the vicinity of O stars. In four MYStIX regions containing O stars and a sufficient surface density of disk-bearing sources to reliably test for spatial avoidance, we find no evidence for the depletion of inner disks around pre-main-sequence stars in the vicinity of O-type stars, even very luminous O2-O5 stars. These results suggest that massive star-forming regions are not very hostile to the survival of protoplanetary disks and, presumably, to the formation of planets.

Soft X-Ray Irradiation of Silicates: Implications for Dust Evolution in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciaravella, A.; Cecchi-Pestellini, C.; Chen, Y.-J.; Muñoz Caro, G. M.; Huang, C.-H.; Jiménez-Escobar, A.; Venezia, A. M.

2016-09-01

The processing of energetic photons on bare silicate grains was simulated experimentally on silicate films submitted to soft X-rays of energies up to 1.25 keV. The silicate material was prepared by means of a microwave assisted sol-gel technique. Its chemical composition reflects the Mg2SiO4 stoichiometry with residual impurities due to the synthesis method. The experiments were performed using the spherical grating monochromator beamline at the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center in Taiwan. We found that soft X-ray irradiation induces structural changes that can be interpreted as an amorphization of the processed silicate material. The present results may have relevant implications in the evolution of silicate materials in X-ray-irradiated protoplanetary disks.

Chemical and physical characterization of the first stages of protoplanetary disk formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hincelin, Ugo

2012-12-01

Low mass stars, like our Sun, are born from the collapse of a molecular cloud. The matter falls in the center of the cloud, creating a protoplanetary disk surrounding a protostar. Planets and other Solar System bodies will be formed in the disk. The chemical composition of the interstellar matter and its evolution during the formation of the disk are important to better understand the formation process of these objects. I studied the chemical and physical evolution of this matter, from the cloud to the disk, using the chemical gas-grain code Nautilus. A sensitivity study to some parameters of the code (such as elemental abundances and parameters of grain surface chemistry) has been done. More particularly, the updates of rate coefficients and branching ratios of the reactions of our chemical network showed their importance, such as on the abundances of some chemical species, and on the code sensitivity to others parameters. Several physical models of collapsing dense core have also been considered. The more complex and solid approach has been to interface our chemical code with the radiation-magneto-hydrodynamic model of stellar formation RAMSES, in order to model in three dimensions the physical and chemical evolution of a young disk formation. Our study showed that the disk keeps imprints of the past history of the matter, and so its chemical composition is sensitive to the initial conditions.

The circumstellar disk response to the motion of the host star

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Regály, Zs.; Vorobyov, E.

2017-05-01

Context. Grid-based hydrodynamics simulations of circumstellar disks are often performed in the curvilinear coordinate system, in which the center of the computational domain coincides with the motionless star. However, the center of mass may be shifted from the star due to the presence of any non-axisymmetric mass distribution. As a result, the system exerts a non-zero gravity force on the star, causing the star to move in response, which can in turn affect the evolution of the circumstellar disk. Aims: We aim at studying the effects of stellar motion on the evolution of protostellar and protoplanetary disks. In protostellar disks, a non-axisymmetric distribution of matter in the form of spiral arms and/or massive clumps can form due to gravitational instability. Protoplanetary disks can also feature non-axisymmetric structures caused by an embedded high-mass planet or a large-scale vortex formed at viscosity transitions. Methods: We use 2D grid-based numerical hydrodynamic simulations to explore the effect of stellar motion. We adopt a non-inertial polar coordinate system centered on the star, in which the stellar motion is taken into account by calculating the indirect potential caused by the non-axisymmetric disk, a high-mass planet, or a large-scale vortex. We compare the results of numerical simulations with and without stellar motion. Results: We found that the stellar motion has a moderate effect on the evolution history and the mass accretion rate in protostellar disks, reducing somewhat the disk size and mass, while having a profound effect on the collapsing envelope, changing its inner shape from an initially axisymmetric to a non-axisymmetric configuration. Protoplanetary disk simulations show that the stellar motion slightly reduces the width of the gap opened by a high-mass planet, decreases the planet migration rate, and strengthens the large-scale vortices formed at the viscosity transition. Conclusions: We conclude that the inclusion of the indirect potential is recommended in grid-based hydrodynamics simulations of circumstellar disks which use the curvilinear coordinate system.

THE EFFECTS OF INITIAL ABUNDANCES ON NITROGEN IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schwarz, Kamber R.; Bergin, Edwin A.

2014-12-20

The dominant form of nitrogen provided to most solar system bodies is currently unknown, though available measurements show that the detected nitrogen in solar system rocks and ices is depleted with respect to solar abundances and the interstellar medium. We use a detailed chemical/physical model of the chemical evolution of a protoplanetary disk to explore the evolution and abundance of nitrogen-bearing molecules. Based on this model, we analyze how initial chemical abundances provided as either gas or ice during the early stages of disk formation influence which species become the dominant nitrogen bearers at later stages. We find that amore » disk with the majority of its initial nitrogen in either atomic or molecular nitrogen is later dominated by atomic and molecular nitrogen as well as NH{sub 3} and HCN ices, where the dominant species varies with disk radius. When nitrogen is initially in gaseous ammonia, it later becomes trapped in ammonia ice except in the outer disk where atomic nitrogen dominates. For a disk with the initial nitrogen in the form of ammonia ice, the nitrogen remains trapped in the ice as NH{sub 3} at later stages. The model in which most of the initial nitrogen is placed in atomic N best matches the ammonia abundances observed in comets. Furthermore, the initial state of nitrogen influences the abundance of N{sub 2}H{sup +}, which has been detected in protoplanetary disks. Strong N{sub 2}H{sup +} emission is found to be indicative of an N{sub 2} abundance greater than n{sub N{sub 2}}/n{sub H{sub 2}}>10{sup −6} in addition to tracing the CO snow line. Our models also indicate that NO is potentially detectable, with lower N gas abundances leading to higher NO abundances.« less

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Gravitational Instabilities in Gaseous Protoplanetary Disks and Implications for Giant Planet Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durisen, R. H.; Boss, A. P.; Mayer, L.; Nelson, A. F.; Quinn, T.; Rice, W. K. M.

Protoplanetary gas disks are likely to experience gravitational instabilities (GIs) during some phase of their evolution. Density perturbations in an unstable disk grow on a dynamic timescale into spiral arms that produce efficient outward transfer of angular momentum and inward transfer of mass through gravitational torques. In a cool disk with sufficiently rapid cooling, the spiral arms in an unstable disk form self-gravitating clumps. Whether gas giant protoplanets can form by such a disk instability process is the primary question addressed by this review. We discuss the wide range of calculations undertaken by ourselves and others using various numerical techniques, and we report preliminary results from a large multicode collaboration. Additional topics include triggering mechanisms for GIs, disk heating and cooling, orbital survival of dense clumps, interactions of solids with GI-driven waves and shocks, and hybrid scenarios where GIs facilitate core accretion. The review ends with a discussion of how well disk instability and core accretion fare in meeting observational constraints.

The Effect of Varied Initial Conditions on the Evolution of Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michael, Scott A.; Durisen, R. H.; Boley, A. C.

2006-12-01

We present a series of three-dimensional hydrodynamics simulations of gravitationally unstable protoplanetary disks with globally constant cooling times. The purpose of these simulations is to study the effects of varying the initial surface density profile, equation of state, and cooling time. All non-fragmenting disks exhibit the same phases of evolution described by Mejía et al. (2005) axisymmetric cooling, a burst in a well-defined multi-armed mode, and a transition to an asymptotic behavior in which heating and cooling are roughly balanced over much of the disk. The burst tends to be weaker for initial surface density profiles that fall more steeply with r. Regardless of initial surface density profile, the outer disk redistributes its mass to follow an approximate Σ ∝ r-5/2 power law. Comparison of different equations of state show that, for a given cooling time, a disk with γ = 7/5 is more likely to fragment than one with γ = 5/3. By varying the cooling time with both equations of state, we are able to confirm the tcoolΩ < 8.25 and 5.14 fragmentation criterion for γ = 7/5 and 5/3, respectively, as found by Rice et al. (2005).

Planetesimal formation starts at the snow line

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drążkowska, J.; Alibert, Y.

2017-12-01

Context. The formation stage of planetesimals represents a major gap in our understanding of the planet formation process. Late-stage planet accretion models typically make arbitrary assumptions about planetesimal and pebble distribution, while dust evolution models predict that planetesimal formation is only possible at some orbital distances. Aims: We wish to test the importance of the water snow line in triggering the formation of the first planetesimals during the gas-rich phase of a protoplanetary disk, when cores of giant planets have to form. Methods: We connected prescriptions for gas disk evolution, dust growth and fragmentation, water ice evaporation and recondensation, the transport of both solids and water vapor, and planetesimal formation via streaming instability into a single one-dimensional model for protoplanetary disk evolution. Results: We find that processes taking place around the snow line facilitate planetesimal formation in two ways. First, because the sticking properties between wet and dry aggregates change, a "traffic jam" inside of the snow line slows the fall of solids onto the star. Second, ice evaporation and outward diffusion of water followed by its recondensation increases the abundance of icy pebbles that trigger planetesimal formation via streaming instability just outside of the snow line. Conclusions: Planetesimal formation is hindered by growth barriers and radial drift and thus requires particular conditions to take place. The snow line is a favorable location where planetesimal formation is possible for a wide range of conditions, but not in every protoplanetary disk model, however. This process is particularly promoted in large cool disks with low intrinsic turbulence and an increased initial dust-to-gas ratio. The movie attached to Fig. 3 is only available at http://www.aanda.org

External Photoevaporation of the Solar Nebula. II. Effects on Disk Structure and Evolution with Non-uniform Turbulent Viscosity due to the Magnetorotational Instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalyaan, A.; Desch, S. J.; Monga, N.

2015-12-01

The structure and evolution of protoplanetary disks, especially the radial flows of gas through them, are sensitive to a number of factors. One that has been considered only occasionally in the literature is external photoevaporation by far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation from nearby, massive stars, despite the fact that nearly half of disks will experience photoevaporation. Another effect apparently not considered in the literature is a spatially and temporally varying value of α in the disk (where the turbulent viscosity ν is α times the sound speed C times the disk scale height H). Here we use the formulation of Bai & Stone to relate α to the ionization fraction in the disk, assuming turbulent transport of angular momentum is due to the magnetorotational instability. We calculate the ionization fraction of the disk gas under various assumptions about ionization sources and dust grain properties. Disk evolution is most sensitive to the surface area of dust. We find that typically α ≲ 10-5 in the inner disk (<2 AU), rising to ˜10-1 beyond 20 AU. This drastically alters the structure of the disk and the flow of mass through it: while the outer disk rapidly viscously spreads, the inner disk hardly evolves; this leads to a steep surface density profile ({{Σ }}\\propto {r}-< p> with < p> ≈ 2-5 in the 5-30 AU region) that is made steeper by external photoevaporation. We also find that the combination of variable α and external photoevaporation eventually causes gas as close as 3 AU, previously accreting inward, to be drawn outward to the photoevaporated outer edge of the disk. These effects have drastic consequences for planet formation and volatile transport in protoplanetary disks.

Gravitational Instabilities in a Young Protoplanetary Disk with Embedded Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desai, Karna M.

Gravitational Instabilities (GIs), a mechanism for angular momentum transport, are prominent during the early phases of protoplanetary disk evolution when the disk is relatively massive. In this dissertation, I analyze GIs by inserting different objects in a disk by employing 3D hydrodynamics simulations. GIs in a circumbinary disks are studied to determine how the presence of the companion affects the nature and strength of GIs in the disk. The circumbinary disk achieves a state of sustained marginal instability similar to an identical disk without the companion. A realistic evolution of the binary is detected. Planet and disk interactions play an important role in the evolution of planetary systems. To study this interaction during the early phases of planet formation, a migration study of Jovian planets in a GI-active disk is conducted. I find the migration timescales to be longer in a GI-active disk, when compared to laminar disks. The 3 MJupiter planet controls its own orbital evolution, while the migration of a 0.3 MJupiter planet is stochastic in nature. I define 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 perform a simulation of 240 zero-mass planet-tracers by inserting these at a range of locations in the disk. A Diffusion Coefficient is calculated to characterize the stochastic migration of low-mass objects. The eccentricity dispersion for the sample is also studied. I find that the diffusion of planets can be a slow process, resulting in the survival of small planetary cores.

Evolution of protoplanetary disks from their taxonomy in scattered light: Group I vs. Group II

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garufi, A.; Meeus, G.; Benisty, M.; Quanz, S. P.; Banzatti, A.; Kama, M.; Canovas, H.; Eiroa, C.; Schmid, H. M.; Stolker, T.; Pohl, A.; Rigliaco, E.; Ménard, F.; Meyer, M. R.; van Boekel, R.; Dominik, C.

2017-07-01

Context. High-resolution imaging reveals a large morphological variety of protoplanetary disks. To date, no constraints on their global evolution have been found from this census. An evolutionary classification of disks was proposed based on their IR spectral energy distribution, with the Group I sources showing a prominent cold component ascribed to an earlier stage of evolution than Group II. Aims: Disk evolution can be constrained from the comparison of disks with different properties. A first attempt at disk taxonomy is now possible thanks to the increasing number of high-resolution images of Herbig Ae/Be stars becoming available. Methods: Near-IR images of six Group II disks in scattered light were obtained with VLT/NACO in polarimetric differential imaging, which is the most efficient technique for imaging the light scattered by the disk material close to the stars. We compare the stellar/disk properties of this sample with those of well-studied Group I sources available from the literature. Results: Three Group II disks are detected. The brightness distribution in the disk of HD 163296 indicates the presence of a persistent ring-like structure with a possible connection with the CO snowline. A rather compact (<100 AU) disk is detected around HD 142666 and AK Sco. A taxonomic analysis of 17 Herbig Ae/Be sources reveals that the difference between Group I and Group II is due to the presence or absence of a large disk cavity (≳5 AU). There is no evidence supporting the evolution from Group I to Group II. Conclusions: Group II disks are not evolved versions of the Group I disks. Within the Group II disks, very different geometries exist (both self-shadowed and compact). HD 163296 could be the primordial version of a typical Group I disk. Other Group II disks, like AK Sco and HD 142666, could be smaller counterparts of Group I unable to open cavities as large as those of Group I. Based on observations collected at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, Chile, under program number 095.C-0658(A).

SOFT X-RAY IRRADIATION OF SILICATES: IMPLICATIONS FOR DUST EVOLUTION IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ciaravella, A.; Cecchi-Pestellini, C.; Jiménez-Escobar, A.

2016-09-01

The processing of energetic photons on bare silicate grains was simulated experimentally on silicate films submitted to soft X-rays of energies up to 1.25 keV. The silicate material was prepared by means of a microwave assisted sol–gel technique. Its chemical composition reflects the Mg{sub 2}SiO{sub 4} stoichiometry with residual impurities due to the synthesis method. The experiments were performed using the spherical grating monochromator beamline at the National Synchrotron Radiation Research Center in Taiwan. We found that soft X-ray irradiation induces structural changes that can be interpreted as an amorphization of the processed silicate material. The present results may havemore » relevant implications in the evolution of silicate materials in X-ray-irradiated protoplanetary disks.« less

Disk Evolution and the Fate of Water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hartmann, Lee; Ciesla, Fred; Gressel, Oliver; Alexander, Richard

2017-10-01

We review the general theoretical concepts and observational constraints on the distribution and evolution of water vapor and ice in protoplanetary disks, with a focus on the Solar System. Water is expected to freeze out at distances greater than 1-3 AU from solar-type central stars; more precise estimates are difficult to obtain due to uncertainties in the complex processes involved in disk evolution, including dust growth, settling, and radial drift, and the level of turbulence and viscous dissipation within disks. Interferometric observations are now providing constraints on the positions of CO snow lines, but extrapolation to the unresolved regions where water ice sublimates will require much better theoretical understanding of mass and angular momentum transport in disks as well as more refined comparison of observations with sophisticated disk models.

Evolution of Pre-Main Sequence Accretion Disks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartmann, Lee W.

2000-01-01

The aim of this project was to develop a comprehensive global picture of the physical conditions in, and evolutionary timescales of, pre-main sequence accretion disks. The results of this work will help constrain the initial conditions for planet formation. To this end we: (1) Developed detailed calculations of disk structure to study physical conditions and investigate the observational effects of grain growth in T Tauri disks; (2) Studied the dusty emission and accretion rates in older disk systems, with ages closer to the expected epoch of (giant) planet formation at 3-10 Myr, and (3) Began a project to develop much larger samples of 3-10 Myr-old stars to provide better empirical constraints on protoplanetary disk evolution.

SILICATE COMPOSITION OF THE INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fogerty, S.; Forrest, W.; Watson, D. M.

2016-10-20

The composition of silicate dust in the diffuse interstellar medium and in protoplanetary disks around young stars informs our understanding of the processing and evolution of the dust grains leading up to planet formation. An analysis of the well-known 9.7 μ m feature indicates that small amorphous silicate grains represent a significant fraction of interstellar dust and are also major components of protoplanetary disks. However, this feature is typically modeled assuming amorphous silicate dust of olivine and pyroxene stoichiometries. Here, we analyze interstellar dust with models of silicate dust that include non-stoichiometric amorphous silicate grains. Modeling the optical depth alongmore » lines of sight toward the extinguished objects Cyg OB2 No. 12 and ζ Ophiuchi, we find evidence for interstellar amorphous silicate dust with stoichiometry intermediate between olivine and pyroxene, which we simply refer to as “polivene.” Finally, we compare these results to models of silicate emission from the Trapezium and protoplanetary disks in Taurus.« less

Far-infrared to Millimeter Data of Protoplanetary Disks: Dust Growth in the Taurus, Ophiuchus, and Chamaeleon I Star-forming Regions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ribas, Álvaro; Espaillat, Catherine C.; Macías, Enrique

Far-infrared and (sub)millimeter fluxes can be used to study dust in protoplanetary disks, the building blocks of planets. Here, we combine observations from the Herschel Space Observatory with ancillary data of 284 protoplanetary disks in the Taurus, Chamaeleon I, and Ophiuchus star-forming regions, covering from the optical to mm/cm wavelengths. We analyze their spectral indices as a function of wavelength and determine their (sub)millimeter slopes when possible. Most disks display observational evidence of grain growth, in agreement with previous studies. No correlation is found between other tracers of disk evolution and the millimeter spectral indices. A simple disk model ismore » used to fit these sources, and we derive posterior distributions for the optical depth at 1.3 mm and 10 au, the disk temperature at this same radius, and the dust opacity spectral index β . We find the fluxes at 70 μ m to correlate strongly with disk temperatures at 10 au, as derived from these simple models. We find tentative evidence for spectral indices in Chamaeleon I being steeper than those of disks in Taurus/Ophiuchus, although more millimeter observations are needed to confirm this trend and identify its possible origin. Additionally, we determine the median spectral energy distribution of each region and find them to be similar across the entire wavelength range studied, possibly due to the large scatter in disk properties and morphologies.« less

AN ORDERED MAGNETIC FIELD IN THE PROTOPLANETARY DISK OF AB Aur REVEALED BY MID-INFRARED POLARIMETRY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Li, Dan; Pantin, Eric; Telesco, Charles M.

2016-11-20

Magnetic fields ( B -fields) play a key role in the formation and evolution of protoplanetary disks, but their properties are poorly understood due to the lack of observational constraints. Using CanariCam at the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias, we have mapped out the mid-infrared polarization of the protoplanetary disk around the Herbig Ae star AB Aur. We detect ∼0.44% polarization at 10.3 μ m from AB Aur's inner disk ( r  < 80 au), rising to ∼1.4% at larger radii. Our simulations imply that the mid-infrared polarization of the inner disk arises from dichroic emission of elongated particles aligned inmore » a disk B -field. The field is well ordered on a spatial scale, commensurate with our resolution (∼50 au), and we infer a poloidal shape tilted from the rotational axis of the disk. The disk of AB Aur is optically thick at 10.3 μ m, so polarimetry at this wavelength is probing the B -field near the disk surface. Our observations therefore confirm that this layer, favored by some theoretical studies for developing magneto-rotational instability and its resultant viscosity, is indeed very likely to be magnetized. At radii beyond ∼80 au, the mid-infrared polarization results primarily from scattering by dust grains with sizes up to ∼1 μ m, a size indicating both grain growth and, probably, turbulent lofting of the particles from the disk mid-plane.« less

Hydraulic/Shock-Jumps In Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boley, A. C.; Durisen, R. H.

2005-12-01

Spiral shocks, for most protoplanetary disk conditions, create a loss of vertical force balance in the post-shock region and result in rapid expansion of the gas perpendicular to the disk midplane. This expansion has characteristics similar to hydraulic-jumps, which occur in incompressible fluids. We present a theory to describe the behavior of these hydraulic/shock-jump hybrids (hs-jumps) and then compare the theory to three-dimensional hydrodynamics simulations. We discuss the fully three-dimensional shock structures that hs-jumps produce and discuss possible consequences of hs-jumps for disk mixing, turbulence, and evolution of solids. A. C. B. was supported in part by an Indiana Space Grant Consortium fellowship and a NASA Graduate Student Research Program fellowship; R. H. D. was supported in part by NASA grants NAGS-11964 and NNG05GN11G.

HD 100453: An evolutionary link between protoplanetary disks and debris disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, Karen

2008-12-01

Herbig Ae stars are young stars usually surrounded by gas and dust in the form of a disk and are thought to evolve into planetary systems similar to our own. We present a multi-wavelength examination of the disk and environment of the Herbig Ae star HD 100453A, focusing on the determination of accretion rate, system age, and disk evolution. We show that the accretion rate is characterized by Chandra X-ray imagery that is inconsistent with strongly accreting early F stars, that the disk lacks the conspicuous Fe II emission and continuum seen in FUV spectra of actively accreting Herbig Ae stars, and that FUSE, HST, and FEROS data suggest an accretion rate below ˜ 2.5×10 -10 [Special characters omitted.] M⊙ yr -1 . We confirm that HD 100453B is a common proper motion companion to HD 100453A, with spectral type M4.0V - M4.5V, and derive an age of 14 ± 4 Myr. We examine the Meeus et al. (2001) hypothesis that Meeus Group I sources, which have a mid-IR bump which can be fitted by a black body component, evolve to Meeus Group II sources, which have no such mid-IR bump. By considering stellar age and accretion rate evidence, we find the hypothesis to be invalid. Furthermore, we find that the disk characteristics of HD 100453A do not fit the traditional definition of a protoplanetary disk, a transitional disk, or a debris disk, and they may suggest a new class of disks linking gas-rich protoplanetary disks and gas-poor debris disks.

Gas Mass Tracers in Protoplanetary Disks: CO is Still the Best

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molyarova, Tamara; Akimkin, Vitaly; Semenov, Dmitry; Henning, Thomas; Vasyunin, Anton; Wiebe, Dmitri

2017-11-01

Protoplanetary disk mass is a key parameter controlling the process of planetary system formation. CO molecular emission is often used as a tracer of gas mass in the disk. In this study, we consider the ability of CO to trace the gas mass over a wide range of disk structural parameters, and we search for chemical species that could possibly be used as alternative mass tracers to CO. Specifically, we apply detailed astrochemical modeling to a large set of models of protoplanetary disks around low-mass stars to select molecules with abundances correlated with the disk mass and being relatively insensitive to other disk properties. We do not consider sophisticated dust evolution models, restricting ourselves to the standard astrochemical assumption of 0.1 μm dust. We find that CO is indeed the best molecular tracer for total gas mass, despite the fact that it is not the main carbon carrier, provided reasonable assumptions about CO abundance in the disk are used. Typically, chemical reprocessing lowers the abundance of CO by a factor of 3, compared to the case where photodissociation and freeze-out are the only ways of CO depletion. On average, only 13% C atoms reside in gas-phase CO, albeit with variations from 2% to 30%. CO2, H2O, and H2CO can potentially serve as alternative mass tracers, with the latter two only applicable if disk structural parameters are known.

On the tidal interaction between protostellar disks and companions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, D. N. C.; Papaloizou, J. C. B.

1993-01-01

Formation of protoplanets and binary stars in a protostellar disk modifies the structure of the disk. Through tidal interactions, energy and angular momentum are transferred between the disk and protostellar or protoplanetary companion. We summarize recent progress in theoretical investigations of the disk-companion tidal interaction. We show that low-mass protoplanets excite density waves at their Lindblad resonances and that these waves are likely to be dissipated locally. When a protoplanet acquires sufficient mass, its tidal torque induces the formation of a gap in the vicinity of its orbit. Gap formation leads to the termination of protoplanetary growth by accretion. For proto-Jupiter to attain its present mass, we require that (1) the primordial solar nebula is heated by viscous dissipation; (2) the viscous evolution time scale of the nebula is comparable to the age of typical T Tauri stars with circumstellar disks; and (3) the mass distribution in the nebula is comparable to that estimated from a minimum-mass nebula model.

ALCHEMIC: Advanced time-dependent chemical kinetics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semenov, Dmitry A.

2017-08-01

ALCHEMIC solves chemical kinetics problems, including gas-grain interactions, surface reactions, deuterium fractionization, and transport phenomena and can model the time-dependent chemical evolution of molecular clouds, hot cores, corinos, and protoplanetary disks.

Herschel survey and modelling of externally-illuminated photoevaporating protoplanetary disks.

PubMed

Champion, J; Berné, O; Vicente, S; Kamp, I; Le Petit, F; Gusdorf, A; Joblin, C; Goicoechea, J R

2017-08-01

Protoplanetary disks undergo substantial mass-loss by photoevaporation, a mechanism which is crucial to their dynamical evolution. However, the processes regulating the gas energetics have not been well constrained by observations so far. We aim at studying the processes involved in disk photoevaporation when it is driven by far-UV photons (i.e. 6 < E < 13.6 eV). We present a unique Herschel survey and new ALMA observations of four externally-illuminated photoevaporating disks (a.k.a. proplyds). For the analysis of these data, we developed a 1D model of the photodissociation region (PDR) of a proplyd, based on the Meudon PDR code and we computed the far infrared line emission. With this model, we successfully reproduce most of the observations and derive key physical parameters, i.e. densities at the disk surface of about 10 6 cm -3 and local gas temperatures of about 1000 K. Our modelling suggests that all studied disks are found in a transitional regime resulting from the interplay between several heating and cooling processes that we identify. These differ from those dominating in classical PDRs i.e. grain photo-electric effect and cooling by [OI] and [CII] FIR lines. This specific energetic regime is associated to an equilibrium dynamical point of the photoevaporation flow: the mass-loss rate is self-regulated to keep the envelope column density at a value that maintains the temperature at the disk surface around 1000 K. From the physical parameters derived from our best-fit models, we estimate mass-loss rates - of the order of 10 -7 M ⊙ /yr - that are in agreement with earlier spectroscopic observation of ionised gas tracers. This holds only if we assume photoevaporation in the supercritical regime where the evaporation flow is launched from the disk surface at sound speed. We have identified the energetic regime regulating FUV-photoevaporation in proplyds. This regime could be implemented into models of the dynamical evolution of protoplanetary disks.

NanoRocks: A Long-Term Microgravity Experiment to Stydy Planet Formation and Planetary Ring Particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brisset, J.; Colwell, J. E.; Dove, A.; Maukonen, D.; Brown, N.; Lai, K.; Hoover, B.

2015-12-01

We report on the results of the NanoRocks experiment on the International Space Station (ISS), which simulates collisions that occur in protoplanetary disks and planetary ring systems. A critical stage of the process of early planet formation is the growth of solid bodies from mm-sized chondrules and aggregates to km-sized planetesimals. To characterize the collision behavior of dust in protoplanetary conditions, experimental data is required, working hand in hand with models and numerical simulations. In addition, the collisional evolution of planetary rings takes place in the same collisional regime. The objective of the NanoRocks experiment is to study low-energy collisions of mm-sized particles of different shapes and materials. An aluminum tray (~8x8x2cm) divided into eight sample cells holding different types of particles gets shaken every 60 s providing particles with initial velocities of a few cm/s. In September 2014, NanoRocks reached ISS and 220 video files, each covering one shaking cycle, have already been downloaded from Station. The data analysis is focused on the dynamical evolution of the multi-particle systems and on the formation of cluster. We track the particles down to mean relative velocities less than 1 mm/s where we observe cluster formation. The mean velocity evolution after each shaking event allows for a determination of the mean coefficient of restitution for each particle set. These values can be used as input into protoplanetary disk and planetary rings simulations. In addition, the cluster analysis allows for a determination of the mean final cluster size and the average particle velocity of clustering onset. The size and shape of these particle clumps is crucial to understand the first stages of planet formation inside protoplanetary disks as well as many a feature of Saturn's rings. We report on the results from the ensemble of these collision experiments and discuss applications to planetesimal formation and planetary ring evolution.

Nonlinear Propagation of Planet-Generated Tidal Waves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rafikov, R. R.

2002-01-01

The propagation and evolution of planet-generated density waves in protoplanetary disks is considered. The evolution of waves, leading to shock formation and wake dissipation, is followed in the weakly nonlinear regime. The 2001 local approach of Goodman and Rafikov is extended to include the effects of surface density and temperature variations in the disk as well as the disk cylindrical geometry and nonuniform shear. Wave damping due to shocks is demonstrated to be a nonlocal process spanning a significant fraction of the disk. Torques induced by the planet could be significant drivers of disk evolution on timescales of approx. 10(exp 6)-10(exp 7) yr, even in the absence of strong background viscosity. A global prescription for angular momentum deposition is developed that could be incorporated into the study of gap formation in a gaseous disk around the planet.

Far-infrared to Millimeter Data of Protoplanetary Disks: Dust Growth in the Taurus, Ophiuchus, and Chamaeleon I Star-forming Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ribas, Álvaro; Espaillat, Catherine C.; Macías, Enrique; Bouy, Hervé; Andrews, Sean; Calvet, Nuria; Naylor, David A.; Riviere-Marichalar, Pablo; van der Wiel, Matthijs H. D.; Wilner, David

2017-11-01

Far-infrared and (sub)millimeter fluxes can be used to study dust in protoplanetary disks, the building blocks of planets. Here, we combine observations from the Herschel Space Observatory with ancillary data of 284 protoplanetary disks in the Taurus, Chamaeleon I, and Ophiuchus star-forming regions, covering from the optical to mm/cm wavelengths. We analyze their spectral indices as a function of wavelength and determine their (sub)millimeter slopes when possible. Most disks display observational evidence of grain growth, in agreement with previous studies. No correlation is found between other tracers of disk evolution and the millimeter spectral indices. A simple disk model is used to fit these sources, and we derive posterior distributions for the optical depth at 1.3 mm and 10 au, the disk temperature at this same radius, and the dust opacity spectral index β. We find the fluxes at 70 μm to correlate strongly with disk temperatures at 10 au, as derived from these simple models. We find tentative evidence for spectral indices in Chamaeleon I being steeper than those of disks in Taurus/Ophiuchus, although more millimeter observations are needed to confirm this trend and identify its possible origin. Additionally, we determine the median spectral energy distribution of each region and find them to be similar across the entire wavelength range studied, possibly due to the large scatter in disk properties and morphologies. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.

A New Probe of the Planet-Forming Region in T Tauri Disks

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-10-20

each object finds the presence of inner disk gaps with sizes of a few AU in each of these young (∼1 Myr) stellar systems. We propose that the...young (≤10 Myr) protoplanetary accretion disks (Beckwith et al. 2000; D’Alessio 2003 and references therein). The onset of this evolution lies in the...Gravitational inter- action between the disk and the forming planet results in the formation of a gap as the mass of the planet increases (Bryden 1

Millimeter Continuum Observations Of Disk Solids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews, Sean

2016-07-01

I will offer a condensed overview of some key issues in protoplanetary disk research that makes use interferometric measurements of the millimeter-wavelength continuum emitted by their solid particles. Several lines of evidence now qualitatively support theoretical models for the growth and migration of disk solids, but also advertise a quantitative tension with the traditional efficiency of that evolution. New observations of small-scale substructures in disks might both reconcile the conflict and shift our focus in the mechanics of planet formation.

Understanding Gas-Phase Ammonia Chemistry in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-01-01

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

Magneto-thermal Disk Winds from Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Xue-Ning; Ye, Jiani; Goodman, Jeremy; Yuan, Feng

2016-02-01

The global evolution and dispersal of protoplanetary disks (PPDs) are governed by disk angular-momentum transport and mass-loss processes. Recent numerical studies suggest that angular-momentum transport in the inner region of PPDs is largely driven by magnetized disk wind, yet the wind mass-loss rate remains unconstrained. On the other hand, disk mass loss has conventionally been attributed to photoevaporation, where external heating on the disk surface drives a thermal wind. We unify the two scenarios by developing a one-dimensional model of magnetized disk winds with a simple treatment of thermodynamics as a proxy for external heating. The wind properties largely depend on (1) the magnetic field strength at the wind base, characterized by the poloidal Alfvén speed vAp, (2) the sound speed cs near the wind base, and (3) how rapidly poloidal field lines diverge (achieve {R}-2 scaling). When {v}{Ap}\\gg {c}{{s}}, corotation is enforced near the wind base, resulting in centrifugal acceleration. Otherwise, the wind is accelerated mainly by the pressure of the toroidal magnetic field. In both cases, the dominant role played by magnetic forces likely yields wind outflow rates that exceed purely hydrodynamical mechanisms. For typical PPD accretion-rate and wind-launching conditions, we expect vAp to be comparable to cs at the wind base. The resulting wind is heavily loaded, with a total wind mass-loss rate likely reaching a considerable fraction of the wind-driven accretion rate. Implications for modeling global disk evolution and planet formation are also discussed.

ELECTROSTATIC BARRIER AGAINST DUST GROWTH IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS. II. MEASURING THE SIZE OF THE 'FROZEN' ZONE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Okuzumi, Satoshi; Sakagami, Masa-aki; Tanaka, Hidekazu

2011-04-20

Coagulation of submicron-sized dust grains into porous aggregates is the initial step of dust evolution in protoplanetary disks. Recently, it has been pointed out that negative charging of dust in the weakly ionized disks could significantly slow down the coagulation process. In this paper, we apply the growth criteria obtained in Paper I to finding out a location ('frozen' zone) where the charging stalls dust growth at the fractal growth stage. For low-turbulence disks, we find that the frozen zone can cover a major part of the disks at a few to 100 AU from the central star. The maximummore » mass of the aggregates is approximately 10{sup -7}g at 1 AU and as small as a few monomer masses at 100 AU. Strong turbulence can significantly reduce the size of the frozen zone, but such turbulence will cause the fragmentation of macroscopic aggregates at later stages. We examine a possibility that complete freezeout of dust evolution in low-turbulence disks could be prevented by global transport of dust in the disks. Our simple estimation shows that global dust transport can lead to the supply of macroscopic aggregates and the removal of frozen aggregates on a timescale of 10{sup 6} yr. This overturns the usual understanding that tiny dust particles get depleted on much shorter timescales unless collisional fragmentation is effective. The frozen zone together with global dust transport might explain 'slow' ({approx}10{sup 6} yr) dust evolution suggested by infrared observation of T Tauri stars and by radioactive dating of chondrites.« less

Evolution of protoplanetary disks with dynamo magnetic fields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reyes-Ruiz, M.; Stepinski, Tomasz F.

1994-01-01

The notion that planetary systems are formed within dusty disks is certainly not a new one; the modern planet formation paradigm is based on suggestions made by Laplace more than 200 years ago. More recently, the foundations of accretion disk theory where initially developed with this problem in mind, and in the last decade astronomical observations have indicated that many young stars have disks around them. Such observations support the generally accepted model of a viscous Keplerian accretion disk for the early stages of planetary system formation. However, one of the major uncertainties remaining in understanding the dynamical evolution of protoplanetary disks is the mechanism responsible for the transport of angular momentum and subsequent mass accretion through the disk. This is a fundamental piece of the planetary system genesis problem since such mechanisms will determine the environment in which planets are formed. Among the mechanisms suggested for this effect is the Maxwell stress associated with a magnetic field treading the disk. Due to the low internal temperatures through most of the disk, even the question of the existence of a magnetic field must be seriously studied before including magnetic effects in the disk dynamics. On the other hand, from meteoritic evidence it is believed that magnetic fields of significant magnitude existed in the earliest, PP-disk-like, stage of our own solar system's evolution. Hence, the hypothesis that PP disks are magnetized is not made solely on the basis of theory. Previous studies have addressed the problem of the existence of a magnetic field in a steady-state disk and have found that the low conductivity results in a fast diffusion of the magnetic field on timescales much shorter than the evolutionary timescale. Hence the only way for a magnetic field to exist in PP disks for a considerable portion of their lifetimes is for it to be continuously regenerated. In the present work, we present results on the self-consistent evolution of a turbulent PP disk including the effects of a dynamo-generated magnetic field.

Empirical Temperature Measurement in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weaver, Erik; Isella, Andrea; Boehler, Yann

2018-02-01

The accurate measurement of temperature in protoplanetary disks is critical to understanding many key features of disk evolution and planet formation, from disk chemistry and dynamics, to planetesimal formation. This paper explores the techniques available to determine temperatures from observations of single, optically thick molecular emission lines. Specific attention is given to issues such as the inclusion of optically thin emission, problems resulting from continuum subtraction, and complications of real observations. Effort is also made to detail the exact nature and morphology of the region emitting a given line. To properly study and quantify these effects, this paper considers a range of disk models, from simple pedagogical models to very detailed models including full radiative transfer. Finally, we show how the use of the wrong methods can lead to potentially severe misinterpretations of data, leading to incorrect measurements of disk temperature profiles. We show that the best way to estimate the temperature of emitting gas is to analyze the line peak emission map without subtracting continuum emission. Continuum subtraction, which is commonly applied to observations of line emission, systematically leads to underestimation of the gas temperature. We further show that once observational effects such as beam dilution and noise are accounted for, the line brightness temperature derived from the peak emission is reliably within 10%–15% of the physical temperature of the emitting region, assuming optically thick emission. The methodology described in this paper will be applied in future works to constrain the temperature, and related physical quantities, in protoplanetary disks observed with ALMA.

HST/WFC3 Imaging and Multi-Wavelength Characterization of Edge-On Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gould, Carolina; Williams, Hayley; Duchene, Gaspard

2017-10-01

In recent years, the imaging detail in resolved protoplanetary disks has vastly improved and created a critical mass of objects to survey and compare properties, leading us to better understandings of system formation. In particular, disks with an edge-on inclination offer an important perspective, not only for the imaging convenience since the disk blocks stellar light, but scientifically an edge-on disk provides an otherwise impossible opportunity to observe vertical dust structure of a protoplanetary system. In this contribution, we compare seven HST-imaged edge-on protoplanetary disks in the Taurus, Chamaeleon and Ophiuchus star-forming regions, making note the variation in morphology (settled vs flared), dust properties revealed by multiwavelength color mapping, brightness variability over years timescales, and the presence in some systems of a blue-colored atmosphere far above the disk midplane. By using a uniform approach for their analysis, together these seven edge-on protoplanetary disk systems can give insights on evolutionary processes and inform future projects that explore this critical stage of planet formation.

Inner Disk Structure and Transport Mechanisms in the Transitional Disk around T Cha

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Alexander

2017-08-01

To better understand how Earth-like planets form around low-mass stars, we propose to study the UV (HST), X-ray (XMM), and optical (LCOGT) variability of the young star T Cha. This variability is caused by obscuration of the star by clumpy material in the rim of its inner disk. Changing sight lines through the disk allow measurement of the temperature and column density of both molecular and atomic gas and the physical properties of the dust grains in the well-mixed inner disk, as well as determining the gas-to-dust ratio. The gas-to-dust ratio affects planetesimal growth and disk stability but is difficult to measure in local regions of disks. Three 5 orbit visits, separated by 3-7 days, are required for use of analysis techniques comprising both differential pair-method comparison of spectra with differing A_v (particularly important for determining the dust extinction curve, A_lambda, where removal of the foreground extinction requires multiple epochs) and detailed spectral fitting of gas absorption features at each epoch. The inner disk of T Cha is particularly interesting, because T Cha has a transitional disk with a large gap at 0.2-15 AU in the dust disk and allows study of the gas and dust structure in the terrestrial planet formation zone during this important rapid phase of protoplanetary disk evolution. Characterizing the high energy (UV/X-ray) radiation field is also essential for in-depth studies of the disk in other spectral regions. Results from these observations will have wide relevance to the modeling and understanding of protoplanetary disk structure and evolution, and the complex gas and dust physics and chemistry in disk surface layers.

Radially Magnetized Protoplanetary Disk: Vertical Profile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russo, Matthew; Thompson, Christopher

2015-11-01

This paper studies the response of a thin accretion disk to an external radial magnetic field. Our focus is on protoplanetary disks (PPDs), which are exposed during their later evolution to an intense, magnetized wind from the central star. A radial magnetic field is mixed into a thin surface layer, wound up by the disk shear, and pushed downward by a combination of turbulent mixing and ambipolar and ohmic drift. The toroidal field reaches much greater strengths than the seed vertical field that is usually invoked in PPD models, even becoming superthermal. Linear stability analysis indicates that the disk experiences the magnetorotational instability (MRI) at a higher magnetization than a vertically magnetized disk when both the effects of ambipolar and Hall drift are taken into account. Steady vertical profiles of density and magnetic field are obtained at several radii between 0.06 and 1 AU in response to a wind magnetic field Br ˜ (10-4-10-2)(r/ AU)-2 G. Careful attention is given to the radial and vertical ionization structure resulting from irradiation by stellar X-rays. The disk is more strongly magnetized closer to the star, where it can support a higher rate of mass transfer. As a result, the inner ˜1 AU of a PPD is found to evolve toward lower surface density. Mass transfer rates around 10-8 M⊙ yr-1 are obtained under conservative assumptions about the MRI-generated stress. The evolution of the disk and the implications for planet migration are investigated in the accompanying paper.

Hydrodynamic Simulations of Protoplanetary Disks with GIZMO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rice, Malena; Laughlin, Greg

2018-01-01

Over the past several decades, the field of computational fluid dynamics has rapidly advanced as the range of available numerical algorithms and computationally feasible physical problems has expanded. The development of modern numerical solvers has provided a compelling opportunity to reconsider previously obtained results in search for yet undiscovered effects that may be revealed through longer integration times and more precise numerical approaches. In this study, we compare the results of past hydrodynamic disk simulations with those obtained from modern analytical resources. We focus our study on the GIZMO code (Hopkins 2015), which uses meshless methods to solve the homogeneous Euler equations of hydrodynamics while eliminating problems arising as a result of advection between grid cells. By comparing modern simulations with prior results, we hope to provide an improved understanding of the impact of fluid mechanics upon the evolution of protoplanetary disks.

Probing Protoplanetary Disks: From Birth to Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cox, Erin Guilfoil

2018-01-01

Disks are very important in the evolution of protostars and their subsequent planets. How early disks can form has implications for early planet formation. In the youngest protostars (i.e., Class 0 sources) magnetic fields can control disk growth. When the field is parallel to the collapsing core’s rotation axis, infalling material loses angular momentum and disks form in later stages. Sub-/millimeter polarization continuum observations of Class 0 sources at ~1000 au resolution support this idea. However, in the inner (~100 au), denser regions, it is unknown if the polarization only traces aligned dust grains. Recent theoretical studies have shown that self-scattering of thermal emission in the disk may contribute significantly to the polarization. Determining the scattering contribution in these sources is important to disentangle the magnetic field. At older times (the Class II phase), the disk structure can both act as a modulator and signpost of planet formation, if there is enough of a mass reservoir. In my dissertation talk, I will present results that bear on disk evolution at both young and late ages. I will present 8 mm polarization results of two Class 0 protostars (IRAS 4A and IC348 MMS) from the VLA at ~50 au resolution. The inferred magnetic field of IRAS 4A has a circular morphology, reminiscent of material being dragged into a rotating structure. I will show results from SOFIA polarization data of the area surrounding IRAS 4A at ~4000 au. I will also present ALMA 850 micron polarization data of ten protostars in the Perseus Molecular Cloud. Most of these sources show very ordered patterns and low (~0.5%) polarization in their inner regions, while having very disordered patterns and high polarization patterns in their extended emission that may suggest different mechanisms in the inner/outer regions. Finally, I will present results from our ALMA dust continuum survey of protoplanetary disks in Rho Ophiuchus; we measured both the sizes and fluxes of 49 pre main-sequence stellar systems and detected either gaps or cavities in ~6 of these sources. Combined, these results build upon how early protoplanetary disks can form around young protostars and thus how early planets can begin to form.

Planet Formation in Binaries: Dynamics of Planetesimals Perturbed by the Eccentric Protoplanetary Disk and the Secondary

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silsbee, Kedron; Rafikov, Roman R.

2015-01-01

Detections of planets in eccentric, close (separations of ~20 AU) binary systems such as α Cen or γ Cep provide an important test of planet formation theories. Gravitational perturbations from the companion are expected to excite high planetesimal eccentricities, resulting in destruction rather than growth of objects with sizes of up to several hundred kilometers in collisions of similar-sized bodies. It was recently suggested that the gravity of a massive axisymmetric gaseous disk in which planetesimals are embedded drives rapid precession of their orbits, suppressing eccentricity excitation. However, disks in binaries are themselves expected to be eccentric, leading to additional planetesimal excitation. Here we develop a secular theory of eccentricity evolution for planetesimals perturbed by the gravity of an elliptical protoplanetary disk (neglecting gas drag) and the companion. For the first time, we derive an expression for the disturbing function due to an eccentric disk, which can be used for a variety of other astrophysical problems. We obtain explicit analytical solutions for planetesimal eccentricity evolution neglecting gas drag and delineate four different regimes of dynamical excitation. We show that in systems with massive (gsim 10-2 M ⊙) disks, planetesimal eccentricity is usually determined by the gravity of the eccentric disk alone, and is comparable to the disk eccentricity. As a result, the latter imposes a lower limit on collisional velocities of solids, making their growth problematic. In the absence of gas drag, this fragmentation barrier can be alleviated if the gaseous disk rapidly precesses or if its own self-gravity is efficient at lowering disk eccentricity.

Time-dependent simulations of disk-embedded planetary atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stökl, A.; Dorfi, E. A.

2014-03-01

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

A METHOD FOR COUPLING DYNAMICAL AND COLLISIONAL EVOLUTION OF DUST IN CIRCUMSTELLAR DISKS: THE EFFECT OF A DEAD ZONE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Charnoz, Sebastien; Taillifet, Esther, E-mail: charnoz@cea.fr

Dust is a major component of protoplanetary and debris disks as it is the main observable signature of planetary formation. However, since dust dynamics are size-dependent (because of gas drag or radiation pressure) any attempt to understand the full dynamical evolution of circumstellar dusty disks that neglect the coupling of collisional evolution with dynamical evolution is thwarted because of the feedback between these two processes. Here, a new hybrid Lagrangian/Eulerian code is presented that overcomes some of these difficulties. The particles representing 'dust clouds' are tracked individually in a Lagrangian way. This system is then mapped on an Eulerian spatialmore » grid, inside the cells of which the local collisional evolutions are computed. Finally, the system is remapped back in a collection of discrete Lagrangian particles, keeping their number constant. An application example of dust growth in a turbulent protoplanetary disk at 1 AU is presented. First, the growth of dust is considered in the absence of a dead zone and the vertical distribution of dust is self-consistently computed. It is found that the mass is rapidly dominated by particles about a fraction of a millimeter in size. Then the same case with an embedded dead zone is investigated and it is found that coagulation is much more efficient and produces, in a short timescale, 1-10 cm dust pebbles that dominate the mass. These pebbles may then be accumulated into embryo-sized objects inside large-scale turbulent structures as shown recently.« less

Heating, Cooling, and Gravitational Instabilities in Protostellar and Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pickett, B. K.; Mejia, A. C.; Durisen, R. H.

2001-12-01

We present three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of protostellar disk models, in order to explore how the interplay between heating and cooling regulates significant gravitational instabilities. Artificial viscosity is used to treat irreversible heating, such as would occur in shocks; volumetric cooling at several different rates is also applied throughout a broad radial region of the disk. We study the evolution of a disk that is already unstable (due to the low value of the Toomre Q parameter), and a marginally unstable disk that is cooled towards instability. The evolutions have implications for the transport of mass and angular momentum in protostellar disks, the effects of gravitational instabilities on the vertical structure of the disks, and the formation of stellar and substellar companions on dynamic time scales due to disk instabilties. This work is supported by grants from the NASA Planetary Geology and Geophysics and Origins of Solar Systems Programs.

Forming Spirals From Shadows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-07-01

What causes the large-scale spiral structures found in some protoplanetary disks? Most models assume theyre created by newly-forming planets, but a new study suggests that planets might have nothing to do with it.Perturbations from Planets?In some transition disks protoplanetary disks with gaps in their inner regions weve directly imaged large-scale spiral arms. Many theories currently attribute the formation of these structures to young planets: either the direct perturbations of a planet embedded in the disk cause the spirals, or theyre indirectly caused by the orbit of a planetary body outside of the arms.Another example of spiral arms detected in a protoplanetary disk, MWC 758. [NASA/ESA/ESO/M. Benisty et al.]But what if you could get spirals without any planets? A team of scientists led by Matas Montesinos (University of Chile) have recently published a study in which they examine what happens to a shadowed protoplanetary disk.Casting Shadows with WarpsIn the teams setup, they envision a protoplanetary disk that is warped: the inner region is slightly tilted relative to the outer region. As the central star casts light out over its protoplanetary disk, this disk warping would cause some regions of the disk to be shaded in a way that isnt axially symmetric with potentially interesting implications.Montesinos and collaborators ran 2D hydrodynamics simulations to determine what happens to the motion of particles within the disk when they pass in and out of the shadowed regions. Since the shadowed regions are significantly colder than the illuminated disk, the pressure in these regions is much lower. Particles are therefore accelerated and decelerated as they pass through these regions, and the lack of axial symmetry causes spiral density waves to form in the disk as a result.Initial profile for the stellar heating rate per unit area for one of the authors simulations. The regions shadowed as a result of the disk warp subtend 0.5 radians each (shown on the left and right sides of the disks here). [Montesinos et al. 2016]Observations of Shadow SpiralsIn the authors models, two shadowed regions result in the formation of two spiral arms. The arms that develop start at a pitch angle of 1522, and gradually evolve to a shallower 1114 pitch at distances of ~65150 AU.The more luminous the central star, the more quickly the spiral arms form, due to the greater contrast between illuminated and shadowed disk regions: for a 0.25 solar-mass disk illuminated by a 1 solar-luminosity star, arms start to form after about 2500 orbits. If we increasethe stars brightness to 100 solar luminosities, the arms form after only 150 orbits.Montesinos and collaborators conclude by testing whether or not such spiral structures would be observable. They use a 3D radiative transfer code to produce scattered-light predictions of what the disk would look like to direct-imaging telescopes. They find that these shadow-induced spirals should be detectable.This first study clearly demonstrates that large-scale spiral density waves can form in protoplanetary disks without the presence of planets. The authors now plan to add more detailed physics to their models to better understand what we might observe when looking at systems that were shapedin this way.Density evolution in two shadowed disks. Top row: disk illuminated by a 100 L star, at 150, 250, and 500 orbits (from left to right). Bottom row: disk illuminated by a 1 L star, at 2500, 3500, and 4000 orbits. The rightmost top and bottom panels show control simulations (no shadows were present on the disk) after 1000 and 6000 orbits. (A different type of spiral starts to develop in the bottom control simulation as a result of a gravitational instability, but it never extends to the edges of the disk.) [Montesinos et al. 2016]CitationMatas Montesinos et al 2016 ApJ 823 L8. doi:10.3847/2041-8205/823/1/L8

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ansdell, M.; Williams, J. P.; Gaidos, E.

We present ten young (≲10 Myr) late-K and M dwarf stars observed in K2 Campaign 2 that host protoplanetary disks and exhibit quasi-periodic or aperiodic dimming events. Their optical light curves show ∼10–20 dips in flux over the 80-day observing campaign with durations of ∼0.5–2 days and depths of up to ∼40%. These stars are all members of the ρ Ophiuchus (∼1 Myr) or Upper Scorpius (∼10 Myr) star-forming regions. To investigate the nature of these “dippers” we obtained: optical and near-infrared spectra to determine stellar properties and identify accretion signatures; adaptive optics imaging to search for close companions thatmore » could cause optical variations and/or influence disk evolution; and millimeter-wavelength observations to constrain disk dust and gas masses. The spectra reveal Li i absorption and Hα emission consistent with stellar youth (<50 Myr), but also accretion rates spanning those of classical and weak-line T Tauri stars. Infrared excesses are consistent with protoplanetary disks extending to within ∼10 stellar radii in most cases; however, the sub-millimeter observations imply disk masses that are an order of magnitude below those of typical protoplanetary disks. We find a positive correlation between dip depth and WISE-2 (Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer-2) excess, which we interpret as evidence that the dipper phenomenon is related to occulting structures in the inner disk, although this is difficult to reconcile with the weakly accreting aperiodic dippers. We consider three mechanisms to explain the dipper phenomenon: inner disk warps near the co-rotation radius related to accretion; vortices at the inner disk edge produced by the Rossby Wave Instability; and clumps of circumstellar material related to planetesimal formation.« less

Tracing Slow Winds from T Tauri Stars via Low Velocity Forbidden Line Emission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simon, Molly; Pascucci, Ilaria; Edwards, Suzan; Feng, Wanda; Rigliaco, Elisabetta; Gorti, Uma; Hollenbach, David J.; Tuttle Keane, James

2016-06-01

Protoplanetary disks are a natural result of star formation, and they provide the material from which planets form. The evolutional and eventual dispersal of protoplanetary disks play critical roles in determining the final architecture of planetary systems. Models of protoplanetary disk evolution suggest that viscous accretion of disk gas onto the central star and photoevaporation driven by high-energy photons from the central star are the main mechanisms that drive disk dispersal. Understanding when photoevaporation begins to dominate over viscous accretion is critically important for models of planet formation and planetary migration. Using Keck/HIRES (resolution of ~ 7 km/s) we analyze three low excitation forbidden lines ([O I] 6300 Å, [O I] 5577 Å, and [S II] 6731 Å) previously determined to trace winds (including photoevaporative winds). These winds can be separated into two components, a high velocity component (HVC) with blueshifts between ~30 - 150 km/s, and a low velocity component (LVC) with blueshifts on the order of ~5 km/s (Hartigan et al. 1995). We selected a sample of 32 pre-main sequence T Tauri stars in the Taurus-Auriga star-forming region (plus TW Hya) with disks that span a range of evolutionary stages. We focus on the origin of the LVC specifically, which we are able to separate into a broad component (BC) and a narrow component (NC) due to the high resolution of our optical spectra. We focus our analysis on the [O I] 6300 Å emission feature, which is detected in 30/33 of our targets. Interestingly, we find wind diagnostics consistent with photoevaporation for only 21% of our sample. We can, however, conclude that a specific component of the LVC is tracing a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) wind rather than a photoevaporative wind. We will present the details behind these findings and the implications they have for planet formation more generally.

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Miyake, Tomoya; Suzuki, Takeru K.; Inutsuka, Shu-ichiro, E-mail: miyake.tomoya@e.mbox.nagoya-u.ac.jp, E-mail: stakeru@nagoya-u.jp

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 sizemore » 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.« less

Time-Dependent Simulations of the Formation and Evolution of Disk-Accreted Atmospheres Around Terrestrial Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stoekl, Alexander; Dorfi, Ernst

2014-05-01

In the early, embedded phase of evolution of terrestrial planets, the planetary core accumulates gas from the circumstellar disk into a planetary envelope. This atmosphere is very significant for the further thermal evolution of the planet by forming an insulation around the rocky core. The disk-captured envelope is also the staring point for the atmospheric evolution where the atmosphere is modified by outgassing from the planetary core and atmospheric mass loss once the planet is exposed to the radiation field of the host star. The final amount of persistent atmosphere around the evolved planet very much characterizes the planet and is a key criterion for habitability. The established way to study disk accumulated atmospheres are hydrostatic models, even though in many cases the assumption of stationarity is unlikely to be fulfilled. We present, for the first time, time-dependent radiation hydrodynamics simulations of the accumulation process and the interaction between the disk-nebula gas and the planetary core. The calculations were performed with the TAPIR-Code (short for The adaptive, implicit RHD-Code) in spherical symmetry solving the equations of hydrodynamics, gray radiative transport, and convective energy transport. The models range from the surface of the solid core up to the Hill radius where the planetary envelope merges into the surrounding protoplanetary disk. Our results show that the time-scale of gas capturing and atmospheric growth strongly depends on the mass of the solid core. The amount of atmosphere accumulated during the lifetime of the protoplanetary disk (typically a few Myr) varies accordingly with the mass of the planet. Thus, a core with Mars-mass will end up with about 10 bar of atmosphere while for an Earth-mass core, the surface pressure reaches several 1000 bar. Even larger planets with several Earth masses quickly capture massive envelopes which in turn become gravitationally unstable leading to runaway accretion and the eventual formation of a gas planet.

A primordial origin for misalignments between stellar spin axes and planetary orbits.

PubMed

Batygin, Konstantin

2012-11-15

The existence of gaseous giant planets whose orbits lie close to their host stars ('hot Jupiters') can largely be accounted for by planetary migration associated with viscous evolution of proto-planetary nebulae. Recently, observations of the Rossiter-McLaughlin effect during planetary transits have revealed that a considerable fraction of hot Jupiters are on orbits that are misaligned with respect to the spin axes of their host stars. This observation has cast doubt on the importance of disk-driven migration as a mechanism for producing hot Jupiters. Here I show that misaligned orbits can be a natural consequence of disk migration in binary systems whose orbital plane is uncorrelated with the spin axes of the individual stars. The gravitational torques arising from the dynamical evolution of idealized proto-planetary disks under perturbations from massive distant bodies act to misalign the orbital planes of the disks relative to the spin poles of their host stars. As a result, I suggest that in the absence of strong coupling between the angular momentum of the disk and that of the host star, or of sufficient dissipation that acts to realign the stellar spin axis and the planetary orbits, the fraction of planetary systems (including systems of 'hot Neptunes' and 'super-Earths') whose angular momentum vectors are misaligned with respect to their host stars will be commensurate with the rate of primordial stellar multiplicity.

PLANET FORMATION IN BINARIES: DYNAMICS OF PLANETESIMALS PERTURBED BY THE ECCENTRIC PROTOPLANETARY DISK AND THE SECONDARY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Silsbee, Kedron; Rafikov, Roman R., E-mail: ksilsbee@astro.princeton.edu

2015-01-10

Detections of planets in eccentric, close (separations of ∼20 AU) binary systems such as α Cen or γ Cep provide an important test of planet formation theories. Gravitational perturbations from the companion are expected to excite high planetesimal eccentricities, resulting in destruction rather than growth of objects with sizes of up to several hundred kilometers in collisions of similar-sized bodies. It was recently suggested that the gravity of a massive axisymmetric gaseous disk in which planetesimals are embedded drives rapid precession of their orbits, suppressing eccentricity excitation. However, disks in binaries are themselves expected to be eccentric, leading to additionalmore » planetesimal excitation. Here we develop a secular theory of eccentricity evolution for planetesimals perturbed by the gravity of an elliptical protoplanetary disk (neglecting gas drag) and the companion. For the first time, we derive an expression for the disturbing function due to an eccentric disk, which can be used for a variety of other astrophysical problems. We obtain explicit analytical solutions for planetesimal eccentricity evolution neglecting gas drag and delineate four different regimes of dynamical excitation. We show that in systems with massive (≳ 10{sup –2} M {sub ☉}) disks, planetesimal eccentricity is usually determined by the gravity of the eccentric disk alone, and is comparable to the disk eccentricity. As a result, the latter imposes a lower limit on collisional velocities of solids, making their growth problematic. In the absence of gas drag, this fragmentation barrier can be alleviated if the gaseous disk rapidly precesses or if its own self-gravity is efficient at lowering disk eccentricity.« less

High Energy (X-ray/UV) Radiation Fields of Young, Low-Mass Stars Observed with Chandra and HST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Alexander; Brown, J. M.; Herczeg, G.; Bary, J.; Walter, F. M.; Ayres, T. R.

2010-01-01

Pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars are strong UV and X-ray emitters and the high energy (UV/X-ray) radiation from the central stars directly influences the physical and chemical processes in their protoplanetary disks. Gas and dust in protoplanetary systems are excited by these photons, which are the dominant ionization source for hundreds of AU around the star. X-rays penetrate deep into disks and power complex chemistry on grain surfaces. ``Transitional disks'' are a crucial and important evolutionary stage for PMS stars and protoplanetary systems. These disks have transformed most of the dust and gas in their inner regions into planetesimals or larger solid bodies. The disks show clear inner ``holes'' that almost certainly harbor infant planetary systems, given the very sharp gap boundaries inferred. Transitional disks are rare and represent a short-lived phase of PMS disk evolution. We have observed a sample of PMS stars at a variety of evolutionary stages, including the transitional disk stars GM Aur (K5) and HD135344B (F4). Chandra ACIS CCD-resolution X-ray spectra and HST STIS and COS FUV spectra are being used to reconstruct the full high energy (X-ray/EUV/FUV/NUV) spectra of these young stars, so as to allow detailed modeling of the physics and chemistry of their circumstellar environments, thereby providing constraints on the formation process of planetary systems. This work is supported by Chandra grants GO8-9024X, GO9-0015X and GO9-0020B and HST grants for GO projects 11336, 11828, and 11616 to the University of Colorado.

Radiation Hydrodynamics Simulations of Photoevaporation of Protoplanetary Disks by Ultraviolet Radiation: Metallicity Dependence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakatani, Riouhei; Hosokawa, Takashi; Yoshida, Naoki; Nomura, Hideko; Kuiper, Rolf

2018-04-01

Protoplanetary disks are thought to have lifetimes of several million yr in the solar neighborhood, but recent observations suggest that the disk lifetimes are shorter in a low-metallicity environment. We perform a suite of radiation hydrodynamics simulations of photoevaporating protoplanetary disks to study their long-term evolution of ∼10,000 yr and the metallicity dependence of mass-loss rates. Our simulations follow hydrodynamics, extreme and far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiative transfer, and nonequilibrium chemistry in a self-consistent manner. Dust-grain temperatures are also calculated consistently by solving the radiative transfer of the stellar irradiation and grain (re-)emission. We vary the disk metallicity over a wide range of {10}-4 {Z}ȯ ≤slant Z≤slant 10 {Z}ȯ . The photoevaporation rate is lower with higher metallicity in the range of {10}-1 {Z}ȯ ≲ Z≲ 10 {Z}ȯ , because dust shielding effectively prevents FUV photons from penetrating and heating the dense regions of the disk. The photoevaporation rate sharply declines at even lower metallicities in {10}-2 {Z}ȯ ≲ Z≲ {10}-1 {Z}ȯ , because FUV photoelectric heating becomes less effective than dust–gas collisional cooling. The temperature in the neutral region decreases, and photoevaporative flows are excited only in an outer region of the disk. At {10}-4 {Z}ȯ ≤slant Z≲ {10}-2 {Z}ȯ , H I photoionization heating acts as a dominant gas heating process and drives photoevaporative flows with a roughly constant rate. The typical disk lifetime is shorter at Z = 0.3 {Z}ȯ than at Z={Z}ȯ , being consistent with recent observations of the extreme outer galaxy.

Planetesimal and Protoplanet Dynamics in a Turbulent Protoplanetary Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Chao-Chin; Mac Low, M.; Menou, K.

2010-01-01

In core accretion scenario of planet formation, kilometer-sized planetesimals are the building blocks toward planetary cores. Their dynamics, however, are strongly influenced by their natal protoplanetary gas disks. It is generally believed that these disks are turbulent, most likely due to magnetorotational instability. The resulting density perturbations in the gas render the movement of the particles a random process. Depending on its strength, this process might cause several interesting consequences in the course of planet formation, specifically the survivability of objects under rapid inward type-I migration and/or collisional destruction. Using the local-shearing-box approximation, we conduct numerical simulations of planetesimals moving in a turbulent, magnetized gas disk, either unstratified or vertically stratified. We produce a fiducial disk model with turbulent accretion of Shakura-Sunyaev alpha about 10-2 and root-mean-square density perturbation of about 10% and statistically characterize the evolution of the orbital properties of the particles moving in the disk. These measurements result in accurate calibration of the random process of particle orbital change, indicating noticeably smaller magnitudes than predicted by global simulations, although the results may depend on the size of the shearing box. We apply these results to revisit the survivability of planetesimals under collisional destruction or protoplanets under type-I migration. Planetesimals are probably secure from collisional destruction, except for kilometer-sized objects situated in the outer regions of a young protoplanetary disk. On the other hand, we confirm earlier studies of local models in that type-I migration probably dominates diffusive migration due to stochastic torques for most planetary cores and terrestrial planets. Discrepancies in the derived magnitude of turbulence between local and global simulations of magnetorotationally unstable disks remains an open issue, with important consequences for planet formation scenarios.

Gravitational Instabilities in a Young Protoplanetary Disk with Embedded Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 dynamically similar to the radial migration of stars in the Milky Way (MW). In MW, the CR of transient spiral arms can cause radial migration of stars.Also, to determine the effects of a companion, I studied GIs in a circumbinary disk with a 0.2 M⊙ brown dwarf companion.

Phyllosilicate emission from protoplanetary disks: is the indirect detection of extrasolar water possible?

PubMed

Morris, Melissa A; Desch, Steven J

2009-12-01

Phyllosilicates are hydrous minerals formed by interaction between rock and liquid water, and are commonly found in meteorites that originate in the asteroid belt. Collisions between asteroids contribute to zodiacal dust, which therefore reasonably could include phyllosilicates. Collisions between planetesimals in protoplanetary disks may also produce dust that contains phyllosilicates. These minerals possess characteristic emission features in the mid-infrared and could be detectable in extrasolar protoplanetary disks. We have determined whether phyllosilicates in protoplanetary disks are detectable in the infrared, using instruments such as those on board the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). We calculated opacities for the phyllosilicates most common in meteorites and, using a two-layer radiative transfer model, computed the emission of radiation from a protoplanetary disk. We found that phyllosilicates present at the 3% level lead to observationally significant differences in disk spectra and should therefore be detectable with the use of infrared observations and spectral modeling. Detection of phyllosilicates in a protoplanetary disk would be diagnostic of liquid water in planetesimals in that disk and would demonstrate similarity to our own Solar System. We also discuss use of phyllosilicate emission to test the "water worlds" hypothesis, which proposes that liquid water in planetesimals should correlate with the inventory of short-lived radionuclides in planetary systems, especially (26)Al.

Gaps and rings carved by vortices in protoplanetary dust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barge, Pierre; Ricci, Luca; Carilli, Christopher Luke; Previn-Ratnasingam, Rathish

2017-09-01

Context. Large-scale vortices in protoplanetary disks are thought to form and survive for long periods of time. Hence, they can significantly change the global disk evolution and particularly the distribution of the solid particles embedded in the gas, possibly explaining asymmetries and dust concentrations recently observed at submillimeter and millimeter wavelengths. Aims: We investigate the spatial distribution of dust grains using a simple model of protoplanetary disk hosted by a giant gaseous vortex. We explore the dependence of the results on grain size and deduce possible consequences and predictions for observations of the dust thermal emission at submillimeter and millimeter wavelengths. Methods: Global 2D simulations with a bi-fluid code are used to follow the evolution of a single population of solid particles aerodynamically coupled to the gas. Possible observational signatures of the dust thermal emission are obtained using simulators of ALMA and Nest Generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) observations. Results: We find that a giant vortex not only captures dust grains with Stokes number St< 1 but can also affect the distribution of larger grains (with St 1) carving a gap associated with a ring composed of incompletely trapped particles. The results are presented for different particle sizes and associated with their possible signatures in disk observations. Conclusions: Gap clearing in the dust spatial distribution could be due to the interaction with a giant gaseous vortex and their associated spiral waves without the gravitational assistance of a planet. Hence, strong dust concentrations at short sub-mm wavelengths associated with a gap and an irregular ring at longer mm and cm wavelengths could indicate the presence of an unseen gaseous vortex.

A mid-IR interferometric survey with MIDI/VLTI: resolving the second-generation protoplanetary disks around post-AGB binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hillen, M.; Van Winckel, H.; Menu, J.; Manick, R.; Debosscher, J.; Min, M.; de Wit, W.-J.; Verhoelst, T.; Kamath, D.; Waters, L. B. F. M.

2017-03-01

Aims: We present a mid-IR interferometric survey of the circumstellar environment of a specific class of post-asymptotic giant branch (post-AGB) binaries. For this class the presence of a compact dusty disk has been postulated on the basis of various spatially unresolved measurements. The aim is to determine the angular extent of the N-band emission directly and to resolve the compact circumstellar structures. Methods: Our interferometric survey was performed with the MIDI instrument on the VLTI. In total 19 different systems were observed using variable baseline configurations. Combining all the visibilities at a single wavelength at 10.7 μm, we fitted two parametric models to the data: a uniform disk and a ring model mimicking a temperature gradient. We compared our observables of the whole sample, with synthetic data computed from a grid of radiative transfer models of passively irradiated disks in hydrostatic equilibrium. These models are computed with a Monte Carlo code that has been widely applied to describe the structure of protoplanetary disks around young stellar objects (YSO). Results: The spatially resolved observations show that the majority of our targets cluster closely together in the distance-independent size-colour diagram, and have extremely compact N-band emission regions. The typical uniform disk diameter of the N-band emission region is 40 mas, which corresponds to a typical brightness temperature of 400-600 K. The resolved objects display very similar characteristics in the interferometric observables and in the spectral energy distributions. Therefore, the physical properties of the disks around our targets must be similar. Our results are discussed in the light of recently published sample studies of YSOs to compare quantitatively the secondary discs around post-AGB stars to the ones around YSOs. Conclusions: Our high-angular-resolution survey further confirms the disk nature of the circumstellar structures present around wide post-AGB binaries. The grid of protoplanetary disk models covers very well the observed objects. Much like for young stars, the spatially resolved N-band emission region is determined by the hot inner rim of the disk. Continued comparisons between post-AGB and protoplanetary disks will help to understand grain growth and disk evolution processes, and to constrain planet formation theories. These second-generation disks are an important missing ingredient in binary evolution theory of intermediate-mass stars. Based on observations made with ESO Telescopes at the La Silla Paranal Observatory under programmes ID 073.A-9002, 073.A-9014, 073.D-0610, 075.D-0605, 077.D-0071, 078.D-0113, 079.D-0013, 080.D-0059, 081.D-0089, 082.D-0066, 083.D-0011, 083.D-0013, 084.D-0009, 093.D-0914, and 094.D-0778. Some observations were obtained in the framework of the Belgian Guaranteed Time allocation on VISA.

ELECTRIC CHARGING OF DUST AGGREGATES AND ITS EFFECT ON DUST COAGULATION IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Okuzumi, Satoshi

2009-06-20

Mutual sticking of dust aggregates is the first step toward planetesimal formation in protoplanetary disks. In spite that the electric charging of dust particles is well recognized in some contexts, it has been largely ignored in the current modeling of dust coagulation. In this study, we present a general analysis of the dust charge state in protoplanetary disks, and then demonstrate how the electric charging could dramatically change the currently accepted scenario of dust coagulation. First, we describe a new semianalytical method to calculate the dust charge state and gas ionization state self-consistently. This method is far more efficient thanmore » previous numerical methods, and provides a general and clear description of the charge state of a gas-dust mixture. Second, we apply this analysis to compute the collisional cross section of growing aggregates taking their charging into account. As an illustrative example, we focus on early evolutionary stages where the dust has been thought to grow into fractal (D {approx} 2) aggregates with a quasi-monodisperse (i.e., narrow) size distribution. We find that, for a wide range of model parameters, the fractal growth is strongly inhibited by the electric repulsion between colliding aggregates and eventually 'freezes out' on its way to the subsequent growth stage involving collisional compression. Strong disk turbulence would help the aggregates to overcome this growth barrier, but then it would cause catastrophic collisional fragmentation in later growth stages. These facts suggest that the combination of electric repulsion and collisional fragmentation would impose a serious limitation on dust growth in protoplanetary disks. We propose a possible scenario of dust evolution after the freezeout. Finally, we point out that the fractal growth of dust aggregates tends to maintain a low ionization degree and, as a result, a large magnetorotationally stable region in the disk.« less

Effect of Different Angular Momentum Transport Mechanisms on the Radial Volatile Distribution in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalyaan, Anusha; Desch, Steven

2018-01-01

How circumstellar disks evolve and transport angular momentum is a mystery even until today. Magnetorotational instability (MRI; [1]) earlier thought to be a primary driver of disk evolution, has been found to be not as strong a candidate in cold insufficiently ionized protoplanetary disks where non-ideal MHD effects take over to efficiently suppress the instability [2][3]. In the past few years, recent studies have proposed different mechanisms such as magnetically-driven disk winds [4][5], convective overstability [6], and the vertical shear instability (VSI)[7] to be likely drivers of disk evolution. In this work, we consider numerically [8] and/or parametrically derived radial α profiles of three different mechanisms of angular momentum transport (hydrodynamic instabilities such as VSI, disk winds, and MRI) to understand how the underlying disk structure changes and evolves with each mechanism. We overlay our snowline model that incorporates the advection and diffusion of volatiles as well as radial drift of solids [9] to understand how different α profiles can affect the distribution of water in the disk. References: [1] Balbus, S.A., & Hawley, J.F.,1998, Rev. of Mod. Phys., 70, 1 [2] Bai, X.-N., & Stone, J.M. 2011, ApJ, 736, 144 [3] Bai, X.-N., & Stone, J.M., 2013, ApJ, 769, 76 [4] Bai, X.-N., 2016, ApJ, 821, 80 [5] Suzuki, T.K., Ogihara, M., Morbidelli, A., Crida, A., & Guillot, T., 2016, A&A, 596, A74 [6] Klahr, H., & Hubbard, A. 2014, ApJ, 788, 21 [7] Stoll, M.H.R., & Kley, W. 2014, A&A, 572, A77 [8] Kalyaan, A., Desch, S.J., & Monga, N., 2015, ApJ, 815, 112 [9] Desch, S.J., Estrada, P.R., Kalyaan, A., & Cuzzi, J.N., 2017, ApJ, 840, 86

Chondrites and the Protoplanetary Disk, Part 3

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

Contents include the following: Ca-, Al-Rich Inclusions and Ameoboid Olivine Aggregates: What We Know and Don t Know About Their Origin. Aluminium-26 and Oxygen Isotopic Distributions of Ca-Al-rich Inclusions from Acfer 214 CH Chondrite. The Trapping Efficiency of Helium in Fullerene and Its Implicatiion to the Planetary Science. Constraints on the Origin of Chondritic Components from Oxygen Isotopic Compositions. Role of Planetary Impacts in Thermal Processing of Chondrite Materials. Formation of the Melilite Mantle of the Type B1 CAIs: Flash Heating or Transport? The Iodine-Xenon System in Outer and Inner Portions of Chondrules from the Unnamed Antarctic LL3 Chondrite. Nucleosynthesis of Short-lived Radioactivities in Massive Stars. The Two-Fluid Analysis of the Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability in the Dust Layer of a Protoplanetary Disk: A Possible Path to the Planetesimal Formation Through the Gravitational Instability. Shock-Wave Heating Model for Chonodrule Formation: Heating Rate and Cooling Rate Constraints. Glycine Amide Hydrolysis with Water and OH Radical: A Comparative DFT Study. Micron-sized Sample Preparation for AFM and SEM. AFM, FE-SEM and Optical Imaging of a Shocked L/LL Chondrite: Implications for Martensite Formation and Wave Propagation. Infrared Spectroscopy of Chondrites and Their Components: A Link Between Meteoritics and Astronomy? Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy of CAI and Their Mineral Components. The Origin of Iron Isotope Fractionation in Chondrules, CAIs and Matrix from Allende (CV3) and Chainpur (LL3) Chondrites. Protoplanetary Disk Evolution: Early Results from Spitzer. Kinetics of Evaporation-Condensation in a Melt-Solid System and Its Role on the Chemical Composition and Evolution of Chondrules. Oxygen Isotope Exchange Recorded Within Anorthite Single Crystal in Vigarano CAI: Evidence for Remelting by High Temperature Process in the Solar Nebula. Chondrule Forming Shock Waves in Solar Nebula by X-Ray Flares. Organic Globules with Anormalous Nitrogen Isotopic Compositions in the Tagish Lake Meteorite: Products of Primitive Organic Reactions. Yet Another Chondrule Formation Scenario. CAIs are Not Supernova Condensates. Microcrystals and Amorphous Material in Comets and Primitive Meteorites: Keys to Understanding Processes in the Early Solar System. A Nearby Supernova Injected Short-lived Radionuclides into Our Protoplanetary Disk. REE+Y Systematics in CC and UOC Chondrules. Meteoritic Constraints on Temperatures, Pressures, Cooling Rates, Chemical Compositions, and Modes of Condensation in the Solar Nebula. The I-Xe Record of Long Equilibration in Chondrules from the Unnamed Antarctic Meteorite L3/LL3. Early Stellar Evolution.

The Evolution of the Protoplanetary Disk Recorded by Nucleosynthetic Isotope Variations of Variable Stellar Origin in Refractory Inclusions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schönbächler, M.; Lai, Y.-J.; Henshall, T.; Fehr, M. A.; Cook, D. L.; Bullock, E. S.

2017-07-01

New CAI data confirm the homogeneous distribution of the short-lived p-process isotope 92Nb in the early solar system with the exception of CAIs with group II REE pattern that show increased 92Nb abundances.

Hydrocarbon Emission Rings in Protoplanetary Disks Induced by Dust Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergin, Edwin A.; Du, Fujun; Cleeves, L. Ilsedore; Blake, G. A.; Schwarz, K.; Visser, R.; Zhang, K.

2016-11-01

We report observations of resolved C2H emission rings within the gas-rich protoplanetary disks of TW Hya and DM Tau using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array. In each case the emission ring is found to arise at the edge of the observable disk of millimeter-sized grains (pebbles) traced by submillimeter-wave continuum emission. In addition, we detect a C3H2 emission ring with an identical spatial distribution to C2H in the TW Hya disk. This suggests that these are hydrocarbon rings (I.e., not limited to C2H). Using a detailed thermo-chemical model we show that reproducing the emission from C2H requires a strong UV field and C/O > 1 in the upper disk atmosphere and outer disk, beyond the edge of the pebble disk. This naturally arises in a disk where the ice-coated dust mass is spatially stratified due to the combined effects of coagulation, gravitational settling and drift. This stratification causes the disk surface and outer disk to have a greater permeability to UV photons. Furthermore the concentration of ices that transport key volatile carriers of oxygen and carbon in the midplane, along with photochemical erosion of CO, leads to an elemental C/O ratio that exceeds unity in the UV-dominated disk. Thus the motions of the grains, and not the gas, lead to a rich hydrocarbon chemistry in disk surface layers and in the outer disk midplane.

The Minimum-Mass Surface Density of the Solar Nebula using the Disk Evolution Equation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Sanford S.

2005-01-01

The Hayashi minimum-mass power law representation of the pre-solar nebula (Hayashi 1981, Prog. Theo. Phys.70,35) is revisited using analytic solutions of the disk evolution equation. A new cumulative-planetary-mass-model (an integrated form of the surface density) is shown to predict a smoother surface density compared with methods based on direct estimates of surface density from planetary data. First, a best-fit transcendental function is applied directly to the cumulative planetary mass data with the surface density obtained by direct differentiation. Next a solution to the time-dependent disk evolution equation is parametrically adapted to the planetary data. The latter model indicates a decay rate of r -1/2 in the inner disk followed by a rapid decay which results in a sharper outer boundary than predicted by the minimum mass model. The model is shown to be a good approximation to the finite-size early Solar Nebula and by extension to extra solar protoplanetary disks.

RADIALLY MAGNETIZED PROTOPLANETARY DISK: VERTICAL PROFILE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Russo, Matthew; Thompson, Christopher

2015-11-10

This paper studies the response of a thin accretion disk to an external radial magnetic field. Our focus is on protoplanetary disks (PPDs), which are exposed during their later evolution to an intense, magnetized wind from the central star. A radial magnetic field is mixed into a thin surface layer, wound up by the disk shear, and pushed downward by a combination of turbulent mixing and ambipolar and ohmic drift. The toroidal field reaches much greater strengths than the seed vertical field that is usually invoked in PPD models, even becoming superthermal. Linear stability analysis indicates that the disk experiencesmore » the magnetorotational instability (MRI) at a higher magnetization than a vertically magnetized disk when both the effects of ambipolar and Hall drift are taken into account. Steady vertical profiles of density and magnetic field are obtained at several radii between 0.06 and 1 AU in response to a wind magnetic field B{sub r} ∼ (10{sup −4}–10{sup −2})(r/ AU){sup −2} G. Careful attention is given to the radial and vertical ionization structure resulting from irradiation by stellar X-rays. The disk is more strongly magnetized closer to the star, where it can support a higher rate of mass transfer. As a result, the inner ∼1 AU of a PPD is found to evolve toward lower surface density. Mass transfer rates around 10{sup −8} M{sub ⊙} yr{sup −1} are obtained under conservative assumptions about the MRI-generated stress. The evolution of the disk and the implications for planet migration are investigated in the accompanying paper.« less

Herschel survey and modelling of externally-illuminated photoevaporating protoplanetary disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Champion, J.; Berné, O.; Vicente, S.; Kamp, I.; Le Petit, F.; Gusdorf, A.; Joblin, C.; Goicoechea, J. R.

2017-08-01

Context. Protoplanetary disks undergo substantial mass-loss by photoevaporation, a mechanism that is crucial to their dynamical evolution. However, the processes regulating the gas energetics have not so far been well constrained by observations. Aims: We aim to study the processes involved in disk photoevaporation when it is driven by far-UV photons (I.e. 6 < E < 13.6 eV). Methods: We present a unique Herschel survey and new ALMA observations of four externally-illuminated photoevaporating disks (a.k.a. proplyds). To analyse these data, we developed a 1D model of the photodissociation region (PDR) of a proplyd, based on the Meudon PDR code. Using this model, we computed the far infrared line emission. Results: With this model, we successfully reproduce most of the observations and derive key physical parameters, that is, the densities at the disk surface of about 106 cm-3 and local gas temperatures of about 1000 K. Our modelling suggests that all studied disks are found in a transitional regime resulting from the interplay between several heating and cooling processes that we identify. These differ from those dominating in classical PDRs, meaning the grain photo-electric effect and cooling by [OI] and [CII] FIR lines. This specific energetic regime is associated to an equilibrium dynamical point of the photoevaporation flow: the mass-loss rate is self-regulated to keep the envelope column density at a value that maintains the temperature at the disk surface around 1000 K. From the physical parameters derived from our best-fit models, we estimate mass-loss rates - of the order of 10-7M⊙/yr - that are in agreement with earlier spectroscopic observation of ionised gas tracers. This holds only if we assume photoevaporation in the supercritical regime where the evaporation flow is launched from the disk surface at sound speed. Conclusions: We have identified the energetic regime regulating FUV-photoevaporation in proplyds. This regime could be implemented into models of the dynamical evolution of protoplanetary disks. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.Tables of observational data are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (http://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/604/A69

Indirect and Direct Signatures of Young Planets in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Zhaohuan; Stone, James M.; Dong, Ruobing; Rafikov, Roman; Bai, Xue-Ning

2015-12-01

Directly finding young planets around protostars is challenging since protostars are highly variable and obscured by dust. However, young planets will interact with protoplanetary disks, inducing disk features such as gaps, spiral arms, and asymmetric features, which are much easier to be detected. Transitional disks, which are protoplanetary disks with gaps and holes, are excellent candidates for finding young planets. Although these disks have been studied extensively in observations (e.g. using Subaru, VLT, ALMA, EVLA), theoretical models still need to be developed to explain observations. We have constructed numerical simulations, including dust particle dynamics and MHD effects, to study planet-disk interaction, with an emphasis on explaining observations. Our simulations have successfully reproduced spiral arms, gaps and asymmetric features observed in transitional disks. Furthermore, by comparing with observations, we have constrained protoplanetary disk properties and pinpoint potential planets in these disks. We will present progress in constructing global simulations to study transitional disks, including using our recently developed Athena++ code with static-mesh-refinement for MHD. Finally we suggest that accreting circumplanetary disks can release an observable amount of energy and could be the key to detect young planets directly. We will discuss how JWST and next generation telescopes can help to find these young planets with circumplanetary disks.

An Empirical Planetesimal Belt Radius–Stellar Luminosity Relation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matrà, L.; Marino, S.; Kennedy, G. M.; Wyatt, M. C.; Öberg, K. I.; Wilner, D. J.

2018-05-01

Resolved observations of millimeter-sized dust, tracing larger planetesimals, have pinpointed the location of 26 Edgeworth–Kuiper Belt analogs. We report that a belt’s distance R to its host star correlates with the star’s luminosity L ⋆, following R\\propto {L}\\star 0.19 with a low intrinsic scatter of ∼17%. Remarkably, our Edgeworth–Kuiper Belt in the solar system and the two CO snow lines imaged in protoplanetary disks lie close to this R–L ⋆ relation, suggestive of an intrinsic relationship between protoplanetary disk structures and belt locations. To test the effect of bias on the relation, we use a Monte Carlo approach and simulate uncorrelated model populations of belts. We find that observational bias could produce the slope and intercept of the R–L ⋆ relation but is unable to reproduce its low scatter. We then repeat the simulation taking into account the collisional evolution of belts, following the steady-state model that fits the belt population as observed through infrared excesses. This significantly improves the fit by lowering the scatter of the simulated R–L ⋆ relation; however, this scatter remains only marginally consistent with the one observed. The inability of observational bias and collisional evolution alone to reproduce the tight relationship between belt radius and stellar luminosity could indicate that planetesimal belts form at preferential locations within protoplanetary disks. The similar trend for CO snow line locations would then indicate that the formation of planetesimals or planets in the outer regions of planetary systems is linked to the volatility of their building blocks, as postulated by planet formation models.

The Hall Instability of Weakly Ionized, Radially Stratified, Rotating Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liverts, Edward; Mond, Michael; Chernin, Arthur D.

2007-09-01

Cool weakly ionized gaseous rotating disks are considered by many models to be the origin of the evolution of protoplanetary clouds. Instabilities against perturbations in such disks play an important role in the theory of the formation of stars and planets. Thus, a hierarchy of successive fragmentations into smaller and smaller pieces as a part of the Kant-Laplace theory of formation of the planetary system remains valid also for contemporary cosmogony. Traditionally, axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) and, recently, Hall-MHD instabilities have been thoroughly studied as providers of an efficient mechanism for radial transfer of angular momentum and of radial density stratification. In the current work, the Hall instability against nonaxisymmetric perturbations in compressible rotating fluid in external magnetic field is proposed as a viable mechanism for the azimuthal fragmentation of the protoplanetary disk and, thus, perhaps initiates the road to planet formation. The Hall instability is excited due to the combined effect of the radial stratification of the disk and the Hall electric field, and its growth rate is of the order of the rotation period. This family of instabilities is introduced here for the first time in an astrophysical context.

Effect of Charged-Magnetic Grains in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perry, Jonathan; Matthews, Lorin; Hyde, Truell

Effects of Charged-Magnetic Grains in Protoplanetary Disks Jonathan, Perry, Lorin Swint Matthews, and Truell W. Hyde Center for Astrophysics, Space Physics, and Engi-neering Research, addressPlaceNamePlaceNameplaceBaylor StreetPlaceTypeUniversity, Stree-taddressOne Bear Place 97316 Waco, TX 76798 USA The interaction and growth of dust grains is an important process in early planetesimal formation. The structure of aggregates formed from dust depend largely on the initial properties within the dust population, whether the grains are charged or uncharged, magnetic or non-magnetic. Theoretical simulations exam-ining pair-wise interactions between aggregates indicate that charged magnetic grains exhibit different growth behavior than populations consisting of exclusively charged or exclusively mag-netic grains. This study extends that work to predict how charged-magnetic grains influence grain growth within a protoplanetary disk. An N-body simulation containing various mixtures of dust materials is used to examine the differences in dust coagulation in the presence of charged magnetic aggregates. The growth of the dust aggregates is analyzed to determine the effects that charged magnetic grains contribute to the evolution of the dust cloud. Comparison of the rate of aggregation as well as the dynamic exponent relating mass of a cluster to the elapsed time will both be discussed.

VAMPIRES: probing the innermost regions of protoplanetary systems with polarimetric aperture-masking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norris, Barnaby R. M.; Tuthill, Peter G.; Jovanovic, Nemanja; Schworer, Guillaume; Guyon, Olivier; Martinache, Frantz; Stewart, Paul N.

2014-07-01

VAMPIRES is a high-angular resolution imager developed to directly image planet-forming circumstellar disks, and the signatures of forming planets that lie within. The instrument leverages aperture masking interferometry - providing diffraction-limited imaging despite seeing - in combination with fast-switching differential polarimetry to directly image structure in the inner-most regions of protoplanetary systems. VAMPIRES will use starlight scattered by dust in such systems to precisely map the disk, gaps, knots and waves that are key to understanding disk evolution and planet formation. It also promises to image the dusty circumstellar environments of AGB stars. This instrument perfectly compliments coronagraphic observations in the near-IR, and can operate simultaneously with a coronagraph, as part of the SCExAO extreme-AO system at the Subaru telescope. In this paper the design of the instrument will be presented, along with an explanation of the unique data analysis process and the results of the first on-sky tests.

Planetary influence in the gap of a protoplanetary disk: structure formation and an application to V1247 Ori

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alvarez-Meraz, R.; Nagel, E.; Rendon, F.; Barragan, O.

2017-10-01

We present a set of hydrodynamical models of a planetary system embedded in a protoplanetary disk in order to extract the number of dust structures formed in the disk, their masses and sizes, within optical depth ranges τ≤0.5, 0.5<τ<2 and τ≥2. The study of the structures shows: (1) an increase in the number of planets implies an increase in the creation rate of massive structures; (2) a lower planetary mass accretion corresponds to slower time effects for optically thin structures; (3) an increase in the number of planets allows a faster evolution of the structures in the Hill radius for the different optical depth ranges of the inner planets. An ad-hoc simulation was run using the available information of the stellar system V1247 Ori, leading to a model of a planetary system which explains the SED and is consistent with interferometric observations of structures.

Gravitational Instabilities in Disks with Radiative Cooling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mejía, A. C.; Durisen, R. H.; Pickett, B. K.

Previous simulations of self-gravitating protoplanetary disks by our group have shown that, once developed, gravitational instabilities are enhanced by cooling the disk constantly during its evolution (Pickett et al. 2002). These earlier calculations included a very simple form of volumetric cooling which acted against the stabilizing effects of shock heating. The present work incorporates more realistic treatments of energy transport. The initial disk model extends from 2.3 to 40 AU, has a mass of 0.07 M⊙, and orbits a 0.5 M⊙ star. The models evolve for a period of over 2500 years, during which the structure of the disks is profoundly altered, transient clumps form in one case, but no permanent bound companion objects develop.

The Thermal Regulation of Gravitational Instabilities in Protoplanetary Disks. III. Simulations with Radiative Cooling and Realistic Opacities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boley, Aaron C.; Mejía, Annie C.; Durisen, Richard H.; Cai, Kai; Pickett, Megan K.; D'Alessio, Paola

2006-11-01

This paper presents a fully three-dimensional radiative hydrodymanics simulation with realistic opacities for a gravitationally unstable 0.07 Msolar disk around a 0.5 Msolar star. We address the following aspects of disk evolution: the strength of gravitational instabilities under realistic cooling, mass transport in the disk that arises from GIs, comparisons between the gravitational and Reynolds stresses measured in the disk and those expected in an α-disk, and comparisons between the SED derived for the disk and SEDs derived from observationally determined parameters. The mass transport in this disk is dominated by global modes, and the cooling times are too long to permit fragmentation for all radii. Moreover, our results suggest a plausible explanation for the FU Ori outburst phenomenon.

Measuring Protoplanetary Disk Gas Surface Density Profiles with ALMA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Jonathan P.; McPartland, Conor

2016-10-01

The gas and dust are spatially segregated in protoplanetary disks due to the vertical settling and radial drift of large grains. A fuller accounting of the mass content and distribution in disks therefore requires spectral line observations. We extend the modeling approach presented in Williams & Best to show that gas surface density profiles can be measured from high fidelity 13CO integrated intensity images. We demonstrate the methodology by fitting ALMA observations of the HD 163296 disk to determine a gas mass, M gas = 0.048 M ⊙, and accretion disk characteristic size R c = 213 au and gradient γ = 0.39. The same parameters match the C18O 2-1 image and indicate an abundance ratio [12CO]/[C18O] of 700 independent of radius. To test how well this methodology can be applied to future line surveys of smaller, lower mass T Tauri disks, we create a large 13CO 2-1 image library and fit simulated data. For disks with gas masses 3-10 M Jup at 150 pc, ALMA observations with a resolution of 0.″2-0.″3 and integration times of ˜20 minutes allow reliable estimates of R c to within about 10 au and γ to within about 0.2. Economic gas imaging surveys are therefore feasible and offer the opportunity to open up a new dimension for studying disk structure and its evolution toward planet formation.

Investigating dust trapping in transition disks with millimeter-wave polarization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pohl, A.; Kataoka, A.; Pinilla, P.; Dullemond, C. P.; Henning, Th.; Birnstiel, T.

2016-08-01

Context. Spatially resolved polarized (sub-)mm emission has been observed for example in the protoplanetary disk around HL Tau. Magnetically aligned grains are commonly interpreted as the source of polarization. However, self-scattering by large dust grains with a high enough albedo is another polarization mechanism, which is becoming a compelling method independent of the spectral index to constrain the dust grain size in protoplanetary disks. Aims: We study the dust polarization at mm wavelengths in the dust trapping scenario proposed for transition disks, when a giant planet opens a gap in the disk. We investigate the characteristic polarization patterns and their dependence on disk inclination, dust size evolution, planet position, and observing wavelength. Methods: We combine two-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations of planet-disk interactions with self-consistent dust growth models. These size-dependent dust density distributions are used for follow-up three-dimensional radiative transfer calculations to predict the polarization degree at ALMA bands due to scattered thermal emission. Results: Dust self-scattering has been proven to be a viable mechanism for producing polarized mm-wave radiation. We find that the polarization pattern of a disk with a planetary gap after 1 Myr of dust evolution shows a distinctive three-ring structure. Two narrow inner rings are located at the planet gap edges. A third wider ring of polarization is situated in the outer disk beyond 100 au. For increasing observing wavelengths, all three rings change their position slightly, where the innermost and outermost rings move inward. This distance is detectable when comparing the results at ALMA bands 3, 6, and 7. Within the highest polarized intensity regions the polarization vectors are oriented in the azimuthal direction. For an inclined disk there is an interplay between polarization originating from a flux gradient and inclination-induced quadrupole polarization. For intermediate inclined transition disks, the polarization degree is as high as ~2% at λ = 3.1 mm (band 3), which is well above the detection limit of future ALMA observations.

Local protoplanetary disk ionisation by T Tauri star energetic particles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2017-10-01

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

The Effects of Stellar Irradiation on Gravitational Instabilities in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Kai; Durisen, R. H.; Zhu, Z.

2009-01-01

It has been suggested that giant protoplanets form in protoplanetary disks when the disks undergo rapid cooling and fragment into dense Jupiter-mass clumps under the disks' own self-gravity. Previous three-dimensional simulations of protoplanetary disks investigated the effects of envelope irradiation on the development of gravitational instabilities (GIs) in such disks. We found that the irradiation tends to suppress the nonlinear amplitude of GIs and no dense clumps form, arguing against direct formation of giant planets by disk instability in irradiated disks (Cai et al. 2008). In this work, by utilizing an improved radiative cooling scheme in the optically thin regions, we present some preliminary results from simulations with a variable irradiation temperature that mimics the effects of stellar irradiation. Comparisons with results from an envelope-irradiated disk suggest that stellar irradiation may be more effective in suppressing GIs than envelope irradiation.

The evolution of inner disk winds from a large survey of high-resolution [OI] spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banzatti, Andrea; Pascucci, Illaria; Edwards, Suzan

2018-01-01

Current theoretical work suggests that protoplanetary disk evolution and dispersal could be driven by radially extended disk winds. I will present new observational results on the evolution of inner disk winds as linked to jets and to the dispersal of disks. The analysis is based on a large survey of forbidden emission from oxygen ([OI]) as observed in the optical (5577 and 6300 ang) at the spectral resolution of ~7 km/s, and it is part of a large recent effort (Rigliaco et al. 2013, Simon et al. 2016) to study winds at higher resolution than in the past. Past work identified two largely distinct components in [OI] emission: a high-velocity-component (HVC) that has been related to collimated jets, and a low-velocity-component (LVC) that has been attributed to slow disk winds (MHD and/or photoevaporative). The larger sample, high resolution, and improved correction for photospheric absorption now allow us to find new important clues, in particular in terms of the evolution of line blue-shifts and of 5577/6300 line flux ratios in the LVC. I will discuss these findings in the context of the properties and evolution of wind process(es) that are proposed to produce them.

The Behavior of Warm Molecules in Planet-forming Disks and CHESS: a Pathfinder UV Spectrograph for the LUVOIR Surveyor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoadley, Keri; France, Kevin

2017-01-01

Understanding the evolution of gas over the lifetime of protoplanetary disks provides us with important clues about how planet formation mechanisms drive the diversity of exoplanetary systems observed to date. In the first part of my talk, I will discuss how we use emission line observations of molecular hydrogen (H2) in the far-ultraviolet (far-UV) with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope to study the warm molecular regions (a < 10 AU) of planet-forming disks. We compare the observations with analytic disk models that produce synthetic H2 profiles, and we statistically determine the disk representations that best replicate the data. I will discuss the results of our comparisons and how the modeled radial distributions of H2 in the disk help provide important constraints on the effective density of gas left in the inner disk of protoplanetary disks at various disk evolutionary stages. Finally, I will talk about follow-up studies that look to connect the warm, UV-pumped molecular populations of the inner disk to thermally-excited molecules observed in similar regions of the disk in the near- to mid-IR.In the second part of my talk, I will discuss the observational requirements in the UV and IR band passes to gain further insights into the behavior of the warm, gaseous protoplanetary disk, focusing specifically on a spectrograph concept for the next-generation LUVOIR Surveyor. I will discuss a testbed instrument, the Colorado High-resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (CHESS), built as a demonstration of one component of the LUVOIR spectrograph and new technological improvements to UV optical components for the next generation of near- to far-UV astrophysical observatories. CHESS is a far-UV sounding rocket experiment designed to probe the warm and cool atoms and molecules near sites of recent star formation in the local interstellar medium. I will talk about the science goals, design, research and development (R&D) components, and calibration of the CHESS instrument. I will end by presenting the initial data reduction and results of the flight observations taken during the second launch of CHESS.

Spiral density waves in a young protoplanetary disk.

PubMed

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

2016-09-30

Gravitational forces are expected to excite spiral density waves in protoplanetary disks, disks of gas and dust orbiting young stars. However, previous observations that showed spiral structure were not able to probe disk midplanes, where most of the mass is concentrated and where planet formation takes place. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, we detected a pair of trailing symmetric spiral arms in the protoplanetary disk surrounding the young star Elias 2-27. The arms extend to the disk outer regions and can be traced down to the midplane. These millimeter-wave observations also reveal an emission gap closer to the star than the spiral arms. We argue that the observed spirals trace shocks of spiral density waves in the midplane of this young disk. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Using Ice and Dust Lines to Constrain the Surface Densities of Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powell, Diana; Murray-Clay, Ruth; Schlichting, Hilke E.

2017-05-01

We present a novel method for determining the surface density of protoplanetary disks through consideration of disk “dust lines,” which indicate the observed disk radial scale at different observational wavelengths. This method relies on the assumption that the processes of particle growth and drift control the radial scale of the disk at late stages of disk evolution such that the lifetime of the disk is equal to both the drift timescale and growth timescale of the maximum particle size at a given dust line. We provide an initial proof of concept of our model through an application to the disk TW Hya and are able to estimate the disk dust-to-gas ratio, CO abundance, and accretion rate in addition to the total disk surface density. We find that our derived surface density profile and dust-to-gas ratio are consistent with the lower limits found through measurements of HD gas. The CO ice line also depends on surface density through grain adsorption rates and drift and we find that our theoretical CO ice line estimates have clear observational analogues. We further apply our model to a large parameter space of theoretical disks and find three observational diagnostics that may be used to test its validity. First, we predict that the dust lines of disks other than TW Hya will be consistent with the normalized CO surface density profile shape for those disks. Second, surface density profiles that we derive from disk ice lines should match those derived from disk dust lines. Finally, we predict that disk dust and ice lines will scale oppositely, as a function of surface density, across a large sample of disks.

The Effects of Metallicity and Grain Size on Gravitational Instabilities in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Kai; Durisen, Richard H.; Michael, Scott; Boley, Aaron C.; Mejía, Annie C.; Pickett, Megan K.; D'Alessio, Paola

2006-01-01

Observational studies show that the probability of finding gas giant planets around a star increases with the star's metallicity. Our latest simulations of disks undergoing gravitational instabilities (GIs) with realistic radiative cooling indicate that protoplanetary disks with lower metallicity generally cool faster and thus show stronger overall GI activity. More importantly, the global cooling times in our simulations are too long for disk fragmentation to occur, and the disks do not fragment into dense protoplanetary clumps. Our results suggest that direct gas giant planet formation via disk instabilities is unlikely to be the mechanism that produced most observed planets. Nevertheless, GIs may still play an important role in a hybrid scenario, compatible with the observed metallicity trend, where structure created by GIs accelerates planet formation by core accretion.

The Effects of Metallicity and Grain Size on Gravitational Instabilities in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, K.; Durisen, R. H.; Michael, S.; Boley, A. C.; Mejía, A. C.; Pickett, M. K.; D'Alessio, P.

Observational studies show that the probability of finding gas giant planets around a star increases with the star's metallicity. Our latest simulations of disks undergoing gravitational instabilities (GIs) with realistic radiative cooling indicate that protoplanetary disks with lower metallicity generally cool faster and thus show stronger overall GI-activity. More importantly, the global cooling times in our simulations are too long for disk fragmentation to occur, and the disks do not fragment into dense protoplanetary clumps. Our results suggest that direct gas giant planet formation via disk instabilities is unlikely to be the mechanism that produced most observed planets. Nevertheless, GIs may still play an important role in a hybrid scenario, compatible with the observed metallicity trend, where structure created by GIs accelerates planet formation by core accretion.

Radiative Transfer in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graziani, L.; Aiello, S.; Belleni-Morante, A.; Cecchi-Pestellini, C.

2008-09-01

Abstract Protoplanetary disks are the precursors of planetary systems. All building materials needed to assembly the planetary systems are supplied by these reservoirs, including many organic molecules [1,2]. Thus, the physical and chemical properties in Protoplanetary disks set the boundary conditions for the formation and evolution of planets and other solar system bodies. In standard radiative scenario structure and chemistry of protoplanetary disks depend strongly on the nature of central star around which they formed. The dust temperature is manly set by the stellar luminosity, while the chemistry of the whole disk depends on the UV and X ray fluxes [3,4,6,8]. Therefore, a knowledge as accurate as possible of the radiative transfer (RT) inside disks is a prerequisite for their modelling. Actually, real disks are complex, stratified and inhomogeneous environments requiring a detailed dust mixture modelling and the ability to follow the radiation transfer across radial and vertical gradients. Different energetic processes as the mass accretion processes onto the star surface, the viscous dissipative heating dominating the midplane region, and the flared atmospheres radiation reprocessing, have a significant role in the disk structuring [4,5,8]. During the last 10 years many authors suggested various numerical and analytical techniques to resolve the disk temperature structure providing vertical temperature profiles and disk SED databases [4,6]. In this work we present the results of our semi analytical and numerical model solving the radiative transfer problem in two separate interesting disk regions: 1) Disk atmospheres at large radius, r > 10 AU. 2) Vertical disk structure over 1 < r < 10 AU and 10 < r < 100 AU. A simplified analytical approach based on P-N approximation [7] for a rectified disk surface (suitable for limited range of r) is compared and contrasted with a more accurate Monte Carlo integration [5]. Our code can handle arbitrary dust inhomogeneities, vertical and radial, in terms of mineralogical and density changes. Different dust mixture models from Pollack [9], Gail [10] and Henning [11] are implemented and tested. The code solves the RT in the 4 Stokes radiation field formalism providing an accurate radiation flux description and the polarization configuration for UV and X-Ray stellar fluxes in various disk regions (disk surface, disk midplane etc..). The complete model is developed within the context of a classical TTauri protostar and for different dust compositions and different ranges of star luminosity in UV and X -Ray are. The effects on some prebiotic molecules are estimated. References [1]Ehrenfreund, P. & Charnley, S.B. (2000), Ann.Rev.Astr.Astrophys, 38, 427-483. [2]Markwick, A.J. & Charnley, S.B. (2004). in P. Eherenfreund et alt. (eds) "Astrobiology: Future Perspectives", Kluwer, 33-66. [3] Chiang, E. I. & Goldreich, P. (1997), ApJ, 490, 368 [4] D'Alessio, P., Canto, J., Calvet, N., & Lizano, S. (1998), ApJ, 500, 411. [5] Bjorkman, J. E. & Wood, K. 2001, ApJ, 554, 615. [6] Dullemond C. P. & A.Natta 2003, A&A 405, 597-605. [7] B. Davison & J. B. Sykes: Neutron Transport theory, Oxford Press 1958. [8] D'Alessio P. et al (2007), Chondrites and the Protoplanetary Disk, ASPConference Series,Vol.341. [9] J.B.Pollack et al. (1994), ApJ,421:615-639. [10] H.P.Gail, (2001), A&A, v.378 [11] T.Henning & R.Stognienko.(1996), ApJ, 311.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

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

PubMed Central

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

2014-01-01

We discuss the chemical pre-conditions for planet formation, in terms of gas and ice abundances in a protoplanetary disk, as function of time and position, and the resulting chemical composition and cloud properties in the atmosphere when young gas giant planets form, in particular discussing the effects of unusual, non-solar carbon and oxygen abundances. Large deviations between the abundances of the host star and its gas giants seem likely to occur if the planet formation follows the core-accretion scenario. These deviations stem from the separate evolution of gas and dust in the disk, where the dust forms the planet cores, followed by the final run-away accretion of the left-over gas. This gas will contain only traces of elements like C, N and O, because those elements have frozen out as ices. ProDiMo protoplanetary disk models are used to predict the chemical evolution of gas and ice in the midplane. We find that cosmic rays play a crucial role in slowly un-blocking the CO, where the liberated oxygen forms water, which then freezes out quickly. Therefore, the C/O ratio in the gas phase is found to gradually increase with time, in a region bracketed by the water and CO ice-lines. In this regions, C/O is found to approach unity after about 5 Myrs, scaling with the cosmic ray ionization rate assumed. We then explore how the atmospheric chemistry and cloud properties in young gas giants are affected when the non-solar C/O ratios predicted by the disk models are assumed. The Drift cloud formation model is applied to study the formation of atmospheric clouds under the influence of varying premordial element abundances and its feedback onto the local gas. We demonstrate that element depletion by cloud formation plays a crucial role in converting an oxygen-rich atmosphere gas into carbon-rich gas when non-solar, premordial element abundances are considered as suggested by disk models. PMID:25370190

Disk evolution, element abundances and cloud properties of young gas giant planets.

PubMed

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

2014-04-14

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

Kinematic Dynamo In Turbulent Circumstellar Disks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stepinski, T.

1993-01-01

Many circumstellar disks associated with objects ranging from protoplanetary nebulae, to accretion disks around compact stars allow for the generation of magnetic fields by an (alpha)omega dynamo. We have applied kinematic dynamo formalism to geometrically thin accretion disks. We calculate, in the framework of an adiabatic approximation, the normal mode solutions for dynamos operating in disks around compact stars. We then describe the criteria for a viable dynamo in protoplanetary nebulae, and discuss the particular features that make accretion disk dynamos different from planetary, stellar, and galactic dynamos.

Gravitational Instabilities in Circumstellar Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kratter, Kaitlin; Lodato, Giuseppe

2016-09-01

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

The End of Protoplanetary Disk Evolution: An ALMA Survey of Upper Scorpius

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barenfeld, Scott A.; Carpenter, John M.; Sargent, Anneila I.; Ricci, Luca; Isella, Andrea

2017-01-01

The evolution of the mass of solids in circumstellar disks is a key factor in determining how planets form. Infrared observations have established that the dust in primordial disks vanishes around the majority of stars by an age of 5-10 Myr. However, how this disappearance proceeds is poorly constrained. Only with longer wavelength observations, where the dust emission is optically thin, is it possible to measure disk dust mass and how it varies as a function of age. To this end, we have obtained ALMA 0.88 mm observations of over 100 sources with suspected circumstellar disks in the Upper Scorpius OB Association (Upper Sco). The 5-11 Myr age of Upper Sco suggests that any such disks will be quite evolved, making this association an ideal target to compare to systems of younger disks in order to study evolution. With ALMA, we achieve an order of magnitude improvement in sensitivity over previous (sub)millimeter surveys of Upper Sco and detect 58 disks in the continuum. We calculate the total dust masses of these disks and compare their masses to those of younger disks in Taurus, Lupus, and Chamaeleon. We find strong evidence for a decline in disk dust mass between these 1-3 Myr old systems and the 5-11 Myr old Upper Sco. Our results represent the first definitive measurement of a decline in disk dust mass with age.

Disk Dispersal: Theoretical Understanding and Observational Constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorti, U.; Liseau, R.; Sándor, Z.; Clarke, C.

2016-12-01

Protoplanetary disks dissipate rapidly after the central star forms, on time-scales comparable to those inferred for planet formation. In order to allow the formation of planets, disks must survive the dispersive effects of UV and X-ray photoevaporation for at least a few Myr. Viscous accretion depletes significant amounts of the mass in gas and solids, while photoevaporative flows driven by internal and external irradiation remove most of the gas. A reasonably large fraction of the mass in solids and some gas get incorporated into planets. Here, we review our current understanding of disk evolution and dispersal, and discuss how these might affect planet formation. We also discuss existing observational constraints on dispersal mechanisms and future directions.

Effects of Chemistry on Vertical Dust Motion in Early Protoplanetary Disks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Miyazaki, Yoshinori; Korenaga, Jun

We propose the possibility of a new phenomenon affecting the settling of dust grains at the terrestrial region in early protoplanetary disks. Sinking dust grains evaporate in a hot inner region during the early stage of disk evolution, and the effects of condensation and evaporation on vertical dust settling can be significant. A 1D dust settling model considering both physical and chemical aspects is presented in this paper. Modeling results show that dust grains evaporate as they descend into the hotter interior and form a condensation front, above which dust-composing major elements, Mg, Si, and Fe, accumulate, creating a largemore » temperature gradient. Repeated evaporation at the front inhibits grain growth, and small grain sizes elevate the opacity away from the midplane. Self-consistent calculations, including radiative heat transfer and condensation theory, suggest that the mid-disk temperature could be high enough for silicates to remain evaporated longer than previous estimates. The formation of a condensation front leads to contrasting settling behaviors between highly refractory elements, such as Al and Ca, and moderately refractory elements, such as Mg, Si, and Fe, suggesting that elemental abundance in planetesimals may not be a simple function of volatility.« less

Effects of Chemistry on Vertical Dust Motion in Early Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miyazaki, Yoshinori; Korenaga, Jun

2017-11-01

We propose the possibility of a new phenomenon affecting the settling of dust grains at the terrestrial region in early protoplanetary disks. Sinking dust grains evaporate in a hot inner region during the early stage of disk evolution, and the effects of condensation and evaporation on vertical dust settling can be significant. A 1D dust settling model considering both physical and chemical aspects is presented in this paper. Modeling results show that dust grains evaporate as they descend into the hotter interior and form a condensation front, above which dust-composing major elements, Mg, Si, and Fe, accumulate, creating a large temperature gradient. Repeated evaporation at the front inhibits grain growth, and small grain sizes elevate the opacity away from the midplane. Self-consistent calculations, including radiative heat transfer and condensation theory, suggest that the mid-disk temperature could be high enough for silicates to remain evaporated longer than previous estimates. The formation of a condensation front leads to contrasting settling behaviors between highly refractory elements, such as Al and Ca, and moderately refractory elements, such as Mg, Si, and Fe, suggesting that elemental abundance in planetesimals may not be a simple function of volatility.

ROSSBY WAVE INSTABILITY AT DEAD ZONE BOUNDARIES IN THREE-DIMENSIONAL RESISTIVE MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICAL GLOBAL MODELS OF PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lyra, Wladimir; Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark, E-mail: wlyra@jpl.nasa.gov, E-mail: mordecai@amnh.org

It has been suggested that the transition between magnetorotationally active and dead zones in protoplanetary disks should be prone to the excitation of vortices via Rossby wave instability (RWI). However, the only numerical evidence for this has come from alpha disk models, where the magnetic field evolution is not followed, and the effect of turbulence is parameterized by Laplacian viscosity. We aim to establish the phenomenology of the flow in the transition in three-dimensional resistive-magnetohydrodynamical models. We model the transition by a sharp jump in resistivity, as expected in the inner dead zone boundary, using the PENCIL CODE to simulatemore » the flow. We find that vortices are readily excited in the dead side of the transition. We measure the mass accretion rate finding similar levels of Reynolds stress at the dead and active zones, at the {alpha} Almost-Equal-To 10{sup -2} level. The vortex sits in a pressure maximum and does not migrate, surviving until the end of the simulation. A pressure maximum in the active zone also triggers the RWI. The magnetized vortex that results should be disrupted by parasitical magneto-elliptic instabilities, yet it subsists in high resolution. This suggests that either the parasitic modes are still numerically damped or that the RWI supplies vorticity faster than they can destroy it. We conclude that the resistive transition between the active and dead zones in the inner regions of protoplanetary disks, if sharp enough, can indeed excite vortices via RWI. Our results lend credence to previous works that relied on the alpha-disk approximation, and caution against the use of overly reduced azimuthal coverage on modeling this transition.« less

Constrained Evolution of a Radially Magnetized Protoplanetary Disk: Implications for Planetary Migration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russo, Matthew; Thompson, Christopher

2015-12-01

We consider the inner ˜1 AU of a protoplanetary disk (PPD) at a stage where angular momentum transport is driven by the mixing of a radial magnetic field into the disk from a T Tauri wind. Because the radial profile of the imposed magnetic field is well constrained, a constrained calculation of the disk mass flow becomes possible. The vertical disk profiles obtained in Paper I imply a stronger magnetization in the inner disk, faster accretion, and a secular depletion of the disk material. Inward transport of solids allows the disk to maintain a broad optical absorption layer even when the grain abundance becomes too small to suppress its ionization. Thus, a PPD may show a strong mid- to near-infrared spectral excess even while its mass profile departs radically from the minimum-mass solar nebula. The disk surface density is buffered at ˜30 g cm-2 below this, X-rays trigger magnetorotational turbulence at the midplane strong enough to loft millimeter- to centimeter-sized particles high in the disk, followed by catastrophic fragmentation. A sharp density gradient bounds the inner depleted disk and propagates outward to ˜1-2 AU over a few megayears. Earth-mass planets migrate through the inner disk over a similar timescale, whereas the migration of Jupiters is limited by the supply of gas. Gas-mediated migration must stall outside 0.04 AU, where silicates are sublimated and the disk shifts to a much lower column. A transition disk emerges when the dust/gas ratio in the MRI-active layer falls below Xd ˜ 10-6 (ad/μm), where ad is the grain size.

A deep search for H2D+ in protoplanetary disks. Perspectives for ALMA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chapillon, E.; Parise, B.; Guilloteau, S.; Du, F.

2011-09-01

Context. The structure in density and temperature of protoplanetary disks surrounding low-mass stars is not well known yet. The protoplanetary disks' midplane are expected to be very cold and thus depleted in molecules in gas phase, especially CO. Recent observations of molecules at very low apparent temperatures (~6 K) challenge this current picture of the protoplanetary disk structures. Aims: We aim at constraining the physical conditions and, in particular, the gas-phase CO abundance in the midplane of protoplanetary disks. Methods: The light molecule H2D+ is a tracer of cold and CO-depleted environment. It is therefore a good candidate for exploring the disks midplanes. We performed a deep search for H2D+ in the two well-known disks surrounding TW Hya and DM Tau using the APEX and JCMT telescopes. The analysis of the observations was done with DISKFIT, a radiative transfer code dedicated to disks. In addition, we used a chemical model describing deuterium chemistry to infer the implications of our observations on the level of CO depletion and on the ionization rate in the disk midplane. Results: The ortho-H2D+ (11,0-11,1) line at 372 GHz was not detected. Although our limit is three times better than previous observations, comparison with the chemical modeling indicates that it is still insufficient for putting useful constraints on the CO abundance in the disk midplane. Conclusions: Even with ALMA, the detection of H2D+ may not be straightforward, and H2D+ may not be sensitive enough to trace the protoplanetary disks midplane. Based on observations carried out with the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment and the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope. APEX is a collaboration between the Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, the European Southern Observatory, and the Onsala Space Observatory. The JCMT is operated by the Joint Astronomy Centre on behalf of the Science and Technology Facilities Council of the United Kingdom, the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, and the National Research Council of Canada.

Evolution of migrating protoplanets heated by pebble accretion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chrenko, Ondrej; Broz, Miroslav; Lambrechts, Michiel

2017-10-01

We study the interactions in a protoplanetary system consisting of a gas disk, a pebble disk and embedded low-mass protoplanets. The hydrodynamic simulations are performed using a new code based on 2D FARGO (Masset 2000) which we call FARGO_THORIN (http://sirrah.troja.mff.cuni.cz/~chrenko/). The code treats the hydrodynamics of gas and pebbles within a two-fluid approximation, accounts for the heating and cooling processes in the gaseous component (including heating due to pebble accretion) and propagates the planets in 3D using a high-order integration scheme (IAS15; Rein & Spiegel 2015). Our aim is to investigate how pebble accretion alters the orbital evolution of protoplanets undergoing Type-I migration.First, we demonstrate that pebble accretion can heat the protoplanets so that their luminosity induces the heating torque (Benítez-Llambay et al. 2015) and the hot-trail effect (Chrenko et al. 2017; Eklund & Masset 2017). The heating torque is always positive and alters the migration rates and directions profoundly, thus changing the position of planet traps and deserts. The hot-trail effect, on the other hand, pumps the eccentricity of initially circular orbits up to e ~ h. After becoming eccentric, the protoplanets exhibit reduced probability of resonant locking during the migration and moreover, their close encounters become more frequent and provide more opportunities for scattering or merger events. The mergers can be massive enough to become giant planet cores. We discuss the importance of the excited eccentricities and violent orbital evolution for the extrasolar planet population synthesis. Finally, we present an extended model with flux-mean opacities caused by a coupled disk of coagulating dust grains with a realistic size distribution. The aim of this model is to constrain possible pathways of migrating planets towards the inner rim of the protoplanetary disk.

THE GRAVITATIONAL INTERACTION BETWEEN PLANETS ON INCLINED ORBITS AND PROTOPLANETARY DISKS AS THE ORIGIN OF PRIMORDIAL SPIN–ORBIT MISALIGNMENTS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Matsakos, Titos; Königl, Arieh

Many of the observed spin–orbit alignment properties of exoplanets can be explained in the context of the primordial disk misalignment model, in which an initially aligned protoplanetary disk is torqued by a distant stellar companion on a misaligned orbit, resulting in a precessional motion that can lead to large-amplitude oscillations of the spin–orbit angle. We consider a variant of this model in which the companion is a giant planet with an orbital radius of a few astronomical units. Guided by the results of published numerical simulations, we model the dynamical evolution of this system by dividing the disk into inner andmore » outer parts—separated at the location of the planet—that behave as distinct, rigid disks. We show that the planet misaligns the inner disk even as the orientation of the outer disk remains unchanged. In addition to the oscillations induced by the precessional motion, whose amplitude is larger the smaller the initial inner-disk-to-planet mass ratio, the spin–orbit angle also exhibits a secular growth in this case—driven by ongoing mass depletion from the disk—that becomes significant when the inner disk’s angular momentum drops below that of the planet. Altogether, these two effects can produce significant misalignment angles for the inner disk, including retrograde configurations. We discuss these results within the framework of the Stranded Hot Jupiter scenario and consider their implications, including the interpretation of the alignment properties of debris disks.« less

The Ice Line in Pre-Solar Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Sanford S.

2012-01-01

Protoplanetary disks contain abundant quantities of water molecules in both gas and solid phases. The distribution of these two phases in an evolving protoplanetary disk will have important consequences regarding water sequestration in planetary embryos. The boundary between gaseous and solid water is the "ice line" or "snow line" A simplified model that captures the complicated two-branched structure of the ice line is developed and compared with recent investigations. The effect of an evolving Sun is also included for the first time. This latter parameter could have important consequences regarding the thermodynamic state and the surface reaction environment for the time-dependent chemical reactions occurring during the 1- to 10-million-year lifetime of the pre-solar disk.

The Effects of Protostellar Disk Turbulence on CO Emission Lines: A Comparison Study of Disks with Constant CO Abundance versus Chemically Evolving Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Mo; Evans, Neal J., II; Dodson-Robinson, Sarah E.; Willacy, Karen; Turner, Neal J.

2017-12-01

Turbulence is the leading candidate for angular momentum transport in protoplanetary disks and therefore influences disk lifetimes and planet formation timescales. However, the turbulent properties of protoplanetary disks are poorly constrained observationally. Recent studies have found turbulent speeds smaller than what fully-developed MRI would produce (Flaherty et al.). However, existing studies assumed a constant CO/H2 ratio of 10-4 in locations where CO is not frozen-out or photo-dissociated. Our previous studies of evolving disk chemistry indicate that CO is depleted by incorporation into complex organic molecules well inside the freeze-out radius of CO. We consider the effects of this chemical depletion on measurements of turbulence. Simon et al. suggested that the ratio of the peak line flux to the flux at line center of the CO J = 3-2 transition is a reasonable diagnostic of turbulence, so we focus on that metric, while adding some analysis of the more complex effects on spatial distribution. We simulate the emission lines of CO based on chemical evolution models presented in Yu et al., and find that the peak-to-trough ratio changes as a function of time as CO is destroyed. Specifically, a CO-depleted disk with high turbulent velocity mimics the peak-to-trough ratios of a non-CO-depleted disk with lower turbulent velocity. We suggest that disk observers and modelers take into account the possibility of CO depletion when using line profiles or peak-to-trough ratios to constrain the degree of turbulence in disks. Assuming that {CO}/{{{H}}}2={10}-4 at all disk radii can lead to underestimates of turbulent speeds in the disk by at least 0.2 km s-1.

Optical Monitoring of Young Stellar Objects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-06-01

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

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

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-03-01

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

Formation of the giant planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.

2006-01-01

The observed properties of giant planets, models of their evolution and observations of protoplanetary disks provide constraints on the formation of gas giant planets. The four largest planets in our Solar System contain considerable quantities of hydrogen and helium, which could not have condensed into solid planetesimals within the protoplanetary disk. All three (transiting) extrasolar giant planets with well determined masses and radii also must contain substantial amounts of these light gases. Jupiter and Saturn are mostly hydrogen and helium, but have larger abundances of heavier elements than does the Sun. Neptune and Uranus are primarily composed of heavier elements. HD 149026 b, which is slightly more massive than is Saturn, appears to have comparable quantities of light gases and heavy elements. HD 209458 b and TrES-1 are primarily hydrogen and helium, but may contain supersolar abundances of heavy elements. Spacecraft flybys and observations of satellite orbits provide estimates of the gravitational moments of the giant planets in our Solar System, which in turn provide information on the internal distribution of matter within Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune. Atmospheric thermal structure and heat flow measurements constrain the interior temperatures of planets. Internal processes may cause giant planets to become more compositionally differentiated or alternatively more homogeneous; high-pressure laboratory .experiments provide data useful for modeling these processes. The preponderance of evidence supports the core nucleated gas accretion model. According to this model, giant planets begin their growth by the accumulation of small solid bodies, as do terrestrial planets. However, unlike terrestrial planets, the growing giant planet cores become massive enough that they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas before the protoplanetary disk dissipates. The primary questions regarding the core nucleated growth model is under what conditions planets with small cores/total heavy element abundances can accrete gaseous envelopes within the lifetimes of gaseous protoplanetary disks.

Forming Planets in the Hostile Carina Nebula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-07-01

Can protoplanetary disks form and be maintained around low-mass stars in the harsh environment of a highly active, star-forming nebula? A recent study examines the Carina nebula to answer this question.Crowded ClustersStars are often born in clusters that contain both massive and low-mass stars. The most massive stars in these clusters emit far-ultraviolet and extreme-ultraviolet light that irradiates the region around them, turning the surrounding area into a hostile environment for potential planet formation.Planet formation from protoplanetary disks typically requires timescales of at least 12 million years. Could the harsh radiation from massive stars destroy the protoplanetary disks around low-mass stars by photoevaporation before planets even have a chance to form?Artists impression of a protoplanetary disk. Such disks can be photoevaporated by harsh ultraviolet light from nearby massive stars, causing the disk to be destroyed before planets have a chance to form within them. [ESO/L. Calada]Turning ALMA Toward CarinaA perfect case study for exploring hostile environments is the Carina nebula, located about 7500 lightyears away and home to nearly 100 O-type stars as well as tens of thousands of lower-mass young stars. The Carina population is ~14 Myr old: old enough to form planets within protoplanetary disks, but also old enough that photoevaporation could already have wreaked havoc on those disks.Due to the dense stellar populations in Carinas clusters, this is a difficult region to explore, but the Atacama Large Millimeter-submillimeter Array (ALMA) is up to the task. In a recent study, a team of scientists led by Adal Mesa-Delgado (Pontifical Catholic University of Chile) made use of ALMAs high spatial resolution to image four regions spaced throughout Carina, searching for protoplanetary disks.Detections and Non-DetectionsTwo evaporating gas globules in the Carina nebula, 104-593 and 105-600, that each contain a protoplanetary disk. The top panels are Hubble images of the globules; the bottom panels are ALMA images of the disks detected within them. [Mesa-Delgado et al. 2016]In searching regions outside of the densest, most luminous clusters, the team succeeded in detecting two protoplanetary disks. This region in Carina now marks the most distant massive cluster in which disks have ever been imaged! The discovered disks have radii of roughly 60 AU and masses of 30 and 50 Jupiter masses and given their ages, its entirely plausible that planets are actively forming in these disks.Equally important: Mesa-Delgado and collaborators failed to detect any indication of disks in the core of Trumpler 14, a cluster in Carina that is home to some of the most massive and luminous stars in the Galaxy. This non-detection suggests that the particularly harsh environment of Trumpler 14 is too brutal for disks within it to survive.These observations provide new clues as to where we should be looking to study planet formation: less dense regions in star-forming nebulae seem to be locations that can support giant-planet-forming disks, whereas the harsh radiation fields of especially dense subclusters seem to cause the rapid destruction of such disks.CitationA. Mesa-Delgado et al 2016 ApJ 825 L16. doi:10.3847/2041-8205/825/1/L16

Using Ice and Dust Lines to Constrain the Surface Densities of Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powell, Diana; Murray-Clay, Ruth; Schlichting, Hilke

2018-04-01

The surface density of protoplanetary disks is a fundamental parameter that still remains largely unconstrained due to uncertainties in the dust-to-gas ratio and CO abundance. In this talk I will present a novel method for determining the surface density of protoplanetary disks through consideration of disk “dust lines,” which indicate the observed disk radial scale at different observational wavelengths. I will provide an initial proof of concept of our model through an application to the disk TW Hya where we are able to estimate the disk dust-to-gas ratio, CO abundance, and accretion rate in addition to the total disk surface density. We find that our derived surface density profile and dust-to-gas ratio are consistent with the lower limits found through measurements of HD gas. We further apply our model to a large parameter space of theoretical disks and find three observational diagnostics that may be used to test its validity. Using this method we derive disks that may be much more massive than previously thought, often approaching the limit of gravitational stability.

Comparison Simulations of Gas Giant Planet Formation via Disk Instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pickett, Megan K.; Cai, K.; Durisen, R.; Milne, M.

2011-01-01

There has been disagreement about whether cooling in protoplanetary disks can be sufficiently fast to induce the formation of gas giant protoplanets via gravitational instabilities. Simulations by our own group and others indicate that this method of planet formation does not work for disks around young, low-mass stars inside several tens of AU, while simulations by other groups show fragmentation into protoplanetary clumps in this region. To allow direct comparison in hopes of isolating the cause of the differences, we here present a comparison high-resolution three-dimensional hydrodynamics simulation of a protoplanetary disk,using an improved version of one of our own radiative schemes. We find that the disk does not fragment in our code but instead quickly settles into a state with only low amplitude nonaxisymmetric structure, which persists for at least several outer disk rotations. Further, we see no rapid radiative or convective cooling.

Time Domain Astrochemistry in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cleeves, Lauren Ilsedore

2018-01-01

The chemistry of protoplanetary disks sets the initial composition of newly formed planets and may regulate the efficiency by which planets form. Disk chemical abundances typically evolve over timescales spanning thousands if not millions of years. Consequently, it was a surprise when ALMA observations taken over the course of a single year showed significantly variable emission in H13CO+ relative to the otherwise constant thermal dust emission in the IM Lup protoplanetary disk. HCO+ is a known X-ray sensitive molecule, and by using simple time-evolving chemical models including stellar activity, we demonstrate that stellar X-ray flares are a viable explanation for the observed H13CO+ variability. If this link between chemistry and stellar activity is confirmed, simultaneous observations can provide a new tool to measure (and potentially map) fundamental disk parameters, such as electron density, as the light from X-ray flares propagates across the disk.

From stars to dust: looking into a circumstellar disk through chondritic meteorites.

PubMed

Connolly, Harold C

2005-01-07

One of the most fundamental questions in planetary science is, How did the solar system form? In this special issue, astronomical observations and theories constraining circumstellar disks, their lifetimes, and the formation of planetary to subplanetary objects are reviewed. At present, it is difficult to observe what is happening within disks and to determine if another disk environment is comparable to the early solar system disk environment (called the protoplanetary disk). Fortunately, we have chondritic meteorites, which provide a record of the processes that operated and materials present within the protoplanetary disk.

Generation of a dynamo magnetic field in a protoplanetary accretion disk

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stepinski, T.; Levy, E. H.

1987-01-01

A new computational technique is developed that allows realistic calculations of dynamo magnetic field generation in disk geometries corresponding to protoplanetary and protostellar accretion disks. The approach is of sufficient generality to allow, in the future, a wide class of accretion disk problems to be solved. Here, basic modes of a disk dynamo are calculated. Spatially localized oscillatory states are found to occur in Keplerain disks. A physical interpretation is given that argues that spatially localized fields of the type found in these calculations constitute the basic modes of a Keplerian disk dynamo.

Gaps in the HD 169142 Protoplanetary Disk Revealed by Polarimetric Imaging: Signs of Ongoing Planet Formation?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quanz, Sascha P.; Avenhaus, Henning; Buenzli, Esther; Garufi, Antonio; Schmid, Hans Martin; Wolf, Sebastian

2013-03-01

We present H-band Very Large Telescope/NACO polarized light images of the Herbig Ae/Be star HD 169142 probing its protoplanetary disk as close as ~0.''1 to the star. Our images trace the face-on disk out to ~1.''7 (~250 AU) and reveal distinct substructures for the first time: (1) the inner disk (lsim20 AU) appears to be depleted in scattering dust grains; (2) an unresolved disk rim is imaged at ~25 AU; (3) an annular gap extends from ~40 to 70 AU; (4) local brightness asymmetries are found on opposite sides of the annular gap. We discuss different explanations for the observed morphology among which ongoing planet formation is a tempting, but yet to be proven, one. Outside of ~85 AU the surface brightness drops off roughly vpropr -3.3, but describing the disk regions between 85-120 AU and 120-250 AU separately with power laws vpropr -2.6 and vpropr -3.9 provides a better fit hinting toward another discontinuity in the disk surface. The flux ratio between the disk-integrated polarized light and the central star is ~4.1 × 10-3. Finally, combining our results with those from the literature, ~40% of the scattered light in the H band appears to be polarized. Our results emphasize that HD 169142 is an interesting system for future planet formation or disk evolution studies. Based on observations collected at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, Chile, under program number 089.C-0611(A).

The Global Perspective on the Evolution of Solids in a Protoplanetary Disk

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stepinski, T. F.; Valageas, P.

1996-01-01

It is currently thought that planets around solar-type stars form by the accumulation of solid matter entrained in a gaseous, turbulent protoplanetary disk. We have developed a model designed to simulate the part of this process that starts from small particles suspended in the gaseous disk at the end of the formation stage, and ends up with most of the solid material aggregated into 1-10-km planetesimals. The major novelty of our approach is its emphasis on the global, comprehensive treatment of the problem, as our model simultaneously keeps track of the evolution of gas and solid particles due to gas-solid coupling, coagulation, sedimentation, and evaporation/condensation. The result of our calculations is the radial distribution of solid material circumnavigating a star in the form of a planetesimal swarm. Such a distribution should well approximate the radial apportionment of condensed components of the planets spread over the radial extent of the mature planetary system. Therefore we view our calculations as an attempt to predict the large-scale architecture of planetary systems and to assess their potential diversity. In particular, we have found that some initial conditions lead to all solids being lost to the star, but we can also identify initial conditions leading to a radial distribution of solid material quite reminiscent of what is found in our solar system.

Subaru SEEDS Survey of Exoplanets and Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McElwain, Michael W.; SEEDS Collaboration

2012-01-01

The Strategic Exploration of Exoplanets and Disks at Subaru (SEEDS) is the first strategic observing program (SSOPs) awarded by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). SEEDS targets a broad sample of stars that span a wide range of masses and ages to explore the formation and evolution of planetary systems. This survey has been awarded 120 nights over five years time to observe nearly 500 stars. Currently in the second year, SEEDS has already uncovered exciting new results for the protoplanetary disk AB Aur, transitional disk LkCa15, and nearby companion to GJ 758. We present the survey architecture, performance, recent results, and the projected sample. Finally, we will discuss planned upgrades to the high contrast instrumentation at the Subaru Telescope.

Subaru SEEDS Survey of Exoplanets and Disks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McElwain, Michael W.

2012-01-01

The Strategic Exploration of Exoplanets and Disks at Subaru (SEEDS) is the first strategic observing program (SSOPs) awarded by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). SEEDS targets a broad sample of stars that span a wide range of masses and ages to explore the formation and evolution of planetary systems. This survey has been awarded 120 nights over five years time to observe nearly 500 stars. Currently in the second year, SEEDS has already produced exciting new results for the protoplanetary disk AB Aur, transitional disk LkCa15, and nearby companion to GJ 758. We present the survey architecture, performance, recent results, and the projected sample. Finally, we will discuss planned upgrades to the high contrast instrumentation at the Subaru Telescope

A TREND BETWEEN COLD DEBRIS DISK TEMPERATURE AND STELLAR TYPE: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FORMATION AND EVOLUTION OF WIDE-ORBIT PLANETS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ballering, Nicholas P.; Rieke, George H.; Su, Kate Y. L.

2013-09-20

Cold debris disks trace the limits of planet formation or migration in the outer regions of planetary systems, and thus have the potential to answer many of the outstanding questions in wide-orbit planet formation and evolution. We characterized the infrared excess spectral energy distributions of 174 cold debris disks around 546 main-sequence stars observed by both the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph and the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer. We found a trend between the temperature of the inner edges of cold debris disks and the stellar type of the stars they orbit. This argues against the importance of strictly temperature-dependent processesmore » (e.g., non-water ice lines) in setting the dimensions of cold debris disks. Also, we found no evidence that delayed stirring causes the trend. The trend may result from outward planet migration that traces the extent of the primordial protoplanetary disk, or it may result from planet formation that halts at an orbital radius limited by the efficiency of core accretion.« less

Studies of Circumstellar Disk Evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hartmann, Lee W.

2004-01-01

Spitzer Space Telescope infrared data for our program on disk evolution has been taken (the main IRAC - 3-8 micron exposures; the 24 and 70 micron MIPS data are to come later). We now have deep maps in the four IRAC bands of the 3-Myr-old cluster Trumpler 37, and the 10-Myr-old cluster NGC 7160. Analysis of these data has now begun. We will be combining these data with our ground-based photometric and spectroscopic data to obtain a complete picture of disk frequency as a function of mass through this important age range, which spans the likely epoch of (giant) planet formation in most systems. Analysis of the SIRTF data, and follow-on ground-based spectroscopy on the converted MMT telescope using the wide-field, fiber-fed, multiobject spectrographs, Hectospec and Hectochelle, will be the major activity during the next year.Work was also performed on the following: protoplanetary disk mass accretion rates in very low-mass stars; the inner edge of T Tauri disks; accretion in intermediate-mass T Tauri stars (IMPS); and the near-infrared spectra of the rapidly-accreting protostellar disks FU Ori and V1057 Cyg.

Selected Papers on Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bell, K. R.; Cassen, P. M.; Wasson, J. T.; Woolum, D. S.; Klahr, H. H.; Henning, Th.

2004-01-01

Three papers present studies of thermal balances, dynamics, and electromagnetic spectra of protoplanetary disks, which comprise gas and dust orbiting young stars. One paper addresses the reprocessing, in a disk, of photons that originate in the disk itself in addition to photons that originate in the stellar object at the center. The shape of the disk is found to strongly affect the redistribution of energy. Another of the three papers reviews an increase in the optical luminosity of the young star FU Orionis. The increase began in the year 1936 and similar increases have since been observed in other stars. The paper summarizes astronomical, meteoric, and theoretical evidence that these increases are caused by increases in mass fluxes through the inner portions of the protoplanetary disks of these stars. The remaining paper presents a mathematical-modeling study of the structures of protostellar accretion disks, with emphasis on limits on disk flaring. Among the conclusions reached in the study are that (1) the radius at which a disk becomes shadowed from its central stellar object depends on radial mass flow and (2) most planet formation has occurred in environments unheated by stellar radiation.

Nebular dead zone effects on the D/H ratio in chondrites and comets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ali-Dib, Mohamad; Martin, R. G.; Petit, J.-M.; Mousis, O.; Vernazza, P.; Lunine, J. I.

2015-11-01

Comets and chondrites show non-monotonic behaviour of their Deuterium to Hydrogen (D/H) ratio as a function of their formation location from the Sun. This is difficult to explain with a classical protoplanetary disk model that has a decreasing temperature structure with radius from the Sun.We want to understand if a protoplanetary disc with a dead zone, a region of zero or low turbulence, can explain the measured D/H values in comets and chondrites. We use time snapshots of a vertically layered disk model with turbulent surface layers and a dead zone at the midplane. The disc has a non-monotonic temperature structure due to increased heating from self-gravity in the outer parts of the dead zone. We couple this to a D/H ratio evolution model in order to quantify the effect of such thermal profiles on D/H enrichment in the nebula.We find that the local temperature peak in the disk can explain the diversity in the D/H ratios of different chondritic families. This disk temperature profile leads to a non-monotonic D/H enrichment evolution, allowing these families to acquire their different D/H values while forming in close proximity. The formation order we infer for these families is compatible with that inferred from their water abundances. However, we find that even for very young disks, the thermal profile reversal is too close to the Sun to be relevant for comets.[1] Ali-Dib, M., Martin, R. G., Petit, J.-M., Mousis, O., Vernazza, P., and Lunine, J. I. (2015, in press A&A). arXiv:1508.00263.

Hydrogen Cyanide In Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-01-01

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

Formation of Giant Planets and Brown Dwarves

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.

2003-01-01

According to the prevailing core instability model, giant planets begin their growth by the accumulation of small solid bodies, as do terrestrial planets. However, unlike terrestrial planets, the growing giant planet cores become massive enough that they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas before the protoplanetary disk dissipates. Models predict that rocky planets should form in orbit about most stars. It is uncertain whether or not gas giant planet formation is common, because most protoplanetary disks may dissipate before solid planetary cores can grow large enough to gravitationally trap substantial quantities of gas. Ongoing theoretical modeling of accretion of giant planet atmospheres, as well as observations of protoplanetary disks, will help decide this issue. Observations of extrasolar planets around main sequence stars can only provide a lower limit on giant planet formation frequency . This is because after giant planets form, gravitational interactions with material within the protoplanetary disk may cause them to migrat inwards and be lost to the central star. The core instability model can only produce planets greater than a few jovian masses within protoplanetary disks that are more viscous than most such disks are believed to be. Thus, few brown dwarves (objects massive enough to undergo substantial deuterium fusion, estimated to occur above approximately 13 jovian masses) are likely to be formed in this manner. Most brown dwarves, as well as an unknown number of free-floating objects of planetary mass, are probably formed as are stars, by the collapse of extended gas/dust clouds into more compact objects.

An ALMA Survey of CO Isotopologue Emission from Protoplanetary Disks in Chamaeleon I

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Long Feng; Herczeg, Gregory J.; Pascucci, Ilaria

The mass of a protoplanetary disk limits the formation and future growth of any planet. Masses of protoplanetary disks are usually calculated from measurements of the dust continuum emission by assuming an interstellar gas-to-dust ratio. To investigate the utility of CO as an alternate probe of disk mass, we use ALMA to survey {sup 13}CO and C{sup 18}O J = 3–2 line emission from a sample of 93 protoplanetary disks around stars and brown dwarfs with masses from in the nearby Chamaeleon I star-forming region. We detect {sup 13}CO emission from 17 sources and C{sup 18}O from only one source.more » Gas masses for disks are then estimated by comparing the CO line luminosities to results from published disk models that include CO freeze-out and isotope-selective photodissociation. Under the assumption of a typical interstellar medium CO-to-H{sub 2} ratio of 10{sup −4}, the resulting gas masses are implausibly low, with an average gas mass of ∼0.05 M {sub Jup} as inferred from the average flux of stacked {sup 13}CO lines. The low gas masses and gas-to-dust ratios for Cha I disks are both consistent with similar results from disks in the Lupus star-forming region. The faint CO line emission may instead be explained if disks have much higher gas masses, but freeze-out of CO or complex C-bearing molecules is underestimated in disk models. The conversion of CO flux to CO gas mass also suffers from uncertainties in disk structures, which could affect gas temperatures. CO emission lines will only be a good tracer of the disk mass when models for C and CO depletion are confirmed to be accurate.« less

An ALMA Survey of CO Isotopologue Emission from Protoplanetary Disks in Chamaeleon I

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Feng; Herczeg, Gregory J.; Pascucci, Ilaria; Drabek-Maunder, Emily; Mohanty, Subhanjoy; Testi, Leonardo; Apai, Daniel; Hendler, Nathan; Henning, Thomas; Manara, Carlo F.; Mulders, Gijs D.

2017-08-01

The mass of a protoplanetary disk limits the formation and future growth of any planet. Masses of protoplanetary disks are usually calculated from measurements of the dust continuum emission by assuming an interstellar gas-to-dust ratio. To investigate the utility of CO as an alternate probe of disk mass, we use ALMA to survey 13CO and C18O J = 3–2 line emission from a sample of 93 protoplanetary disks around stars and brown dwarfs with masses from in the nearby Chamaeleon I star-forming region. We detect 13CO emission from 17 sources and C18O from only one source. Gas masses for disks are then estimated by comparing the CO line luminosities to results from published disk models that include CO freeze-out and isotope-selective photodissociation. Under the assumption of a typical interstellar medium CO-to-H2 ratio of 10‑4, the resulting gas masses are implausibly low, with an average gas mass of ∼0.05 M Jup as inferred from the average flux of stacked 13CO lines. The low gas masses and gas-to-dust ratios for Cha I disks are both consistent with similar results from disks in the Lupus star-forming region. The faint CO line emission may instead be explained if disks have much higher gas masses, but freeze-out of CO or complex C-bearing molecules is underestimated in disk models. The conversion of CO flux to CO gas mass also suffers from uncertainties in disk structures, which could affect gas temperatures. CO emission lines will only be a good tracer of the disk mass when models for C and CO depletion are confirmed to be accurate.

Experimental and Observational Studies of Molecular Hydrogen in Interstellar and Circumstellar Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoadley, Keri

2017-08-01

Understanding the evolution of gas over the lifetime of protoplanetary disks provides us with important clues about how planet formation mechanisms drive the diversity of exoplanetary systems observed to date. In the first part of my thesis, I discuss how I use fluorescent emission observations of molecular hydrogen (H2) in the far-ultraviolet (far-UV) with the Hubble Space Telescope to study the warm molecular regions (a < 10 AU) of planet-forming disks. I have created analytic disk models that produce synthetic H2 line profiles and statistically compare each disk realization with the data. I how the modeled radial distributions of H 2 help provide important constraints on the radiation properties of gas left in the inner disk of protoplanetary disks as they evolve. Additionally, I analyzed the absorption component of these fluorescence features, embedded within the hydrogen Lyman-alpha emission line produced by the accretion of material onto the host protostar. I present column density and temperature estimates for the H2 populations in each disk sightline, and discuss the behavior and possible spatial origins of these hot molecules. As part of my thesis, I address some observational requirements needed to gain further insights into the behavior of the warm, gaseous protoplanetary disk, focusing specifically on a spectrograph concept for the next-generation LUVOIR Surveyor. I discuss a testbed instrument, the Colorado High-resolution Echelle Stellar Spectrograph (CHESS), built as a demonstration of one component of the LUVOIR spectrograph and new technological improvements to UV optical components for the next generation of near- to far-UV astrophysical observatories. CHESS is a far-UV sounding rocket experiment designed to probe the warm and cool atoms and molecules near sites of recent star formation in the local interstellar medium. I present the science goals, design, research and development components, and calibration of the CHESS instrument. I provide results on observations taken during both launches of CHESS, with detailed analysis of the epsilon Per sightline, as inferred from the flight data. I conclude by providing future works and simple estimates of the performance of an instrument like CHESS on LUVOIR to study planet-forming environments.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-02-01

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

Characterizing the thermal distributions of warm molecular hydrogen in protoplanetary disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoadley, Keri; France, Kevin

2016-01-01

Probing the surviving molecular gas within the inner regions of protoplanetary disks (PPDs) around T Tauri stars (1 - 10 Myr) provides insight into the conditions in which planet formation and migration occurs while the gas disk is still present. Recent studies done by Hoadley et al. 2015 and Banzatti & Pontipoddan 2015 suggest that gas in the inner disks of PPDs appear to "respond" to the loss of small dust grains with evolving PPD stage, and IR-CO emission may either be thermally or photo-excited by stellar UV radiation, depending on PPD evolutionary stage. Because far-UV H2 emission lines are dominantly photo-excited by stellar HI-Lyman alpha photons, we observe H2 absorption features against the stellar Lyman alpha wings in a large sample of PPDs at various evolutionary stages. We aim to characterize whether the inner disk H2 environment is in thermal equilibrium at various stages of PPD evolution. We use a sophisticated first-principles approach to fitting multiple absorption features along the red- and blue-wings of the observed stellar Lyman alpha profiles to extract column density estimates of H2 along the line of sight to the target. We find that the high kinetic energy H2 observed in absorption against the LyA wing may be described as a part of the thermal distribution with high kinetic temperature - a potential indication of an inner disk molecular hazy "envelope" around the cooler bulk disk. Ongoing research may help determine the state of the gas and whether it evolves with disk evolutionary stage.

MEASURING PROTOPLANETARY DISK GAS SURFACE DENSITY PROFILES WITH ALMA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Williams, Jonathan P.; McPartland, Conor, E-mail: jpw@ifa.hawaii.edu

2016-10-10

The gas and dust are spatially segregated in protoplanetary disks due to the vertical settling and radial drift of large grains. A fuller accounting of the mass content and distribution in disks therefore requires spectral line observations. We extend the modeling approach presented in Williams and Best to show that gas surface density profiles can be measured from high fidelity {sup 13}CO integrated intensity images. We demonstrate the methodology by fitting ALMA observations of the HD 163296 disk to determine a gas mass, M {sub gas} = 0.048 M {sub ⊙}, and accretion disk characteristic size R {sub c} =more » 213 au and gradient γ = 0.39. The same parameters match the C{sup 18}O 2–1 image and indicate an abundance ratio [{sup 12}CO]/[C{sup 18}O] of 700 independent of radius. To test how well this methodology can be applied to future line surveys of smaller, lower mass T Tauri disks, we create a large {sup 13}CO 2–1 image library and fit simulated data. For disks with gas masses 3–10 M {sub Jup} at 150 pc, ALMA observations with a resolution of 0.″2–0.″3 and integration times of ∼20 minutes allow reliable estimates of R {sub c} to within about 10 au and γ to within about 0.2. Economic gas imaging surveys are therefore feasible and offer the opportunity to open up a new dimension for studying disk structure and its evolution toward planet formation.« less

Giant Planet Formation by Disk Instability: A Comparison Simulation with an Improved Radiative Scheme

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Kai; Pickett, Megan K.; Durisen, Richard H.; Milne, Anne M.

2010-06-01

There has been disagreement about whether cooling in protoplanetary disks can be sufficiently fast to induce the formation of gas giant protoplanets via gravitational instabilities. Simulations by our own group and others indicate that this method of planet formation does not work for disks around young, low-mass stars inside several tens of AU, while simulations by other groups show fragmentation into protoplanetary clumps in this region. To allow direct comparison in hopes of isolating the cause of the differences, we here present a high-resolution three-dimensional hydrodynamics simulation of a protoplanetary disk, where the disk model, initial perturbation, and simulation conditions are essentially identical to those used in a recent set of simulations by Boss in 2007, hereafter B07. As in earlier papers by the same author, B07 purports to show that cooling is fast enough to produce protoplanetary clumps. Here, we evolve the same B07 disk using an improved version of one of our own radiative schemes and find that the disk does not fragment in our code but instead quickly settles into a state with only low amplitude nonaxisymmetric structure, which persists for at least several outer disk rotations. We see no rapid radiative or convective cooling. We conclude that the differences in results are due to different treatments of regions at and above the disk photosphere, and we explain at least one way in which the scheme in B07 may lead to artificially fast cooling.

A Size-Luminosity Relationship for Protoplanetary Disks in Lupus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terrell, Marie; Andrews, Sean

2018-01-01

The sizes of the 340 GHz continuum emission from 56 protoplanetary disks in the Lupus star-forming region were measured by modeling their ALMA visibility profiles. We describe the mechanism for these measurements and some preliminary results regarding the correlation between the continuum luminosities and sizes.

Chondrules: The canonical and noncanonical views

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connolly, Harold C.; Jones, Rhian H.

2016-10-01

Millimeter-scale rock particles called chondrules are the principal components of the most common meteorites, chondrites. Hence, chondrules were arguably the most abundant components of the early solar system at the time of planetesimal accretion. Despite their fundamental importance, the existence of chondrules would not be predicted from current observations and models of young planetary systems. There are many different models for chondrule formation, but no single model satisfies the many constraints determined from their mineralogical and chemical properties and from chondrule analog experiments. Significant recent progress has shown that several models can satisfy first-order constraints and successfully reproduce chondrule thermal histories. However, second- and third-order constraints such as chondrule size ranges, open system behavior, oxidation states, reheating, and chemical diversity have not generally been addressed. Chondrule formation models include those based on processes that are known to occur in protoplanetary disk environments, including interactions with the early active Sun, impacts and collisions between planetary bodies, and radiative heating. Other models for chondrule heating mechanisms are based on hypothetical processes that are possible but have not been observed, like shock waves, planetesimal bow shocks, and lightning. We examine the evidence for the canonical view of chondrule formation, in which chondrules were free-floating particles in the protoplanetary disk, and the noncanonical view, in which chondrules were the by-products of planetesimal formation. The fundamental difference between these approaches has a bearing on the importance of chondrules during planet formation and the relevance of chondrules to interpreting the evolution of protoplanetary disks and planetary systems.

WATER VAPOR IN THE PROTOPLANETARY DISK OF DG Tau

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Podio, L.; Dougados, C.; Thi, W.-F.

2013-03-20

Water is key in the evolution of protoplanetary disks and the formation of comets and icy/water planets. While high-excitation water lines originating in the hot inner disk have been detected in several T Tauri stars (TTSs), water vapor from the outer disk, where most water ice reservoirs are stored, was only reported in the nearby TTS TW Hya. We present spectrally resolved Herschel/HIFI observations of the young TTS DG Tau in the ortho- and para-water ground-state transitions at 557 and 1113 GHz. The lines show a narrow double-peaked profile, consistent with an origin in the outer disk, and are {approx}19-26more » times brighter than in TW Hya. In contrast, CO and [C II] lines are dominated by emission from the envelope/outflow, which makes H{sub 2}O lines a unique tracer of the disk of DG Tau. Disk modeling with the thermo-chemical code ProDiMo indicates that the strong UV field, due to the young age and strong accretion of DG Tau, irradiates a disk upper layer at 10-90 AU from the star, heating it up to temperatures of 600 K and producing the observed bright water lines. The models suggest a disk mass of 0.015-0.1 M{sub Sun }, consistent with the estimated minimum mass of the solar nebula before planet formation, and a water reservoir of {approx}10{sup 2}-10{sup 3} Earth oceans in vapor and {approx}100 times larger in the form of ice. Hence, this detection supports the scenario of ocean delivery on terrestrial planets by the impact of icy bodies forming in the outer disk.« less

The Matryoshka Disk: Keck/NIRC2 Discovery of a Solar-system-scale, Radially Segregated Residual Protoplanetary Disk around HD 141569A

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Currie, Thayne; Grady, Carol A.; Cloutier, Ryan; Konishi, Mihoko; Stassun, Keivan; Debes, John; van der Marel, Nienke; Muto, Takayuki; Jayawardhana, Ray; Ratzka, Thorsten

2016-03-01

Using Keck/NIRC2 {L}\\prime (3.78 μm) data, we report the direct imaging discovery of a scattered-light-resolved, solar-system-scale residual protoplanetary disk around the young A-type star HD 141569A, interior to and concentric with the two ring-like structures at wider separations. The disk is resolved down to ˜0.″25 and appears as an arc-like rim with attached hook-like features. It is located at an angular separation intermediate between that of warm CO gas identified from spatially resolved mid-infrared spectroscopy and diffuse dust emission recently discovered with the Hubble Space Telescope. The inner disk has a radius of ˜39 au, a position angle consistent with north up, and an inclination of I ˜ 56o and has a center offset from the star. Forward modeling of the disk favors a thick torus-like emission sharply truncated at separations beyond the torus’s photocenter and heavily depleted at smaller separations. In particular, the best-fit density power law for the dust suggests that the inner disk dust and gas (as probed by CO) are radially segregated, a feature consistent with the dust trapping mechanism inferred from observations of “canonical” transitional disks. However, the inner disk component may instead be explained by radiation pressure-induced migration in optically thin conditions, in contrast to the two stellar companion/planet-influenced ring-like structures at wider separations. HD 141569A’s circumstellar environment—with three nested, gapped, concentric dust populations—is an excellent laboratory for understanding the relationship between planet formation and the evolution of both dust grains and disk architecture.

Measuring the level of interstellar inheritance in the solar protoplanetary disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alexander, Conel M. O'd.; Nittler, Larry R.; Davidson, Jemma; Ciesla, Fred J.

2017-09-01

The timing and extent to which the initial interstellar material was thermally processed provide fundamental constraints for models of the formation and early evolution of the solar protoplanetary disk. We argue that the nonsolar (solar Δ17O ≈ -29‰) and near-terrestrial (Δ17O ≈ 0‰) O-isotopic compositions of the Earth and most extraterrestrial materials (Moon, Mars, asteroids, and comet dust) were established very early by heating of regions of the disk that were modestly enriched (dust/gas ≥ 5-10 times solar) in primordial silicates (Δ17O ≈ -29‰) and water-dominated ice (Δ17O ≈ 24‰) relative to the gas. Such modest enrichments could be achieved by grain growth and settling of dust to the midplane in regions where the levels of turbulence were modest. The episodic heating of the disk associated with FU Orionis outbursts were the likely causes of this early thermal processing of dust. We also estimate that at the time of accretion the CI chondrite and interplanetary dust particle parent bodies were composed of 5-10% of pristine interstellar material. The matrices of all chondrites included roughly similar interstellar fractions. Whether this interstellar material avoided the thermal processing experienced by most dust during FU Orionis outbursts or was accreted by the disk after the outbursts ceased to be important remains to be established.

Warm Disks from Giant Impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2015-10-01

In the process of searching for exoplanetary systems, weve discovered tens of debris disks close around distant stars that are especially bright in infrared wavelengths. New research suggests that we might be looking at the late stages of terrestrial planet formation in these systems.Forming Terrestrial PlanetsAccording to the widely-accepted formation model for our solar-system, protoplanets the size of Mars formed within a protoplanetary disk around our Sun. Eventually, the depletion of the gas in the disk led the orbits of these protoplanets to become chaotically unstable. Finally, in the giant impact stage, many of the protoplanets collided with each other ultimately leading to the formation of the terrestrial planets and their moons as we know them today.If giant impact stages occur in exoplanetary systems, too leading to the formation of terrestrial exoplanets how would we detect this process? According to a study led by Hidenori Genda of the Tokyo Institute of Technology, we might be already be witnessing this stage in observations of warm debris disks around other stars. To test this, Genda and collaborators model giant impact stages and determine what we would expect to see from a system undergoing this violent evolution.Modeling CollisionsSnapshots of a giant impact in one of the authors simulations. The collision causes roughly 0.05 Earth masses of protoplanetary material to be ejected from the system. Click for a closer look! [Genda et al. 2015]The collaborators run a series of simulations evolving protoplanetary bodies in a solar system. The simulations begin 10 Myr into the lifetime of the solar system, i.e., after the gas from the protoplanetary disk has had time to be cleared and the protoplanetary orbits begin to destabilize. The simulations end when the protoplanets are done smashing into each other and have again settled into stable orbits, typically after ~100 Myr.The authors find that, over an average giant impact stage, the total amount of mass ejected from colliding protoplanets is typically around 0.4 Earth masses. This mass is ejected in the form of fragments that then spread into the terrestrial planet region around the star. The fragments undergo cascading collisions as they orbit, forming an infrared-emitting debris disk at ~1 AU from the star.The authors then calculate the infrared flux profile expected from these simulated disks. They show that the warm disks can exist and radiate for up to ~100 Myr before the fragments are smashed into micrometer-sized pieces small enough to be blown out of the solar system by radiation pressure.The Spitzer Space Telescope has, thus far, observed tens of warm-debris-disk signatures roughly consistent with the authors predictions, primarily located at roughly 1 AU around stars with ages of 10100 Myr. This region is near the habitable zone of these stars, which makes it especially interesting that these systems may currently be undergoing a giant impact stage perhaps on the way to forming terrestrial planets.CitationH. Genda et al 2015 ApJ 810 136. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/810/2/136

Organic Synthesis via Irradiation and Warming of Ice Grains in the Solar Nebula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ciesla, Fred J.; Sanford, Scott A.

2012-01-01

Complex organic compounds, including many important to life on Earth, are commonly found in meteoritic and cometary samples, though their origins remain a mystery. We examined whether such molecules could be produced within the solar nebula by tracking the dynamical evolution of ice grains in the nebula and recording the environments they were exposed to. We found that icy grains originating in the outer disk, where temperatures were less than 30 K, experienced UV irradiation exposures and thermal warming similar to that which has been shown to produce complex organics in laboratory experiments. These results imply that organic compounds are natural byproducts of protoplanetary disk evolution and should be important ingredients in the formation of all planetary systems, including our own.

Zoom-in Simulations of Protoplanetary Disks Starting from GMC Scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuffmeier, Michael; Haugbølle, Troels; Nordlund, Åke

2017-09-01

We investigate the formation of protoplanetary disks around nine solar-mass stars formed in the context of a (40 pc)3 Giant Molecular Cloud model, using ramses adaptive mesh refinement simulations extending over a scale range of about 4 million, from an outer scale of 40 pc down to cell sizes of 2 au. Our most important result is that the accretion process is heterogeneous in multiple ways: in time, in space, and among protostars of otherwise similar mass. Accretion is heterogeneous in time, in the sense that accretion rates vary during the evolution, with generally decreasing profiles, whose slopes vary over a wide range, and where accretion can increase again if a protostar enters a region with increased density and low speed. Accretion is heterogeneous in space, because of the mass distribution, with mass approaching the accreting star-disk system in filaments and sheets. Finally, accretion is heterogeneous among stars, since the detailed conditions and dynamics in the neighborhood of each star can vary widely. We also investigate the sensitivity of disk formation to physical conditions and test their robustness by varying numerical parameters. We find that disk formation is robust even when choosing the least favorable sink particle parameters, and that turbulence cascading from larger scales is a decisive factor in disk formation. We also investigate the transport of angular momentum, finding that the net inward mechanical transport is compensated for mainly by an outward-directed magnetic transport, with a contribution from gravitational torques usually subordinate to the magnetic transport.

Multiple Mechanisms of Transient Heating Events in the Protoplanetary Disk: Evidence from Precursors of Chondrules and Igneous Ca,Al-Rich Inclusions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krot, A. N.; Nagashima, K.; Libourel, G.; Miller, K. E.

2017-02-01

Here we review the mineralogy, petrography, O-isotope compositions, and trace element abundances of precursors of chondrules and igneous CAIs which provide important constraints on the mechanisms of transient heating events in the protoplanetary disk.

Some aspects of the cosmogonic outward migration of Neptune. Co-planar migration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neslušan, L.; Jakubík, M.

2013-10-01

Considering a simple model of the cosmogonic outward migration of Neptune, we investigate if the assumption of an extremely low orbital inclination of small bodies in a once-existing proto-planetary disk could influence the structure of reservoirs of the objects in the trans-Neptunian region. We found no significant influence. Our models predict only the existence of the mean-motion resonances (MMRs) with Neptune 2:3, 3:5, 1:2, and an anemic scattered disk (MMRs 3:4, 5:7, and 9:11 are also indicated). To explain the classical Edgeworth-Kuiper belt, relatively abundant 4:7 and 2:5 MMRs, and the more numerous scattered disk, we need to assume that, e.g., the outer boundary of the original proto-planetary disk considerably exceeded the distance of the current Neptune's orbit (Neptune probably ended its migration at the distance, where the disk's density started to be sub-critical), or that some Pluto-sized objects resided inside the MMRs and in the distant parts of the original proto-planetary disk.

``Particle traps'' at planet gap edges in disks: effects of grain growth and fragmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gonzalez, J.-F.; Laibe, G.; Maddison, S. T.; Pinte, C.; Ménard, F.

2014-12-01

We model the dust evolution in protoplanetary disks (PPD) with 3D, Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH), two-phase (gas+dust) hydrodynamical simulations. The gas+dust dynamics, where aerodynamic drag leads to the vertical settling and radial migration of grains, is consistently treated. In a previous work, we characterized the spatial distribution of non-growing dust grains of different sizes in a disk containing a gap-opening planet and investigated the gap's detectability with ALMA. Here we take into account the effects of grain growth and fragmentation and study their impact on the distribution of solids in the disk. We show that rapid grain growth in the ``particle traps'' at the edges of planet gaps are strongly affected by fragmentation. We discuss the consequences for ALMA and NOEMA observations.

Protoplanetary disk observations in the ALMA era

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salyk, Colette

2018-06-01

In this talk, I’ll discuss how ALMA is advancing our understanding of protoplanetary disks with its unprecedented sensitivity and spatial resolution. In particular, I’ll focus on how ALMA is providing our first detailed view of gas-phase chemistry in giant planet forming regions, allowing us to test our ideas about how planets develop their diverse characteristics. Interpretation of these spectroscopic datasets requires sophisticated modeling tools and accurate laboratory data, as protoplanetary disks are ever-evolving environments that span a large range in density, temperature, and radiation field. I’ll discuss some recent results that highlight the important interplay between modeling and data analysis/interpretation, and suggest research directions that ALMA is likely to pursue going forward.

ALMA observations of protoplanetary disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hogerheijde, Michiel

2015-08-01

The Universe is filled with planetary systems, as recent detections of exo-planets have shown. Such systems grow out of disks of gas and dust that surround newly formed stars. The ground work for our understanding of the structure, composition, and evolution of such disks has been laid with infrared telescopes in the 1980's, 1990's, and 2000's, as well as with millimeter interferometers operating in the United States, France, and Japan. With the construction of the Atacama Large Millimeter / submillimeter Array, a new era of studying planet-forming disks has started. The unprecedented leap in sensitivity and angular resolution that ALMA offers, has truely revolutionized our understanding of disks. No longer featureless objects consisting of gas and smalll dust, they are now seen to harbor a rich structure and chemistry. The ongoing planet-formation process sculpts many disks into systems of rings and arcs; grains grown to millimeter-sizes collect in high-pressure areas where they could grow out to asteroids or comets or further generations of planets. This wealth of new information directly addresses bottlenecks in our theoretical understanding of planet formation, such as the question how grains can grow past the 'meter-sized' barrier or overcome the 'drift barrier', and how gas and ice evolve together and ultimately determine the elemental compositions of both giant and terrestrial planets. I will review the recent ALMA results on protoplanetary disks, presenting results on individual objects and from the first populations studies. I will conclude with a forward look, on what we might expect from ALMA in this area for the years and decades to come.

Formation of the terrestrial planets in the solar system around 1 au via radial concentration of planetesimals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-05-01

Context. No planets exist inside the orbit of Mercury and the terrestrial planets of the solar system exhibit a localized configuration. According to thermal structure calculation of protoplanetary disks, a silicate condensation line ( 1300 K) is located around 0.1 au from the Sun except for the early phase of disk evolution, and planetesimals could have formed inside the orbit of Mercury. A recent study of disk evolution that includes magnetically driven disk winds showed that the gas disk obtains a positive surface density slope inside 1 au from the central star. In a region with positive midplane pressure gradient, planetesimals undergo outward radial drift. Aims: We investigate the radial drift of planetesimals and type I migration of planetary embryos in a disk that viscously evolves with magnetically driven disk winds. We show a case in which no planets remain in the close-in region. Methods: Radial drifts of planetesimals are simulated using a recent disk evolution model that includes effects of disk winds. The late stage of planet formation is also examined by performing N-body simulations of planetary embryos. Results: We demonstrate that in the middle stage of disk evolution, planetesimals can undergo convergent radial drift in a magnetorotational instability (MRI)-inactive disk, in which the pressure maximum is created, and accumulate in a narrow ring-like region with an inner edge at 0.7 au from the Sun. We also show that planetary embryos that may grow from the narrow planetesimal ring do not exhibit significant type I migration in the late stage of disk evolution. Conclusions: The origin of the localized configuration of the terrestrial planets of the solar system, in particular the deficit of close-in planets, can be explained by the convergent radial drift of planetesimals in disks with a positive pressure gradient in the close-in region.

The Transitional Protoplanetary Disk Frequency as a Function of Age: Disk Evolution in the Coronet Cluster, Taurus, and Other 1--8 Myr-old Regions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Currie, Thayne; Sicilia-Aguilar, Auora

2011-01-01

We present Spitzer 3.6-24 micron photometry and spectroscopy for stars in the 1-3 Myr-old Coronet Cluster, expanding upon the survey of Sicilia-Aguilar et al. (2008). Using sophisticated radiative transfer models, we analyze these new data and those from Sicilia-Aguilar et al. (2008) to identify disks with evidence for substantial dust evolution consistent with disk clearing: transitional disks. We then analyze data in Taurus and others young clusters - IC 348, NGC 2362, and eta Cha -- to constrain the transitional disk frequency as a function of time. Our analysis confirms previous results finding evidence for two types of transitional disks -- those with inner holes and those that are homologously depleted. The percentage of disks in the transitional phase increases from approx.15-20% at 1-2 Myr to > 50% at 5-8 Myr; the mean transitional disk lifetime is closer to approx. 1 Myr than 0.1-0.5 Myr, consistent with previous studies by Currie et al. (2009) and Sicilia-Aguilar et al. (2009). In the Coronet Cluster and IC 348, transitional disks are more numerous for very low-mass M3--M6 stars than for more massive K5-M2 stars, while Taurus lacks a strong spectral type-dependent frequency. Assuming standard values for the gas-to-dust ratio and other disk properties, the lower limit for the masses of optically-thick primordial disks is Mdisk approx. 0.001-0.003 M*. We find that single color-color diagrams do not by themselves uniquely identify transitional disks or primordial disks. Full SED modeling is required to accurately assess disk evolution for individual sources and inform statistical estimates of the transitional disk population in large samples using mid-IR colors.

The Transitional Protoplanetary Disk Frequency as a Function of Age: Disk Evolution In the Coronet Cluster, Taurus, and Other 1-8 Myr Old Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Currie, Thayne; Sicilia-Aguilar, Aurora

2011-05-01

We present Spitzer 3.6-24 μm photometry and spectroscopy for stars in the 1-3 Myr old Coronet Cluster, expanding upon the survey of Sicilia-Aguilar et al. Using sophisticated radiative transfer models, we analyze these new data and those from Sicilia-Aguilar et al. to identify disks with evidence for substantial dust evolution consistent with disk clearing: transitional disks. We then analyze data in Taurus and others young clusters—IC 348, NGC 2362, and η Cha—to constrain the transitional disk frequency as a function of time. Our analysis confirms previous results finding evidence for two types of transitional disks—those with inner holes and those that are homologously depleted. The percentage of disks in the transitional phase increases from ~15%-20% at 1-2 Myr to >=50% at 5-8 Myr the mean transitional disk lifetime is closer to ~1 Myr than 0.1-0.5 Myr, consistent with previous studies by Currie et al. and Sicilia-Aguilar et al. In the Coronet Cluster and IC 348, transitional disks are more numerous for very low mass M3-M6 stars than for more massive K5-M2 stars, while Taurus lacks a strong spectral-type-dependent frequency. Assuming standard values for the gas-to-dust ratio and other disk properties, the lower limit for the masses of optically thick primordial disks is M disk ≈ 0.001-0.003 M sstarf. We find that single color-color diagrams do not by themselves uniquely identify transitional disks or primordial disks. Full spectral energy distribution modeling is required to accurately assess disk evolution for individual sources and inform statistical estimates of the transitional disk population in large samples using mid-IR colors.

Shadows and cavities in protoplanetary disks: HD 163296, HD 141569A, and HD 150193A in polarized light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garufi, A.; Quanz, S. P.; Schmid, H. M.; Avenhaus, H.; Buenzli, E.; Wolf, S.

2014-08-01

Context. The morphological evolution of dusty disks around young (a few Myr old) stars is pivotal for a better understanding of planet formation. Since both dust grains and the global disk geometry evolve on short timescales, high-resolution imaging of a sample of objects may provide important indications about this evolution. Aims: We enlarge the sample of protoplanetary disks imaged in polarized light with high-resolution imaging (≲0.2″) by observing the Herbig Ae/Be stars HD 163296, HD 141569A, and HD 150193A. We combine our data with previous datasets to understand the larger context of their morphology. Methods: Polarimetric differential imaging is an attractive technique with which to image at near-IR wavelengths a significant fraction of the light scattered by the circumstellar material. The unpolarized stellar light is canceled out by combining two simultaneous orthogonal polarization states. This allowed us to achieve an inner working angle and an angular resolution as low as ~0.1″. Results: We report a weak detection of the disk around HD 163296 in the H and KS bands. The disk is resolved as a broken ring structure with a significant surface brightness drop inward of 0.6″. No sign of extended polarized emission is detected from the disk around HD 141569A and HD 150193A. Conclusions: We propose that the absence of scattered light in the inner 0.6″ around HD 163296 and the non-detection of the disk around HD 150193A may be due to similar geometric factors. Since these disks are known to be flat or only moderately flared, self-shadowing by the disk inner wall is the favored explanation. We show that the polarized brightness of a number of disks is indeed related to their flaring angle. Other scenarios (such as dust grain growth or interaction with icy molecules) are also discussed. On the other hand, the non-detection of HD 141569A is consistent with previous datasets that revealed a huge cavity in the dusty disk. Based on observations collected at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere, Chile, under program number 089.C-0611(A).

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 (r<1 au). We investigate orbital evolution of planetary embryos in a disk that viscously evolves under effects of magnetically-driven disk winds. The aim is to examine whether observed distributions of close-in super-Earths 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.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-03-01

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

Planet Formation in Stellar Binaries: How Disk Gravity Can Lower theFragmentation Barrier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silsbee, Kedron; Rafikov, Roman R.

2014-11-01

Binary star systems present a challenge to current theories of planet formation. Perturbations from the companion star dynamically excite the protoplanetary disk, which can lead to destructive collisions between planetesimals, and prevent growth from 1 km to 100 km sized planetesimals. Despite this apparent barrier to coagulation, planets have been discovered within several small-separation (<20 AU), eccentric (eb 0.4) binaries, such as alpha Cen and gamma Cep. We address this problem by analytically exploring planetesimal dynamics under the simultaneous action of (1) binary perturbation, (2) gas drag (which tends to align planetesimal orbits), and (3), the gravity of an eccentric protoplanetary disk. We then use our dynamical solutions to assess the outcomes of planetesimal collisions (growth, destruction, erosion) for a variety of disk models. We find that planets in small-separation binaries can form at their present locations if the primordial protoplanetary disks were massive (>0.01M⊙) and not very eccentric (eccentricity of order several per cent at the location of planet). This constraint on the disk mass is compatible with the high masses of the giant planets in known gamma Cep-like binaries, which require a large mass reservoir for their formation. We show that for these massive disks, disk gravity is dominant over the gravity of the binary companion at the location of the observed planets. Therefore, planetesimal growth is highly sensitive to disk properties. The requirement of low disk eccentricity is in line with the recent hydrodynamic simulations that tend to show gaseous disks in eccentric binaries developing very low eccentricity, at the level of a few percent. A massive purely axisymmetric disk makes for a friendlier environment for planetesimal growth by driving rapid apsidal precession of planetesimals, and averaging out the eccentricity excitation from the binary companion. When the protoplanetary disk is eccentric we find that the most favorable conditions for planetesimal growth emerge when the disk is non-precessing and is apsidally aligned with the orbit of the binary.

The Thermal Regulation of Gravitational Instabilities in Protoplanetary Disks. IV. Simulations with Envelope Irradiation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Kai; Durisen, Richard H.; Boley, Aaron C.; Pickett, Megan K.; Mejía, Annie C.

2008-02-01

It is generally thought that protoplanetary disks embedded in envelopes are more massive and thus more susceptible to gravitational instabilities (GIs) than exposed disks. We present three-dimensional radiative hydrodynamic simulations of protoplanetary disks with the presence of envelope irradiation. For a disk with a radius of 40 AU and a mass of 0.07 M⊙ around a young star of 0.5 M⊙, envelope irradiation tends to weaken and even suppress GIs as the irradiating flux is increased. The global mass transport induced by GIs is dominated by lower order modes, and irradiation preferentially suppresses higher order modes. As a result, gravitational torques and mass inflow rates are actually increased by mild irradiation. None of the simulations produce dense clumps or rapid cooling by convection, arguing against direct formation of giant planets by disk instability, at least in irradiated disks. However, dense gas rings and radial mass concentrations are produced, and these might be conducive to accelerated planetary core formation. Preliminary results from a simulation of a massive embedded disk with physical characteristics similar to one of the disks in the embedded source L1551 IRS 5 indicate a long radiative cooling time and no fragmentation. The GIs in this disk are dominated by global two- and three-armed modes.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Herschel evidence for disk flattening or gas depletion in transitional disks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Keane, J. T.; Pascucci, I.; Espaillat, C.

Transitional disks are protoplanetary disks characterized by reduced near- and mid-infrared emission, with respect to full disks. This characteristic spectral energy distribution indicates the presence of an optically thin inner cavity within the dust disk believed to mark the disappearance of the primordial massive disk. We present new Herschel Space Observatory PACS spectra of [O I] 63.18 μm for 21 transitional disks. Our survey complements the larger Herschel GASPS program ({sup G}as in Protoplanetary Systems{sup )} by quadrupling the number of transitional disks observed with PACS in this wavelength. [O I] 63.18 μm traces material in the outer regions ofmore » the disk, beyond the inner cavity of most transitional disks. We find that transitional disks have [O I] 63.18 μm line luminosities ∼2 times fainter than their full disk counterparts. We self-consistently determine various stellar properties (e.g., bolometric luminosity, FUV excess, etc.) and disk properties (e.g., disk dust mass, etc.) that could influence the [O I] 63.18 μm line luminosity, and we find no correlations that can explain the lower [O I] 63.18 μm line luminosities in transitional disks. Using a grid of thermo-chemical protoplanetary disk models, we conclude that either transitional disks are less flared than full disks or they possess lower gas-to-dust ratios due to a depletion of gas mass. This result suggests that transitional disks are more evolved than their full disk counterparts, possibly even at large radii.« less

Protoplanetary Disks as (Possibly) Viscous Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rafikov, Roman R.

2017-03-01

Protoplanetary disks are believed to evolve on megayear timescales in a diffusive (viscous) manner as a result of angular momentum transport driven by internal stresses. Here we use a sample of 26 protoplanetary disks resolved by ALMA with measured (dust-based) masses and stellar accretion rates to derive the dimensionless α-viscosity values for individual objects, with the goal of constraining the angular momentum transport mechanism. We find that the inferred values of α do not cluster around a single value, but instead have a broad distribution extending from 10-4 to 0.04. Moreover, they correlate with neither the global disk parameters (mass, size, surface density) nor the stellar characteristics (mass, luminosity, radius). However, we do find a strong linear correlation between α and the central mass accretion rate \\dot{M}. This correlation is unlikely to result from the direct physical effect of \\dot{M} on internal stress on global scales. Instead, we suggest that it is caused by the decoupling of stellar \\dot{M} from the global disk characteristics in one of the following ways: (1) The behavior (and range) of α is controlled by a yet-unidentified parameter (e.g., ionization fraction, magnetic field strength, or geometry), ultimately driving the variation of \\dot{M}. (2) The central \\dot{M} is decoupled from the global accretion rate as a result of an instability, or mass accumulation (or loss in a wind or planetary accretion) in the inner disk. (3) Perhaps the most intriguing possibility is that angular momentum in protoplanetary disks is transported nonviscously, e.g., via magnetohydrodynamic winds or spiral density waves.

Organic synthesis via irradiation and warming of ice grains in the solar nebula.

PubMed

Ciesla, Fred J; Sandford, Scott A

2012-04-27

Complex organic compounds, including many important to life on Earth, are commonly found in meteoritic and cometary samples, though their origins remain a mystery. We examined whether such molecules could be produced within the solar nebula by tracking the dynamical evolution of ice grains in the nebula and recording the environments to which they were exposed. We found that icy grains originating in the outer disk, where temperatures were less than 30 kelvin, experienced ultraviolet irradiation exposures and thermal warming similar to that which has been shown to produce complex organics in laboratory experiments. These results imply that organic compounds are natural by-products of protoplanetary disk evolution and should be important ingredients in the formation of all planetary systems, including our own.

Radiative Grain Alignment in Protoplanetary Disks: Implications for Polarimetric Observations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tazaki, Ryo; Lazarian, Alexandre; Nomura, Hideko, E-mail: rtazaki@kusastro.kyoto-u.ac.jp

2017-04-10

We apply the theory of radiative torque (RAT) alignment for studying protoplanetary disks around a T-Tauri star and perform 3D radiative transfer calculations to provide the expected maps of polarized radiation to be compared with observations, such as with ALMA. We revisit the issue of grain alignment for large grains expected in the protoplanetary disks and find that mm-sized grains at the midplane do not align with the magnetic field since the Larmor precession timescale for such large grains becomes longer than the gaseous damping timescale. Hence, for these grains the RAT theory predicts that the alignment axis is determinedmore » by the grain precession with respect to the radiative flux. As a result, we expect that the polarization will be in the azimuthal direction for a face-on disk. It is also shown that if dust grains have superparamagnetic inclusions, magnetic field alignment is possible for (sub-)micron grains at the surface layer of disks, and this can be tested by mid-infrared polarimetric observations.« less

Protoplanetary Formation and the FU Orionis Outburst

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bodenheimer, P. H.

1996-01-01

The following three publications which reference the above grant from the NASA Origins of Solar Systems program are attached and form the final technical report for this project. The research involved comparisons of the spectral energy distributions of FU Orionis objects with theoretical models and associated studies of the structure of the outbursting accretion disks, as well as related studies on the effects of magnetic fields in disks, which will lead in the future to models of FU Orionis outbursts which include the effects of magnetic fields. The project was renewed under a new grant NAGW-4456, entitled 'Effects of FU Orionis Outbursts on Protoplanetary Disks'. Work now being prepared for publication deals more specifically with the issue of the effects of the outbursts on protoplanetary formation. Models of the spectral energy distribution of FU Orionis stars. A simple model of a buoyant magnetic dynamo in accretion disks and a numerical study of magnetic buoyancy in an accretion disk have been submitted.

Signposts of Planets Observed by SEEDS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McElwain, Michael

2011-01-01

The Strategic Exploration of Exoplanets and Disks at Subaru (SEEDS) is the first strategic observing program (SSOPs) awarded by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). SEEDS targets a broad sample of stars that span a wide range of masses and ages to explore the formation and evolution of planetary systems. This survey has been awarded 120 nights over five years time to observe nearly 500 stars. Currently in the second year, SEEDS has already produced exciting new results for the protoplanetary disk AB AUf, transitional disk LkCa15, and nearby companion to GJ 758. We present the survey architecture, performance, recent results, and the projected sample. Finally, we will discuss planned upgrades to the high contrast instrumentation at the Subaru

Dusty Disks, Diffuse Clouds, and Dim Suns: Galactic Science with the Infrared Spectrograph on the Spitzer Space Telescope

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roellig, T. L.; Watson, D. M.; Uchida, K. I.; Forrest, W. J.; VanCleve, J. E.; Herter, T. L.; Sloan, G. C.; Furlan, E.; Wilson, J. C.; Bernard-Salas, J.

2004-01-01

The Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) on the Spitzer Space Telescope has now been in routine science operations since Dec. 14,2003. The IRS Science Team has used a portion of their guaranteed time to pursue three major science themes in galactic astronomy: the evolution of protostellar disks and debris disks; the composition and evolution of diffuse matter and clouds in the interstellar medium; and the composition and structure of brown dwarfs and low-mass main-sequence stars. We report here on the results from the first five months of IRS observations in these programs. Full IRS Spectra have already been obtained for large samples of YSO/protoplanetary disks in the Taurus and TW Hya associations, and or debris disks around main-sequence stars, in which many aspects of the evolution of planetary systems can be addressed for the first time. As anticipated, the mid-infrared IRS observations of brown dwarfs have yielded important new information about their atmospheres, including the identification of NH3 and measurements of new methane features. This work is based on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under NASA contract 1407. Support for this work was provided by NASA's Office of Space Science.

Dusty Disks, Diffuse Clouds, and Dim Suns - Galactic Science with the Infrared Spectrograph on the Spitzer Space Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roellig, T. L.; Watson, D. M.; Uchida, K. I.; Forrest, W. J.; Van Cleve, J. E.; Herter, T. L.; Sloan, G. C.; Furlan, E.; Wilson, J. C.; Bernard-Salas, J.; Saumon, D.; Leggett, S.; Chen, C.; Kemper, F.; Hartmann, L.; Marley, M.; Cushing, M.; Mainzer, A. K.; Kirkpatrick, D.; Jura, M.; Houck, J. R.

2004-05-01

The Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) on the Spitzer Space Telescope has now been in routine science operations since Dec. 14, 2003. The IRS Science Team has used a portion of their guaranteed time to pursue three major science themes in galactic astronomy: the evolution of protostellar disks and debris disks; the composition and evolution of diffuse matter and clouds in the interstellar medium; and the composition and structure of brown dwarfs and low-mass main-sequence stars. We report here on the results from the first five months of IRS observations in these programs. Full IRS Spectra have already been obtained for large samples of YSO/protoplanetary disks in the Taurus and TW Hya associations, and of debris disks around main-sequence stars, in which many aspects of the evolution of planetary systems can be addressed for the first time. As anticipated, the mid-infrared IRS observations of brown dwarfs have yielded important new information about their atmospheres, including the identification of NH3 and measurements of new methane features. This work is based on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under NASA contract 1407. Support for this work was provided by NASA's Office of Space Science.

Fractionation and Accretion of Meteorite Parent Bodies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weidenschilling, Stuart J.

2005-01-01

Senior Scientist Stuart J. Weidenschilling presents his final administrative report for the research program on which he was the Principal Investigator. The research program resulted in the following publications: 1) Particle-gas dynamics and primary accretion. J. N. Cuzzi and S. J . Weidenschilling. To appear in Meteorites and the Early Solar System 11 (D. Lauretta et a]., Eds.), Univ. Arizona Press. 2005; 2) Timescales of the solar protoplanetary disk. S. Russell, L. Hartmann, J . N. Cuzzi, A. Krot, M. Gounelle and S. J. Weidenschilling. To appear in Meteorites and the Early Solar System II (D. Lauretta et al., Eds.), Univ. Arizona Press, 2005; 3) Nebula evolution of thermally processed solids: Reconciling astrophysical models and chondritic meteorites. J. N. Cuzzi, F. J. Ciesla, M. I. Petaev, A. N. Krot, E. R. D. Scott and S . J. Weidenschilling. To appear in Chondrites and the Protoplanetary Disk (A. Krot et a]., Eds.), ASP Conference Series, 2005; 4) Possible chondrule formation in planetesimal bow shocks: Physical processes in the near vicinity of the planetesimal. L. L. Hood, F. J. Ciesla and S. J. Weidenschilling. To appear in Chondrites and the Protoplanetary Disk (A. Krot et al., Eds.), ASP Conference Series, 2005; 5) From icy grains to comets. In Comets II (M. Festou et al., Eds.), Univ. Arizona Press, pp. 97- 104, 2005; 6) Evaluating planetesimal bow shocks as sites for chondrule formation. F. J . Ciesla, L. L. Hood and S. J. Weidenschilling. Meteoritics & Planetary Science 39, 1809-1 821, 2004; and 7) Radial drift of particles in the solar nebula: Implications for planetesimal formation. Icarus 165, 438-442, 2003.

On the Origin of Banded Structure in Dusty Protoplanetary Disks: HL Tau and TW Hya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boley, A. C.

2017-11-01

Recent observations of HL Tau revealed remarkably detailed structure within the system’s circumstellar disk. A range of hypotheses have been proposed to explain the morphology, including, e.g., planet-disk interactions, condensation fronts, and secular gravitational instabilities. While embedded planets seem to be able to explain some of the major structure in the disk through interactions with gas and dust, the substructures, such as low-contrast rings and bands, are not so easily reproduced. Here, we show that dynamical interactions between three planets (only two of which are modeled) and an initial population of large planetesimals can potentially explain both the major and minor banded features within the system. In this context, the small grains, which are coupled to the gas and reveal the disk morphology, are produced by the collisional evolution of the newly formed planetesimals, which are ubiquitous in the system and are decoupled from the gas.

Modeling Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holman, Megan; Tubbs, Drake; Keller, L. D.

2018-01-01

Using spectra models with known parameters and comparing them to spectra gathered from real systems is often the only ways to find out what is going on in those real systems. This project uses the modeling programs of RADMC-3D to generate model spectra for systems containing protoplanetary disks. The parameters can be changed to simulate protoplanetary disks in different stages of planet formation, with different sized gaps in different areas of the disks, as well as protoplanetary disks that contain different types of dust. We are working on producing a grid of models that all have different variations in the parameters in order to generate a miniature database to use for comparisons to gathered spectra. The spectra produced from these simulations will be compared to spectra that have been gathered from systems in the Small Magellanic cloud in order to find out the contents and stage of development of that system. This allows us to see if and how planets are forming in the Small Magellanic cloud, a region which has much less metallicity than our own galaxy. The data we gather from comparisons between the model spectra and the spectra of systems in the Small Magellanic Cloud can then be applied to how planets may have formed in the early universe.

Observational studies of the clearing phase in proto-planetary disk systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grady, Carol A.

1994-01-01

A summary of the work completed during the first year of a 5 year program to observationally study the clearing phase of proto-planetary disks is presented. Analysis of archival and current IUE data, together with supporting optical observations has resulted in the identification of 6 new proto-planetary disk systems associated with Herbig Ae/Be stars, the evolutionary precursors of the beta Pictoris system. These systems exhibit large amplitude light and optical color variations which enable us to identify additional systems which are viewed through their circumstellar disks including a number of classical T Tauri stars. On-going IUE observations of Herbig Ae/Be and T Tauri stars with this orientation have enabled us to detect bipolar emission plausibly associated with disk winds. Preliminary circumstellar extinction studies were completed for one star, UX Ori. Intercomparison of the available sample of edge-on systems, with stars ranging from 1-6 solar masses, suggests that the signatures of accreting gas, disk winds, and bipolar flows and the prominence of a dust-scattered light contribution to the integrated light of the system decreases with decreasing IR excess.

Growth properties of protoplanetary dust in a long-term microgravity experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brisset, Julie; Kothe, Stefan; Weidling, Rene; Heisselmann, Daniel; Blum, Juergen

2014-11-01

In the very first steps of the formation of a new planetary system, dust agglomerates and grows inside the protoplanetary disk that rotates around the newly formed star. In this disk, collisions between the dust particles, induced by interactions with the surrounding gas, lead to sticking. Aggregates start growing until their sizes and relative velocities are high enough for collisions to result in bouncing or fragmentation. As part of a series of microgravity experiments aiming at the investigation of the transitions between sticking, bouncing and fragmentation of colliding dust aggregates, the Suborbital Particle and Aggregation Experiment (SPACE) was designed, built and operated both at the drop tower in Bremen (August 2011) and on the REXUS 12 suborbital rocket (March 2012). The SPACE experiment allowed for the observation of collisions between aggregates of sizes of a few 100 µm that were composed of SiO2, a commonly used protoplanetary dust analog material. At velocities below 10 cm/s, clusters composed of a high number of aggregates (more than 10^4) formed and grew to sizes of up to 5 mm. The analysis of these collisions delivered valuable input to a current dust collision model, which maps the outcome of collisions depending on the aggregate sizes and their relative velocities. The sticking probability of sub-mm-sized dust aggregates could directly be measured during the suborbital rocket flight, over a velocity range covering the transition between the sticking and bouncing regimes. In addition, the evolution of clusters formed from sub-mm-sized aggregates during the different experiments could be observed and some of their intrinsic properties derived. The measured characteristics were the cluster fractal dimensions, the tensile strength of their outer aggregate layer and the effective surface energy of their constituents. Threshold energies for cluster restructuring and fragmentation could also be determined. All these cluster properties are important input parameters for molecular dynamics or numerical simulations investigating the behavior of macroscopic clusters (>1 mm in size) in protoplanetary disks.

Long-lived Eccentric modes in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Wing-Kit; Dempsey, Adam M.; Lithwick, Yoram

2018-04-01

A theory is developed to understand global eccentric modes that are slowly precessing in protoplanetary disks. Using the typical self-similar density profiles, we found that these modes are trapped in the disk and are not sensitive to the uncertain boundary condition at the disk edge. This is contrary to common wisdom that the modes can only exist in disks with very sharp outer edge. Because of their discrete spectrum, once excited, a perturbed disk can stay eccentric for a long time until the mode is viscously damped. The physics behind the mode trapping depends ultimately on the relative importance of gas pressure and self-gravity, which is characterized by g = 1/ (Q h), where h is the disk aspect ratio and Q is the Toomre stability parameter. A very low mass disk (g ≪ 1) is pressure-dominated and supports pressure modes, in which the eccentricity is highest at the disk edge. The modes are trapped by a turning point due to the density drop in the outer disk. For a more massive disk with g of order of unity (Q~1/h~10-100), prograde modes are supported. Unlike the pressure modes, these modes are trapped by Q-barriers and result in a bump in the radial eccentricity profile. As the mode trapping is a generic phenomenon for typical disk profiles, the free linear eccentric modes are likely to be present in protoplanetary disks with a wide range of disk mass.

Zoom-in Simulations of Protoplanetary Disks Starting from GMC Scales

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kuffmeier, Michael; Haugbølle, Troels; Nordlund, Åke, E-mail: kueffmeier@nbi.ku.dk

2017-09-01

We investigate the formation of protoplanetary disks around nine solar-mass stars formed in the context of a (40 pc){sup 3} Giant Molecular Cloud model, using ramses adaptive mesh refinement simulations extending over a scale range of about 4 million, from an outer scale of 40 pc down to cell sizes of 2 au. Our most important result is that the accretion process is heterogeneous in multiple ways: in time, in space, and among protostars of otherwise similar mass. Accretion is heterogeneous in time, in the sense that accretion rates vary during the evolution, with generally decreasing profiles, whose slopes varymore » over a wide range, and where accretion can increase again if a protostar enters a region with increased density and low speed. Accretion is heterogeneous in space, because of the mass distribution, with mass approaching the accreting star–disk system in filaments and sheets. Finally, accretion is heterogeneous among stars, since the detailed conditions and dynamics in the neighborhood of each star can vary widely. We also investigate the sensitivity of disk formation to physical conditions and test their robustness by varying numerical parameters. We find that disk formation is robust even when choosing the least favorable sink particle parameters, and that turbulence cascading from larger scales is a decisive factor in disk formation. We also investigate the transport of angular momentum, finding that the net inward mechanical transport is compensated for mainly by an outward-directed magnetic transport, with a contribution from gravitational torques usually subordinate to the magnetic transport.« less

Is NeII a Tracer for X-Rays in Disks around Tauri Stars?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guedel, Manuel

2007-10-01

Although dust grains dominate the appearance of protoplanetary disks because of their high opacity, the key processes for disk evolution and planetesimal formation are driven through the dynamical state of the gas. In contrast to the dust component, we do not have a similar knowledge of the gas component. One of the Spitzer breakthroughs was the detection of the [Ne II] 12.8um line. Glassgold et al. (2007) proposed that this line provides diagnostics for a warm disk surface layer that is heated and ionized by stellar X-rays. A correlation of the [Ne II] luminosity with the X-ray luminosity is expected. The statistical sample so far available is insufficient to test this hypothesis. We aim at significantly enlarging the sample, with the goal of confirming or refuting this model.

Shadows and spirals in the protoplanetary disk HD 100453

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benisty, M.; Stolker, T.; Pohl, A.; de Boer, J.; Lesur, G.; Dominik, C.; Dullemond, C. P.; Langlois, M.; Min, M.; Wagner, K.; Henning, T.; Juhasz, A.; Pinilla, P.; Facchini, S.; Apai, D.; van Boekel, R.; Garufi, A.; Ginski, C.; Ménard, F.; Pinte, C.; Quanz, S. P.; Zurlo, A.; Boccaletti, A.; Bonnefoy, M.; Beuzit, J. L.; Chauvin, G.; Cudel, M.; Desidera, S.; Feldt, M.; Fontanive, C.; Gratton, R.; Kasper, M.; Lagrange, A.-M.; LeCoroller, H.; Mouillet, D.; Mesa, D.; Sissa, E.; Vigan, A.; Antichi, J.; Buey, T.; Fusco, T.; Gisler, D.; Llored, M.; Magnard, Y.; Moeller-Nilsson, O.; Pragt, J.; Roelfsema, R.; Sauvage, J.-F.; Wildi, F.

2017-01-01

Context. Understanding the diversity of planets requires studying the morphology and physical conditions in the protoplanetary disks in which they form. Aims: We aim to study the structure of the 10 Myr old protoplanetary disk HD 100453, to detect features that can trace disk evolution and to understand the mechanisms that drive these features. Methods: We observed HD 100453 in polarized scattered light with VLT/SPHERE at optical (0.6 μm, 0.8 μm) and near-infrared (1.2 μm) wavelengths, reaching an angular resolution of 0.02'', and an inner working angle of 0.09''. Results: We spatially resolve the disk around HD 100453, and detect polarized scattered light up to 0.42'' ( 48 au). We detect a cavity, a rim with azimuthal brightness variations at an inclination of 38° with respect to our line of sight, two shadows and two symmetric spiral arms. The spiral arms originate near the location of the shadows, close to the semi major axis. We detect a faint feature in the SW that can be interpreted as the scattering surface of the bottom side of the disk, if the disk is tidally truncated by the M-dwarf companion currently seen at a projected distance of 119 au. We construct a radiative transfer model that accounts for the main characteristics of the features with an inner and outer disk misaligned by 72°. The azimuthal brightness variations along the rim are well reproduced with the scattering phase function of the model. While spirals can be triggered by the tidal interaction with the companion, the close proximity of the spirals to the shadows suggests that the shadows could also play a role. The change in stellar illumination along the rim induces an azimuthal variation of the scale height that can contribute to the brightness variations. Conclusions: Dark regions in polarized images of transition disks are now detected in a handful of disks and often interpreted as shadows due to a misaligned inner disk. However, the origin of such a misalignment in HD 100453, and of the spirals, is still unclear, and might be due to a yet-undetected massive companion inside the cavity, and on an inclined orbit. Observations over a few years will allow us to measure the spiral pattern speed, and determine if the shadows are fixed or moving, which may constrain their origin. Based on observations performed with VLT/SPHERE under program ID 096.C-0248(B).

The physical and chemical evolution of disks during planet formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gorti, Uma

2018-06-01

Protoplanetary disks evolve and disperse rapidly during the early stages of star and planet formation. While disks initially inherit a full complement of interstellar cloud material that is mainly accreted on to the central star, their gas and dust components appear to evolve along distinct pathways. Dust accumulates to form rocky planets, whereas only a small fraction of the available gas may be incorporated into gas giants in a typical exoplanetary system. However, the radial distribution of gas and its chemistry are expected to impact the architecture and composition of formed planets. Recent ALMA results have underscored the importance of ices and grain surface chemistry in disks, and their significance for planet formation. I will describe disk models that aim to probe the physical and chemical processes in the disk at various stages of evolution, and specifically discuss diagnostics of conditions in the innermost regions of disks which will become accessible for the first time with the launch of JWST. Current theoretical modeling is however hindered by many uncertainties in input parameters and poorly known chemical and physical processes. I will highlight some gaps in our current understanding, and discuss how laboratory astrophysics can help in preparing for the JWST era and aid in the interpretation of future line and continuum emission studies.

Imaging Planet Formation Inside the Diffraction Limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sallum, Stephanie Elise

For decades, astronomers have used observations of mature planetary systems to constrain planet formation theories, beginning with our own solar system and now the thousands of known exoplanets. Recent advances in instrumentation have given us a direct view of some steps in the planet formation process, such as large-scale protostar and protoplanetary disk features and evolution. However, understanding the details of how planets accrete and interact with their environment requires direct observations of protoplanets themselves. Transition disks, protoplanetary disks with inner clearings that may be caused by forming planets, are the best targets for these studies. Their large distances, compared to the stars normally targeted for direct imaging of exoplanets, make protoplanet detection difficult and necessitate novel imaging techniques. In this dissertation, I describe the results of using non-redundant masking (NRM) to search for forming planets in transition disk clearings. I first present a data reduction pipeline that I wrote to this end, using example datasets and simulations to demonstrate reduction and imaging optimizations. I discuss two transition disk NRM case studies: T Cha and LkCa 15. In the case of T Cha, while we detect significant asymmetries, the data cannot be explained by orbiting companions. The fluxes and orbital motion of the LkCa 15 companion signals, however, can be naturally explained by protoplanets in the disk clearing. I use these datasets and simulated observations to illustrate the effects of scattered light from transition disk material on NRM protoplanet searches. I then demonstrate the utility of the dual-aperture Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer's NRM mode on the bright B[e] star MWC 349A. I discuss the implications of this work for planet formation studies as well as future prospects for NRM and related techniques on next generation instruments.

The Surface Density Distribution in the Solar Nebula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Sanford S.

2004-01-01

The commonly used minimum mass power law representation of the pre-solar nebula is reanalyzed using a new cumulative-mass-model. This model predicts a smoother surface density approximation compared with methods based on direct computation of surface density. The density is quantified using two independent analytical formulations. First, a best-fit transcendental function is applied directly to the basic planetary data. Next a solution to the time-dependent disk evolution equation is parametrically adapted to the solar nebula data. The latter model is shown to be a good approximation to the finite-size early Solar Nebula, and by extension to other extra solar protoplanetary disks.

Early formation of planetary building blocks inferred from Pb isotopic ages of chondrules

PubMed Central

Bollard, Jean; Connelly, James N.; Whitehouse, Martin J.; Pringle, Emily A.; Bonal, Lydie; Jørgensen, Jes K.; Nordlund, Åke; Moynier, Frédéric; Bizzarro, Martin

2017-01-01

The most abundant components of primitive meteorites (chondrites) are millimeter-sized glassy spherical chondrules formed by transient melting events in the solar protoplanetary disk. Using Pb-Pb dates of 22 individual chondrules, we show that primary production of chondrules in the early solar system was restricted to the first million years after the formation of the Sun and that these existing chondrules were recycled for the remaining lifetime of the protoplanetary disk. This finding is consistent with a primary chondrule formation episode during the early high-mass accretion phase of the protoplanetary disk that transitions into a longer period of chondrule reworking. An abundance of chondrules at early times provides the precursor material required to drive the efficient and rapid formation of planetary objects via chondrule accretion. PMID:28808680

New Insight into the Solar System’s Transition Disk Phase Provided by the Metal-rich Carbonaceous Chondrite Isheyevo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morris, Melissa A.; Garvie, Laurence A. J.; Knauth, L. Paul

2015-03-01

Many aspects of planet formation are controlled by the amount of gas remaining in the natal protoplanetary disks (PPDs). Infrared observations show that PPDs undergo a transition stage at several megayears, during which gas densities are reduced. Our Solar System would have experienced such a stage. However, there is currently no data that provides insight into this crucial time in our PPD’s evolution. We show that the Isheyevo meteorite contains the first definitive evidence for a transition disk stage in our Solar System. Isheyevo belongs to a class of metal-rich meteorites whose components have been dated at almost 5 Myr after formation of Ca, Al-rich inclusions, and exhibits unique sedimentary layers that imply formation through gentle sedimentation. We show that such layering can occur via the gentle sweep-up of material found in the impact plume resulting from the collision of two planetesimals. Such sweep-up requires gas densities consistent with observed transition disks (10-12-10-11 g cm-3). As such, Isheyevo presents the first evidence of our own transition disk and provides new constraints on the evolution of our solar nebula.

Tracing Water Vapor and Ice During Dust Growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krijt, Sebastiaan; Ciesla, Fred J.; Bergin, Edwin A.

2016-12-01

The processes that govern the evolution of dust and water (in the form of vapor or ice) in protoplanetary disks are intimately connected. We have developed a model that simulates dust coagulation, dust dynamics (settling, turbulent mixing), vapor diffusion, and condensation/sublimation of volatiles onto grains in a vertical column of a protoplanetary disk. We employ the model to study how dust growth and dynamics influence the vertical distribution of water vapor and water ice in the region just outside the radial snowline. Our main finding is that coagulation (boosted by the enhanced stickiness of icy grains) and the ensuing vertical settling of solids results in water vapor being depleted, but not totally removed, from the region above the snowline on a timescale commensurate with the vertical turbulent mixing timescale. Depending on the strength of the turbulence and the temperature, the depletion can reach factors of up to ˜50 in the disk atmosphere. In our isothermal column, this vapor depletion results in the vertical snowline moving closer to the midplane (by up to 2 gas scale heights) and the gas-phase {{C}}/{{O}} ratio above the vertical snowline increasing. Our findings illustrate the importance of dynamical effects and the need for understanding coevolutionary dynamics of gas and solids in planet-forming environments.

Supra-Canonical Initial 26Al/27Al Indicate a 105 Year Residence Time for CAIs in the Solar Proto-Planetary Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Young, E. D.; Simon, J. I.; Galy, A.; Russell, S. S.; Tonui, E. K.; Lovera, O.

2005-03-01

We present new UV laser ablation and acid digestion MC-ICPMS analyses of 8 CAIs showing that there was more 26Al in the early solar system than previously thought, and that the canonical initial 26Al/27Al represents a ~300,000 yr residence time for CAIs in the protoplanetary disk.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Planet Formation in Disks with Inclined Binary Companions: Can Primordial Spin-Orbit Misalignment be Produced?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zanazzi, J. J.; Lai, Dong

2018-04-01

Many hot Jupiter (HJ) systems have been observed to have their stellar spin axis misaligned with the planet's orbital angular momentum axis. The origin of this spin-orbit misalignment and the formation mechanism of HJs remain poorly understood. A number of recent works have suggested that gravitational interactions between host stars, protoplanetary disks, and inclined binary companions may tilt the stellar spin axis with respect to the disk's angular angular momentum axis, producing planetary systems with misaligned orbits. These previous works considered idealized disk evolution models and neglected the gravitational influence of newly formed planets. In this paper, we explore how disk photoevaporation and planet formation and migration affect the inclination evolution of planet-star-disk-binary systems. We take into account planet-disk interactions and the gravitational spin-orbit coupling between the host star and the planet. We find that the rapid depletion of the inner disk via photoevaporation reduces the excitation of stellar obliquities. Depending on the formation and migration history of HJs, the spin-orbit coupling between the star and the planet may reduces and even completely suppress the excitation of stellar obliquities. Our work constrains the formation/migration history of HJs. On the other hand, planetary systems with "cold" Jupiters or close-in super-earths may experience excitation of stellar obliquities in the presence of distant inclined companions.

Impact of Ice on Evolution of Protoplanetary Disks and Formation of Planetary Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saunders, William; Gorti, Uma

2018-01-01

We use a 1+1D model of disk evolution, where gas and dust evolve under the influence of viscous evolution and photoevaporation. Planetesimal formation is simulated using a simple criterion for triggering the streaming instability. We modeled the disk around a young M3 star of mass 0.25M⊙, a characteristic Milky Way main sequence star. We carried out simulations of the disk with and without water ice to determine the impact of ice on the formation of planetesimals and retention of solids in the disk, but found little impact of ice, leading to the conclusion that the presence of ice alone does not significantly facilitate planetesimal growth in these models. The majority of initial dust in the disk drifts into the star. We investigated the range of possible viscous parameter (α) values and photoevaporation mass loss rates (M'pe) that could mitigate the drift problem. Both these values were treated as free parameters constant in time. We varied α between 10-4 and 10-2 M'pe between 10-10 and 10-7 M⊙/yr. Based on estimated disk lifetimes between 2 and 6 Myr, and estimated solid retention rates of 30-70% from the literature, we determined the range of α and M'pe for which this is possible. Results indicate a region of overlap exists, in which the disk evolves into planetesimals totaling tens of Earth masses. This region is defined by α in the range [7x10-4, 3x10-3] and M'pe in the range [2x10-8, 8x10-8] M⊙/yr.

WFIRST: CGI Detection and Characterization of Circumstellar Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Debes, John; Chen, Christine; Dawson, Bekki; Douglas, Ewan S.; Duchene, Gaspard; Jang-Condell, Hannah; hines, Dean C.; Lewis, Nikole K.; Macintosh, Bruce; Mazoyer, Johan; Meshkat, Tiffany; Nemati, Bijan; Patel, Rahul; Perrin, Marshall; Poteet, Charles; Pueyo, Laurent; Ren, Bin; Rizzo, Maxime; Roberge, Aki; Stark, Chris; Turnbull, Margaret

2018-01-01

The WFIRST Coronagraphic Instrument (CGI) will be capable of obtaining up to 5×10-9 contrast to an inner working angle of ~150 mas for a selection of medium band visible light filters using shaped pupil coronagraph and hybrid Lyot coronagraph designs. We present initial work at defining the scientific capabilities of the CGI with respect to different types of circumstellar disks, including warm exo-zodiacal disks, cold debris disks, and protoplanetary disks. With the above designs, CGI will be able to detect bright protoplanetary and debris disks with sizes of >100 AU beyond 500 pc. Additionally, it will be able to discover warm exozodiacal dust disks ten times more massive than that of the Solar System for over 100 nearby solar-type stars. Finally, it will be able to characterize resolved circumstellar dust disks in multiple filters of visible light, providing constraints on the size, shape, and composition of the dust.

Hall Effect–Mediated Magnetic Flux Transport in Protoplanetary Disks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bai, Xue-Ning; Stone, James M.

2017-02-10

The global evolution of protoplanetary disks (PPDs) has recently been shown to be largely controlled by the amount of poloidal magnetic flux threading the disk. The amount of magnetic flux must also coevolve with the disk, as a result of magnetic flux transport, a process that is poorly understood. In weakly ionized gas as in PPDs, magnetic flux is largely frozen in the electron fluid, except when resistivity is large. When the disk is largely laminar, we show that the relative drift between the electrons and ions (the Hall drift), and the ions and neutral fluids (ambipolar drift) can playmore » a dominant role on the transport of magnetic flux. Using two-dimensional simulations that incorporate the Hall effect and ambipolar diffusion (AD) with prescribed diffusivities, we show that when large-scale poloidal field is aligned with disk rotation, the Hall effect rapidly drags magnetic flux inward at the midplane region, while it slowly pushes flux outward above/below the midplane. This leads to a highly radially elongated field configuration as a global manifestation of the Hall-shear instability. This field configuration further promotes rapid outward flux transport by AD at the midplane, leading to instability saturation. In quasi-steady state, magnetic flux is transported outward at approximately the same rate at all heights, and the rate is comparable to the Hall-free case. For anti-aligned field polarity, the Hall effect consistently transports magnetic flux outward, leading to a largely vertical field configuration in the midplane region. The field lines in the upper layer first bend radially inward and then outward to launch a disk wind. Overall, the net rate of outward flux transport is about twice as fast as that of the aligned case. In addition, the rate of flux transport increases with increasing disk magnetization. The absolute rate of transport is sensitive to disk microphysics, which remains to be explored in future studies.« less

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinilla, P.; Pohl, A.; Stammler, S. M.; Birnstiel, T.

2017-08-01

Recent high angular resolution observations of protoplanetary disks at different wavelengths have revealed several kinds of structures, including multiple bright and dark rings. Embedded planets are the most used explanation for such structures, but there are alternative models capable of shaping the dust in rings as it has been observed. We assume a disk around a Herbig star and investigate the effect that ice lines have on the dust evolution, following the growth, fragmentation, and dynamics of multiple dust size particles, covering from 1 μm to 2 m sized objects. We use simplified prescriptions of the fragmentation velocity threshold, which is assumed to change radially at the location of one, two, or three ice lines. We assume changes at the radial location of main volatiles, specifically H2O, CO2, and NH3. Radiative transfer calculations are done using the resulting dust density distributions in order to compare with current multiwavelength observations. We find that the structures in the dust density profiles and radial intensities at different wavelengths strongly depend on the disk viscosity. A clear gap of emission can be formed between ice lines and be surrounded by ring-like structures, in particular between the H2O and CO2 (or CO). The gaps are expected to be shallower and narrower at millimeter emission than at near-infrared, opposite to model predictions of particle trapping. In our models, the total gas surface density is not expected to show strong variations, in contrast to other gap-forming scenarios such as embedded giant planets or radial variations of the disk viscosity.

The Formation and Evolution of the Solar System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marov, Mikhail

2018-05-01

The formation and evolution of our solar system (and planetary systems around other stars) are among the most challenging and intriguing fields of modern science. As the product of a long history of cosmic matter evolution, this important branch of astrophysics is referred to as stellar-planetary cosmogony. Interdisciplinary by way of its content, it is based on fundamental theoretical concepts and available observational data on the processes of star formation. Modern observational data on stellar evolution, disc formation, and the discovery of extrasolar planets, as well as mechanical and cosmochemical properties of the solar system, place important constraints on the different scenarios developed, each supporting the basic cosmogony concept (as rooted in the Kant-Laplace hypothesis). Basically, the sequence of events includes fragmentation of an original interstellar molecular cloud, emergence of a primordial nebula, and accretion of a protoplanetary gas-dust disk around a parent star, followed by disk instability and break-up into primary solid bodies (planetesimals) and their collisional interactions, eventually forming a planet. Recent decades have seen major advances in the field, due to in-depth theoretical and experimental studies. Such advances have clarified a new scenario, which largely supports simultaneous stellar-planetary formation. Here, the collapse of a protosolar nebula's inner core gives rise to fusion ignition and star birth with an accretion disc left behind: its continuing evolution resulting ultimately in protoplanets and planetary formation. Astronomical observations have allowed us to resolve in great detail the turbulent structure of gas-dust disks and their dynamics in regard to solar system origin. Indeed radio isotope dating of chondrite meteorite samples has charted the age and the chronology of key processes in the formation of the solar system. Significant progress also has been made in the theoretical study and computer modeling of protoplanetary accretion disk thermal regimes; evaporation/condensation of primordial particles depending on their radial distance, mechanisms of clustering, collisions, and dynamics. However, these breakthroughs are yet insufficient to resolve many problems intrinsically related to planetary cosmogony. Significant new questions also have been posed, which require answers. Of great importance are questions on how contemporary natural conditions appeared on solar system planets: specifically, why the three neighbor inner planets—Earth, Venus, and Mars—reveal different evolutionary paths.

The Physics of Protoplanetary Dust Agglomerates. X. High-velocity Collisions between Small and Large Dust Agglomerates as a Growth Barrier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schräpler, Rainer; Blum, Jürgen; Krijt, Sebastiaan; Raabe, Jan-Hendrik

2018-01-01

In a protoplanetary disk, dust aggregates in the μm to mm size range possess mean collision velocities of 10–60 m s‑1 with respect to dm- to m-sized bodies. We performed laboratory collision experiments to explore this parameter regime and found a size- and velocity-dependent threshold between erosion and growth. By using a local Monte Carlo coagulation calculation and along with a simple semi-analytical timescale approach, we show that erosion considerably limits particle growth in protoplanetary disks and leads to a steady-state dust-size distribution from μm- to dm-sized particles.

Protoplanetary Worlds at the Astronomical Unit Scale. First Step towards Aperture Synthesis Images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berger, J.; Monnier, J.; Millan-Gabet, R.; Malbet, F.; Benisty, M.; Pedretti, E.; Traub, W.

Optical interferometry has started to play a crucial role in the field of star formation. In particular, it offers a unique opportunity to observe protoplanetary disks at a spatial scale where planets may be forming. We present here some of the most recent discoveries in this field putting the emphasis on the progress towards direct imaging of proto-planetary worlds at the astronomical unit scale. In particular we develop our use of the IOTA/IONIC3 interferometer to measure closure phase quantities, a powerful observable to quantify the degree of skewness of the infrared emission at spatial scales corresponding to the internal part of the disk.

X-Ray-induced Deuterium Enrichment of N-rich Organics in Protoplanetary Disks: An Experimental Investigation Using Synchrotron Light

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gavilan, Lisseth; Remusat, Laurent; Roskosz, Mathieu; Popescu, Horia; Jaouen, Nicolas; Sandt, Christophe; Jäger, Cornelia; Henning, Thomas; Simionovici, Alexandre; Lemaire, Jean Louis; Mangin, Denis; Carrasco, Nathalie

2017-05-01

The deuterium enrichment of organics in the interstellar medium, protoplanetary disks, and meteorites has been proposed to be the result of ionizing radiation. The goal of this study is to simulate and quantify the effects of soft X-rays (0.1-2 keV), an important component of stellar radiation fields illuminating protoplanetary disks, on the refractory organics present in the disks. We prepared tholins, nitrogen-rich organic analogs to solids found in several astrophysical environments, e.g., Titan’s atmosphere, cometary surfaces, and protoplanetary disks, via plasma deposition. Controlled irradiation experiments with soft X-rays at 0.5 and 1.3 keV were performed at the SEXTANTS beamline of the SOLEIL synchrotron, and were immediately followed by ex-situ infrared, Raman, and isotopic diagnostics. Infrared spectroscopy revealed the preferential loss of singly bonded groups (N-H, C-H, and R-N≡C) and the formation of sp3 carbon defects with signatures at ˜1250-1300 cm-1. Raman analysis revealed that, while the length of polyaromatic units is only slightly modified, the introduction of defects leads to structural amorphization. Finally, tholins were measured via secondary ion mass spectrometry to quantify the D, H, and C elemental abundances in the irradiated versus non-irradiated areas. Isotopic analysis revealed that significant D-enrichment is induced by X-ray irradiation. Our results are compared to previous experimental studies involving the thermal degradation and electron irradiation of organics. The penetration depth of soft X-rays in μm-sized tholins leads to volume rather than surface modifications: lower-energy X-rays (0.5 keV) induce a larger D-enrichment than 1.3 keV X-rays, reaching a plateau for doses larger than 5 × 1027 eV cm-3. Synchrotron fluences fall within the expected soft X-ray fluences in protoplanetary disks, and thus provide evidence of a new non-thermal pathway to deuterium fractionation of organic matter.

Murchison CM2 chondrite at nanoscale: evidence for hydrated minerals in the protoplanetary disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trigo-Rodriguez, J. M.; Vila-Ruaix, A.; Alonso-Azcárate, J.; Abad, M. M.

2017-03-01

The most pristine chondrites are undifferentiated meteorites with highly unequilibrated mineral grains that accreted from the protoplanetary disk about 4.6 Gyrs ago. Here we focus our attention in the study of Murchison, one of the most primitive carbonaceous chondrites belonging to the CM2 group. Despite of being aqueously altered, Murchison matrix is extraordinarily complex at nanoscale, and its study can hold clues to understand the origin of the water incorporated in the parent bodies of carbonaceous chondrites. Murchison comes from an undifferentiated carbon-rich asteroid which formed from the accretion of solid particles formed in the outer protoplanetary disk. Their rock-forming materials felt into the plane of the system where they mixed with organics, and probably with hydrated minerals. Our UHRTEM (ultra-high resolution transmission electron microscopy) data demonstrate that Murchison fine-grained matrix consists of a complex mixture of many ingredients, including chondrule and CAI fragments, stellar grains, phyllosilicates and organic compounds. We describe here some mineral and textural features that exemplify how pristine, and diverse is Murchison matrix. Our results indicate that the study of carbonaceous chondrites at nanoscale can provide a significant progress in our understanding of the accretion of materials and the preservation of presolar grains in the outer regions of the protoplanetary disk.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

On the Minimum Core Mass for Giant Planet Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piso, Ana-Maria; Youdin, Andrew; Murray-Clay, Ruth

2013-07-01

The core accretion model proposes that giant planets form by the accretion of gas onto a solid protoplanetary core. Previous studies have found that there exists a "critical core mass" past which hydrostatic solutions can no longer be found and unstable atmosphere collapse occurs. This core mass is typically quoted to be around 10Me. In standard calculations of the critical core mass, planetesimal accretion deposits enough heat to alter the luminosity of the atmosphere, increasing the core mass required for the atmosphere to collapse. In this study we consider the limiting case in which planetesimal accretion is negligible and Kelvin-Helmholtz contraction dominates the luminosity evolution of the planet. We develop a two-layer atmosphere model with an inner convective region and an outer radiative zone that matches onto the protoplanetary disk, and we determine the minimum core mass for a giant planet to form within the typical disk lifetime for a variety of disk conditions. We denote this mass as critical core mass. The absolute minimum core mass required to nucleate atmosphere collapse is ˜ 8Me at 5 AU and steadily decreases to ˜ 3.5Me at 100 AU, for an ideal diatomic gas with a solar composition and a standard ISM opacity law. Lower opacity and disk temperature significantly reduce the critical core mass, while a decrease in the mean molecular weight of the nebular gas results in a larger critical core mass. Our results yield lower mass cores than corresponding studies for large planetesimal accretion rates.

Constraints from Dust Mass and Mass Accretion Rate Measurements on Angular Momentum Transport in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulders, Gijs D.; Pascucci, Ilaria; Manara, Carlo F.; Testi, Leonardo; Herczeg, Gregory J.; Henning, Thomas; Mohanty, Subhanjoy; Lodato, Giuseppe

2017-09-01

In this paper, we investigate the relation between disk mass and mass accretion rate to constrain the mechanism of angular momentum transport in protoplanetary disks. We find a correlation between dust disk mass and mass accretion rate in Chamaeleon I with a slope that is close to linear, similar to the one recently identified in Lupus. We investigate the effect of stellar mass and find that the intrinsic scatter around the best-fit {M}{dust}-{M}\\star and {\\dot{M}}{acc}-{M}\\star relations is uncorrelated. We simulate synthetic observations of an ensemble of evolving disks using a Monte Carlo approach and find that disks with a constant α viscosity can fit the observed relations between dust mass, mass accretion rate, and stellar mass but overpredict the strength of the correlation between disk mass and mass accretion rate when using standard initial conditions. We find two possible solutions. In the first one, the observed scatter in {M}{dust} and {\\dot{M}}{acc} is not primordial, but arises from additional physical processes or uncertainties in estimating the disk gas mass. Most likely grain growth and radial drift affect the observable dust mass, while variability on large timescales affects the mass accretion rates. In the second scenario, the observed scatter is primordial, but disks have not evolved substantially at the age of Lupus and Chamaeleon I owing to a low viscosity or a large initial disk radius. More accurate estimates of the disk mass and gas disk sizes in a large sample of protoplanetary disks, through either direct observations of the gas or spatially resolved multiwavelength observations of the dust with ALMA, are needed to discriminate between both scenarios or to constrain alternative angular momentum transport mechanisms such as MHD disk winds.

The Internal Energy for Molecular Hydrogen in Gravitationally Unstable Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boley, Aaron C.; Hartquist, Thomas W.; Durisen, Richard H.; Michael, Scott

2007-02-01

The gas equation of state may be one of the critical factors for the disk instability theory of gas giant planet formation. This Letter addresses the treatment of H2 in hydrodynamic simulations of gravitationally unstable disks. In our discussion, we point out possible consequences of erroneous specific internal energy relations, approximate specific internal energy relations with discontinuities, and assumptions of constant Γ1. In addition, we consider whether the ortho/para ratio for H 2 in protoplanetary disks should be treated dynamically as if the species are in equilibrium. Preliminary simulations indicate that the correct treatment is particularly critical for the study of gravitational instability when T=30-50 K.

Planetary migration in protoplanetary discs and outer Solar System architecture.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crida, A.; Morbidelli, A.; Tsiganis, K.

2007-08-01

Planets form around stars in gaseous protoplanetary discs. Due to tidal effects, they perturb the gas distribution, which in turn affects their motion. If the planet is massive enough (see for instance Crida et al. 2006 for a criterion), it repels the gas efficiently and opens a gap around its orbit ; then, locked into its gap, the planet follows the disc viscous evolution, which generally consists in accretion onto the central star. This process is called type II migration and leads to the orbital decay of the planet on a timescale shorter than the disc lifetime. After a review of these processes, we will focus on the Solar System giant planets. Strong constraints suggest that they did not migrate significantly. Masset and Snellgrove (2001) have shown that the evolution of 2 giants planets in mean motion resonance in a common gap differs from the evolution of a single planet. For what concerns Jupiter and Saturn, we found that in some conditions on the disc parameter, they can avoid significant migration (Morbidelli and Crida 2007). Adding Uranus and Neptune to the system, six stable fully resonant configurations for the four giants in the gas disc appear. Of course, none of them correspond to the present configuration. However, after the gas disc phase, the system was surrounded by a planetesimal disk. Interactions with this debris disk make the planets slowly evolve, until an instability in reached. This destabilises the planetesimal disc and triggers the Late Heavy Bombardment, while the planets reach their actual position, like in the model by Tsiganis et al (2005) and Gomes et al (2005). Our simulations show a very satisfying case, opening the possibility for a dynamically consistent scenario of the outer Solar System evolution, starting from the gas phase.

Hubble Space Telescope Scattered-light Imaging and Modeling of the Edge-on Protoplanetary Disk ESO-Hα 569

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolff, Schuyler G.; Perrin, Marshall D.; Stapelfeldt, Karl; Duchêne, Gaspard; Ménard, Francois; Padgett, Deborah; Pinte, Christophe; Pueyo, Laurent; Fischer, William J.

2017-12-01

We present new Hubble Space Telescope (HST) Advanced Camera for Surveys observations and detailed models for a recently discovered edge-on protoplanetary disk around ESO-Hα 569 (a low-mass T Tauri star in the Cha I star-forming region). Using radiative transfer models, we probe the distribution of the grains and overall shape of the disk (inclination, scale height, dust mass, flaring exponent, and surface/volume density exponent) by model fitting to multiwavelength (F606W and F814W) HST observations together with a literature-compiled spectral energy distribution. A new tool set was developed for finding optimal fits of MCFOST radiative transfer models using the MCMC code emcee to efficiently explore the high-dimensional parameter space. It is able to self-consistently and simultaneously fit a wide variety of observables in order to place constraints on the physical properties of a given disk, while also rigorously assessing the uncertainties in those derived properties. We confirm that ESO-Hα 569 is an optically thick nearly edge-on protoplanetary disk. The shape of the disk is well-described by a flared disk model with an exponentially tapered outer edge, consistent with models previously advocated on theoretical grounds and supported by millimeter interferometry. The scattered-light images and spectral energy distribution are best fit by an unusually high total disk mass (gas+dust assuming a ratio of 100:1) with a disk-to-star mass ratio of 0.16.

THE EVOLUTION OF INNER DISK GAS IN TRANSITION DISKS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoadley, K.; France, K.; McJunkin, M.

2015-10-10

Investigating the molecular gas in the inner regions of protoplanetary disks (PPDs) provides insight into how the molecular disk environment changes during the transition from primordial to debris disk systems. We conduct a small survey of molecular hydrogen (H{sub 2}) fluorescent emission, using 14 well-studied Classical T Tauri stars at two distinct dust disk evolutionary stages, to explore how the structure of the inner molecular disk changes as the optically thick warm dust dissipates. We simulate the observed Hi-Lyman α-pumped H{sub 2} disk fluorescence by creating a 2D radiative transfer model that describes the radial distributions of H{sub 2} emissionmore » in the disk atmosphere and compare these to observations from the Hubble Space Telescope. We find the radial distributions that best describe the observed H{sub 2} FUV emission arising in primordial disk targets (full dust disk) are demonstrably different than those of transition disks (little-to-no warm dust observed). For each best-fit model, we estimate inner and outer disk emission boundaries (r{sub in} and r{sub out}), describing where the bulk of the observed H{sub 2} emission arises in each disk, and we examine correlations between these and several observational disk evolution indicators, such as n{sub 13–31}, r{sub in,} {sub CO}, and the mass accretion rate. We find strong, positive correlations between the H{sub 2} radial distributions and the slope of the dust spectral energy distribution, implying the behavior of the molecular disk atmosphere changes as the inner dust clears in evolving PPDs. Overall, we find that H{sub 2} inner radii are ∼4 times larger in transition systems, while the bulk of the H{sub 2} emission originates inside the dust gap radius for all transitional sources.« less

Polarization Science with the ngVLA: magnetic fields and dust properties in cores, disks and on larger scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matthews, Brenda; Hull, Chat

2018-01-01

Polarization capabilities of the ngVLA will enable exploration of a wide range of phenomena including: (1) magnetic fields in protostellar cores and protoplanetary disks via polarized emission from magnetically aligned dust grains and spectral lines, including in regions optically thick at ALMA wavelengths; (2) polarization from dust scattering in disks, (3) spectral-line polarization from the Zeeman and Goldreich-Kylafis effects, and (4) magnetic fields in protostellar jets and OB-star-forming cores via synchrotron emission.We will discuss each of these science drivers in turn, with a particular emphasis on why the ngVLA provides a unique means of probing dust properties in the midplane of protoplanetary disks and hence the building blocks of planets in the innermost regions of disks.

Migration and growth of protoplanetary embryos. I. Convergence of embryos in protoplanetary disks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Xiaojia; Lin, Douglas N. C.; Liu, Beibei

2014-12-10

According to the core accretion scenario, planets form in protostellar disks through the condensation of dust, coagulation of planetesimals, and emergence of protoplanetary embryos. At a few AU in a minimum mass nebula, embryos' growth is quenched by dynamical isolation due to the depletion of planetesimals in their feeding zone. However, embryos with masses (M{sub p} ) in the range of a few Earth masses (M {sub ⊕}) migrate toward a transition radius between the inner viscously heated and outer irradiated regions of their natal disk. Their limiting isolation mass increases with the planetesimals surface density. When M{sub p} >more » 10 M {sub ⊕}, embryos efficiently accrete gas and evolve into cores of gas giants. We use a numerical simulation to show that despite stream line interference, convergent embryos essentially retain the strength of non-interacting embryos' Lindblad and corotation torques by their natal disks. In disks with modest surface density (or equivalently accretion rates), embryos capture each other in their mutual mean motion resonances and form a convoy of super-Earths. In more massive disks, they could overcome these resonant barriers to undergo repeated close encounters, including cohesive collisions that enable the formation of massive cores.« less

Formation of Outer Planets: Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack

2003-01-01

An overview of current theories of planetary formation, with emphasis on giant planets is presented. The most detailed models are based upon observation of our own Solar System and of young stars and their environments. Terrestrial planets are believe to grow via pairwise accretion until the spacing of planetary orbits becomes large enough that the configuration is stable for the age of the system. According to the prevailing core instability model, giant planets begin their growth by the accumulation of small solid bodies, as do terrestrial planets. However, unlike terrestrial planets, the growing giant cores become massive enough that they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas before the protoplanetary disk disspates. The primary questions regarding the core instability model is whether planets with small cores can accrete gaseous enveloples within the lifetimes of gaseous protoplanetary disks. The main alternative giant planet formation model is the disk instability model, in which gaseous planets form directly via gravitational instabilities within protoplanetary disks. Formation of giant planets via gas instability has never been demonstrated for realistic disk conditions. Moreover, this model has difficulty explaining the supersolar abundances of heavy elements in Jupiter and Saturn, and it does not explain the orgin of planets like Uranus and Neptune.

Chondrites and the Protoplanetary Disk, Part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

Contents include the following: On the Dynamical Evolution of a Nebula and Its Effect on Dust Coagulation and the Formation of Centimeter-sized Particles. The Mineralogy and Grain Properties of the Disk Surfaces in Three Herbig Ae/Be Stars. Astrophysical Observations of Disk Evolution Around Solar Mass Stars. The Systematic Petrology of Chondrites: A Consistent Approach to Assist Classification and Interpretation. Understanding Our Origins: Formation of Sun-like Stars in H II Region Environments. Chondrule Crystallization Experiments. Formation of SiO2-rich Chondrules by Fractional Condensation. Refractory Forsterites from Murchison (CM2) and Yamato 81020 (CO3.0) Chondrites: Cathodoluminescence, Chemical Compositions and Oxygen Isotopes. Apparent I-Xe Cooling Rates of Chondrules Compared with Silicates from the Colomera Iron Meteorite. Chondrule Formation in Planetesimal Bow Shocks: Physical Processes in the Near Vicinity of the Planetesimal. Genetic Relationships Between Chondrules, Rims and Matrix. Chondrite Fractionation was Cosmochemical; Chondrule Fractionation was Geochemical. Chondrule Formation and Accretion of Chondrite Parent Bodies: Environmental Constraints. Amoeboid Olivine Aggregates from the Semarkona LL3.0 Chondrite. The Evolution of Solids in Proto-Planetary Disks. New Nickel Vapor Pressure Measurements: Possible Implications for Nebular Condensates. Chemical, Mineralogical and Isotopic Properties of Chondrules: Clues to Their Origin. Maximal Size of Chondrules in Shock-Wave Heating Model: Stripping of Liquid Surface in Hypersonic Rarefied Gas Flow. The Nature and Origin of Interplanetary Dust: High Temperature Components. Refractory Relic Components in Chondrules from Ordinary Chondrites. Constraints on the Origin of Chondrules and CAIs from Short-lived and Long-lived Radionuclides. The Genetic Relationship Between Refractory Inclusions and Chondrules. Contemporaneous Chondrule Formation Between Ordinary and Carbonaceous Chondrites. Chondrules and Isolated Grains in the Fountain Hills Bencubbinite. Implications of Chondrule Formation in a Gas of Solar Composition. Implications of Meteoritic Cl-36 Abundance for the Origin of Short-lived Radionuclides in the Early Solar System. Size Sorting and the Chondrule Size Spectrum. Comparative Study of Refractory Inclusions from Different Groups of Chondrites. In Situ Investigation of Mg Isotope Distributions in an Allende CAI by Combined LA-ICPMS and SIMS Analyses Photochemical Speciation of Oxygen Isotopes in the Solar Nebula.

Papers presented to the Conference on Chondrules and the Protoplanetary Disk

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

The following topics are covered in the presented papers: (1) producing chondrules; (2) carbons, CAI's, and chondrules; (3) large scale processes in the solar nebula; (4) chondrule-matrix relationships in chondritic meteorites; (5) overview of nebula models; (6) constraints placed on the nature of chondrule precursors; (7) turbulent diffusion and concentration of chondrules in the protoplanetary nebula; (8) heating and cooling in the solar nebula; (9) crystallization trends of precursor pyroxene in ordinary chondrites; (10) precipitation induced vertical lightning in the protoplanetary nebula; (11) the role of chondrules in nebular fractionations of volatiles and other elements; (12) astronomical observations of phenomena in disks; (13) experimental constraints on models for origins of chondrules, and various other topics.

A debris disk around an isolated young neutron star.

PubMed

Wang, Zhongxiang; Chakrabarty, Deepto; Kaplan, David L

2006-04-06

Pulsars are rotating, magnetized neutron stars that are born in supernova explosions following the collapse of the cores of massive stars. If some of the explosion ejecta fails to escape, it may fall back onto the neutron star or it may possess sufficient angular momentum to form a disk. Such 'fallback' is both a general prediction of current supernova models and, if the material pushes the neutron star over its stability limit, a possible mode of black hole formation. Fallback disks could dramatically affect the early evolution of pulsars, yet there are few observational constraints on whether significant fallback occurs or even the actual existence of such disks. Here we report the discovery of mid-infrared emission from a cool disk around an isolated young X-ray pulsar. The disk does not power the pulsar's X-ray emission but is passively illuminated by these X-rays. The estimated mass of the disk is of the order of 10 Earth masses, and its lifetime (> or = 10(6) years) significantly exceeds the spin-down age of the pulsar, supporting a supernova fallback origin. The disk resembles protoplanetary disks seen around ordinary young stars, suggesting the possibility of planet formation around young neutron stars.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Andrews, Sean M.; Wilner, David J.; Bai, Xue-Ning

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

The protoplanetary disk of FT Tauri: multiwavelength data analysis and modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garufi, A.; Podio, L.; Kamp, I.; Ménard, F.; Brittain, S.; Eiroa, C.; Montesinos, B.; Alonso-Martínez, M.; Thi, W. F.; Woitke, P.

2014-07-01

Context. Investigating the evolution of protoplanetary disks is crucial for our understanding of star and planet formation. There have been several theoretical and observational studies in past decades to advance this knowledge. The launch of satellites operating at infrared wavelengths, such as the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Herschel Space Observatory, has provided important tools for investigating the properties of circumstellar disks. Aims: FT Tauri is a young star in the Taurus star forming region that was included in a number of spectroscopic and photometric surveys. We investigate the properties of the star, the circumstellar disk, and the accretion/ejection processes and propose a consistent gas and dust model also as a reference for future observational studies. Methods: We performed a multiwavelength data analysis to derive the basic stellar and disk properties, as well as mass accretion/outflow rate from TNG/DOLoRes, WHT/LIRIS, NOT/NOTCam, Keck/NIRSpec, and Herschel/PACS spectra. From the literature, we compiled a complete spectral energy distribution. We then performed detailed disk modeling using the MCFOST and ProDiMo codes. Multiwavelength spectroscopic and photometric measurements were compared with the reddened predictions of the codes in order to constrain the disk properties. Results: We have determined the stellar mass (~ 0.3 M⊙), luminosity (~ 0.35 L⊙), and age (~ 1.6 Myr), as well as the visual extinction of the system (1.8 mag). We estimate the mass accretion rate (~ 3 × 10-8 M⊙/yr) to be within the range of accreting objects in Taurus. The evolutionary state and the geometric properties of the disk are also constrained. The radial extent (0.05 to 200 AU), flaring angle (power law with exponent =1.15), and mass (0.02 M⊙) of the circumstellar disk are typical of a young primordial disk. This object can serve as a benchmark for primordial disks with significant mass accretion rate, high gas content, and typical size. Based on Herschel data. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.Tables 3, 4 and Appendix A are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

Distribution of Captured Planetesimals in Circumplanetary Gas Disks and Implications for Accretion of Regular Satellites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suetsugu, Ryo; Ohtsuki, Keiji

2017-04-01

Regular satellites of giant planets are formed by accretion of solid bodies in circumplanetary disks. Planetesimals that are moving on heliocentric orbits and are sufficiently large to be decoupled from the flow of the protoplanetary gas disk can be captured by gas drag from the circumplanetary disk. In the present work, we examine the distribution of captured planetesimals in circumplanetary disks using orbital integrations. We find that the number of captured planetesimals reaches an equilibrium state as a balance between continuous capture and orbital decay into the planet. The number of planetesimals captured into retrograde orbits is much smaller than that into prograde orbits, because the former experience a strong headwind and spiral into the planet rapidly. We find that the surface number density of planetesimals at the current radial location of regular satellites can be significantly enhanced by gas drag capture, depending on the velocity dispersions of the planetesimals and the width of the gap in the protoplanetary disk. Using a simple model, we examine the ratio of the surface densities of dust and captured planetesimals in the circumplanetary disk and find that solid material at the current location of regular satellites can be dominated by captured planetesimals when the velocity dispersion of those planetesimals is rather small and a wide gap is not formed in the protoplanetary disk. In this case, captured planetesimals in such a region can grow by mutual collision before spiraling into the planet and would contribute to the growth of regular satellites.

A Method to Constrain the Size of the Protosolar Nebula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kretke, K. A.; Levison, H. F.; Buie, M. W.; Morbidelli, A.

2012-04-01

Observations indicate that the gaseous circumstellar disks around young stars vary significantly in size, ranging from tens to thousands of AU. Models of planet formation depend critically upon the properties of these primordial disks, yet in general it is impossible to connect an existing planetary system with an observed disk. We present a method by which we can constrain the size of our own protosolar nebula using the properties of the small body reservoirs in the solar system. In standard planet formation theory, after Jupiter and Saturn formed they scattered a significant number of remnant planetesimals into highly eccentric orbits. In this paper, we show that if there had been a massive, extended protoplanetary disk at that time, then the disk would have excited Kozai oscillations in some of the scattered objects, driving them into high-inclination (i >~ 50°), low-eccentricity orbits (q >~ 30 AU). The dissipation of the gaseous disk would strand a subset of objects in these high-inclination orbits; orbits that are stable on Gyr timescales. To date, surveys have not detected any Kuiper-belt objects with orbits consistent with this dynamical mechanism. Using these non-detections by the Deep Ecliptic Survey and the Palomar Distant Solar System Survey we are able to rule out an extended gaseous protoplanetary disk (RD >~ 80 AU) in our solar system at the time of Jupiter's formation. Future deep all sky surveys such as the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope will allow us to further constrain the size of the protoplanetary disk.

Radiative Transfer Modeling in Proto-planetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2016-01-01

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

The role of disk self-gravity on gap formation of the HL Tau proto-planetary disk

DOE PAGES

Li, Shengtai; Li, Hui

2016-05-31

Here, we use extensive global hydrodynamic disk gas+dust simulations with embedded planets to model the dust ring and gap structures in the HL Tau protoplanetary disk observed with the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA). Since the HL Tau is a relatively massive disk, we find the disk self-gravity (DSG) plays an important role in the gap formation induced by the planets. Our simulation results demonstrate that DSG is necessary in explaining of the dust ring and gap in HL Tau disk. The comparison of simulation results shows that the dust rings and gap structures are more evident when the fullymore » 2D DSG (non-axisymmetric components are included) is used than if 1D axisymmetric DSG (only the axisymetric component is included) is used, or the disk self-gravity is not considered. We also find that the couple dust+gas+planet simulations are required because the gap and ring structure is different between dust and gas surface density.« less

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pinilla, P.; Pohl, A.; Stammler, S. M.

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

Planetesimal formation by sweep-up coagulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Windmark, Fredrik; Birnstiel, Til; Ormel, Chris W.; Dullemond, Cornelis P.

2013-07-01

The formation of planetesimals is often accredited to collisional sticking of dust grains in the protoplanetary disk. The exact process is however unknown, as collisions between larger aggregates tend to lead to fragmentation or bouncing rather than sticking. These growth barriers tend to halt the dust growth already at millimeters or centimeters in size, which is far below the kilometer-sizes that are needed for gravity to aid in the accretion. To study how far dust coagulation can proceed, we have developed a new collision model based on the latest laboratory experiments, and have used it together with a dust-size evolution code capable of resolving all grain interactions in the protoplanetary disk. We find that for the general dust population, bouncing and fragmenting collisions prevent the growth above millimeter-sizes. However, a small number of lucky particles can grow larger than the rest by only interacting at low, sticky velocities. As they grow, they become increasingly resilient to fragmentation caused by the small grains. In this way, two populations are formed: One which remains small due to the collisional barriers, and one that continues to grow by sweeping up the smaller grains around them.

Discovery of Methanol in a Planetary Birthplace

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2016-05-01

Data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has recently revealed the first detection of gas-phase methanol, a derivative of methane, in a protoplanetary disk. This milestone discovery is an important step in understanding the conditions for planet formation that can lead to life-supporting planets like Earth.Planetary ChemistryOne major goal in the study of exoplanets is to find planets that orbit in their host stars habitable zones, a measure that determines whether the planet receives the right amount of sunlight to support liquid water. But theres another crucial element in the formation of a life-supporting planet: chemistry.To understand the chemistry of newly born planets, we need to study protoplanetary disks because its from these that young planets form. The elements and molecules contained in these dusty disks are what initially make up the atmospheres of planets forming within the disks.The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array under the southern sky. [ESO/B. Tafreshi]The Hunt for ComplexityThe detection of complex molecules in protoplanetary disks is an important milestone, because complex molecules are necessary to build the correct chemistry to support life. Unfortunately, detecting these molecules is very difficult, requiring observations with both high spatial resolution and high sensitivity. Thus far, though weve observed elements and simple molecules in protoplanetary disks, detections of complex molecules have been elusive with only one success before now.Luckily, we now have an observatory up to the challenge! ALMAs unprecedented spatial resolution and sensitivity has recently allowed a team of scientists led by Catherine Walsh (Leiden University) to observe gas-phase methanol in a protoplanetary disk for the first time. This detection was made in the disk around the young star TW Hya, and it represents one of the largest molecules that has ever been observed in a disk to date.Locating IcesThe model (purple line) and data (dashed line) showing the methanol line detection. [Adapted from Walsh et al. 2016]Since TW Hyas disk has temperatures of less than ~100K (-173C), we would expect most of the disks methanol to be frozen. The gas-phase methanol observed by Walsh and collaborators was likely released from a larger reservoir of frozen methanol residing on dust grains in the disk. The peak of the methanol emission was detectedfroma ring located about 30 AU out from the central star, which suggests that the larger dust grains in the disk located in the inner 50 AU may host the bulk of the disk ice reservoir.Walsh and collaborators important detection opens a window into studying complex organic chemistry during planetary system formation. This stepping stone can help us to better understand the conditions when Earth formed and what we should look for in the search for life-supporting planets.CitationCatherine Walsh et al 2016 ApJ 823 L10. doi:10.3847/2041-8205/823/1/L10

Millimetre spectral indices of transition disks and their relation to the cavity radius

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinilla, P.; Benisty, M.; Birnstiel, T.; Ricci, L.; Isella, A.; Natta, A.; Dullemond, C. P.; Quiroga-Nuñez, L. H.; Henning, T.; Testi, L.

2014-04-01

Context. Transition disks are protoplanetary disks with inner depleted dust cavities that are excellent candidates for investigating the dust evolution when there is a pressure bump. A pressure bump at the outer edge of the cavity allows dust grains from the outer regions to stop their rapid inward migration towards the star and to efficiently grow to millimetre sizes. Dynamical interactions with planet(s) have been one of the most exciting theories to explain the clearing of the inner disk. Aims: We look for evidence of millimetre dust particles in transition disks by measuring their spectral index αmm with new and available photometric data. We investigate the influence of the size of the dust depleted cavity on the disk integrated millimetre spectral index. Methods: We present the 3-mm (100 GHz) photometric observations carried out with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer of four transition disks: LkHα 330, UX Tau A, LRLL 31, and LRLL 67. We used the available values of their fluxes at 345 GHz to calculate their spectral index, as well as the spectral index for a sample of twenty transition disks. We compared the observations with two kinds of models. In the first set of models, we considered coagulation and fragmentation of dust in a disk in which a cavity is formed by a massive planet located at different positions. The second set of models assumes disks with truncated inner parts at different radii and with power-law dust-size distributions, where the maximum size of grains is calculated considering turbulence as the source of destructive collisions. Results: We show that the integrated spectral index is higher for transition disks (TD) than for regular protoplanetary disks (PD) with mean values of bar{αmmTD} = 2.70 ± 0.13 and bar{αmmPD} = 2.20 ± 0.07 respectively. For transition disks, the probability that the measured spectral index is positively correlated with the cavity radius is 95%. High angular resolution imaging of transition disks is needed to distinguish between the dust trapping scenario and the truncated disk case. The final PdBI data used in the paper are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/564/A51

X-Ray-induced Deuterium Enrichment of N-rich Organics in Protoplanetary Disks: An Experimental Investigation Using Synchrotron Light

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Gavilan, Lisseth; Carrasco, Nathalie; Remusat, Laurent

The deuterium enrichment of organics in the interstellar medium, protoplanetary disks, and meteorites has been proposed to be the result of ionizing radiation. The goal of this study is to simulate and quantify the effects of soft X-rays (0.1–2 keV), an important component of stellar radiation fields illuminating protoplanetary disks, on the refractory organics present in the disks. We prepared tholins, nitrogen-rich organic analogs to solids found in several astrophysical environments, e.g., Titan’s atmosphere, cometary surfaces, and protoplanetary disks, via plasma deposition. Controlled irradiation experiments with soft X-rays at 0.5 and 1.3 keV were performed at the SEXTANTS beamline ofmore » the SOLEIL synchrotron, and were immediately followed by ex-situ infrared, Raman, and isotopic diagnostics. Infrared spectroscopy revealed the preferential loss of singly bonded groups (N–H, C–H, and R–N≡C) and the formation of sp{sup 3} carbon defects with signatures at ∼1250–1300 cm{sup −1}. Raman analysis revealed that, while the length of polyaromatic units is only slightly modified, the introduction of defects leads to structural amorphization. Finally, tholins were measured via secondary ion mass spectrometry to quantify the D, H, and C elemental abundances in the irradiated versus non-irradiated areas. Isotopic analysis revealed that significant D-enrichment is induced by X-ray irradiation. Our results are compared to previous experimental studies involving the thermal degradation and electron irradiation of organics. The penetration depth of soft X-rays in μ m-sized tholins leads to volume rather than surface modifications: lower-energy X-rays (0.5 keV) induce a larger D-enrichment than 1.3 keV X-rays, reaching a plateau for doses larger than 5 × 10{sup 27} eV cm{sup −3}. Synchrotron fluences fall within the expected soft X-ray fluences in protoplanetary disks, and thus provide evidence of a new non-thermal pathway to deuterium fractionation of organic matter.« less

Search for Protoplanetary and Debris Disks Around Millisecond Pulsars

DTIC Science & Technology

1995-10-06

Protoplanetary and Debris Disks Around Millisecond Pulsars 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S) 5d. PROJECT NUMBER 5e...1 9 9 6 A p J . . . 4 6 0 . . 9 0 2 F Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for the collection of...information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and

Molecular abundances and C/O ratios in chemically evolving planet-forming disk midplanes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eistrup, Christian; Walsh, Catherine; van Dishoeck, Ewine F.

2018-05-01

Context. Exoplanet atmospheres are thought be built up from accretion of gas as well as pebbles and planetesimals in the midplanes of planet-forming disks. The chemical composition of this material is usually assumed to be unchanged during the disk lifetime. However, chemistry can alter the relative abundances of molecules in this planet-building material. Aims: We aim to assess the impact of disk chemistry during the era of planet formation. This is done by investigating the chemical changes to volatile gases and ices in a protoplanetary disk midplane out to 30 AU for up to 7 Myr, considering a variety of different conditions, including a physical midplane structure that is evolving in time, and also considering two disks with different masses. Methods: An extensive kinetic chemistry gas-grain reaction network was utilised to evolve the abundances of chemical species over time. Two disk midplane ionisation levels (low and high) were explored, as well as two different makeups of the initial abundances ("inheritance" or "reset"). Results: Given a high level of ionisation, chemical evolution in protoplanetary disk midplanes becomes significant after a few times 105 yr, and is still ongoing by 7 Myr between the H2O and the O2 icelines. Inside the H2O iceline, and in the outer, colder regions of the disk midplane outside the O2 iceline, the relative abundances of the species reach (close to) steady state by 7 Myr. Importantly, the changes in the abundances of the major elemental carbon and oxygen-bearing molecules imply that the traditional "stepfunction" for the C/O ratios in gas and ice in the disk midplane (as defined by sharp changes at icelines of H2O, CO2 and CO) evolves over time, and cannot be assumed fixed, with the C/O ratio in the gas even becoming smaller than the C/O ratio in the ice. In addition, at lower temperatures (<29 K), gaseous CO colliding with the grains gets converted into CO2 and other more complex ices, lowering the CO gas abundance between the O2 and CO thermal icelines. This effect can mimic a CO iceline at a higher temperature than suggested by its binding energy. Conclusions: Chemistry in the disk midplane is ionisation-driven, and evolves over time. This affects which molecules go into forming planets and their atmospheres. In order to reliably predict the atmospheric compositions of forming planets, as well as to relate observed atmospheric C/O ratios of exoplanets to where and how the atmospheres have formed in a disk midplane, chemical evolution needs to be considered and implemented into planet formation models.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhu Zhaohuan; Stone, James M.; Rafikov, Roman R., E-mail: zhzhu@astro.princeton.edu, E-mail: jstone@astro.princeton.edu, E-mail: rrr@astro.princeton.edu

Some regions in protoplanetary disks are turbulent, while some regions are quiescent (e.g. the dead zone). In order to study how planets open gaps in both inviscid hydrodynamic disk (e.g. the dead zone) and the disk subject to magnetorotational instability (MRI), we carried out both shearing box two-dimensional inviscid hydrodynamical simulations and three-dimensional unstratified magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) simulations (having net vertical magnetic fields) with a planet at the box center. We found that, due to the nonlinear wave steepening, even a low mass planet can open gaps in both cases, in contradiction to the ''thermal criterion'' for gap opening. In ordermore » to understand if we can represent the MRI turbulent stress with the viscous {alpha} prescription for studying gap opening, we compare gap properties in MRI-turbulent disks to those in viscous HD disks having the same stress, and found that the same mass planet opens a significantly deeper and wider gap in net vertical flux MHD disks than in viscous HD disks. This difference arises due to the efficient magnetic field transport into the gap region in MRI disks, leading to a larger effective {alpha} within the gap. Thus, across the gap, the Maxwell stress profile is smoother than the gap density profile, and a deeper gap is needed for the Maxwell stress gradient to balance the planetary torque density. Comparison with previous results from net toroidal flux/zero flux MHD simulations indicates that the magnetic field geometry plays an important role in the gap opening process. We also found that long-lived density features (termed zonal flows) produced by the MRI can affect planet migration. Overall, our results suggest that gaps can be commonly produced by low mass planets in realistic protoplanetary disks, and caution the use of a constant {alpha}-viscosity to model gaps in protoplanetary disks.« less

Photophoretic Levitation and Trapping of Dust in the Inner Regions of Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNally, Colin P.; McClure, Melissa K.

2017-01-01

In protoplanetary disks, the differential gravity-driven settling of dust grains with respect to gas and with respect to grains of varying sizes determines the observability of grains, and sets the conditions for grain growth and eventually planet formation. In this work, we explore the effect of photophoresis on the settling of large dust grains in the inner regions of actively accreting protoplanetary disks. Photophoretic forces on dust grains result from the collision of gas molecules with differentially heated grains. We undertake one-dimensional dust settling calculations to determine the equilibrium vertical distribution of dust grains in each column of the disk. In the process we introduce a new treatment of the photophoresis force which is consistent at all optical depths with the representation of the radiative intensity field in a two-stream radiative transfer approximation. The levitation of large dust grains creates a photophoretic dust trap several scale heights above the mid-plane in the inner regions of the disk where the dissipation of accretion energy is significant. We find that differential settling of dust grains is radically altered in these regions of the disk, with large dust grains trapped in a layer below the stellar irradiation surface, where the dust to gas mass ratio can be enhanced by a factor of a hundred for the relevant particles. The photophoretic trapping effect has a strong dependence on particle size and porosity.

Early Stage of Origin of Earth (interval after Emergence of Sun, Formation of Liquid Core, Formation of Solid Core)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pechernikova, G. V.; Sergeev, V. N.

2017-05-01

Gravitational collapse of interstellar molecular cloud fragment has led to the formation of the Sun and its surrounding protoplanetary disk, consisting of 5 × 10^5 dust and gas. The collapse continued (1 years. Age of solar system (about 4.57×10^9 years) determine by age calcium-aluminum inclusions (CAI) which are present at samples of some meteorites (chondrites). Subsidence of dust to the central plane of a protoplanetary disk has led to formation of a dust subdisk which as a result of gravitational instability has broken up to condensations. In the process of collisional evolution they turned into dense planetesimals from which the planets formed. The accounting of a role of large bodies in evolution of a protoplanetary swarm in the field of terrestrial planets has allowed to define times of formation of the massive bodies permitting their early differentiation at the expense of short-lived isotopes heating and impacts to the melting temperature of the depths. The total time of Earth's growth is estimated about 10^8 years. Hf geochronometer showed that the core of the Earth has existed for Using W about 3×10^7 Hf geohronometer years since the formation of the CAI. Thus data W point to the formation of the Earth's core during its accretion. The paleomagnetic data indicate the existence of Earth's magnetic field past 3.5×10^9 years. But the age of the solid core, estimated by heat flow at the core-mantle boundary is 1.7×10^9 (0.5 years). Measurements of the thermal conductivity of liquid iron under the conditions that exist in the Earth's core, indicate the absence of the need for a solid core of existence to support the work geodynamo, although electrical resistivity measurements yield the opposite result.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2013-11-01

Aims: We present a study of accretion and protoplanetary disks around M-type stars in the 4 Myr-old cluster Tr 37. With a well-studied solar-type population, Tr 37 is a benchmark for disk evolution. Methods: We used low-resolution spectroscopy to identify and classify 141 members (78 new ones) and 64 probable members, mostly M-type stars. Hα emission provides information about accretion. Optical, 2MASS, Spitzer, and WISE data are used to trace the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and search for disks. We construct radiative transfer models to explore the structures of full-disks, pre-transition, transition, and dust-depleted disks. Results: Including the new members and the known solar-type stars, we confirm that a substantial fraction (~2/5) of disks show signs of evolution, either as radial dust evolution (transition/pre-transition disks) or as a more global evolution (with low small-dust masses, dust settling, and weak/absent accretion signatures). Accretion is strongly dependent on the SED type. About half of the transition objects are consistent with no accretion, and dust-depleted disks have weak (or undetectable) accretion signatures, especially among M-type stars. Conclusions: The analysis of accretion and disk structure suggests a parallel evolution of dust and gas. We find several distinct classes of evolved disks, based on SED type and accretion status, pointing to different disk dispersal mechanisms and probably different evolutionary paths. Dust depletion and opening of inner holes appear to be independent processes: most transition disks are not dust-depleted, and most dust-depleted disks do not require inner holes. The differences in disk structure between M-type and solar-type stars in Tr 37 (4 Myr old) are not as remarkable as in the young, sparse, Coronet cluster (1-2 Myr old), suggesting that other factors, like the environment/interactions in each cluster, are likely to play an important role in the disk evolution and dispersal. Finally, we also find some evidence of clumpy star formation or mini-clusters within Tr 37. Observations reported here were obtained at the MMT Observatory, a jointfacility of the Smithsonian Institution and the University of Arizona.Based on observations collected at the German-Spanish Astronomical Center, Calar Alto, jointly operated by the Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie Heidelberg and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía (CSIC).Appendices A and B are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.orgFull Tables A.1-A.5 are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (ftp://130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/559/A3

Characterizing TW Hydra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sokal, Kimberly R.; Deen, Casey P.; Mace, Gregory N.; Lee, Jae-Joon; Oh, Heeyoung; Kim, Hwihyun; Kidder, Benjamin T.; Jaffe, Daniel T.

2018-02-01

At 60 pc, TW Hydra (TW Hya) is the closest example of a star with a gas-rich protoplanetary disk, though TW Hya may be relatively old (3–15 Myr). As such, TW Hya is especially appealing for testing our understanding of the interplay between stellar and disk evolution. We present a high-resolution near-infrared spectrum of TW Hya obtained with the Immersion GRating INfrared Spectrometer (IGRINS) to re-evaluate the stellar parameters of TW Hya. We compare these data to synthetic spectra of magnetic stars produced by MoogStokes, and use sensitive spectral line profiles to probe the effective temperature, surface gravity, and magnetic field. A model with {T}{eff}=3800 K, {log} g=4.2, and B=3.0 kG best fits the near-infrared spectrum of TW Hya. These results correspond to a spectral type of M0.5 and an age of 8 Myr, which is well past the median life of gaseous disks.

X-rays from Young Low-Mass Stars: Inhospitable Habitable Zones?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kastner, Joel

2016-09-01

The irradiation of protoplanetary disks by high-energy radiation from magnetic and accretion activity at low-mass, pre-MS stars likely plays an essential role in regulating exoplanet formation around such stars. To provide the X-ray data necessary to address the problem of the dissipation of protoplanetary disks around the lowest-mass stars, we propose a survey of a sample of previously established and newly-discovered mid- to late-type M type members of the nearby TW Hya Association (age 8 Myr), most of which were the subjects of our recent ALMA survey to detect dusty disks. The combined Chandra and ALMA survey of the TWA will provide a unique resource with which to investigate X-ray-induced photoevaporation of disks orbiting very low-mass stars and massive brown dwarfs.

Gravitational Instabilities in Protostellar and Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durisen, R. H.; Mejia, A. C.; Pickett, B. K.

Self-gravity in fluid and particle systems is the primary mechanism for the creation of structure in the Universe on astronomical scales. The rapidly rotating Solar System-sized disks which orbit stars during the early phases of star and planet formation can be massive and thus susceptible to spontaneous growth of spiral distortions driven by disk self-gravity. These are called gravitational instabilities (GI's). They can be important sources of mass and angular momentum transport due to the long-range torques they generate; and, if strong enough, they may fragment the disk into bound lumps with masses in therange of gas giant planets and brown dwarfs. My research group has been using numerical 3D hydrodynamics techniques to study the growth and nonlinear behavior of GI's in disks around young stars. Our simulations have demonstrated the sensitivity of outcomes to the thermal physics of the disks and have helped to delineate conditions conducive to the formation of dense clumps. We are currently concentrating our efforts on determining how GI's affect the long-term evolution and appearance of young stellar disks, with the hope of finding characteristic GI signatures by which we may recognize their occurrence in real systems.

APPLICATION OF GAS DYNAMICAL FRICTION FOR PLANETESIMALS. II. EVOLUTION OF BINARY PLANETESIMALS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grishin, Evgeni; Perets, Hagai B.

2016-04-01

One of the first stages of planet formation is the growth of small planetesimals and their accumulation into large planetesimals and planetary embryos. This early stage occurs long before the dispersal of most of the gas from the protoplanetary disk. At this stage gas–planetesimal interactions play a key role in the dynamical evolution of single intermediate-mass planetesimals (m{sub p} ∼ 10{sup 21}–10{sup 25} g) through gas dynamical friction (GDF). A significant fraction of all solar system planetesimals (asteroids and Kuiper-belt objects) are known to be binary planetesimals (BPs). Here, we explore the effects of GDF on the evolution of BPs embedded inmore » a gaseous disk using an N-body code with a fiducial external force accounting for GDF. We find that GDF can induce binary mergers on timescales shorter than the disk lifetime for masses above m{sub p} ≳ 10{sup 22} g at 1 au, independent of the binary initial separation and eccentricity. Such mergers can affect the structure of merger-formed planetesimals, and the GDF-induced binary inspiral can play a role in the evolution of the planetesimal disk. In addition, binaries on eccentric orbits around the star may evolve in the supersonic regime, where the torque reverses and the binary expands, which would enhance the cross section for planetesimal encounters with the binary. Highly inclined binaries with small mass ratios, evolve due to the combined effects of Kozai–Lidov (KL) cycles with GDF which lead to chaotic evolution. Prograde binaries go through semi-regular KL evolution, while retrograde binaries frequently flip their inclination and ∼50% of them are destroyed.« less

Modeling Far-UV Fluorescent Emission Features of Warm Molecular Hydrogen in the Inner Regions of Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoadley, Keri; France, Kevin

2015-01-01

Probing the surviving molecular gas within the inner regions of protoplanetary disks (PPDs) around T Tauri stars (1 - 10 Myr) provides insight into the conditions in which planet formation and migration occurs while the gas disk is still present. We model observed far ultraviolet (FUV) molecular hydrogen (H₂) fluorescent emission lines that originate within the inner regions (< 10 AU) of 9 well-studied Classic T Tauri stars, using the Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS), to explore the physical structure of the molecular disk at different PPD dust evolutionary stages. We created a 2D radiative transfer model that estimates the density and temperature distributions of warm, inner radial H₂ (T > 1500 K) with a set of 6 free parameters and produces a data cube of expected emission line profiles that describe the physical structure of the inner molecular disk atmosphere. By comparing the modeled emission lines with COS H₂ fluorescence emission features, we estimate the physical structure of the molecular disk atmosphere for each target with the set of free parameters that best replicate the observed lines. First results suggest that, for all dust evolutionary stages of disks considered, ground-state H₂ populations are described by a roughly constant temperature T(H₂) = 2500 +/- 1000 K. Possible evolution of the density structure of the H₂ atmosphere between intact and depleting dust disks may be distinguishable, but large errors in the inferred best-fit parameter sets prevent us from making this conclusion. Further improvements to the modeling framework and statistical comparison in determining the best-fit model-to-data parameter sets are ongoing, beginning with improvements to the radiative transfer model and use of up-to-date HI Lyman α absorption optical depths (see McJunkin in posters) to better estimate disk structural parameters. Once improvements are implemented, we will investigate the possible presence of a molecular wind component in the observed H₂ fluorescence features by determining blue-shifted flux residuals in the data after best-fit model-to-data comparisons are complete.

Tungsten isotopes in bulk meteorites and their inclusions—Implications for processing of presolar components in the solar protoplanetary disk

PubMed Central

Holst, J. C.; Paton, C.; Wielandt, D.; Bizzarro, M.

2016-01-01

We present high precision, low- and high-resolution tungsten isotope measurements of iron meteorites Cape York (IIIAB), Rhine Villa (IIIE), Bendego (IC), and the IVB iron meteorites Tlacotepec, Skookum, and Weaver Mountains, as well as CI chondrite Ivuna, a CV3 chondrite refractory inclusion (CAI BE), and terrestrial standards. Our high precision tungsten isotope data show that the distribution of the rare p-process nuclide 180W is homogeneous among chondrites, iron meteorites, and the refractory inclusion. One exception to this pattern is the IVB iron meteorite group, which displays variable excesses relative to the terrestrial standard, possibly related to decay of rare 184Os. Such anomalies are not the result of analytical artifacts and cannot be caused by sampling of a protoplanetary disk characterized by p-process isotope heterogeneity. In contrast, we find that 183W is variable due to a nucleosynthetic s-process deficit/r-process excess among chondrites and iron meteorites. This variability supports the widespread nucleosynthetic s/r-process heterogeneity in the protoplanetary disk inferred from other isotope systems and we show that W and Ni isotope variability is correlated. Correlated isotope heterogeneity for elements of distinct nucleosynthetic origin (183W and 58Ni) is best explained by thermal processing in the protoplanetary disk during which thermally labile carrier phases are unmixed by vaporization thereby imparting isotope anomalies on the residual processed reservoir. PMID:27445452

Midplane Ices in the Embedded Phase

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drozdovskaya, Maria; Walsh, Catherine; van Dishoeck, Ewine

2015-08-01

Icy grains in the midplanes of the youngest protoplanetary disks are the building blocks of protoplanets and protocometary bodies. Our Solar System shows significant chemical diversity. The chemical content is thought to be either inherited from the initial prestellar cloud, out of which our Solar System formed, or formed in-situ during the subsequent evolution of the protoplanetary disk. In this poster, the chemical analysis of midplanes in the context of globally evolving and collapsing star-forming systems will be presented. Previous studies compared various solid species relative to water ice in comets and towards young protostars [e.g., 1, 2, 3]. It remains unclear whether the overlap in abundances is just a coincidence or whether the origins of cometary ices are that of a prestellar cloud. For this work, an axisymmentric 2D semi-analytic collapse model [4], wavelength-dependent radiative transfer calculations with RADMC3D [5] and a comprehensive gas-grain chemical network [6] are used to pin down ice abundances in a midplane. The methanol content of protoplanetary disks will be presented [7], but also that of other main ice components, such as water, carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide [8]. Our models can be used to probe the validity of theories on the origin of chemical complexity and also to access the degree of processing upon inheritance into the forming disk.[1] Öberg K. I., Boogert A. C. A., Pontoppidan K. M., van den Broek S., van Dishoeck E. F., Bottinelli S., Blake G. A., Evans, II N. J., 2011, ApJ, 740, 109[2] Mumma M. J., Charnley S. B., 2011, ARA&A, 49, 471[3] Bockelée-Morvan D. et al., 2000, A&A, 353, 1101[4] Visser R., van Dishoeck E. F., Doty S. D., Dullemond C. P., 2009, A&A, 495, 881[5] Dullemond C. P., Dominik C., 2004, A&A, 417, 159[6] Walsh C., Millar T. J., Nomura H., Herbst E., Widicus Weaver S., Aikawa Y., Laas J. C., Vasyunin A. I., 2014, A&A, 563, A33[7] Drozdovskaya M. N., Walsh C., Visser R., Harsono D., van Dishoeck E. F., 2014, MNRAS, 445, 913[8] Drozdovskaya et al., in prep.

Spectro-astrometry Of H2O And OH In A Protoplanetary Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Logan R.; Gibb, E. L.; Troutman, M. R.

2012-05-01

To understand how life originated on Earth, we must investigate how the necessary water and other prebiotic molecules were distributed through the protoplanetary disk from which the solar system formed. To infer this, we study analogs to the early solar system, T Tauri stars, which are surrounded by circumstellar disks. These disks generally have masses on the order of tens of Jupiter masses and extend outward to about 100 AU. These disks have a flared geometry. Of particular interest here is the chemistry of these objects. Disks have three main chemical regions: the cold midplane, warm molecular layer, and hot ionized region (Walsh et. al. 2010). The cold midplane is a cold, dense region where molecules freeze onto dust grains. In the warm molecular layer above that, molecular synthesis is stimulated by increasing temperatures and the evaporation of molecules from dust grains. Above that, stellar and cosmic radiation dissociates and ionizes molecules into constituent radicals, atoms, and ions in the hot ionized disk atmosphere. Spitzer Space Telescope observations found a rich water emission spectrum toward T Tauri star AA Tau (Salyk et al. 2008). How this water is distributed through a protoplanetary disk is of particular interest. This can be determined using a technique called spectro-astrometry that measures the spatial dependence of a spectral feature. We present high-resolution, near-infrared spectroscopic data from the T Tauri star DR Tau, obtained on 16 -18 February 2011 using NIRSPEC at the Keck II telescope. We detected both water and OH in emission and report our spectro-astrometric signals and the derived spatial extent of the gas emission in the disk. Supported by NSF 0908230. Salyk, C. et al. 2008, ApJ, 676, 49 Walsh, C., Miller, T. J., & Nomura, H. 2010 ApJ, 722, 1607

Using RADMC-3D to model the radiative transfer of spectral lines in protoplanetary disks and envelopes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DeVries, John; Terebey, Susan

2018-06-01

Protoplanetary disks are the birthplaces of planets in our universe. Observations of these disks with radio telescopes like the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) offer great insight into the star and planet formation process. Comparing theories of formation with observations requires tracing the energy transfer via electromagnetic radiation, known as radiative transfer. To determine the temperature distribution of circumstellar material, a Monte Carlo code (Whitney et al. [1]) was used to to perform the radiative transfer through dust. The goal of this research is to utilize RADMC-3D [2] to handle the spectral line radiative transfer computations. An existing model of a rotating ring was expanded to include emission from the C18O isotopologue of carbon monoxide using data from the Leiden Atomic and Molecular Database (LAMDA). This feature of our model compliments ALMA's ability to measure C18O line emission, a proxy for disk rotation. In addition to modeling gas in the protoplanetary disk, dust also plays an important role. The generic description of absorption and scattering for dust provided by RADMC-3D was changed in favor of a more physically-realistic description with OH5 grains. This description is more appropriate in high-density regions of the envelope around a protostar. Further improvements, such as consideration for the finite resolution of observations, have been implemented. The task at present is to compare our model with observations of protoplanetary systems like L1527. Some results of these comparisons will be presented.[1] Whitney et al. 2013, ApJS, 207:30[2] RADMC-3D: http://www.ita.uni-heidelberg.de/~dullemond/software/radmc-3d/

Probing the Origin and Evolution of Interstellar and Protoplanetary Biogenic Ices with SPHEREx

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melnick, Gary; SPHEREx Science Team

2018-01-01

Many of the most important building blocks of life are locked in interstellar and protoplanetary ices. Examples include H2O, CO, CO2, and CH3OH, among others. There is growing evidence that within the cores of dense molecular clouds and the mid-plane of protoplanetary disks the abundance of these species in ices far exceeds that in the gas phase. As a result, collisions between ice-bearing bodies and newly forming planets are thought to be a major means of delivering these key species to young planets. There currently exist fewer than 250 ice absorption spectra toward Galactic molecular clouds, which is insufficient to reliably trace the ice content of clouds through the various evolutionary stages of collapse to form stars and planets. Likewise, the current number of spectra is inadequate to assess the effects of environment, such as cloud density and temperature, presence or absence of embedded sources, external FUV and X-ray radiation, gas-phase composition, or cosmic-ray ionization rate, on the ice composition of clouds at similar stages of evolution. Ultimately, our goal is to understand how these findings connect to our own Solar System.SPHEREx will be a game changer for the study of interstellar, circumstellar, and protoplanetary disk ices. SPHEREx will obtain spectra over the entire sky in the optical and near-IR, including the 2.5 to 5.0 micron region, which contains the above biogenic ice features. SPHEREx will detect millions of potential background continuum point sources already catalogued by NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) at 3.4 and 4.6 microns for which there is evidence for intervening gas and dust based on the 2MASS+WISE colors with sufficient sensitivity to yield ice absorption spectra with SNR ≥ 100 per spectral resolution element. The resulting > 100-fold increase in the number of high-quality ice absorption spectra toward a wide variety of regions distributed throughout the Galaxy will reveal correlations between ice content and environment not possible with current spectra or the limited number that will be obtained with JWST. Finally, because SPHEREx and JWST will overlap beyond 2022, SPHEREx will provide JWST with a complete ice source catalog for follow-up.

NUMERICAL MODELING OF THE COAGULATION AND POROSITY EVOLUTION OF DUST AGGREGATES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Okuzumi, Satoshi; Sakagami, Masa-aki; Tanaka, Hidekazu, E-mail: satoshi.okuzumi@ax2.ecs.kyoto-u.ac.j

2009-12-20

Porosity evolution of dust aggregates is crucial in understanding dust evolution in protoplanetary disks. In this study, we present useful tools to study the coagulation and porosity evolution of dust aggregates. First, we present a new numerical method for simulating dust coagulation and porosity evolution as an extension of the conventional Smoluchowski equation. This method follows the evolution of the mean porosity for each aggregate mass simultaneously with the evolution of the mass distribution function. This method reproduces the results of previous Monte Carlo simulations with much less computational expense. Second, we propose a new collision model for porous dustmore » aggregates on the basis of our N-body experiments on aggregate collisions. As the first step, we focus on 'hit-and-stick' collisions, which involve neither compression nor fragmentation of aggregates. We first obtain empirical data on porosity changes between the classical limits of ballistic cluster-cluster and particle-cluster aggregation. Using the data, we construct a recipe for the porosity change due to general hit-and-stick collisions as well as formulae for the aerodynamical and collisional cross sections. Our collision model is thus more realistic than a previous model of Ormel et al. based on the classical aggregation limits only. Simple coagulation simulations using the extended Smoluchowski method show that our collision model explains the fractal dimensions of porous aggregates observed in a full N-body simulation and a laboratory experiment. By contrast, similar simulations using the collision model of Ormel et al. result in much less porous aggregates, meaning that this model underestimates the porosity increase upon unequal-sized collisions. Besides, we discover that aggregates at the high-mass end of the distribution can have a considerably small aerodynamical cross section per unit mass compared with aggregates of lower masses. This occurs when aggregates drift under uniform acceleration (e.g., gravity) and their collision is induced by the difference in their terminal velocities. We point out an important implication of this discovery for dust growth in protoplanetary disks.« less

The retention of dust in protoplanetary disks: Evidence from agglomeratic olivine chondrules from the outer Solar System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schrader, Devin L.; Nagashima, Kazuhide; Waitukaitis, Scott R.; Davidson, Jemma; McCoy, Timothy J.; Connolly, Harold C.; Lauretta, Dante S.

2018-02-01

By investigating the in situ chemical and O-isotope compositions of olivine in lightly sintered dust agglomerates from the early Solar System, we constrain their origins and the retention of dust in the protoplanetary disk. The grain sizes of silicates in these agglomeratic olivine (AO) chondrules indicate that the grain sizes of chondrule precursors in the Renazzo-like carbonaceous (CR) chondrites ranged from <1 to 80 μm. We infer this grain size range to be equivalent to the size range for dust in the early Solar System. AO chondrules may contain, but are not solely composed of, recycled fragments of earlier formed chondrules. They also contain 16O-rich olivine related to amoeboid olivine aggregates and represent the best record of chondrule-precursor materials. AO chondrules contain one or more large grains, sometimes similar to FeO-poor (type I) and/or FeO-rich (type II) chondrules, while others contain a type II chondrule core. These morphologies are consistent with particle agglomeration by electrostatic charging of grains during collision, a process that may explain solid agglomeration in the protoplanetary disk in the micrometer size regime. The petrographic, isotopic, and chemical compositions of AO chondrules are consistent with chondrule formation by large-scale shocks, bow shocks, and current sheets. The petrographic, isotopic, and chemical similarities between AO chondrules in CR chondrites and chondrule-like objects from comet 81P/Wild 2 indicate that comets contain AO chondrules. We infer that these AO chondrules likely formed in the inner Solar System and migrated to the comet forming region at least 3 Ma after the formation of the first Solar System solids. Observations made in this study imply that the protoplanetary disk retained a dusty disk at least ∼3.7 Ma after the formation of the first Solar System solids, longer than half of the dusty accretion disks observed around other stars.

PHOTOPHORETIC LEVITATION AND TRAPPING OF DUST IN THE INNER REGIONS OF PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McNally, Colin P.; McClure, Melissa K., E-mail: cmcnally@nbi.dk, E-mail: mmcclure@eso.org

In protoplanetary disks, the differential gravity-driven settling of dust grains with respect to gas and with respect to grains of varying sizes determines the observability of grains, and sets the conditions for grain growth and eventually planet formation. In this work, we explore the effect of photophoresis on the settling of large dust grains in the inner regions of actively accreting protoplanetary disks. Photophoretic forces on dust grains result from the collision of gas molecules with differentially heated grains. We undertake one-dimensional dust settling calculations to determine the equilibrium vertical distribution of dust grains in each column of the disk.more » In the process we introduce a new treatment of the photophoresis force which is consistent at all optical depths with the representation of the radiative intensity field in a two-stream radiative transfer approximation. The levitation of large dust grains creates a photophoretic dust trap several scale heights above the mid-plane in the inner regions of the disk where the dissipation of accretion energy is significant. We find that differential settling of dust grains is radically altered in these regions of the disk, with large dust grains trapped in a layer below the stellar irradiation surface, where the dust to gas mass ratio can be enhanced by a factor of a hundred for the relevant particles. The photophoretic trapping effect has a strong dependence on particle size and porosity.« less

Contamination of the asteroid belt by primordial trans-Neptunian objects.

PubMed

Levison, Harold F; Bottke, William F; Gounelle, Matthieu; Morbidelli, Alessandro; Nesvorný, David; Tsiganis, Kleomenis

2009-07-16

The main asteroid belt, which inhabits a relatively narrow annulus approximately 2.1-3.3 au from the Sun, contains a surprising diversity of objects ranging from primitive ice-rock mixtures to igneous rocks. The standard model used to explain this assumes that most asteroids formed in situ from a primordial disk that experienced radical chemical changes within this zone. Here we show that the violent dynamical evolution of the giant-planet orbits required by the so-called Nice model leads to the insertion of primitive trans-Neptunian objects into the outer belt. This result implies that the observed diversity of the asteroid belt is not a direct reflection of the intrinsic compositional variation of the proto-planetary disk. The dark captured bodies, composed of organic-rich materials, would have been more susceptible to collisional evolution than typical main-belt asteroids. Their weak nature makes them a prodigious source of micrometeorites-sufficient to explain why most are primitive in composition and are isotopically different from most macroscopic meteorites.

Gas Cavities inside Dust Cavities in Disks Inferred from ALMA Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Marel, Nienke; van Dishoeck, Ewine F.; Bruderer, Simon; Pinilla, Paola; van Kempen, Tim; Perez, Laura; Isella, Andrea

2016-01-01

Protoplanetary disks with cavities in their dust distribution, also named transitional disks, are expected to be in the middle of active evolution and possibly planet formation. In recent years, millimeter-dust rings observed by ALMA have been suggested to have their origin in dust traps, caused by pressure bumps. One of the ways to generate these is by the presence of planets, which lower the gas density along their orbit and create pressure bumps at the edge. We present spatially resolved ALMA Cycle 0 and Cycle 1 observations of CO and CO isotopologues of several famous transitional disks. Gas is found to be present inside the dust cavities, but at a reduced level compared with the gas surface density profile of the outer disk. The dust and gas emission are quantified using the physical-chemical modeling code DALI. In the majority of these disks we find clear evidence for a drop in gas density of at least a factor of 10 inside the cavity, whereas the dust density drops by at least a factor 1000. The CO isotopologue observations reveal that the gas cavities are significantly smaller than the dust cavities. These gas structures suggest clearing by one or more planetary-mass companions.

Water vapor distribution in protoplanetary disks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Du, Fujun; Bergin, Edwin A., E-mail: fdu@umich.edu

Water vapor has been detected in protoplanetary disks. In this work, we model the distribution of water vapor in protoplanetary disks with a thermo-chemical code. For a set of parameterized disk models, we calculate the distribution of dust temperature and radiation field of the disk with a Monte Carlo method, and then solve the gas temperature distribution and chemical composition. The radiative transfer includes detailed treatment of scattering by atomic hydrogen and absorption by water of Lyα photons, since the Lyα line dominates the UV spectrum of accreting young stars. In a fiducial model, we find that warm water vapormore » with temperature around 300 K is mainly distributed in a small and well-confined region in the inner disk. The inner boundary of the warm water region is where the shielding of UV field due to dust and water itself become significant. The outer boundary is where the dust temperature drops below the water condensation temperature. A more luminous central star leads to a more extended distribution of warm water vapor, while dust growth and settling tends to reduce the amount of warm water vapor. Based on typical assumptions regarding the elemental oxygen abundance and the water chemistry, the column density of warm water vapor can be as high as 10{sup 22} cm{sup –2}. A small amount of hot water vapor with temperature higher than ∼300 K exists in a more extended region in the upper atmosphere of the disk. Cold water vapor with temperature lower than 100 K is distributed over the entire disk, produced by photodesorption of the water ice.« less

Searching for Prebiotically Important Molecules in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibb, Erika L.; Brown, L. R.; Sudholt, E.

2012-05-01

Understanding how prebiotic molecules form and are distributed around young stars is an important step in determining how and where life can form in planetary systems. In general, protoplanetary disks consist of a cold, dense midplane where, beyond the frost line, water and organic molecules will condense onto dust grains as icy coatings. The surface of the disk is exposed to stellar and interstellar radiation, giving rise to a photon-dominated region characterized by ionization and dissociation products. Between these two layers is a warm molecular layer where a rich molecular chemistry is predicted to occur. The warm molecular layer is somewhat protected from ionizing radiation by the dust and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the surface region. We present a high-resolution (λ / Δλ 25,000), near-infrared spectroscopic survey of the L-band toward T Tauri star GV Tau N. The data were acquired with the NIRSPEC instrument on the Keck II telescope, located on Mauna Kea, HI. We detected strong HCN absorption lines that we interpret to be located in the warm molecular layer of a nearly edge-on protoplanetary disk. We discuss significant differences in spectra acquired in 2006 and 2010 and implications for the material in the disk of GV Tau N, including rotational temperatures, abundances, and inferred location. This work was supported by the NSF Stellar Astronomy Program (Grant #0908230) and the NASA Exobiology program (NNX11AG44G).

PLANET-DISK INTERACTION IN THREE DIMENSIONS: THE IMPORTANCE OF BUOYANCY WAVES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhu Zhaohuan; Stone, James M.; Rafikov, Roman R., E-mail: zhzhu@astro.princeton.edu, E-mail: jstone@astro.princeton.edu, E-mail: rrr@astro.princeton.edu

2012-10-20

We carry out local three-dimensional (3D) hydrodynamic simulations of planet-disk interaction in stratified disks with varied thermodynamic properties. We find that whenever the Brunt-Vaeisaelae frequency (N) in the disk is non-zero, the planet exerts a strong torque on the disk in the vicinity of the planet, with a reduction in the traditional 'torque cutoff'. In particular, this is true for adiabatic perturbations in disks with isothermal density structure, as should be typical for centrally irradiated protoplanetary disks. We identify this torque with buoyancy waves, which are excited (when N is non-zero) close to the planet, within one disk scale heightmore » from its orbit. These waves give rise to density perturbations with a characteristic 3D spatial pattern which is in close agreement with the linear dispersion relation. The torque due to these waves can amount to as much as several tens of percent of the total planetary torque, which is not expected based on analytical calculations limited to axisymmetric or low-m modes. Buoyancy waves should be ubiquitous around planets in the inner, dense regions of protoplanetary disks, where they might possibly affect planet migration.« less

Gaps in Protoplanetary Disks as Signatures of Planets. III. Polarization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jang-Condell, Hannah

2017-01-01

Polarimetric observations of T Tauri and Herbig Ae/Be stars are a powerful way to image protoplanetary disks. However, interpretation of these images is difficult because the degree of polarization is highly sensitive to the angle of scattering of stellar light off the disk surface. We examine how disks with and without gaps created by planets appear in scattered polarized light as a function of inclination angle. Isophotes of inclined disks without gaps are distorted in polarized light, giving the appearance that the disks are more eccentric or more highly inclined than they truly are. Apparent gap locations are unaffected by polarization, but the gap contrast changes. In face-on disks with gaps, we find that the brightened far edge of the gap scatters less polarized light than the rest of the disk, resulting in slightly decreased contrast between the gap trough and the brightened far edge. In inclined disks, gaps can take on the appearance of being localized “holes” in brightness rather than full axisymmetric structures. Photocenter offsets along the minor axis of the disk in both total intensity and polarized intensity images can be readily explained by the finite thickness of the disk. Alone, polarized scattered light images of disks do not necessarily reveal intrinsic disk structure. However, when combined with total intensity images, the orientation of the disk can be deduced and much can be learned about disk structure and dust properties.

Dust Dynamics in Protoplanetary Disks: Parallel Computing with PVM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de La Fuente Marcos, Carlos; Barge, Pierre; de La Fuente Marcos, Raúl

2002-03-01

We describe a parallel version of our high-order-accuracy particle-mesh code for the simulation of collisionless protoplanetary disks. We use this code to carry out a massively parallel, two-dimensional, time-dependent, numerical simulation, which includes dust particles, to study the potential role of large-scale, gaseous vortices in protoplanetary disks. This noncollisional problem is easy to parallelize on message-passing multicomputer architectures. We performed the simulations on a cache-coherent nonuniform memory access Origin 2000 machine, using both the parallel virtual machine (PVM) and message-passing interface (MPI) message-passing libraries. Our performance analysis suggests that, for our problem, PVM is about 25% faster than MPI. Using PVM and MPI made it possible to reduce CPU time and increase code performance. This allows for simulations with a large number of particles (N ~ 105-106) in reasonable CPU times. The performances of our implementation of the pa! rallel code on an Origin 2000 supercomputer are presented and discussed. They exhibit very good speedup behavior and low load unbalancing. Our results confirm that giant gaseous vortices can play a dominant role in giant planet formation.

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Roberge, A.; Kamp, I.; Montesinos, B.

2013-07-01

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

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

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roberge, A.; Kamp, I.; Montesinos, B.; Dent, W. R. F.; Meeus, G.; Donaldson, J. K.; Olofsson, J.; Moor, A.; Augereau, J.-C.; Howard, C.;

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2013-07-01

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

Terrestrial Zone Exoplanets and Life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Matthews, Brenda

2018-01-01

One of the most exciting results from ALMA has been the detection of significant substructure within protoplanetary disks that can be linked to planet formation processes. For the first time, we are able to observe the process of assembly of material into larger bodies within such disks. It is not possible, however, for ALMA to probe the growth of planets in protoplanetary disks at small radii, i.e., in the terrestrial zone, where we expect rocky terrestrial planets to form. In this regime, the optical depths prohibit observation at the high frequencies observed by ALMA. To probe the effects of planet building processes and detect telltale gaps and signatures of planetary mass bodies at such small separations from the parent star, we require a facility of superior resolution and sensitivity at lower frequencies. The ngVLA is just such a facility. We will present the fundamental science that will be enabled by the ngVLA in protoplanetary disk structure and the formation of planets. In addition, we will discuss the potential for an ngVLA facility to detect the molecules that are the building blocks of life, reaching limits well beyond those reachable with the current generation of telescopes, and also to determine whether such planets will be habitable based on studies of the impact of stars on their nearest planetary neighbours.

"High Angular Resolution Observations of Protoplanetary Disks with Adaptive Optics"

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roddier, Francois

1999-01-01

Significant results were obtained and published in the literature. The first optical detection of a circumbinary disk was reported in the ApJ at millimetric wavelengths. The size and inclination of this disk were found to be consistent with millimetric observations. Evidence was found for a cavity inside the disk as theory predicts from dust clearing by the stellar companion.

Observsational Planet Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dong, Ruobing; Zhu, Zhaohuan; Fung, Jeffrey

2017-06-01

Planets form in gaseous protoplanetary disks surrounding newborn stars. As such, the most direct way to learn how they form from observations, is to directly watch them forming in disks. In the past, this was very difficult due to a lack of observational capabilities; as such, planet formation was largely a subject of pure theoretical astrophysics. Now, thanks to a fleet of new instruments with unprecedented resolving power that have come online recently, we have just started to unveil features in resolve images of protoplanetary disks, such as gaps and spiral arms, that are most likely associated with embedded (unseen) planets. By comparing observations with theoretical models of planet-disk interactions, the masses and orbits of these still forming planets may be constrained. Such planets may help us to directly test various planet formation models. This marks the onset of a new field — observational planet formation. I will introduce the current status of this field.

An Efficient Monte Carlo Method for Modeling Radiative Transfer in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kim, Stacy

2011-01-01

Monte Carlo methods have been shown to be effective and versatile in modeling radiative transfer processes to calculate model temperature profiles for protoplanetary disks. Temperatures profiles are important for connecting physical structure to observation and for understanding the conditions for planet formation and migration. However, certain areas of the disk such as the optically thick disk interior are under-sampled, or are of particular interest such as the snow line (where water vapor condenses into ice) and the area surrounding a protoplanet. To improve the sampling, photon packets can be preferentially scattered and reemitted toward the preferred locations at the cost of weighting packet energies to conserve the average energy flux. Here I report on the weighting schemes developed, how they can be applied to various models, and how they affect simulation mechanics and results. We find that improvements in sampling do not always imply similar improvements in temperature accuracies and calculation speeds.

Studying the inner regions of young stars and their disks with aperture masking interferometry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenbaum, Alexandra; Sivaramakrishnan, Anand; GPI Instrument Team; NIRISS Instrument Team

2017-01-01

High resolution aperture masking interferometry complements coronagraphic imagers to provide a unique perspective on star and planet formation at more moderate contrast. By targeting young stars, especially those with disks, we aim to understand complex protoplanetary environments. Ground-based non-redundant masking (NRM) paired with spectrographs and polarimeters probes both thermally emitting young companions, possibly embedded in the disk or gap and scattered light in protoplanetary disks. And soon the community will have access to the most stable NRM conditions yet, with the Near Infrared Imager and Slitless Spectrograph (NIRISS) Aperture Masking Interferometry (AMI) mode on the James Webb Space Telescope. I will present my thesis work commissioning the Gemini Planet Imager’s NRM, highlighting results through both its spectroscopy and polarimetry modes, which set the stage for future space-based imaging. I will also give an overview of NIRISS-AMI capabilities and performance predictions for imaging young low-mass companions and disks, and how it will complement other instruments on JWST.

Weak Turbulence in Protoplanetary Disks as Revealed by ALMA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flaherty, Kevin; Hughes, A. Meredith; Simon, Jacob; Andrews, Sean; Bai, Xue-Ning; Wilner, David

2018-01-01

Gas kinematics are an important part of planet formation, influencing processes ranging from the growth of sub-micron grains to the migration of gas giant planets. Dynamical behavior can be traced with both synoptic observations of the mid-infrared excess, sensitive to the inner disk, and spatially resolved radio observations of gas emission, sensitive to the outer disk. I report on our ongoing efforts to constrain turbulence using ALMA observations of CO emission from protoplanetary disks. Building on our upper limit around HD 163296 (<0.05cs), we find evidence for weak turbulence around TW Hya (<0.08cs) indicating that weak non-thermal motion is not unique to HD 163296. I will also discuss observations of CO/13CO/C18O from around V4046 Sgr, DM Tau, and MWC 480 that will help to further expand the turbulence sample, as well as inform our understanding of CO photo-chemistry in the outer edges of these disks.

Ionization Chemistry and Role of Grains on Non-ideal MHD Effects in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Rui; Bai, Xue-Ning; Oberg, Karin I.

2015-01-01

Ionization in protoplanetary disks (PPDs) is one of the key elements for understanding disk chemistry. It also determines the coupling between gas and magnetic fields hence strongly affect PPD gas dynamics. We study the ionization chemistry in the presence of grains in the midplane region of PPDs and its impact on gas conductivity reflected in non-ideal MHD effects including Ohmic resistivity, Hall effect and ambipolar diffusion. We first develop a reduced chemical reaction network from the UMIST database. The reduced network contains much smaller number of species and reactions while yields reliable estimates of the disk ionization level compared with the full network. We further show that grains are likely the dominant charge carrier in the midplane regions of the inner disk, which significantly affects the gas conductivity. In particular, ambipolar diffusion is strongly reduced and the Hall coefficient changes sign in the presence of strong magnetic field. The latter provides a natural mechanism to the saturation of the Hall-shear instability.

Dust modeling of the combined ALMA and SPHERE datasets of HD 163296. Is HD 163296 really a Meeus group II disk?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muro-Arena, G. A.; Dominik, C.; Waters, L. B. F. M.; Min, M.; Klarmann, L.; Ginski, C.; Isella, A.; Benisty, M.; Pohl, A.; Garufi, A.; Hagelberg, J.; Langlois, M.; Menard, F.; Pinte, C.; Sezestre, E.; van der Plas, G.; Villenave, M.; Delboulbé, A.; Magnard, Y.; Möller-Nilsson, O.; Pragt, J.; Rabou, P.; Roelfsema, R.

2018-06-01

Context. Multiwavelength observations are indispensable in studying disk geometry and dust evolution processes in protoplanetary disks. Aims: We aim to construct a three-dimensional model of HD 163296 that is capable of reproducing simultaneously new observations of the disk surface in scattered light with the SPHERE instrument and thermal emission continuum observations of the disk midplane with ALMA. We want to determine why the spectral energy distribution of HD 163296 is intermediary between the otherwise well-separated group I and group II Herbig stars. Methods: The disk was modeled using the Monte Carlo radiative transfer code MCMax3D. The radial dust surface density profile was modeled after the ALMA observations, while the polarized scattered light observations were used to constrain the inclination of the inner disk component and turbulence and grain growth in the outer disk. Results: While three rings are observed in the disk midplane in millimeter thermal emission at 80, 124, and 200 AU, only the innermost of these is observed in polarized scattered light, indicating a lack of small dust grains on the surface of the outer disk. We provide two models that are capable of explaining this difference. The first model uses increased settling in the outer disk as a mechanism to bring the small dust grains on the surface of the disk closer to the midplane and into the shadow cast by the first ring. The second model uses depletion of the smallest dust grains in the outer disk as a mechanism for decreasing the optical depth at optical and near-infrared wavelengths. In the region outside the fragmentation-dominated regime, such depletion is expected from state-of-the-art dust evolution models. We studied the effect of creating an artificial inner cavity in our models, and conclude that HD 163296 might be a precursor to typical group I sources.

Possible Rapid Gas Giant Planet Formation in the Solar Nebula and Other Protoplanetary Disks.

PubMed

Boss

2000-06-20

Gas giant planets have been detected in orbit around an increasing number of nearby stars. Two theories have been advanced for the formation of such planets: core accretion and disk instability. Core accretion, the generally accepted mechanism, requires several million years or more to form a gas giant planet in a protoplanetary disk like the solar nebula. Disk instability, on the other hand, can form a gas giant protoplanet in a few hundred years. However, disk instability has previously been thought to be important only in relatively massive disks. New three-dimensional, "locally isothermal," hydrodynamical models without velocity damping show that a disk instability can form Jupiter-mass clumps, even in a disk with a mass (0.091 M middle dot in circle within 20 AU) low enough to be in the range inferred for the solar nebula. The clumps form with initially eccentric orbits, and their survival will depend on their ability to contract to higher densities before they can be tidally disrupted at successive periastrons. Because the disk mass in these models is comparable to that apparently required for the core accretion mechanism to operate, the models imply that disk instability could obviate the core accretion mechanism in the solar nebula and elsewhere.

Astrophysics with Extraterrestrial Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nittler, Larry R.; Ciesla, Fred

2016-09-01

Extraterrestrial materials, including meteorites, interplanetary dust, and spacecraft-returned asteroidal and cometary samples, provide a record of the starting materials and early evolution of the Solar System. We review how laboratory analyses of these materials provide unique information, complementary to astronomical observations, about a wide variety of stellar, interstellar and protoplanetary processes. Presolar stardust grains retain the isotopic compositions of their stellar sources, mainly asymptotic giant branch stars and Type II supernovae. They serve as direct probes of nucleosynthetic and dust formation processes in stars, galactic chemical evolution, and interstellar dust processing. Extinct radioactivities suggest that the Sun's birth environment was decoupled from average galactic nucleosynthesis for some tens to hundreds of Myr but was enriched in short-lived isotopes from massive stellar winds or explosions shortly before or during formation of the Solar System. Radiometric dating of meteorite components tells us about the timing and duration over which solar nebula solids were assembled into the building blocks of the planets. Components of the most primitive meteoritical materials provide further detailed constraints on the formation, processing, and transport of material and associated timescales in the Sun's protoplanetary disk as well as in other forming planetary systems.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-01-01

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

DIRECT IMAGING OF THE WATER SNOW LINE AT THE TIME OF PLANET FORMATION USING TWO ALMA CONTINUUM BANDS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Banzatti, A.; Pontoppidan, K. M.; Pinilla, P.

2015-12-10

Molecular snow lines in protoplanetary disks have been studied theoretically for decades because of their importance in shaping planetary architectures and compositions. The water snow line lies in the planet formation region at ≲10 AU, and so far its location has been estimated only indirectly from spatially unresolved spectroscopy. This work presents a proof-of-concept method to directly image the water snow line in protoplanetary disks through its physical and chemical imprint on the local dust properties. We adopt a physical disk model that includes dust coagulation, fragmentation, drift, and a change in fragmentation velocities of a factor of 10 betweenmore » dry silicates and icy grains as found by laboratory work. We find that the presence of a water snow line leads to a sharp discontinuity in the radial profile of the dust emission spectral index α{sub mm} due to replenishment of small grains through fragmentation. We use the ALMA simulator to demonstrate that this effect can be observed in protoplanetary disks using spatially resolved ALMA images in two continuum bands. We explore the model dependence on the disk viscosity and find that the spectral index reveals the water snow line for a wide range of conditions, with opposite trends when the emission is optically thin rather than thick. If the disk viscosity is low (α{sub visc} < 10{sup −3}), the snow line produces a ringlike structure with a minimum at α{sub mm} ∼ 2 in the optically thick regime, possibly similar to what has been measured with ALMA in the innermost region of the HL Tau disk.« less

The Coupled Physical Structure of Gas and Dust in the IM Lup Protoplanetary Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cleeves, L. Ilsedore; Öberg, Karin I.; Wilner, David J.; Huang, Jane; Loomis, Ryan A.; Andrews, Sean M.; Czekala, Ian

2016-12-01

The spatial distribution of gas and solids in protoplanetary disks determines the composition and formation efficiency of planetary systems. A number of disks show starkly different distributions for the gas and small grains compared to millimeter-centimeter-sized dust. We present new Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array observations of the dust continuum, CO, 13CO, and C18O in the IM Lup protoplanetary disk, one of the first systems where this dust-gas dichotomy was clearly seen. The 12CO is detected out to a radius of 970 au, while the millimeter continuum emission is truncated at just 313 au. Based upon these data, we have built a comprehensive physical and chemical model for the disk structure, which takes into account the complex, coupled nature of the gas and dust and the interplay between the local and external environment. We constrain the distributions of gas and dust, the gas temperatures, the CO abundances, the CO optical depths, and the incident external radiation field. We find that the reduction/removal of dust from the outer disk exposes this region to higher stellar and external radiation and decreases the rate of freeze-out, allowing CO to remain in the gas out to large radial distances. We estimate a gas-phase CO abundance of 5% of the interstellar medium value and a low external radiation field (G 0 ≲ 4). The latter is consistent with that expected from the local stellar population. We additionally find tentative evidence for ring-like continuum substructure, suggestions of isotope-selective photodissociation, and a diffuse gas halo.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

Uncertainties in water chemistry in disks: An application to TW Hydrae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamp, I.; Thi, W.-F.; Meeus, G.; Woitke, P.; Pinte, C.; Meijerink, R.; Spaans, M.; Pascucci, I.; Aresu, G.; Dent, W. R. F.

2013-11-01

Context. This paper discusses the sensitivity of water lines to chemical processes and radiative transfer for the protoplanetary disk around TW Hya. The study focuses on the Herschel spectral range in the context of new line detections with the PACS instrument from the Gas in Protoplanetary Systems project (GASPS). Aims: The paper presents an overview of the chemistry in the main water reservoirs in the disk around TW Hya. It discusses the limitations in the interpretation of observed water line fluxes. Methods: We use a previously published thermo-chemical Protoplanetary Disk Model (ProDiMo) of the disk around TW Hya and study a range of chemical modeling uncertainties: metallicity, C/O ratio, and reaction pathways and rates leading to the formation of water. We provide results for the simplified assumption of Tgas = Tdust to quantify uncertainties arising for the complex heating/cooling processes of the gas and elaborate on limitations due to water line radiative transfer. Results: We report new line detections of p-H2O (322-211) at 89.99 μm and CO J = 18-17 at 144.78 μm for the disk around TW Hya. Disk modeling shows that the far-IR fine structure lines ([O i], [C ii]) and molecular submm lines are very robust to uncertainties in the chemistry, while the water line fluxes can change by factors of a few. The water lines are optically thick, sub-thermally excited and can couple to the background continuum radiation field. The low-excitation water lines are also sensitive to uncertainties in the collision rates, e.g. with neutral hydrogen. The gas temperature plays an important role for the [O i] fine structure line fluxes, the water line fluxes originating from the inner disk as well as the high excitation CO, CH+ and OH lines. Conclusions: Due to their sensitivity on chemical input data and radiative transfer, water lines have to be used cautiously for understanding details of the disk structure. Water lines covering a wide range of excitation energies provide access to the various gas phase water reservoirs (inside and outside the snow line) in protoplanetary disks and thus provide important information on where gas-phase water is potentially located. Experimental and/or theoretical collision rates for H2O with atomic hydrogen are needed to diminish uncertainties from water line radiative transfer. Herschel is an ESA space observatory with science instruments provided by European-led Principal Investigator consortia and with important participation from NASA.Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

The correlation between HCN/H2O flux ratios and disk mass: evidence for protoplanet formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rose, Caitlin; Salyk, Colette

2017-01-01

We analyze hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and water vapor flux ratios in protoplanetary disks as a way to trace planet formation. Analyzing only disks in the Taurus molecular cloud, Najita et al. (2013) found a tentative correlation between protoplanetary disk mass and the HCN/H2O line flux ratio in Spitzer-IRS emission spectra. They interpret this correlation to be a consequence of more massive disks forming planetesimals more efficiently than smaller disks, as the formation of large planetesimals may lock up water ice in the cool outer disk region and prevent it from migrating, drying out the inner disk. The sequestering of water (and therefore oxygen) in the outer disk may also increase the carbon-to- oxygen ratio in the inner disk, leading to enhanced organic molecule (e.g. HCN) emission. To confirm this trend, we expand the Najita et al. sample by calculating HCN/H2O line flux ratios for 8 more sources with known disk masses from clusters besides Taurus. We find agreement with the Najita et al. trend, suggesting that this is a widespread phenomenon. In addition, we find HCN/H2O line flux ratios for 17 more sources that await disk mass measurements, which should become commonplace in the ALMA era. Finally, we investigate linear fits and outliers to this trend, and discuss possible causes.

A Subarcsecond ALMA Molecular Line Imaging Survey of the Circumbinary, Protoplanetary Disk Orbiting V4046 Sgr

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2018-01-01

We present a suite of ALMA interferometric molecular line and continuum images of the gas-rich circumbinary disk orbiting the nearby, young, short-period, solar-mass binary system V4046 Sgr (D ~ 73 pc; age ~20 Myr). These Cycle 2 and 3 ALMA observations of V4046 Sgr were undertaken in the 1.1 to 1.4 mm wavelength range (ALMA Band 6) with antenna configurations involving maximum baselines of several hundred meters, yielding subarcsecond-resolution images in more than a dozen molecular species and isotopologues. Collectively, these ALMA images serve to elucidate, on linear size scales of ~30-40 AU, the chemical structure of an evolved, circumbinary, protoplanetary disk.This research is supported by NASA Exoplanets program grant NNX16AB43G to RIT.

Numerical Viscosity and the Survival of Gas Giant Protoplanets in Disk Simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pickett, Megan K.; Durisen, Richard H.

2007-01-01

We present three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of a gravitationally unstable protoplanetary disk model under the condition of local isothermality. Ordinarily, local isothermality precludes the need for an artificial viscosity (AV) scheme to mediate shocks. Without AV, the disk evolves violently, shredding into dense (although short-lived) clumps. When we introduce our AV treatment in the momentum equation, but without heating due to irreversible compression, our grid-based simulations begin to resemble smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) calculations, where clumps are more likely to survive many orbits. In fact, the standard SPH viscosity appears comparable in strength to the AV that leads to clump longevity in our code. This sensitivity to one numerical parameter suggests extreme caution in interpreting simulations by any code in which long-lived gaseous protoplanetary bodies appear.

Dynamo magnetic field-induced angular momentum transport in protostellar nebulae - The 'minimum mass' protosolar nebula

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stepinski, T. F.; Levy, E. H.

1990-01-01

Magnetic torques can produce angular momentum redistribution in protostellar nebulas. Dynamo magnetic fields can be generated in differentially rotating and turbulent nebulas and can be the source of magnetic torques that transfer angular momentum from a protostar to a disk, as well as redistribute angular momentum within a disk. A magnetic field strength of 100-1000 G is needed to transport the major part of a protostar's angular momentum into a surrounding disk in a time characteristic of star formation, thus allowing formation of a solar-system size protoplanetary nebula in the usual 'minimum-mass' model of the protosolar nebula. This paper examines the possibility that a dynamo magnetic field could have induced the needed angular momentum transport from the proto-Sun to the protoplanetary nebula.

Formation of planetesimals in the Solar Nebula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hueso, R.; Guillot, T.

2001-11-01

We study the evolution of protoplanetary disks with gas and embedded particles using a classical alpha-disk model. Solid matter entrained in the gas is incorporated following the formalism of Stepinski and Valageas (A&A, 1996, 1997). Dust grains coagulate into larger particles until they eventually decouple from the gas. The coagulation process is modulated by the evaporation and condensation of dust in the disk. We simultaneously consider grains of ices and rock, which allows us to study the amount of different solid material available to form the different planets. In particular, we present consequences for the development of planetesimals in the Uranus and Neptune region. This is interesting in the light of interior models of these planets, which naturally tend to predict a low rock to ice ratio. We will also discuss the consequences of these results on the standard core-accretion formation scenario. Acknowledgements: This work has been supported by Programme National du Planetologie. R. Hueso acknowledges a post-doctoral fellowship from Gobierno Vasco.

Characterizing the Variable Dust Permeability of Planet-induced Gaps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, Philipp; Benítez-Llambay, Pablo; Gressel, Oliver; Krapp, Leonardo; Pessah, Martin E.

2018-02-01

Aerodynamic theory predicts that dust grains in protoplanetary disks will drift radially inward on comparatively short timescales. In this context, it has long been known that the presence of a gap opened by a planet can significantly alter the dust dynamics. In this paper, we carry out a systematic study employing long-term numerical simulations aimed at characterizing the critical particle size for retention outside a gap as a function of particle size, as well as various key parameters defining the protoplanetary disk model. To this end, we perform multifluid hydrodynamical simulations in two dimensions, including different dust species, which we treat as pressureless fluids. We initialize the dust outside of the planet’s orbit and study under which conditions dust grains are able to cross the gap carved by the planet. In agreement with previous work, we find that the permeability of the gap depends both on dust dynamical properties and the gas disk structure: while small dust follows the viscously accreting gas through the gap, dust grains approaching a critical size are progressively filtered out. Moreover, we introduce and compute a depletion factor that enables us to quantify the way in which higher viscosity, smaller planet mass, or a more massive disk can shift this critical size to larger values. Our results indicate that gap-opening planets may act to deplete the inner reaches of protoplanetary disks of large dust grains—potentially limiting the accretion of solids onto forming terrestrial planets.

GAPS IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS AS SIGNATURES OF PLANETS. III. POLARIZATION

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jang-Condell, Hannah

2017-01-20

Polarimetric observations of T Tauri and Herbig Ae/Be stars are a powerful way to image protoplanetary disks. However, interpretation of these images is difficult because the degree of polarization is highly sensitive to the angle of scattering of stellar light off the disk surface. We examine how disks with and without gaps created by planets appear in scattered polarized light as a function of inclination angle. Isophotes of inclined disks without gaps are distorted in polarized light, giving the appearance that the disks are more eccentric or more highly inclined than they truly are. Apparent gap locations are unaffected bymore » polarization, but the gap contrast changes. In face-on disks with gaps, we find that the brightened far edge of the gap scatters less polarized light than the rest of the disk, resulting in slightly decreased contrast between the gap trough and the brightened far edge. In inclined disks, gaps can take on the appearance of being localized “holes” in brightness rather than full axisymmetric structures. Photocenter offsets along the minor axis of the disk in both total intensity and polarized intensity images can be readily explained by the finite thickness of the disk. Alone, polarized scattered light images of disks do not necessarily reveal intrinsic disk structure. However, when combined with total intensity images, the orientation of the disk can be deduced and much can be learned about disk structure and dust properties.« less

Investigating FP Tau’s protoplanetary disk structure through modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brinjikji, Marah; Espaillat, Catherine

2017-01-01

This project presents a study aiming to understand the structure of the protoplanetary disk around FP Tau, a very young, very low mass star in the Taurus star-forming region. We have gathered existing optical, Spitzer, Herschel and submillimeter observations to construct the spectral energy distribution (SED) of FP Tau. We have used the D’Alessio et al (2006) physically self-consistent irradiated accretion disk model including dust settling to model the disk of FP Tau. Using this method, the best fit for the SED of FP Tau is a model that includes a gap located 10-20 AU away from the star. This gap is filled with optically thin dust that separates the optically thick dust in the outer disk from the optically thick dust in the inner disk. These characteristics indicate that FP Tau’s protostellar system is best classified as a pre-transitional disk. Near-infrared interferometry in the K-Band from Willson et al 2016 indicates that FP Tau has a small gap located 10-20 AU from the star, which is consistent with the model we produced, lending further support to the pre-transitional disk interpretation. The most likely explanation for the existence of a gap in the disk is a forming planet.

ALMA Observations of a Misaligned Binary Protoplanetary Disk System in Orion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Jonathan P.; Mann, Rita K.; Di Francesco, James; Andrews, Sean M.; Hughes, A. Meredith; Ricci, Luca; Bally, John; Johnstone, Doug; Matthews, Brenda

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+ 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.

Origin and Evolution of Prebiotic Organic Matter as Inferred from the Tagish Lake Meteorite

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Herd, Christopher D.; Blinova, Alexandra; Simkus, Danielle N.; Huang, Yongsong; Tarozo, Rafael; Alexander, Conel M.; Gyngard, Frank; Nittler, Larry R.; Cody, George D.; Fogel, Marilyn L.;

Rise of planetary bodies.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Czechowski, Z.; Leliwa-Kopystyński, J.; Teisseyre, R.

Contents: 1. On the probability of the formation of planetary systems. 2. Condensation triggered by supernova explosion and tidal capture theory. 3. Foundations of accretion theory. 4. The structure and evolution of the protoplanetary disk. 5. Coagulation of orbiting bodies. 6. Collision phenomena related to planetology: accretion, fragmentation, cratering. 7. Dynamics of planetesimals: Introduction, Safronov's approach, elements of the kinetic theory of gases, Nakagawa's approach, approaches considering inelastic collisions and gravitational encounters of planetesimals, Hämeen-Anttila approach, planetesimals with different masses. 8. Growth of the planetary embryo: Basic equations, model of growth of planetary embryos. 9. Origin of the Moon and the satellites.

Nature vs. Nurture: The influence of OB star environments on proto-planetary disk evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouwman, Jeroen

2006-09-01

We propose a combined IRAC/IRS study of a large, well-defined and unbiased X-ray selected sample of pre-main-sequence stars in three OB associations: Pismis 24 in NGC 6357, NGC 2244 in the Rosette Nebula, and IC 1795 in the W3 complex. The samples are based on recent Chandra X-ray Observatory studies which reliably identify hundreds of cluster members and were carefully chosen to avoid high infrared nebular background. A new Chandra exposure of IC 1795 is requested, and an optical followup to characterise the host stars is planned.

A NEW RAYTRACER FOR MODELING AU-SCALE IMAGING OF LINES FROM PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pontoppidan, Klaus M.; Meijerink, Rowin; Blake, Geoffrey A.

The material that formed the present-day solar system originated in feeding zones in the inner solar nebula located at distances within approx20 AU from the Sun, known as the planet-forming zone. Meteoritic and cometary material contain abundant evidence for the presence of a rich and active chemistry in the planet-forming zone during the gas-rich phase of solar system formation. It is a natural conjecture that analogs can be found among the zoo of protoplanetary disks around nearby young stars. The study of the chemistry and dynamics of planet formation requires: (1) tracers of dense gas at 100-1000 K and (2)more » imaging capabilities of such tracers with 5-100 mas (0.5-20 AU) resolution, corresponding to the planet-forming zone at the distance of the closest star-forming regions. Recognizing that the rich infrared (2-200 mum) molecular spectrum recently discovered to be common in protoplanetary disks represents such a tracer, we present a new general ray-tracing code, RADLite, that is optimized for producing infrared line spectra and images from axisymmetric structures. RADLite can consistently deal with a wide range of velocity gradients, such as those typical for the inner regions of protoplanetary disks. The code is intended as a back-end for chemical and excitation codes, and can rapidly produce spectra of thousands of lines for grids of models for comparison with observations. Such radiative transfer tools will be crucial for constraining both the structure and chemistry of planet-forming regions, including data from current infrared imaging spectrometers and extending to the Atacama Large Millimeter Array and the next generation of Extremely Large Telescopes, the James Webb Space Telescope and beyond.« less

Accretion timescales and style of asteroidal differentiation in an 26Al-poor protoplanetary disk

PubMed Central

Larsen, K.K.; Schiller, M.; Bizzarro, M.

2016-01-01

The decay of radioactive 26Al to 26Mg (half-life of 730,000 years) is postulated to have been the main energy source promoting asteroidal melting and differentiation in the nascent solar system. High-resolution chronological information provided by the 26Al−26Mg decay system is, therefore, intrinsically linked to the thermal evolution of early-formed planetesimals. In this paper, we explore the timing and style of asteroidal differentiation by combining high-precision Mg isotope measurements of meteorites with thermal evolution models for planetesimals. In detail, we report Mg isotope data for a suite of olivine-rich [Al/Mg ~ 0] achondritic meteorites, as well as a few chondrites. Main Group, pyroxene and the Zinder pallasites as well as the lodranite all record deficits in the mass-independent component of μ26Mg (μ26Mg*) relative to chondrites and Earth. This isotope signal is expected for the retarded ingrowth of radiogenic 26Mg* in olivine-rich residues produced through partial silicate melting during 26Al decay and consistent with their marginally heavy Mg isotope composition relative to ordinary chondrites, which may reflect the early extraction of isotopically light partial melts from the source rock. We propose that their parent planetesimals started forming within ~250,000 years of solar system formation from a hot (>~500 K) inner protoplanetary disk region characterized by a reduced initial (26Al/27Al)0 abundance (~1–2 × 10−5) relative to the (26Al/27Al)0 value in CAIs of 5.25 × 10−5. This effectively reduced the total heat production and allowed for the preservation of solid residues produced through progressive silicate melting with depth within the planetesimals. These ‘non-carbonaceous’ planetesimals acquired their mass throughout an extended period (>3 Myr) of continuous accretion, thereby generating onion-shell structures of incompletely differentiated zones, consisting of olivine-rich residues, overlaid by metachondrites and undifferentiated chondritic crusts. In contrast, individual olivine crystals from Eagle Station pallasites record variable μ26Mg* excesses, suggesting that these crystals captured the 26Mg* evolution of a magmatic reservoir controlled by fractional crystallization processes during the lifespan of 26Al. Similar to previous suggestions based on isotopic evidence, we suggest that Eagle Station pallasites formed from precursor material similar in composition to carbonaceous chondrites from a cool outer protoplanetary disk region characterized by (26Al/27Al)0 ≥ 2.7 × 10−5. Protracted planetesimal accretion timescales at large orbital distances, with onset of accretion 0.3–1 Myr post-CAIs, may have resulted in significant radiative heat loss and thus efficient early interior cooling of slowly accreting ‘carbonaceous’ planetesimals. PMID:27445415

Accretion timescales and style of asteroidal differentiation in an 26Al-poor protoplanetary disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Larsen, K. K.; Schiller, M.; Bizzarro, M.

2016-03-01

The decay of radioactive 26Al to 26Mg (half-life of 730,000 years) is postulated to have been the main energy source promoting asteroidal melting and differentiation in the nascent solar system. High-resolution chronological information provided by the 26Al-26Mg decay system is, therefore, intrinsically linked to the thermal evolution of early-formed planetesimals. In this paper, we explore the timing and style of asteroidal differentiation by combining high-precision Mg isotope measurements of meteorites with thermal evolution models for planetesimals. In detail, we report Mg isotope data for a suite of olivine-rich [Al/Mg ∼ 0] achondritic meteorites, as well as a few chondrites. Main Group, pyroxene and the Zinder pallasites as well as the lodranite all record deficits in the mass-independent component of μ26Mg (μ26Mg∗) relative to chondrites and Earth. This isotope signal is expected for the retarded ingrowth of radiogenic 26Mg∗ in olivine-rich residues produced through partial silicate melting during 26Al decay and consistent with their marginally heavy Mg isotope composition relative to ordinary chondrites, which may reflect the early extraction of isotopically light partial melts from the source rock. We propose that their parent planetesimals started forming within ∼250,000 years of solar system formation from a hot (>∼500 K) inner protoplanetary disk region characterized by a reduced initial (26Al/27Al)0 abundance (∼1-2 × 10-5) relative to the (26Al/27Al)0 value in CAIs of 5.25 × 10-5. This effectively reduced the total heat production and allowed for the preservation of solid residues produced through progressive silicate melting with depth within the planetesimals. These 'non-carbonaceous' planetesimals acquired their mass throughout an extended period (>3 Myr) of continuous accretion, thereby generating onion-shell structures of incompletely differentiated zones, consisting of olivine-rich residues, overlaid by metachondrites and undifferentiated chondritic crusts. In contrast, individual olivine crystals from Eagle Station pallasites record variable μ26Mg∗ excesses, suggesting that these crystals captured the 26Mg∗ evolution of a magmatic reservoir controlled by fractional crystallization processes during the lifespan of 26Al. Similar to previous suggestions based on isotopic evidence, we suggest that Eagle Station pallasites formed from precursor material similar in composition to carbonaceous chondrites from a cool outer protoplanetary disk region characterized by (26Al/27Al)0 ⩾ 2.7 × 10-5. Protracted planetesimal accretion timescales at large orbital distances, with onset of accretion 0.3-1 Myr post-CAIs, may have resulted in significant radiative heat loss and thus efficient early interior cooling of slowly accreting 'carbonaceous' planetesimals.

Deuterium fractionation of water in the Solar nebula

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albertsson, Tobias; Semenov, Dmitry; Henning, Thomas

2013-07-01

Water evaporates in the inner regions of protoplanetary disks and is frozen onto grains in the outer regions. Therefore its presence in vast quantities on Earth is puzzling. Subsequent delivery through bombardment by primitive bodies formed in the outer icy regions is the favored mechanism. By studying water D/H ratios one hopes to understand whether the water was mainly delivered by comets or asteroids. Using an extended deuterium chemistry network coupled to a 2D chemo-dynamical disk model, we investigate the evolution of the D/H ratio of water in the young Solar nebula. We find that both the laminar and mixing Solar nebula models show the Earth's ocean water D/H ratio at 2-3 AU. In addition, the 2D-mixing model explains better the water D/H values observed in the Oort- and Jupiter-family comets.

A study of dust properties in the inner sub-au region of the Herbig Ae star HD 169142 with VLTI/PIONIER

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, L.; Kóspál, Á.; Ábrahám, P.; Kreplin, A.; Matter, A.; Weigelt, G.

2018-01-01

Context. An essential step to understanding protoplanetary evolution is the study of disks that contain gaps or inner holes. The pre-transitional disk around the Herbig star HD 169142 exhibits multi-gap disk structure, differentiated gas and dust distribution, planet candidates, and near-infrared fading in the past decades, which make it a valuable target for a case study of disk evolution. Aims: Using near-infrared interferometric observations with VLTI/PIONIER, we aim to study the dust properties in the inner sub-au region of the disk in the years 2011-2013, when the object is already in its near-infrared faint state. Methods: We first performed simple geometric modeling to characterize the size and shape of the NIR-emitting region. We then performed Monte-Carlo radiative transfer simulations on grids of models and compared the model predictions with the interferometric and photometric observations. Results: We find that the observations are consistent with optically thin gray dust lying at Rin 0.07 au, passively heated to T 1500 K. Models with sub-micron optically thin dust are excluded because such dust will be heated to much higher temperatures at similar distance. The observations can also be reproduced with a model consisting of optically thick dust at Rin 0.06 au, but this model is plausible only if refractory dust species enduring 2400 K exist in the inner disk. Based on observations collected at the European Organisation for Astronomical Research in the Southern Hemisphere under ESO programs 190.C-963 and 087.C-0709.

Can dead zones create structures like a transition disk?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinilla, Paola; Flock, Mario; Ovelar, Maria de Juan; Birnstiel, Til

2016-12-01

Context. Regions of low ionisation where the activity of the magneto-rotational instability is suppressed, the so-called dead zones, have been suggested to explain gaps and asymmetries of transition disks. Dead zones are therefore a potential cause for the observational signatures of transition disks without requiring the presence of embedded planets. Aims: We investigate the gas and dust evolution simultaneously assuming simplified prescriptions for a dead zone and a magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) wind acting on the disk. We explore whether the resulting gas and dust distribution can create signatures similar to those observed in transition disks. Methods: We imposed a dead zone and/or an MHD wind in the radial evolution of gas and dust in protoplanetary disks. For the dust evolution, we included the transport, growth, and fragmentation of dust particles. To compare with observations, we produced synthetic images in scattered optical light and in thermal emission at mm wavelengths. Results: In all models with a dead zone, a bump in the gas surface density is produced that is able to efficiently trap large particles (≳ 1 mm) at the outer edge of the dead zone. The gas bump reaches an amplitude of a factor of 5, which can be enhanced by the presence of an MHD wind that removes mass from the inner disk. While our 1D simulations suggest that such a structure can be present only for 1 Myr, the structure may be maintained for a longer time when more realistic 2D/3D simulations are performed. In the synthetic images, gap-like low-emission regions are seen at scattered light and in thermal emission at mm wavelengths, as previously predicted in the case of planet-disk interaction. Conclusions: Main signatures of transition disks can be reproduced by assuming a dead zone in the disk, such as gap-like structure in scattered light and millimetre continuum emission, and a lower gas surface density within the dead zone. Previous studies showed that the Rossby wave instability can also develop at the edge of such dead zones, forming vortices and also creating asymmetries.

Surface geometry of protoplanetary disks inferred from near-infrared imaging polarimetry

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Takami, Michihiro; Hasegawa, Yasuhiro; Gu, Pin-Gao

2014-11-01

We present a new method of analysis for determining the surface geometry of five protoplanetary disks observed with near-infrared imaging polarimetry using Subaru-HiCIAO. Using as inputs the observed distribution of polarized intensity (PI), disk inclination, assumed properties for dust scattering, and other reasonable approximations, we calculate a differential equation to derive the surface geometry. This equation is numerically integrated along the distance from the star at a given position angle. We show that, using these approximations, the local maxima in the PI distribution of spiral arms (SAO 206462, MWC 758) and rings (2MASS J16042165-2130284, PDS 70) are associated with localmore » concave-up structures on the disk surface. We also show that the observed presence of an inner gap in scattered light still allows the possibility of a disk surface that is parallel to the light path from the star, or a disk that is shadowed by structures in the inner radii. Our analysis for rings does not show the presence of a vertical inner wall as often assumed in studies of disks with an inner gap. Finally, we summarize the implications of spiral and ring structures as potential signatures of ongoing planet formation.« less

Nitrogen Fractionation in Protoplanetary Disks from the H13CN/HC15N Ratio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guzmán, V. V.; Öberg, K. I.; Huang, J.; Loomis, R.; Qi, C.

2017-02-01

Nitrogen fractionation is commonly used to assess the thermal history of solar system volatiles. With ALMA it is for the first time possible to directly measure {}14{{N}}/{}15{{N}} ratios in common molecules during the assembly of planetary systems. We present ALMA observations of the {{{H}}}13{CN} and {{HC}}15{{N}} J=3-2 lines at 0.″5 angular resolution, toward a sample of six protoplanetary disks, selected to span a range of stellar and disk structure properties. Adopting a typical {}12{{C}}/{}13{{C}} ratio of 70, we find comet-like {}14{{N}}/{}15{{N}} ratios of 80-160 in five of the disks (3 T Tauri and 2 Herbig Ae disks) and lack constraints for one of the T Tauri disks (IM Lup). There are no systematic differences between T Tauri and Herbig Ae disks, or between full and transition disks within the sample. In addition, no correlation is observed between disk-averaged D/H and {}14{{N}}/{}15{{N}} ratios in the sample. One of the disks, V4046 Sgr, presents unusually bright HCN isotopologue emission, enabling us to model the radial profiles of {{{H}}}13{CN} and {{HC}}15{{N}}. We find tentative evidence of an increasing {}14{{N}}/{}15{{N}} ratio with radius, indicating that selective photodissociation in the inner disk is important in setting the {}14{{N}}/{}15{{N}} ratio during planet formation.

OUTWARD MIGRATION OF JUPITER AND SATURN IN 3:2 OR 2:1 RESONANCE IN RADIATIVE DISKS: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE GRAND TACK AND NICE MODELS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pierens, Arnaud; Raymond, Sean N.; Nesvorny, David

Embedded in the gaseous protoplanetary disk, Jupiter and Saturn naturally become trapped in 3:2 resonance and migrate outward. This serves as the basis of the Grand Tack model. However, previous hydrodynamical simulations were restricted to isothermal disks, with moderate aspect ratio and viscosity. Here we simulate the orbital evolution of the gas giants in disks with viscous heating and radiative cooling. We find that Jupiter and Saturn migrate outward in 3:2 resonance in modest-mass (M {sub disk} ≈ M {sub MMSN}, where MMSN is the {sup m}inimum-mass solar nebula{sup )} disks with viscous stress parameter α between 10{sup –3} andmore » 10{sup –2}. In disks with relatively low-mass (M {sub disk} ≲ M {sub MMSN}), Jupiter and Saturn get captured in 2:1 resonance and can even migrate outward in low-viscosity disks (α ≤ 10{sup –4}). Such disks have a very small aspect ratio (h ∼ 0.02-0.03) that favors outward migration after capture in 2:1 resonance, as confirmed by isothermal runs which resulted in a similar outcome for h ∼ 0.02 and α ≤ 10{sup –4}. We also performed N-body runs of the outer solar system starting from the results of our hydrodynamical simulations and including 2-3 ice giants. After dispersal of the gaseous disk, a Nice model instability starting with Jupiter and Saturn in 2:1 resonance results in good solar systems analogs. We conclude that in a cold solar nebula, the 2:1 resonance between Jupiter and Saturn can lead to outward migration of the system, and this may represent an alternative scenario for the evolution of the solar system.« less

Chandra and HST Observations of the High Energy (X-ray/UV) Radiation Fields for an Evolutionary Sequence of Pre-Main-Sequence Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Alexander; Herczeg, G. J.; Brown, J. M.; Walter, F. M.; Valenti, J.; Ardila, D.; Hillenbrand, L. A.; Edwards, S.; Johns-Krull, C. M.; Alexander, R.; Bergin, E. A.; Calvet, N.; Bethell, T. J.; Ingleby, L.; Bary, J. S.; Audard, M.; Baldovin, C.; Roueff, E.; Abgrall, H.; Gregory, S. G.; Ayres, T. R.; Linsky, J. L.

2010-03-01

Pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars are strong X-ray and UV emitters and the high energy radiation from the central stars directly influences the physical and chemical processes in their protoplanetary disks. Gas and dust in protoplanetary systems are excited by these photons, which are the dominant ionization source for hundreds of AU around the star. X-rays penetrate deep into disks and power complex chemistry on grain surfaces. ``Transitional disks'' are an important short-lived evolutionary stage for PMS stars and protoplanetary systems. These disks have transformed most of the dust and gas in their inner regions into planetesimals or larger solid bodies. As dust disks disappear after ages of roughly 5 Myr high levels of stellar magnetic activity persist and continue to bathe the newly-forming protoplanetary systems with intense high energy radiation. We present new X-ray and UV spectra for a sample of PMS stars at a variety of evolutionary stages, including the classical T Tauri stars DE Tau and DK Tau, the transitional disk stars GM Aur and HD135344B, the Herbig Ae star HD104237, and the weak-lined T Tauri star LkCa4, the Eta Cha cluster [age 7 Myr] members RECX1, RECX-11, and RECX-15, and TW Hya association [age 8 Myr] member TWA-2. These include the first results from our 111 orbit HST Large project and associated X-ray data. New and archival Chandra, XMM, and Swift X-ray spectra and HST COS+STIS FUV spectra are being used to reconstruct the full high energy (X-ray/EUV/FUV/NUV) spectra of these stars, thus allowing detailed modeling of the physics and chemistry of their circumstellar environments. The UV spectra provide improved emission line profiles revealing details of the magnetically-heated plasma and accretion and outflow processes. This work is supported by Chandra grants GO8-9024X, GO9-0015X and GO9-0020B and proposal 11200754 and HST GO grants 11336, 11616, and 11828.

Tomographic Sounding of Protoplanetary and Transitional Disks: Using Inner Disk Variability at Near to Mid-IR Wavelengths to Probe Conditions in the Outer Disk

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grady, C. A.; Sitko, M.L.

2013-01-01

Spitzer synoptic monitoring of young stellar associations has demonstrated that variability among young stars and their disks is ubiquitous. The Spitzer studies have been limited by target visibility windows and cover only a short temporal baseline in years. A complementary approach is to focus on stars chosen for high-value observations (e.g. high-contrast imaging, interferometry, or access to wavelengths which are difficult to achieve from the ground) where the synoptic data can augment the imagery or interferometry as well as probing disk structure. In this talk, we discuss how synoptic data for two protoplanetary disks, MWC 480 and HD 163296, constrain the dust disk scale height, account for variable disk illumination, and can be used to locate emission features, such as the IR bands commonly associated with PAHs in the disk, as part of our SOFIA cycle 1 study. Similar variability is now known for several pre-transitional disks, where synoptic data can be used to identify inner disks which are not coplanar with the outer disk, and which may be relicts of giant planet-giant planet scattering events. Despite the logistical difficulties in arranging supporting, coordinated observations in tandem with high-value observations, such data have allowed us to place imagery in context, constrained structures in inner disks not accessible to direct imagery, and may be a tool for identifying systems where planet scattering events have occurred.

Capture of the Sun's Oort cloud from stars in its birth cluster.

PubMed

Levison, Harold F; Duncan, Martin J; Brasser, Ramon; Kaufmann, David E

2010-07-09

Oort cloud comets are currently believed to have formed in the Sun's protoplanetary disk and to have been ejected to large heliocentric orbits by the giant planets. Detailed models of this process fail to reproduce all of the available observational constraints, however. In particular, the Oort cloud appears to be substantially more populous than the models predict. Here we present numerical simulations that show that the Sun captured comets from other stars while it was in its birth cluster. Our results imply that a substantial fraction of the Oort cloud comets, perhaps exceeding 90%, are from the protoplanetary disks of other stars.

Cometary Volatiles and the Origin of Comets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

A'Hearn, Michael F.; Feaga, Lori M.; Keller, H. Uwe; Kawakita, Hideyo; Hampton, Donald L.; Kissel, Jochen; Klaasen, Kenneth P.; McFadden, Lucy A.; Meech, Karen J.; Schultz, Peter H.;

Emission from water vapor and absorption from other gases at 5-7.5 μm in Spitzer-IRS Spectra Of Protoplanetary Disks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Sargent, B. A.; Forrest, W.; Watson, Dan M.

We present spectra of 13 T Tauri stars in the Taurus-Auriga star-forming region showing emission in Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Spectrograph 5-7.5 μm spectra from water vapor and absorption from other gases in these stars' protoplanetary disks. Seven stars' spectra show an emission feature at 6.6 μm due to the ν{sub 2} = 1-0 bending mode of water vapor, with the shape of the spectrum suggesting water vapor temperatures >500 K, though some of these spectra also show indications of an absorption band, likely from another molecule. This water vapor emission contrasts with the absorption from warm water vapor seenmore » in the spectrum of the FU Orionis star V1057 Cyg. The other 6 of the 13 stars have spectra showing a strong absorption band, peaking in strength at 5.6-5.7 μm, which for some is consistent with gaseous formaldehyde (H{sub 2}CO) and for others is consistent with gaseous formic acid (HCOOH). There are indications that some of these six stars may also have weak water vapor emission. Modeling of these stars' spectra suggests these gases are present in the inner few AU of their host disks, consistent with recent studies of infrared spectra showing gas in protoplanetary disks.« less

3D Radiative Hydrodynamics Simulations of Protoplanetary Disks: A Comparison Between Two Radiative Cooling Algorithms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lord, Jesse W.; Boley, A. C.; Durisen, R. H.

2006-12-01

We present a comparison between two three-dimensional radiative hydrodynamics simulations of a gravitationally unstable 0.07 Msun protoplanetary disk around a 0.5 Msun star. The first simulation is the radiatively cooled disk described in Boley et al. (2006, ApJ, 651). This simulation employed an algorithm that uses 3D flux-limited diffusion wherever the vertical Rosseland optical depth is greater than 2/3, which defines the optically thick region. The optically thin atmosphere of the disk, which cools according to its emissivity, is coupled to the optically thick region through an Eddington-like boundary condition. The second simulation employed an algorithm that uses a combination of solving the radiative transfer equation along rays in the z direction and flux limited diffusion in the r and phi directions on a cylindrical grid. We compare the following characteristics of the disk simulations: the mass transport and torques induced by gravitational instabilities, the effective temperature profiles of the disks, the gravitational and Reynolds stresses measured in the disk and those expected in an alpha-disk, and the amplitudes of the Fourier modes. This work has been supported by the National Science Foundation through grant AST-0452975 (astronomy REU program to Indiana University).

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

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-06-01

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

Boundary Conditions of Radiative Cooling in Gravitationally Unstable Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, K.; Durisen, R. H.; Mejía, A. C.

2004-05-01

In order to create 3D hydrodynamic disk simulations which reproduce the observable properties of young stellar disks and which realistically probe the possibility of planet formation by gravitational instabilities, it is crucial to include a proper treatment of the radiative energy transport within the disk. Our recent simulations (Mejía 2004, Ph.D. dissertation) suggest that the boundary conditions between optically thin and thick regions are important in treating radiative cooling in protoplanetary disks. Although the initial cooling times are shorter than one rotation period, these disks adjust their structures over a few rotations to much longer cooling times, at which Gammie's (2001) criterion predicts they are stable against fragmentation into dense clumps. In fact, the disks do not fragment in Mejía's calculations. Boss (2001, 2002), on the other hand, using different boundary conditions, finds rapid cooling and fragmentation in his own disk simulations with radiative cooling. He attributes the rapid cooling to convection, which does not occur in Mejía's calculations. This apparent disagreement is critical because disk fragmentation has been proposed as a gas giant planet formation mechanism. To test the importance of boundary conditions, we are running simulations which compare a Boss-like treatment of boundary conditions with Mejía's for the case of a disk heated from above by a hot envelope. Preliminary results will be presented.

The Thermal Regulation of Gravitational Instabilities in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pickett, Brian K.; Mejía, Annie C.; Durisen, Richard H.; Cassen, Patrick M.; Berry, Donald K.; Link, Robert P.

2003-06-01

We present a series of high-resolution, three-dimensional hydrodynamics simulations of a gravitationally unstable solar nebula model. The influences of both azimuthal grid resolution and the treatment of thermal processes on the origin and evolution of gravitational instabilities are investigated. In the first set of simulations, we vary the azimuthal resolution for a locally isothermal simulation, doubling and quadrupling the resolution used in a previous study; the largest number of grid points is (256,256,64) in cylindrical coordinates (r,ϕ,z). At this resolution, the disk breaks apart into a dozen short-lived condensations. Although our previous calculations underresolved the number and growth rate of clumps in the disk, the overall qualitative, but fundamental, conclusion remains: fragmentation under the locally isothermal condition in numerical simulations does not in itself lead to the survival of clumps to become gaseous giant protoplanets. Since local isothermality represents an extreme assumption about thermal processes in the disk, we also present several extended simulations in which heating from an artificial viscosity scheme and cooling from a simple volumetric cooling function are applied to two different models of the solar nebula. The models are differentiated primarily by disk temperature: a high-Q model generated directly by our self-consistent field equilibrium code and a low-Q model generated by cooling the high-Q model in a two-dimensional version of our hydrodynamics code. Here, ``high-Q'' and ``low-Q'' refer to the minimum values of the Toomre stability parameter Q in each disk, Qmin=1.8 and 0.9, respectively. Previous simulations, by ourselves as well as others, have focused on initial states that are already gravitationally unstable, i.e., models similar to the low-Q model. This paper presents for the first time the numerical evolution of an essentially stable initial equilibrium state (the high-Q model) to a severely unstable one by cooling. The additional heating and cooling are applied to each model over the outer half of the disk or the entire disk. The models are subject to the rapid growth of a four-armed spiral instability; the subsequent evolution of the models depends on the thermal behavior of the disk. The cooling function tends to overwhelm the heating included in our artificial viscosity prescription, and as a result the spiral structure strengthens. The spiral disturbances transport mass at prodigious rates during the early nonlinear stages of development and significantly alter the disk's vertical surface. Although dense condensations of material can appear, their character depends on the extent of the volumetric cooling in the disk. In the simulation of the high-Q model with heating and cooling applied throughout the disk, thin, dense rings form at radii ranging from 1 to 3 AU and steadily increase in mass; later companion formation may occur in these rings as cooling drives them toward instability. When heating and cooling are applied only over the outer radial half of the disk, however, a succession of single condensations appears near 5 AU. Each clump has roughly the mass of Saturn, and some survive a complete orbit. Since the clumps form near the artificial boundary in the treatment of the disk gas physics, the production of a clump in this case is a numerical artifact. Nevertheless, radially abrupt transitions in disk gas characteristics, for example, in opacity, might mimic the artificial boundary effects in our simulations and favor the production of stable companions in actual protostellar and protoplanetary disks. The ultimate survival of condensations as eventual stellar or substellar companions to the central star is still largely an open question.

The comet-like composition of a protoplanetary disk as revealed by complex cyanides.

PubMed

Öberg, Karin I; Guzmán, Viviana V; Furuya, Kenji; Qi, Chunhua; Aikawa, Yuri; Andrews, Sean M; Loomis, Ryan; Wilner, David J

2015-04-09

Observations of comets and asteroids show that the solar nebula that spawned our planetary system was rich in water and organic molecules. Bombardment brought these organics to the young Earth's surface. Unlike asteroids, comets preserve a nearly pristine record of the solar nebula composition. The presence of cyanides in comets, including 0.01 per cent of methyl cyanide (CH3CN) with respect to water, is of special interest because of the importance of C-N bonds for abiotic amino acid synthesis. Comet-like compositions of simple and complex volatiles are found in protostars, and can readily be explained by a combination of gas-phase chemistry (to form, for example, HCN) and an active ice-phase chemistry on grain surfaces that advances complexity. Simple volatiles, including water and HCN, have been detected previously in solar nebula analogues, indicating that they survive disk formation or are re-formed in situ. It has hitherto been unclear whether the same holds for more complex organic molecules outside the solar nebula, given that recent observations show a marked change in the chemistry at the boundary between nascent envelopes and young disks due to accretion shocks. Here we report the detection of the complex cyanides CH3CN and HC3N (and HCN) in the protoplanetary disk around the young star MWC 480. We find that the abundance ratios of these nitrogen-bearing organics in the gas phase are similar to those in comets, which suggests an even higher relative abundance of complex cyanides in the disk ice. This implies that complex organics accompany simpler volatiles in protoplanetary disks, and that the rich organic chemistry of our solar nebula was not unique.

The comet-like composition of a protoplanetary disk as revealed by complex cyanides

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Öberg, Karin I.; Guzmán, Viviana V.; Furuya, Kenji; Qi, Chunhua; Aikawa, Yuri; Andrews, Sean M.; Loomis, Ryan; Wilner, David J.

2015-04-01

Observations of comets and asteroids show that the solar nebula that spawned our planetary system was rich in water and organic molecules. Bombardment brought these organics to the young Earth's surface. Unlike asteroids, comets preserve a nearly pristine record of the solar nebula composition. The presence of cyanides in comets, including 0.01 per cent of methyl cyanide (CH3CN) with respect to water, is of special interest because of the importance of C-N bonds for abiotic amino acid synthesis. Comet-like compositions of simple and complex volatiles are found in protostars, and can readily be explained by a combination of gas-phase chemistry (to form, for example, HCN) and an active ice-phase chemistry on grain surfaces that advances complexity. Simple volatiles, including water and HCN, have been detected previously in solar nebula analogues, indicating that they survive disk formation or are re-formed in situ. It has hitherto been unclear whether the same holds for more complex organic molecules outside the solar nebula, given that recent observations show a marked change in the chemistry at the boundary between nascent envelopes and young disks due to accretion shocks. Here we report the detection of the complex cyanides CH3CN and HC3N (and HCN) in the protoplanetary disk around the young star MWC 480. We find that the abundance ratios of these nitrogen-bearing organics in the gas phase are similar to those in comets, which suggests an even higher relative abundance of complex cyanides in the disk ice. This implies that complex organics accompany simpler volatiles in protoplanetary disks, and that the rich organic chemistry of our solar nebula was not unique.

THE COUPLED PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF GAS AND DUST IN THE IM Lup PROTOPLANETARY DISK

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cleeves, L. Ilsedore; Öberg, Karin I.; Wilner, David J.

The spatial distribution of gas and solids in protoplanetary disks determines the composition and formation efficiency of planetary systems. A number of disks show starkly different distributions for the gas and small grains compared to millimeter–centimeter-sized dust. We present new Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array observations of the dust continuum, CO, {sup 13}CO, and C{sup 18}O in the IM Lup protoplanetary disk, one of the first systems where this dust–gas dichotomy was clearly seen. The {sup 12}CO is detected out to a radius of 970 au, while the millimeter continuum emission is truncated at just 313 au. Based upon these data,more » we have built a comprehensive physical and chemical model for the disk structure, which takes into account the complex, coupled nature of the gas and dust and the interplay between the local and external environment. We constrain the distributions of gas and dust, the gas temperatures, the CO abundances, the CO optical depths, and the incident external radiation field. We find that the reduction/removal of dust from the outer disk exposes this region to higher stellar and external radiation and decreases the rate of freeze-out, allowing CO to remain in the gas out to large radial distances. We estimate a gas-phase CO abundance of 5% of the interstellar medium value and a low external radiation field ( G {sub 0} ≲ 4). The latter is consistent with that expected from the local stellar population. We additionally find tentative evidence for ring-like continuum substructure, suggestions of isotope-selective photodissociation, and a diffuse gas halo.« less

Trapping Dust to Form Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-10-01

Growing a planet from a dust grain is hard work! A new study explores how vortices in protoplanetary disks can assist this process.When Dust Growth FailsTop: ALMA image of the protoplanetary disk of V1247 Orionis, with different emission components labeled. Bottom: Synthetic image constructed from the best-fit model. [Kraus et al. 2017]Gradual accretion onto a seed particle seems like a reasonable way to grow a planet from a grain of dust; after all, planetary embryos orbit within dusty protoplanetary disks, which provides them with plenty of fuel to accrete so they can grow. Theres a challenge to this picture, though: the radial drift problem.The radial drift problem acknowledges that, as growing dust grains orbit within the disk, the drag force on them continues to grow as well. For large enough dust grains perhaps around 1 millimeter the drag force will cause the grains orbits to decay, and the particles drift into the star before they are able to grow into planetesimals and planets.A Close-Up Look with ALMASo how do we overcome the radial drift problem in order to form planets? A commonly proposed mechanism is dust trapping, in which long-lived vortices in the disk trap the dust particles, preventing them from falling inwards. This allows the particles to persist for millions of years long enough to grow beyond the radial drift barrier.Observationally, these dust-trapping vortices should have signatures: we would expect to see, at millimeter wavelengths, specific bright, asymmetric structures where the trapping occurs in protoplanetary disks. Such disk structures have been difficult to spot with past instrumentation, but the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has made some new observations of the disk V1247 Orionis that might be just what were looking for.Schematic of the authors model for the disk of V1247 Orionis. [Kraus et al. 2017]Trapped in a Vortex?ALMAs observations of V1247 Orionis are reported by a team of scientists led by Stefan Kraus (University of Exeter) in a recent publication. Kraus and collaborators show that the protoplanetary disk of V1247 Orionis contains a ring-shaped, asymmetric inner disk component, as well as a sharply confined crescent structure. These structures are consistent with the morphologies expected from theoretical models of vortex formation in disks.Kraus and collaborators propose the following picture: an early planet is orbiting at 100 AU within the disk, generating a one-armed spiral arm as material feeds the protoplanet. As the protoplanet orbits, it clears a gap between the ring and the crescent, and it simultaneously triggers two vortices, visible as the crescent and the bright asymmetry in the ring. These vortices are then able to trap millimeter-sized particles.Gas column density of the authors radiation-hydrodynamic simulation of V1247 Orioniss disk. [Kraus et al. 2017]The authors run detailed hydrodynamics simulations of this scenario and compare them (as well as alternative theories) to the ALMA observations of V1247 Orionis. The simulations support their model, producing sample scattered-light images thatmatchwell the one-armed spiral observed in previous scattered-light images of the disk.How can we confirm V1247 Orionis providesan example of dust-trapping vortices? One piece of supporting evidence would be the discovery of the protoplanet that Kraus and collaborators theorize triggered the potential vortices in this disk. Future deeper ALMA imaging may make this possible, helping to confirm our picture of how dust builds into planets.CitationStefan Kraus et al 2017 ApJL 848 L11. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aa8edc

Unbiased millimeter-wave line surveys of TW Hya and V4046 Sgr: The enhanced C{sub 2}H and CN abundances of evolved protoplanetary disks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kastner, Joel H.; Punzi, Kristina; Hily-Blant, Pierre

2014-09-20

We have conducted the first comprehensive millimeter-wave molecular emission line surveys of the evolved circumstellar disks orbiting the nearby, roughly solar-mass, pre-main-sequence (T Tauri) stars, TW Hya (D = 54 pc) and V4046 Sgr AB (D = 73 pc). Both disks are known to retain significant residual gaseous components despite the advanced ages of their host stars (∼8 Myr and ∼21 Myr, respectively). Our unbiased broadband radio spectral surveys of the TW Hya and V4046 Sgr disks were performed with the Atacama Pathfinder Experiment 12 m telescope, and are intended to yield a complete census of the bright molecular emissionmore » lines in the range 275-357 GHz (1.1-0.85 mm). We find that lines of {sup 12}CO, {sup 13}CO, HCN, CN, and C{sub 2}H, all of which lie in the higher frequency (>330 GHz) range, constitute the strongest molecular emission from both disks in the spectral region surveyed. The molecule C{sub 2}H is detected here for the first time in both disks, as is CS in the TW Hya disk. The survey results also include the first measurements of the full suite of the hyperfine transitions of CN N = 3 → 2 and C{sub 2}H N = 4 → 3 in both disks. Modeling of these CN and C{sub 2}H hyperfine complexes in the spectrum of TW Hya indicates that the emission from both species is optically thick and may originate from very cold (≲10 K) disk regions. The latter result, if confirmed, would suggest the efficient production of CN and C{sub 2}H in the outer disk and/or near the disk midplane. It furthermore appears that the fractional abundances of CN and C{sub 2}H are significantly enhanced in these evolved protoplanetary disks, relative to the fractional abundances of the same molecules in the environments of deeply embedded protostars. These results, combined with previous determinations of the enhanced abundances of other species (such as HCO{sup +}) in T Tauri star disks, underscore the importance of properly accounting for high-energy (FUV and X-ray) radiation from the central T Tauri star when modeling protoplanetary disk gas chemistry and physical conditions.« less

VLA Imaging of Protoplanetary Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilner, David J.

2004-01-01

We summarize the major accomplishments of our program to use high angular resolution observations at millimeter wavelengths to probe the structure of protoplanetary disks in nearby regions of star formation. The primary facilities used in this work were the Very Large Array (VLA) of the National Radio Astronomy Observatories (NRAO) located in New Mexico, and the recently upgraded Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA), located in Australia (to access sources in the far southern sky). We used these facilities to image thermal emission from dust particles in disks at long millimeter wavelengths, where the emission is optically thin and probes the full disk volume, including the inner regions of planet formation that remain opaque at shorter wavelengths. The best resolution obtained with the VLA is comparable to the size scales of the orbits of giant planets in our Solar System (< 10 AU).

Computing Temperatures in Optically Thick Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Capuder, Lawrence F.. Jr.

2011-01-01

We worked with a Monte Carlo radiative transfer code to simulate the transfer of energy through protoplanetary disks, where planet formation occurs. The code tracks photons from the star into the disk, through scattering, absorption and re-emission, until they escape to infinity. High optical depths in the disk interior dominate the computation time because it takes the photon packet many interactions to get out of the region. High optical depths also receive few photons and therefore do not have well-estimated temperatures. We applied a modified random walk (MRW) approximation for treating high optical depths and to speed up the Monte Carlo calculations. The MRW is implemented by calculating the average number of interactions the photon packet will undergo in diffusing within a single cell of the spatial grid and then updating the packet position, packet frequencies, and local radiation absorption rate appropriately. The MRW approximation was then tested for accuracy and speed compared to the original code. We determined that MRW provides accurate answers to Monte Carlo Radiative transfer simulations. The speed gained from using MRW is shown to be proportional to the disk mass.

An Observational Study of Accretion Dynamics in Short-Period Pre-Main Sequence Binaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tofflemire, Benjamin; Mathieu, Robert; Herczeg, Greg; Johns-Krull, Christopher; Akeson, Rachel; Ciardi, David

2018-01-01

Over the past thirty years, a detailed picture of star formation has emerged that highlights the importance of the interaction between a pre-main sequence (pre-MS) star and its protoplanetary disk. The properties of an emergent star, the lifetime of a protoplanetary disk, and the formation of planets are all, in part, determined by this star-disk interaction. Many stars, however, form in binary or higher-order systems where orbital dynamics are capable of fundamentally altering this star-disk interaction. Orbital resonances, especially in short-period systems, are capable of clearing the central region of a protoplanetary disk, leaving the possibility for three stable accretion disks: a circumstellar disk around each star and a circumbinary disk. In this model, accretion onto the stars is predicted to proceed in periodic streams that form at the inner edge of the circumbinary disk, cross the dynamically cleared gap, and feed circumstellar disks or accrete directly onto the stars themselves. This pulsed-accretion paradigm predicts bursts of accretion that are periodic with the orbital period, where the duration, amplitude, location in orbital phase, and which star if preferentially fed, all depend on the orbital parameters. To test these predictions, we have carried out intensive observational campaigns combining time-series, optical and near-infrared photometry with time-series, optical spectroscopy. These data are capable of monitoring the stellar accretion rate, the properties of warm circumstellar dust, and the kinematics of accretion flows, all as a function of orbital phase. In our sample of 9 pre-MS binaries with diverse orbital parameters, we search for evidence of periodic accretion events and seek to determine the role orbital parameters have on the characteristics of accretion events. Two results from our campaign will be highlighted: 1) the detection of periodic pulsed accretion events in DQ Tau and TWA 3A, and 2) evidence that the TWA 3A primary is the dominant accretor in the system. We compare these findings to the results of numerical simulations and comment on the role of magnetospheric accretion in pre-MS binaries.

Featured Image: Simulating Planetary Gaps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kohler, Susanna

2017-03-01

The authors model of howthe above disk would look as we observe it in a scattered-light image. The morphology of the gap can be used to estimate the mass of the planet that caused it. [Dong Fung 2017]The above image from a computer simulation reveals the dust structure of a protoplanetary disk (with the star obscured in the center) as a newly formed planet orbits within it. A recent study by Ruobing Dong (Steward Observatory, University of Arizona) and Jeffrey Fung (University of California, Berkeley) examines how we can determine mass of such a planet based on our observations of the gap that the planet opens in the disk as it orbits. The authors models help us to better understand how our observations of gaps might change if the disk is inclined relative to our line of sight, and how we can still constrain the mass of the gap-opening planet and the viscosity of the disk from the scattered-light images we have recently begun to obtain of distant protoplanetary disks. For more information, check out the paper below!CitationRuobing Dong () and Jeffrey Fung () 2017 ApJ 835 146. doi:10.3847/1538-4357/835/2/146

ECCENTRICITY TRAP: TRAPPING OF RESONANTLY INTERACTING PLANETS NEAR THE DISK INNER EDGE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ogihara, Masahiro; Ida, Shigeru; Duncan, Martin J., E-mail: ogihara@geo.titech.ac.j, E-mail: ida@geo.titech.ac.j, E-mail: duncan@astro.queensu.c

2010-10-01

Using orbital integration and analytical arguments, we have found a new mechanism (an 'eccentricity trap') to halt type I migration of planets near the inner edge of a protoplanetary disk. Because asymmetric eccentricity damping due to disk-planet interaction on the innermost planet at the disk edge plays a crucial role in the trap, this mechanism requires continuous eccentricity excitation and hence works for a resonantly interacting convoy of planets. This trap is so strong that the edge torque exerted on the innermost planet can completely halt type I migrations of many outer planets through mutual resonant perturbations. Consequently, the convoymore » stays outside the disk edge, as a whole. We have derived a semi-analytical formula for the condition for the eccentricity trap and predict how many planets are likely to be trapped. We found that several planets or more should be trapped by this mechanism in protoplanetary disks that have cavities. It can be responsible for the formation of non-resonant, multiple, close-in super-Earth systems extending beyond 0.1 AU. Such systems are being revealed by radial velocity observations to be quite common around solar-type stars.« less

A Survey of CH3CN and HC3N in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergner, Jennifer B.; Guzmán, Viviana G.; Öberg, Karin I.; Loomis, Ryan A.; Pegues, Jamila

2018-04-01

The organic content of protoplanetary disks sets the initial compositions of planets and comets, thereby influencing subsequent chemistry that is possible in nascent planetary systems. We present observations of the complex nitrile-bearing species CH3CN and HC3N toward the disks around the T Tauri stars AS 209, IM Lup, LkCa 15, and V4046 Sgr as well as the Herbig Ae stars MWC 480 and HD 163296. HC3N is detected toward all disks except IM Lup, and CH3CN is detected toward V4046 Sgr, MWC 480, and HD 163296. Rotational temperatures derived for disks with multiple detected lines range from 29 to 73 K, indicating emission from the temperate molecular layer of the disk. V4046 Sgr and MWC 480 radial abundance profiles are constrained using a parametric model; the gas-phase CH3CN and HC3N abundances with respect to HCN are a few to tens of percent in the inner 100 au of the disk, signifying a rich nitrile chemistry at planet- and comet-forming disk radii. We find consistent relative abundances of CH3CN, HC3N, and HCN between our disk sample, protostellar envelopes, and solar system comets; this is suggestive of a robust nitrile chemistry with similar outcomes under a wide range of physical conditions.

Possible Analog for Early Solar System Disk Found

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

The onset of planet formation in brown dwarf disks.

PubMed

Apai, Dániel; Pascucci, Ilaria; Bouwman, Jeroen; Natta, Antonella; Henning, Thomas; Dullemond, Cornelis P

2005-11-04

The onset of planet formation in protoplanetary disks is marked by the growth and crystallization of sub-micrometer-sized dust grains accompanied by dust settling toward the disk mid-plane. Here, we present infrared spectra of disks around brown dwarfs and brown dwarf candidates. We show that all three processes occur in such cool disks in a way similar or identical to that in disks around low- and intermediate-mass stars. These results indicate that the onset of planet formation extends to disks around brown dwarfs, suggesting that planet formation is a robust process occurring in most young circumstellar disks.

On Magnetic Dynamos in Thin Accretion Disks around Compact and Young Stars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stepinski, T. F.

1993-01-01

A variety of geometrically thin accretion disks commonly associated with such astronomical objects as X-ray binaries, cataclysmic variables, and protostars are likely to be seats of MHD dynamo actions. Thin disk geometry and the particular physical environment make accretion disk dynamos different from stellar, planetary, or even galactic dynamos. We discuss those particular features of disk dynamos with emphasis on the difference between protoplanetary disk dynamos and those associated with compact stars. We then describe normal mode solutions for thin disk dynamos and discuss implications for the dynamical behavior of dynamo-magnetized accretion disks.

Evolution of the Solar Nebula. II. Thermal Structure during Nebula Formation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boss, Alan P.

1993-11-01

Models of the thermal structure of protoplanetary disks are required for understanding the physics and chemistry of the earliest phases of planet formation. Numerical hydrodynamical models of the protostellar collapse phase have not been evolved far enough in time to be relevant to planet formation, i.e., to a relatively low-mass disk surrounding a protostar. One simplification is to assume a pre-existing solar-mass protostar, and calculate the structure of just the disk as it forms from the highest angular momentum vestiges of the placental cloud core. A spatially second-order accurate, axisymmetric (two-dimensional), radiative hydrodynamics code has been used to construct three sets of protoplanetary disk models under this assumption. Because compressional heating has been included, but not viscous or other heating sources, the model temperatures obtained should be considered lower bounds. The first set started from a spherically symmetric configuration appropriate for freely falling gas: ρ ∝ r-3/2, υr ∝ r-1/2, but with rotation (Ω ∝ r-1, where r is the spherical coordinate radius). These first models turned out to be unsatisfactory because in order to achieve an acceptable mass accretion rate onto the protostar (Mṡ ≤ 10-5 Msun yr-1 for low-mass star formation), the disk mass became much too small (˜ 0.0002 Msun). The second set improved on the first set by ensuring that the late-arriving, high angular momentum gas did not accrete directly onto the protosun. By starting from a disklike cloud flattened about the equatorial plane and flowing vertically toward the midplane, these models led to Mṡ → 0, as desired. However, because the initial cloud was not chosen to be close to equilibrium, the disk rapidly contracted vertically, producing an effective disk mass accretion rate Mṡd ˜ 10-2 Msun yr-1, again too high. Hence, the third (and most realistic) set started from an approximate equilibrium state for an adiabatic, self-gravitating "fat" Keplerian disk, with surface density σ ∝ r-1/2, surrounded by a much lower density "halo" infalling onto the disk. This initial condition produced Mṡs → 0 and Mṡd ˜ 10-6 to 10-5 Msun yr-1, as desired. The resulting nebula temperature distributions show that midplane temperatures of at least 1000 K inside 2.5 AU, falling to around 100 K outside 5 AU, are to be expected during the formation phase of a minimum mass nebula containing ˜0.02 Msun within 10 AU. This steady state temperature distribution appears to be consistent with cosmochemical evidence which has been interpreted as implying a phase of relatively high temperatures in the inner nebula. The temperature distribution also implies that the nebula would be cool enough outside 5 AU to allow ices to accumulate into planetesimals even at this relatively early phase of nebula evolution.

Radionuclide Ionization in Protoplanetary Disks: Calculations of Decay Product Radiative Transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2013-11-01

We present simple analytic solutions for the ionization rate ζSLR arising from the decay of short-lived radionuclides (SLRs) within protoplanetary disks. We solve the radiative transfer problem for the decay products within the disk, and thereby allow for the loss of radiation at low disk surface densities; energy loss becomes important outside R >~ 30 AU for typical disk masses Mg = 0.04 M ⊙. Previous studies of chemistry/physics in these disks have neglected the impact of ionization by SLRs, and often consider only cosmic rays (CRs), because of the high CR-rate present in the interstellar medium. However, recent work suggests that the flux of CRs present in the circumstellar environment could be substantially reduced by relatively modest stellar winds, resulting in severely modulated CR ionization rates, ζCR, equal to or substantially below that of SLRs (ζSLR <~ 10-18 s-1). We compute the net ionizing particle fluxes and corresponding ionization rates as a function of position within the disk for a variety of disk models. The resulting expressions are especially simple for the case of vertically Gaussian disks (frequently assumed in the literature). Finally, we provide a power-law fit to the ionization rate in the midplane as a function of gas disk surface density and time. Depending on location in the disk, the ionization rates by SLRs are typically in the range ζSLR ~ (1-10) × 10-19 s-1.

Variable H13CO+ Emission in the IM Lup Disk: X-Ray Driven Time-dependent Chemistry?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cleeves, L. Ilsedore; Bergin, Edwin A.; Öberg, Karin I.; Andrews, Sean; Wilner, David; Loomis, Ryan

2017-07-01

We report the first detection of a substantial brightening event in an isotopologue of a key molecular ion, HCO+, within a protoplanetary disk of a T Tauri star. The H13CO+ J=3-2 rotational transition was observed three times toward IM Lup between 2014 July and 2015 May with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. The first two observations show similar spectrally integrated line and continuum fluxes, while the third observation shows a doubling in the disk-integrated J=3-2 line flux compared to the continuum, which does not change between the three epochs. We explore models of an X-ray active star irradiating the disk via stellar flares, and find that the optically thin H13CO+ emission variation can potentially be explained via X-ray-driven chemistry temporarily enhancing the HCO+ abundance in the upper layers of the disk atmosphere during large or prolonged flaring events. If the HCO+ enhancement is indeed caused by an X-ray flare, future observations should be able to spatially resolve these events and potentially enable us to watch the chemical aftermath of the high-energy stellar radiation propagating across the face of protoplanetary disks, providing a new pathway to explore ionization physics and chemistry, including electron density, in disks.

Retrieving the Molecular Composition of Planet-Forming Material: An Accurate Non-LTE Radiative Transfer Code for JWST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pontoppidan, Klaus

Based on the observed distributions of exoplanets and dynamical models of their evolution, the primary planet-forming regions of protoplanetary disks are thought to span distances of 1-20 AU from typical stars. A key observational challenge of the next decade will be to understand the links between the formation of planets in protoplanetary disks and the chemical composition of exoplanets. Potentially habitable planets in particular are likely formed by solids growing within radii of a few AU, augmented by unknown contributions from volatiles formed at larger radii of 10-50 AU. The basic chemical composition of these inner disk regions is characterized by near- to far-infrared (2-200 micron) emission lines from molecular gas at temperatures of 50-1500 K. A critical step toward measuring the chemical composition of planet-forming regions is therefore to convert observed infrared molecular line fluxes, profiles and images to gas temperatures, densities and molecular abundances. However, current techniques typically employ approximate radiative transfer methods and assumptions of local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) to retrieve abundances, leading to uncertainties of orders of magnitude and inconclusive comparisons to chemical models. Ultimately, the scientific impact of the high quality spectroscopic data expected from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will be limited by the availability of radiative transfer tools for infrared molecular lines. We propose to develop a numerically accurate, non-LTE 3D line radiative transfer code, needed to interpret mid-infrared molecular line observations of protoplanetary and debris disks in preparation for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). This will be accomplished by adding critical functionality to the existing Monte Carlo code LIME, which was originally developed to support (sub)millimeter interferometric observations. In contrast to existing infrared codes, LIME calculates the exact statistical balance of arbitrary collections of molecular lines, and does not use large velocity gradient (LVG) or escape probability approximations. However, to use LIME for infrared line radiative transfer, new functionality must be added and tested, such as dust scattering, UV fluorescence, and interfaces with public state-of-the art 3D dust radiative transfer codes (e.g., RADMC3D) and thermo-chemical codes (e.g, ProDiMo). Infrared transitions of molecules expected to be ubiquitous in JWST spectra currently do not have good databases applicable to astrophysical modeling and protoplanetary disks, including water, OH, CO2, NH3, CH4, HCN, etc. Obtaining accurate solutions of the non-LTE line transfer problem in 3D in the infrared is computationally intensive. We propose to benchmark the new code relative to existing, approximate methods to determine whether they are accurate, and under what conditions. We will also create conversion tables between mid-infrared line strengths of water, OH, CH4, NH3, CH3OH, CO2 and other species expected to be observed with JWST, and their relative abundances in planet-forming regions. We propose to apply the new IR-LIME to retrieve molecular abundances from archival and new spectroscopic observations with Spitzer/Herschel/Keck/VLT of CO, water, OH and organic molecules, and to publish comprehensive tables of retrieved molecular abundances in protoplanetary disks. The proposed research is relevant to the XRP call, since it addresses a critical step in inferring the chemical abundances of planet-forming material, which in turn can be compared to the observed compositions of exoplanets, thereby improving our understanding of the origins of exoplanetary systems. The proposed research is particularly timely as the first JWST science data are expected to become available toward the end of the three-year duration of the project.

Xenon in the Protoplanetary Disk (PPD-Xe)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marti, K.; Mathew, K. J.

2015-06-01

Relationships among solar system Xe components as observed in the solar wind, in planetary atmospheres, and in meteorites are investigated using isotopic correlations. The term PPD-Xe is used for components inferred to have been present in the molecular cloud material that formed the protoplanetary disk (PPD). The evidence of the lack of simple relationships between terrestrial atmospheric Xe and solar or meteoritic components is confirmed. Xe isotopic correlations indicate a heterogeneous PPD composition with variable mixing ratios of the nucleosynthetic component Xe-HL. Solar Xe represents a bulk PPD component, and the isotopic abundances did not change from the time of incorporation into the interior of Mars through times of regolith implantations to the present.

Observations of Carbon Chain Chemistry in the Envelopes of Low-Mass Protostars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cordiner, M.; Charnley, S.; Buckle, J. V.; Walsh, C.; Millar, T. J.

2012-01-01

Observational results are reported from our surveys in the Northern Hemisphere (using the Onsala 20 m telescope) and the Southern Hemisphere (using the Mopra 22 m telescope) to search for 3 mm emission lines from carbon-chain-bearing species and other complex molecules in the envelopes of low-mass protostars. Based on a sample of approximately 60 sources, we find that carbon-chain-bearing species including HC3N (and C4H) are highly abundant in the vicinity of more than half of the observed protostars. The origin and evolution of these species, including their likely incorporation into ices in protoplanetary disks will be discussed

High-resolution 25 μm Imaging of the Disks around Herbig Ae/Be Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Honda, M.; Maaskant, K.; Okamoto, Y. K.; Kataza, H.; Yamashita, T.; Miyata, T.; Sako, S.; Fujiyoshi, T.; Sakon, I.; Fujiwara, H.; Kamizuka, T.; Mulders, G. D.; Lopez-Rodriguez, E.; Packham, C.; Onaka, T.

2015-05-01

We imaged circumstellar disks around 22 Herbig Ae/Be stars at 25 μm using Subaru/COMICS and Gemini/T-ReCS. Our sample consists of an equal number of objects from each of the two categories defined by Meeus et al.; 11 group I (flaring disk) and II (flat disk) sources. We find that group I sources tend to show more extended emission than group II sources. Previous studies have shown that the continuous disk is difficult to resolve with 8 m class telescopes in the Q band due to the strong emission from the unresolved innermost region of the disk. This indicates that the resolved Q-band sources require a hole or gap in the disk material distribution to suppress the contribution from the innermost region of the disk. As many group I sources are resolved at 25 μm, we suggest that many, but not all, group I Herbig Ae/Be disks have a hole or gap and are (pre-)transitional disks. On the other hand, the unresolved nature of many group II sources at 25 μm supports the idea that group II disks have a continuous flat disk geometry. It has been inferred that group I disks may evolve into group II through the settling of dust grains into the mid-plane of the protoplanetary disk. However, considering the growing evidence for the presence of a hole or gap in the disk of group I sources, such an evolutionary scenario is unlikely. The difference between groups I and II may reflect different evolutionary pathways of protoplanetary disks. Based on data collected at the Subaru Telescope, via the time exchange program between Subaru and the Gemini Observatory. The Subaru Telescope is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.

The Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope (SPIRIT): Mission Study Results

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

how planetary systems form it is essential to obtain spatially-resolved far-IR observations of protostars and protoplanetary disks . At the distance...accomplish three primary scientific objectives: (1) Learn how planetary systems form from protostellar disks , and how they acquire their chemical...organization; (2) Characterize the family of extrasolar planetary systems by imaging the structure in debris disks to understand how and where planets

Protostars and Disks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ho, Paul

1997-01-01

The research concentrated on high angular resolution (arc-second scale) studies of molecular cloud cores associated with very young star formation. New ways to study disks and protoplanetary systems were explored. Findings from the areas studied are briefly summarized: (1) molecular clouds; (2) gravitational contraction; (3) jets, winds, and outflows; (4) Circumstellar Disks (5) Extrasolar Planetary Systems. A bibliography of publications and submitted papers produced during the grant period is included.

An ALMA Survey of DCN/H13CN and DCO+/H13CO+ in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Jane; Öberg, Karin I.; Qi, Chunhua; Aikawa, Yuri; Andrews, Sean M.; Furuya, Kenji; Guzmán, Viviana V.; Loomis, Ryan A.; van Dishoeck, Ewine F.; Wilner, David J.

2017-02-01

The deuterium enrichment of molecules is sensitive to their formation environment. Constraining patterns of deuterium chemistry in protoplanetary disks is therefore useful for probing how material is inherited or reprocessed throughout the stages of star and planet formation. We present ALMA observations at ˜0.″6 resolution of DCO+, H13CO+, DCN, and H13CN in the full disks around T Tauri stars AS 209 and IM Lup, in the transition disks around T Tauri stars V4046 Sgr and LkCa 15, and in the full disks around Herbig Ae stars MWC 480 and HD 163296. We also present ALMA observations of HCN in the IM Lup disk. DCN, DCO+, and H13CO+ are detected in all disks, and H13CN in all but the IM Lup disk. We find efficient deuterium fractionation for the sample, with estimates of disk-averaged DCO+/HCO+ and DCN/HCN abundance ratios ranging from ˜0.02-0.06 and ˜0.005-0.08, respectively, which is comparable to values reported for other interstellar environments. The relative distributions of DCN and DCO+ vary between disks, suggesting that multiple formation pathways may be needed to explain the diverse emission morphologies. In addition, gaps and rings observed in both H13CO+ and DCO+ emission provide new evidence that DCO+ bears a complex relationship with the location of the midplane CO snowline.

Kinematic Evidence for an Embedded Protoplanet in a Circumstellar Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinte, C.; Price, D. J.; Ménard, F.; Duchêne, G.; Dent, W. R. F.; Hill, T.; de Gregorio-Monsalvo, I.; Hales, A.; Mentiplay, D.

2018-06-01

Disks of gas and dust surrounding young stars are the birthplace of planets. However, the direct detection of protoplanets forming within disks has proved elusive to date. We present the detection of a large, localized deviation from Keplerian velocity in the protoplanetary disk surrounding the young star HD 163296. The observed velocity pattern is consistent with the dynamical effect of a two-Jupiter-mass planet orbiting at a radius ≈260 au from the star.

Signatures of Hot Molecular Hydrogen Absorption from Protoplanetary Disks. I. Non-thermal Populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hoadley, Keri; France, Kevin; Arulanantham, Nicole; Loyd, R. O. Parke; Kruczek, Nicholas

2017-09-01

The environment around protoplanetary disks (PPDs) regulates processes that drive the chemical and structural evolution of circumstellar material. We perform a detailed empirical survey of warm molecular hydrogen (H2) absorption observed against H I-Lyα (Lyα: λ1215.67) emission profiles for 22 PPDs, using archival Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet (UV) spectra to identify H2 absorption signatures and quantify the column densities of H2 ground states in each sightline. We compare thermal equilibrium models of H2 to the observed H2 rovibrational level distributions. We find that, for the majority of targets, there is a clear deviation in high-energy states (T exc ≳ 20,000 K) away from thermal equilibrium populations (T(H2) ≳ 3500 K). We create a metric to estimate the total column density of non-thermal H2 (N(H2)nLTE) and find that the total column densities of thermal (N(H2)) and N(H2)nLTE correlate for transition disks and targets with detectable C IV-pumped H2 fluorescence. We compare N(H2) and N(H2)nLTE to circumstellar observables and find that N(H2)nLTE correlates with X-ray and far-UV luminosities, but no correlations are observed with the luminosities of discrete emission features (e.g., Lyα, C IV). Additionally, N(H2) and N(H2)nLTE are too low to account for the H2 fluorescence observed in PPDs, so we speculate that this H2 may instead be associated with a diffuse, hot, atomic halo surrounding the planet-forming disk. We create a simple photon-pumping model for each target to test this hypothesis and find that Lyα efficiently pumps H2 levels with T exc ≥ 10,000 K out of thermal equilibrium.

Young chondrules in CB chondrites from a giant impact in the early Solar System.

PubMed

Krot, Alexander N; Amelin, Yuri; Cassen, Patrick; Meibom, Anders

2005-08-18

Chondrules, which are the major constituent of chondritic meteorites, are believed to have formed during brief, localized, repetitive melting of dust (probably caused by shock waves) in the protoplanetary disk around the early Sun. The ages of primitive chondrules in chondritic meteorites indicate that their formation started shortly after that of the calcium-aluminium-rich inclusions (4,567.2 +/- 0.7 Myr ago) and lasted for about 3 Myr, which is consistent with the dissipation timescale for protoplanetary disks around young solar-mass stars. Here we report the 207Pb-206Pb ages of chondrules in the metal-rich CB (Bencubbin-like) carbonaceous chondrites Gujba (4,562.7 +/- 0.5 Myr) and Hammadah al Hamra 237 (4,562.8 +/- 0.9 Myr), which formed during a single-stage, highly energetic event. Both the relatively young ages and the single-stage formation of the CB chondrules are inconsistent with formation during a nebular shock wave. We conclude that chondrules and metal grains in the CB chondrites formed from a vapour-melt plume produced by a giant impact between planetary embryos after dust in the protoplanetary disk had largely dissipated. These findings therefore provide evidence for planet-sized objects in the earliest asteroid belt, as required by current numerical simulations of planet formation in the inner Solar System.

Global Evolution of Solid Matter in Turbulent Protoplanetry Disks. Part 1; Aerodynamics of Solid Particles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stepinski, T. F.; Valageas, P.

1996-01-01

The problem of planetary system formation and its subsequent character can only be addressed by studying the global evolution of solid material entrained in gaseous protoplanetary disks. We start to investigate this problem by considering the space-time development of aerodynamic forces that cause solid particles to decouple from the gas. The aim of this work is to demonstrate that only the smallest particles are attached to the gas, or that the radial distribution of the solid matter has no momentary relation to the radial distribution of the gas. We present the illustrative example wherein a gaseous disk of 0.245 solar mass and angular momentum of 5.6 x 10(exp 52) g/sq cm/s is allowed to evolve due to turbulent viscosity characterized by either alpha = 10(exp -2) or alpha = 10(exp -3). The motion of solid particles suspended in a viscously evolving gaseous disk is calculated numerically for particles of different sizes. In addition we calculate the global evolution of single-sized, noncoagulating particles. We find that particles smaller than 0.1 cm move with the gas; larger particles have significant radial velocities relative to the gas. Particles larger than 0.1 cm but smaller than 10(exp 3) cm have inward radial velocities much larger than the gas, whereas particles larger than 10(exp 4) cm have inward velocities much smaller than the gas. A significant difference in the form of the radial distribution of solids and the gas develops with time. It is the radial distribution of solids, rather than the gas, that determines the character of an emerging planetary system.

DYNAMICAL ACCRETION OF PRIMORDIAL ATMOSPHERES AROUND PLANETS WITH MASSES BETWEEN 0.1 AND 5 M {sub ⊕} IN THE HABITABLE ZONE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Stökl, Alexander; Dorfi, Ernst A.; Johnstone, Colin P.

2016-07-10

In the early, disk-embedded phase of evolution of terrestrial planets, a protoplanetary core can accumulate gas from the circumstellar disk into a planetary envelope. In order to relate the accumulation and structure of this primordial atmosphere to the thermal evolution of the planetary core, we calculated atmosphere models characterized by the surface temperature of the core. We considered cores with masses between 0.1 and 5 M {sub ⊕} situated in the habitable zone around a solar-like star. The time-dependent simulations in 1D-spherical symmetry include the hydrodynamics equations, gray radiative transport, and convective energy transport. Using an implicit time integration scheme,more » we can use large time steps and and thus efficiently cover evolutionary timescales. Our results show that planetary atmospheres, when considered with reference to a fixed core temperature, are not necessarily stable, and multiple solutions may exist for one core temperature. As the structure and properties of nebula-embedded planetary atmospheres are an inherently time-dependent problem, we calculated estimates for the amount of primordial atmosphere by simulating the accretion process of disk gas onto planetary cores and the subsequent evolution of the embedded atmospheres. The temperature of the planetary core is thereby determined from the computation of the internal energy budget of the core. For cores more massive than about one Earth mass, we obtain that a comparatively short duration of the disk-embedded phase (∼10{sup 5} years) is sufficient for the accumulation of significant amounts of hydrogen atmosphere that are unlikely to be removed by later atmospheric escape processes.« less

Accretion Disks around Young Stars: An Observational Perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ménard, F.; Bertout, C.

Accretion disks are pivotal elements in the formation and early evolution of solar-like stars. On top of supplying the raw material, their internal conditions also regulate the formation of planets. Their study therefore holds the key to solve this long standing mystery: how did our Solar System form? This chapter focuses on observational studies of the circumstellar environment, and in particular of circumstellar disks, associated with pre-main sequence solar-like stars. The direct measurement of disk parameters poses an obvious challenge: at the distance of the typical star forming regions ( e.g. 140 pc for Taurus), a planetary system like ours (with diameter simeq50 AU out to Pluto, but excluding the Kuiper belt which could extend much farther out) subtends only 0.35''. Yet its surface brightness is low in comparison to the bright central star and high angular and high contrast imaging techniques are required if one hopes to resolve and measure these protoplanetary disks. Fortunately, capable instruments providing 0.1'' resolution or better and high contrast have been available for just about 10 years now. They are covering a large part of the electromagnetic spectrum, from the UV/Optical with HST and the near-infrared from ground-based adaptive optics systems, to the millimetric range with long-baseline radio interferometers. It is therefore not surprising that our knowledge of the structure of the disks surrounding low-mass stars has made a gigantic leap forward in the last decade. In the following pages we will attempt to describe, in a historical perpective, the road that led to the idea that most solar-like stars are surrounded by an accretion disk at one point in their early life and how, nowadays, their structural and physical parameters can be estimated from direct observations. We will follow by a short discussion of a few of the constraints available regarding the evolution and dissipation of these disks. This last topic is particularly relevant today to understand the mechanism leading to the formation of planets.

Exploring Dust around HD 142527 down to 0.″025 (4 au) Using SPHERE/ZIMPOL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Avenhaus, H.; Quanz, S. P.; Schmid, H. M.

We have observed the protoplanetary disk of the well-known young Herbig star HD 142527 using ZIMPOL polarimetric differential imaging with the very broad band (∼600–900 nm) filter. We obtained two data sets in 2015 May and 2016 March. Our data allow us to explore dust scattering around the star down to a radius of ∼0.″025 (∼4 au). The well-known outer disk is clearly detected at higher resolution than before and shows previously unknown substructures, including spirals going inward into the cavity. Close to the star, dust scattering is detected at high signal-to-noise ratio, but it is unclear whether the signal represents the innermore » disk, which has been linked to the two prominent local minima in the scattering of the outer disk that are interpreted as shadows. An interpretation of an inclined inner disk combined with a dust halo is compatible with both our and previous observations, but other arrangements of the dust cannot be ruled out. Dust scattering is also present within the large gap between ∼30 and ∼140 au. The comparison of the two data sets suggests rapid evolution of the inner regions of the disk, potentially driven by the interaction with the close-in M-dwarf companion, around which no polarimetric signal is detected.« less

THE STRUCTURE OF PRE-TRANSITIONAL PROTOPLANETARY DISKS. II. AZIMUTHAL ASYMMETRIES, DIFFERENT RADIAL DISTRIBUTIONS OF LARGE AND SMALL DUST GRAINS IN PDS 70 {sup ,}

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hashimoto, J.; Wisniewski, J.; Tsukagoshi, T.

The formation scenario of a gapped disk, i.e., transitional disk, and its asymmetry is still under debate. Proposed scenarios such as disk-planet interaction, photoevaporation, grain growth, anticyclonic vortex, eccentricity, and their combinations would result in different radial distributions of the gas and the small (sub-μm size) and large (millimeter size) dust grains as well as asymmetric structures in a disk. Optical/near-infrared (NIR) imaging observations and (sub-)millimeter interferometry can trace small and large dust grains, respectively; therefore multi-wavelength observations could help elucidate the origin of complicated structures of a disk. Here we report Submillimeter Array observations of the dust continuum atmore » 1.3 mm and {sup 12}CO J = 2 → 1 line emission of the pre-transitional protoplanetary disk around the solar-mass star PDS 70. PDS 70, a weak-lined T Tauri star, exhibits a gap in the scattered light from its disk with a radius of ∼65 AU at NIR wavelengths. However, we found a larger gap in the disk with a radius of ∼80 AU at 1.3 mm. Emission from all three disk components (the gas and the small and large dust grains) in images exhibits a deficit in brightness in the central region of the disk, in particular, the dust disk in small and large dust grains has asymmetric brightness. The contrast ratio of the flux density in the dust continuum between the peak position to the opposite side of the disk reaches 1.4. We suggest the asymmetries and different gap radii of the disk around PDS 70 are potentially formed by several (unseen) accreting planets inducing dust filtration.« less

The Structure of Pre-Transitional Protoplanetary Disks. II Azimuthal Asymmetries, Different Radial Distributions of Large and Small Dust Grains in PDS 70

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hashimoto, J.; Tsukagoshi, T.; Brown, J. M.; Dong, R.; Muto, T.; Zhu, Z.; Wisniewski, J.; Ohashi, N.; Kudo, T.; Kusakabe, N.;

A multi-wavelength database of water vapor in planet-forming regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pontoppidan, Klaus

The inner few astronomical units of gas-rich protoplanetary disk are environments characterized by a rich and active gaseous chemistry. Primitive material left over from the formation of our own Solar System has for a long time yielded tantalizing clues to a heterogenous nebula with intricate dynamical, thermal and chemical structure that ultimately led to a great diversity in the planets and planetesimals of the Solar System. The discovery of a rich chemistry in protoplanetary disks via a forest of strong 3-40 micron molecular emission lines (H2O, OH, CO2, HCN, C2H2,...) allows us for the first time to investigate chemical diversity in other planet-forming environmments (Salyk et al. 2008; Carr & Najita 2008). Further efforts, supported by the Origins program, has established that this molecular forest is seen in the disks surrounding most young solar- type stars (Pontoppidan et al. 2010). We propose a 3-year program to analyze our growing multi-wavelength database of observations of water, OH and organic molecules in the surfaces of protoplanetary disks. The database includes high (R~25,000-100,000) and medium resolution (R~600-3000) 3- 200 micron spectra from a wide range of facilities (Keck-NIRSPEC, VLT-CRIRES, Spitzer-IRS, VLT-VISIR, Gemini-Michelle and Herschel-PACS). Our previous efforts have focused on demonstrating feasibility for observing water and other molecules in planet-forming regions, building statistics to show that the molecular forest is ubiquitous in disks around low-mass and solar-type stars and taking the first steps in understanding the implied chemical abundances. Now, as the next logical step, we will combine multi- wavelength data from our unique multi-wavelength database to map the radial distribution of, in particular, water and its derivatives. 1) We will use both line profile information from the high-resolution spectra, as well as line strengths, from a combination of high and low temperature lines to constrain the radial abundance of water vapor in the emitting surfaces of disks. Despite high water abundances inside ~1 AU, there is evidence that the disk surfaces are strongly depleted in water both from the gas and ice phases, by as much as 6 orders of magnitude, beyond 1-2 AU. This may be due to the settling of icy grains as part of the formation of icy planetesimals (Meijerink et al. 2009; Bergin et al. 2010). We wish to quantify the depletion factor and establish whether this is a common property of all protoplanetary disks. 2) We will pursue critical new datasets using upcoming observational facilities, including spectrally resolved rotational water lines in the mid-infrared. VLT-VISIR, with which we have successfully detected water lines at high resolution, is undergoing a significant hardware upgrade with a planned commissioning around January 2012. The upgrade includes a much larger and more sensitive detector based on technology developed for JWST-MIRI, which is expected to increase its efficiency by 1-2 orders of magnitude. On a longer time scale, SOFIA-EXES, JWST-NIRSpec and MIRI will become essential instruments for moving this field forward. Pontoppidan is a JWST-NIRSpec instrument scientist at STScI. 3) We will search for variability of water lines on time scales of months and compare them to variation already seen in CO gas to investigate its origin. One intriguing possibility is dynamical interaction with protoplanets. The proposed research is highly relevant for the Origins of Solar Systems program as described in the solicitation document. It falls into the categories dealing with "Observations related to understanding the formation and evolution of planetary systems" and "Studies of chemical processes related to the formation of planetary systems."

A multi-wavelength database of water vapor in planet-forming regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pontoppidan, Klaus

The inner few astronomical units of gas-rich protoplanetary disk are environments characterized by a rich and active gaseous chemistry. Primitive material left over from the formation of our own Solar System has for a long time yielded tantalizing clues to a heterogenous nebula with intricate dynamical, thermal and chemical structure that ultimately led to a great diversity in the planets and planetesimals of the Solar System. The discovery of a rich chemistry in protoplanetary disks via a forest of strong 3-40 micron molecular emission lines (H2O, OH, CO2, HCN, C2H2,...) allows us for the first time to investigate chemical diversity in other planet-forming environmments (Salyk et al. 2008; Carr & Najita 2008). Further efforts, supported by the Origins program, has established that this molecular forest is seen in the disks surrounding most young solar- type stars (Pontoppidan et al. 2010). We propose a 3-year program to analyze our growing multi-wavelength database of observations of water, OH and organic molecules in the surfaces of protoplanetary disks. The database includes high (R~25,000-100,000) and medium resolution (R~600-3000) 3- 200 micron spectra from a wide range of facilities (Keck-NIRSPEC, VLT-CRIRES, Spitzer-IRS, VLT-VISIR, Gemini-Michelle and Herschel-PACS). Our previous efforts have focused on demonstrating feasibility for observing water and other molecules in planet-forming regions, building statistics to show that the molecular forest is ubiquitous in disks around low-mass and solar-type stars and taking the first steps in understanding the implied chemical abundances. Now, as the next logical step, we will combine multi- wavelength data from our unique multi-wavelength database to map the radial distribution of, in particular, water and its derivatives. 1) Â We will use both line profile information from the high-resolution spectra, as well as line strengths, from a combination of high and low temperature lines to constrain the radial abundance of water vapor in the emitting surfaces of disks. Despite high water abundances inside ~1 AU, there is evidence that the disk surfaces are strongly depleted in water both from the gas and ice phases, by as much as 6 orders of magnitude, beyond 1-2 AU. This may be due to the settling of icy grains as part of the formation of icy planetesimals (Meijerink et al. 2009; Bergin et al. 2010). We wish to quantify the depletion factor and establish whether this is a common property of all protoplanetary disks. 2) Â We will pursue critical new datasets using upcoming observational facilities, including spectrally resolved rotational water lines in the mid-infrared. VLT-VISIR, with which we have successfully detected water lines at high resolution, is undergoing a significant hardware upgrade with a planned commissioning around January 2012. The upgrade includes a much larger and more sensitive detector based on technology developed for JWST-MIRI, which is expected to increase its efficiency by 1-2 orders of magnitude. On a longer time scale, SOFIA-EXES, JWST-NIRSpec and MIRI will become essential instruments for moving this field forward. Pontoppidan is a JWST-NIRSpec instrument scientist at STScI. 3) Â We will search for variability of water lines on time scales of months and compare them to variation already seen in CO gas to investigate its origin. One intriguing possibility is dynamical interaction with protoplanets. The proposed research is highly relevant for the Origins of Solar Systems program as described in the solicitation document. It falls into the categories dealing with "Observations related to understanding the formation and evolution of planetary systems" and "Studies of chemical processes related to the formation of planetary systems."

Multiwavelength search for protoplanetary disks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neuhaeuser, Ralph; Schmidt-Kaler, Theodor

1994-01-01

Infrared emission of circumstellar dust was observed for almost one hundred T Tauri stars. This dust is interpreted to be part of a protoplanetary disk orbiting the central star. T Tauri stars are young stellar objects and evolve into solar type stars. Planets are believed to form in these disks. The spectral energy distribution of a disk depends on its temperature profile. Different disk regions emit at different wavelengths. The disk-star boundary layer is hot and emits H(alpha) radiation. Inner disk regions at around 1 AU with a temperature of a few hundred Kelvin can be probed in near infrared wavelength regimes. Outer disk regions at around 100 AU distance from the star are colder and emit far infrared and sub-millimeter radiation. Also, X-ray emission from the stellar surface can reveal information on disk properties. Emission from the stellar surface and the boundary layer may be shielded by circumstellar gas and dust. T Tauri stars with low H(alpha) emission, i.e. no boundary layer, show stronger X-ray emission than classical T Tauri stars, because the inner disk regions of weak emission-line T Tauri stars may be clear of material. In this paper, first ROSAT all sky survey results on the X-ray emission of T Tauri stars and correlations between X-ray luminosity and properties of T Tauri disks are presented. Due to atmospheric absorption, X-ray and most infrared observations cannot be carried out on Earth, but from Earth orbiting satellites (e.g. IRAS, ROSAT, ISO) or from lunar based observatories, which would have special advantages such as a stable environment.

The chemistry of planet-forming regions is not interstellar.

PubMed

Pontoppidan, Klaus M; Blevins, Sandra M

2014-01-01

Advances in infrared and submillimeter technology have allowed for detailed observations of the molecular content of the planet-forming regions of protoplanetary disks. In particular, disks around solar-type stars now have growing molecular inventories that can be directly compared with both prestellar chemistry and that inferred for the early solar nebula. The data directly address the old question of whether the chemistry of planet-forming matter is similar or different and unique relative to the chemistry of dense clouds and protostellar envelopes. The answer to this question may have profound consequences for the structure and composition of planetary systems. The practical challenge is that observations of emission lines from disks do not easily translate into chemical concentrations. Here, we present a two-dimensional radiative transfer model of RNO 90, a classical protoplanetary disk around a solar-mass star, and retrieve the concentrations of dominant molecular carriers of carbon, oxygen and nitrogen in the terrestrial region around 1 AU. We compare our results to the chemical inventory of dense clouds and protostellar envelopes, and argue that inner disk chemistry is, as expected, fundamentally different from prestellar chemistry. We find that the clearest discriminant may be the concentration of CO2, which is extremely low in disks, but one of the most abundant constituents of dense clouds and protostellar envelopes.

Generation of dynamo magnetic fields in protoplanetary and other astrophysical accretion disks

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stepinski, T. F.; Levy, E. H.

1988-01-01

A computational method for treating the generation of dynamo magnetic fields in astrophysical disks is presented. The numerical difficulty of handling the boundary condition at infinity in the cylindrical disk geometry is overcome by embedding the disk in a spherical computational space and matching the solutions to analytically tractable spherical functions in the surrounding space. The lowest lying dynamo normal modes for a 'thick' astrophysical disk are calculated. The generated modes found are all oscillatory and spatially localized. Tha potential implications of the results for the properties of dynamo magnetic fields in real astrophysical disks are discussed.

Science with the Square Kilometre Array

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lazio, Joseph; Huynh, Minh

2010-01-01

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA) is the centimeter- and meter-wavelength telescope for the 21st Century. Its Key Science Projects are (a) The end of the Dark Ages, involving searches for an H i signature and the first metalrich systems; (b) Testing theories of gravitation using an array of pulsars to search for gravitational waves and relativistic binaries to probe the strong-field regime; (c) Observations of H i to a redshift z 2 from which to study the evolution of galaxies and dark energy. (d) Astrobiology including planetary formation within protoplanetary disks; and (c) The origin and evolution of cosmic magnetism, both within the Galaxy and in intergalactic space. The SKA will operate over the wavelength range of at least 1.2 cm to 4 m (70 MHz to 25 GHz), providing milliarcsecond resolution at the shortest wavelengths.

CO emission tracing a warp or radial flow within ≲100 au in the HD 100546 protoplanetary disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walsh, Catherine; Daley, Cail; Facchini, Stefano; Juhász, Attila

2017-11-01

We present spatially resolved Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) images of 12CO J = 3-2 emission from the protoplanetary disk around the Herbig Ae star, HD 100546. We expand upon earlier analyses of this data and model the spatially-resolved kinematic structure of the CO emission. Assuming a velocity profile which prescribes a flat or flared emitting surface in Keplerian rotation, we uncover significant residuals with a peak of ≈7δv, where δv = 0.21 km s-1 is the width of a single spectral resolution element. The shape and extent of the residuals reveal the possible presence of a severely warped and twisted inner disk extending to at most 100 au. Adapting the model to include a misaligned inner gas disk with (I) an inclination almost edge-on to the line of sight, and (II) a position angle almost orthogonal to that of the outer disk reduces the residuals to <3δv. However, these findings are contrasted by recent VLT/SPHERE, MagAO/GPI, and VLTI/PIONIER observations of HD 100546 that show no evidence of a severely misaligned inner dust disk down to spatial scales of 1 au. An alternative explanation for the observed kinematics are fast radial flows mediated by (proto)planets. Inclusion of a radial velocity component at close to free-fall speeds and inwards of ≈50 au results in residuals of ≈4δv. Hence, the model including a radial velocity component only does not reproduce the data as well as that including a twisted and misaligned inner gas disk. Molecular emission data at a higher spatial resolution (of order 10 au) are required to further constrain the kinematics within ≲100 au. HD 100546 joins several other protoplanetary disks for which high spectral resolution molecular emission shows that the gas velocity structure cannot be described by a purely Keplerian velocity profile with a universal inclination and position angle. Regardless of the process, the most likely cause is the presence of an unseen planetary companion.

Whence comets?

PubMed

A'Hearn, Michael F

2006-12-15

Recent advances in cometary science have indicated the importance of mixing of materials in the disk where the planets of our solar system formed. Now, the results from the Stardust Discovery Mission unambiguously show that even more extensive and earlier mixing of the material took place, raising new challenges for theories of the protoplanetary disk and the formation of comets.

Turbulent Mixing Chemistry in Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Semenov, D.; Wiebe, D.

2006-11-01

A gas-grain chemical model with surface reaction and 1D/2D turbulent mixing is available for protoplanetary disks and molecular clouds. Current version is based on the updated UMIST'95 database with gas-grain interactions (accretion, desorption, photoevaporation, etc.) and modified rate equation approach to surface chemistry (see also abstract for the static chemistry code).

SNOW LINES AS PROBES OF TURBULENT DIFFUSION IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Owen, James E.

2014-07-20

Sharp chemical discontinuities can occur in protoplanetary disks, particularly at ''snow lines'' where a gas-phase species freezes out to form ice grains. Such sharp discontinuities will diffuse out due to the turbulence suspected to drive angular momentum transport in accretion disks. We demonstrate that the concentration gradient—in the vicinity of the snow line—of a species present outside a snow line but destroyed inside is strongly sensitive to the level of turbulent diffusion (provided the chemical and transport timescales are decoupled) and provides a direct measurement of the radial ''Schmidt number'' (the ratio of the angular momentum transport to radial turbulentmore » diffusion). Taking as an example the tracer species N{sub 2}H{sup +}, which is expected to be destroyed inside the CO snow line (as recently observed in TW Hya) we show that ALMA observations possess significant angular resolution to constrain the Schmidt number. Since different turbulent driving mechanisms predict different Schmidt numbers, a direct measurement of the Schmidt number in accretion disks would allow inferences to be made about the nature of the turbulence.« less

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boss, Alan P., E-mail: aboss@carnegiescience.edu

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.more » 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.« less

Predicting Complex Organic Molecule Emission from TW Hya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vissapragada, Shreyas; Walsh, Catherine

2017-01-01

The Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has significantly increased our ability to observe the rich chemical inventory of star and planet formation. ALMA has recently been used to detect CH3OH (methanol) and CH3CN (methyl cyanide) in protoplanetary disks; these molecules may be vital indicators of the complex organic ice reservoir in the comet-forming zone. We have constructed a physiochemical model of TW Hya, a well-studied protoplanetary disk, to explore the different formation mechanisms of complex ices. By running our model through a radiative transfer code and convolving with beam sizes appropriate for ALMA, we have obtained synthetic observations of methanol and methyl cyanide. Here, we compare and comment on these synthetic observations, and provide astrochemical justification for their spatial distributions.

Xenon in the protoplanetary disk (PPD-XE)

DOE PAGES

Marti, K.; Mathew, K. J.

2015-06-18

Relationships among solar system Xe components as observed in the solar wind (SW), in planetary atmospheres and in meteorites are investigated using isotopic correlations. The term PPD-Xe is used for components inferred to have been present in the molecular cloud material that formed the protoplanetary disk (PPD). The evidence of the lack of simple relationships between terrestrial atmospheric Xe and solar or meteoritic components is confirmed. Xe isotopic correlations indicate a heterogeneous PPD composition with variable mixing ratios of the nucleosynthetic component Xe-HL. Solar Xe represents a bulk PPD component, and the isotopic abundances did not change from the timemore » of incorporation into the interior of Mars, through times of regolith implantations to the present.« less

Planet Formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

An overview of current theories of star and planet formation is presented. These models are based upon observations of the Solar System and of young stars and their environments. They predict that rocky planets should form around most single stars, although it is possible that in some cases such planets are lost to orbital decay within the protoplanetary disk. The frequency of formation of gas giant planets is more difficult to predict theoretically. Terrestrial planets are believed to grow via pairwise accretion until the spacing of planetary orbits becomes large enough that the configuration is stable for the age of the system. Giant planets begin their growth like terrestrial planets, but they become massive enough that they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas before the protoplanetary disk dissipates.

Formation of Planetary Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.; DeVincenzi, Donald (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

An overview of current theories of star and planet formation is presented. These models are based upon observations of the Solar System and of young stars and their environments. They predict that rocky planets should form around most single stars, although it is possible that in some cases such planets are lost to orbital decay within the protoplanetary disk. The frequency of formation of gas giant planets is more difficult to predict theoretically. Terrestrial planets are believed to grow via pairwise accretion until the spacing of planetary orbits becomes large enough that the configuration is stable for the age of the system. Giant planets begin their growth like terrestrial planets, but they become massive enough that they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas before the protoplanetary disk dissipates.

The Birth of Planetary Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissaur, Jack L.

1997-01-01

An overview of current theories of star and planet formation is presented. These models are based upon observations of the Solar System and of young stars and their environments. They predict that rocky planets should form around most single stars, although it is possible that in some cases such planets are lost to orbital decay within the protoplanetary disk. The frequency of formation of gas giant planets is more difficult to predict theoretically. Terrestrial planets are believed to grow via pairwise accretion until the spacing of planetary orbits becomes large enough that the configuration is stable for the age of the system. Giant planets begin their growth like terrestrial planets, but they become massive enough that they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas before the protoplanetary disk dissipates.

The Role of the Cooling Prescription for Disk Fragmentation: Numerical Convergence and Critical Cooling Parameter in Self-gravitating Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baehr, Hans; Klahr, Hubert

2015-12-01

Protoplanetary disks fragment due to gravitational instability when there is enough mass for self-gravitation, described by the Toomre parameter, and when heat can be lost at a rate comparable to the local dynamical timescale, described by {t}{{c}}=β {{{Ω }}}-1. Simulations of self-gravitating disks show that the cooling parameter has a rough critical value at {β }{{crit}}=3. When below {β }{{crit}}, gas overdensities will contract under their own gravity and fragment into bound objects while otherwise maintaining a steady state of gravitoturbulence. However, previous studies of the critical cooling parameter have found dependences on simulation resolution, indicating that the simulation of self-gravitating protoplanetary disks is not so straightforward. In particular, the simplicity of the cooling timescale tc prevents fragments from being disrupted by pressure support as temperatures rise. We alter the cooling law so that the cooling timescale is dependent on local surface density fluctuations, which is a means of incorporating optical depth effects into the local cooling of an object. For lower resolution simulations, this results in a lower critical cooling parameter and a disk that is more stable to gravitational stresses, suggesting that the formation of large gas giants planets in large, cool disks is generally suppressed by more realistic cooling. At our highest resolution, however, the model becomes unstable to fragmentation for cooling timescales up to β =10.

A SPITZER SURVEY OF MID-INFRARED MOLECULAR EMISSION FROM PROTOPLANETARY DISKS. I. DETECTION RATES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Pontoppidan, Klaus M.; Blake, Geoffrey A.; Meijerink, Rowin

2010-09-01

We present a Spitzer InfraRed Spectrometer search for 10-36 {mu}m molecular emission from a large sample of protoplanetary disks, including lines from H{sub 2}O, OH, C{sub 2}H{sub 2}, HCN, and CO{sub 2}. This paper describes the sample and data processing and derives the detection rate of mid-infrared molecular emission as a function of stellar mass. The sample covers a range of spectral type from early M to A, and is supplemented by archival spectra of disks around A and B stars. It is drawn from a variety of nearby star-forming regions, including Ophiuchus, Lupus, and Chamaeleon. Spectra showing strong emissionmore » lines are used to identify which lines are the best tracers of various physical and chemical conditions within the disks. In total, we identify 22 T Tauri stars with strong mid-infrared H{sub 2}O emission. Integrated water line luminosities, where water vapor is detected, range from 5 x 10{sup -4} to 9 x 10{sup -3} L{sub sun}, likely making water the dominant line coolant of inner disk surfaces in classical T Tauri stars. None of the five transitional disks in the sample show detectable gaseous molecular emission with Spitzer upper limits at the 1% level in terms of line-to-continuum ratios (apart from H{sub 2}), but the sample is too small to conclude whether this is a general property of transitional disks. We find a strong dependence on detection rate with spectral type; no disks around our sample of 25 A and B stars were found to exhibit water emission, down to 1%-2% line-to-continuum ratios, in the mid-infrared, while more than half of disks around late-type stars (M-G) show sufficiently intense water emission to be detected by Spitzer, with a detection rate approaching 2/3 for disks around K stars. Some Herbig Ae/Be stars show tentative H{sub 2}O/OH emission features beyond 20 {mu}m at the 1%-2% level, however, and one of them shows CO{sub 2} in emission. We argue that the observed differences between T Tauri disks and Herbig Ae/Be disks are due to a difference in excitation and/or chemistry depending on spectral type and suggest that photochemistry may be playing an important role in the observable characteristics of mid-infrared molecular line emission from protoplanetary disks.« less

An Incipient Debris Disk in the Chamaeleon I Cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Espaillat, C. C.; Ribas, Á.; McClure, M. K.; Hernández, J.; Owen, J. E.; Avish, N.; Calvet, N.; Franco-Hernández, R.

2017-07-01

The point at which a protoplanetary disk becomes a debris disk is difficult to identify. To better understand this, here we study the ˜40 au separation binary T 54 in the Chamaeleon I cloud. We derive a K5 spectral type for T 54 A (which dominates the emission of the system) and an age of ˜2 Myr. However, the dust disk properties of T 54 are consistent with those of debris disks seen around older- and earlier-type stars. At the same time, T 54 has evidence of gas remaining in the disk, as indicated by [Ne II], [Ne III], and [O I] line detections. We model the spectral energy distribution of T 54 and estimate that ˜ 3× {10}-3 {M}\\oplus of small dust grains (<0.25 μm) are present in an optically thin circumbinary disk along with at least ˜ 3× {10}-7 {M}\\oplus of larger (>10 μm) grains within a circumprimary disk. Assuming a solar-like mixture, we use Ne line luminosities to place a minimum limit on the gas mass of the disk (˜ 3× {10}-4 {M}\\oplus ) and derive a gas-to-dust mass ratio of ˜0.1. We do not detect substantial accretion, but we do see Hα in emission in one epoch, which is suggestive that there may be intermittent dumping of small amounts of matter onto the star. Considering the low dust mass, the presence of gas, and young age of T 54, we conclude that this system is on the bridge between the protoplanetary and debris disk stages.

Polarimetric Imaging of Large Cavity Structures in the Pre-transitional Protoplanetary Disk Around PDS 70: Observations of the Disk

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hashimoto, J.; Dong, R.; Kudo, T.; Honda, M.; Zhu, Z.; McClure, M. K.; Muto, T.; Wisniewski, J.; Abe, L.; Brandner, W.;

Migration of Gas Giant Planets in a Gravitationally Unstable Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Desai, Karna Mahadev; Steiman-Cameron, Thomas Y.; Michael, Scott; Durisen, Richard H.

2017-01-01

Understanding the migration of giant planets in gravitationally unstable protoplanetary disks is important for understanding planetary system architecture, especially the existence of planets orbiting close to and at large distances from their stars. Migration rates can determine the efficiency of planet formation and survival rates of planets. We present results from simulations of 0.3, 1, and 3 Jupiter-mass planets in a 0.14 M⊙ protoplanetary disk around a 1 M⊙ star, where the disk is marginally unstable to gravitational instabilities (GIs). Each planet is simulated separately. We use CHYMERA, a radiative 3D hydrodynamics code developed by the Indiana University Hydrodynamics Group. The simulations include radiative cooling governed by realistic dust opacities. The planets are inserted into the disk, once the disk has settled into its quasi-steady GI-active phase. We simulate each of the 0.3, 1, and 3 Jupiter-mass planets by inserting it at three different locations in the disk, at the corotation radius and at the inner and outer Lindblad resonances. No matter where placed, the 3 Jupiter-mass planets tend to drift inexorably inward but with a rate that slows after many orbital periods. The 1 Jupiter-mass planets migrate mostly inward, but their motion can be delayed or reversed near the corotation of the two-armed wave. The 0.3 Jupiter-mass planets are much less predictable and frequently migrate outward. We analyze how the density of matter and waves in the disk at different azimuthal locations affect the migration.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, K.; Pontoppidan, K. M.; Salyk, C.

We present an observational reconstruction of the radial water vapor content near the surface of the TW Hya transitional protoplanetary disk, and report the first localization of the snow line during this phase of disk evolution. The observations are comprised of Spitzer-IRS, Herschel-PACS, and Herschel-HIFI archival spectra. The abundance structure is retrieved by fitting a two-dimensional disk model to the available star+disk photometry and all observed H{sub 2}O lines, using a simple step-function parameterization of the water vapor content near the disk surface. We find that water vapor is abundant ({approx}10{sup -4} per H{sub 2}) in a narrow ring, locatedmore » at the disk transition radius some 4 AU from the central star, but drops rapidly by several orders of magnitude beyond 4.2 AU over a scale length of no more than 0.5 AU. The inner disk (0.5-4 AU) is also dry, with an upper limit on the vertically averaged water abundance of 10{sup -6} per H{sub 2}. The water vapor peak occurs at a radius significantly more distant than that expected for a passive continuous disk around a 0.6 M{sub Sun} star, representing a volatile distribution in the TW Hya disk that bears strong similarities to that of the solar system. This is observational evidence for a snow line that moves outward with time in passive disks, with a dry inner disk that results either from gas giant formation or gas dissipation and a significant ice reservoir at large radii. The amount of water present near the snow line is sufficient to potentially catalyze the (further) formation of planetesimals and planets at distances beyond a few AU.« less

CO Fundamental Emission from V836 Tauri

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-11-10

systems: formation — planetary systems: protoplanetary disks — stars: individual (V836 Tauri) — stars: pre–main-sequence Online material: color...how either of these hypothesesmay bear on our under- standing of disk dissipation in this system. Subject headinggs: circumstellar matter — planetary ...that can be modeled as an optically thick disk that has an optically thin region (a hole or a gap ) at smaller radii, have been suggested to be in the

Water and the Interior Structure of Terrestrial Planets and Icy Bodies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monteux, J.; Golabek, G. J.; Rubie, D. C.; Tobie, G.; Young, E. D.

2018-02-01

Water content and the internal evolution of terrestrial planets and icy bodies are closely linked. The distribution of water in planetary systems is controlled by the temperature structure in the protoplanetary disk and dynamics and migration of planetesimals and planetary embryos. This results in the formation of planetesimals and planetary embryos with a great variety of compositions, water contents and degrees of oxidation. The internal evolution and especially the formation time of planetesimals relative to the timescale of radiogenic heating by short-lived 26Al decay may govern the amount of hydrous silicates and leftover rock-ice mixtures available in the late stages of their evolution. In turn, water content may affect the early internal evolution of the planetesimals and in particular metal-silicate separation processes. Moreover, water content may contribute to an increase of oxygen fugacity and thus affect the concentrations of siderophile elements within the silicate reservoirs of Solar System objects. Finally, the water content strongly influences the differentiation rate of the icy moons, controls their internal evolution and governs the alteration processes occurring in their deep interiors.

Recent developments for realistic solar models

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Serenelli, Aldo M.

2014-05-02

The 'solar abundance problem' has triggered a renewed interest in revising the concept of SSM from different perspectives: 1) constituent microphysics: equation of state, nuclear rates, radiative opacities; 2) constituent macrophysics: the physical processes impact the evolution of the Sun and its present-day structure, e.g. dynamical processes induced by rotation, presence of magnetic fields; 3) challenge the hypothesis that the young Sun was chemically homogeneous: the possible interaction of the young Sun with its protoplanetary disk. Here, I briefly review and then present a (personal) view on recent advances and developments on solar modeling, part of them carried out asmore » attempts to solve the solar abundance problem.« less

Inferring giant planets from ALMA millimeter continuum and line observations in (transition) disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Facchini, S.; Pinilla, P.; van Dishoeck, E. F.; de Juan Ovelar, M.

2018-05-01

Context. Radial gaps or cavities in the continuum emission in the IR-mm wavelength range are potential signatures of protoplanets embedded in their natal protoplanetary disk are. Hitherto, models have relied on the combination of mm continuum observations and near-infrared scattered light images to put constraints on the properties of embedded planets. Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations are now probing spatially resolved rotational line emission of CO and other chemical species. These observations can provide complementary information on the mechanism carving the gaps in dust and additional constraints on the purported planet mass. Aims: We investigate whether the combination of ALMA continuum and CO line observations can constrain the presence and mass of planets embedded in protoplanetary disks. Methods: We post-processed azimuthally averaged 2D hydrodynamical simulations of planet-disk models, in which the dust densities and grain size distributions are computed with a dust evolution code that considers radial drift, fragmentation, and growth. The simulations explored various planet masses (1 MJ ≤ Mp ≤ 15 MJ) and turbulent parameters (10-4 ≤ α ≤ 10-3). The outputs were then post-processed with the thermochemical code DALI, accounting for the radially and vertically varying dust properties. We obtained the gas and dust temperature structures, chemical abundances, and synthetic emission maps of both thermal continuum and CO rotational lines. This is the first study combining hydrodynamical simulations, dust evolution, full radiative transfer, and chemistry to predict gas emission of disks hosting massive planets. Results: All radial intensity profiles of 12CO, 13CO, and C18O show a gap at the planet location. The ratio between the location of the gap as seen in CO and the peak in the mm continuum at the pressure maximum outside the orbit of the planet shows a clear dependence on planet mass and is independent of disk viscosity for the parameters explored in this paper. Because of the low dust density in the gaps, the dust and gas components can become thermally decoupled and the gas becomes colder than the dust. The gaps seen in CO are due to a combination of gas temperature dropping at the location of the planet and of the underlying surface density profile. Both effects need to be taken into account and disentangled when inferring gas surface densities from observed CO intensity profiles; otherwise, the gas surface density drop at the planet location can easily be overestimated. CO line ratios across the gap are able to quantify the gas temperature drop in the gaps in observed systems. Finally, a CO cavity not observed in any of the models, only CO gaps, indicating that one single massive planet is not able to explain the CO cavities observed in transition disks, at least without additional physical or chemical mechanisms.

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bai, Xue-Ning, E-mail: xbai@cfa.harvard.edu

2017-08-10

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

Global simulations of protoplanetary disks with net magnetic flux. I. Non-ideal MHD case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Béthune, William; Lesur, Geoffroy; Ferreira, Jonathan

2017-04-01

Context. The planet-forming region of protoplanetary disks is cold, dense, and therefore weakly ionized. For this reason, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence is thought to be mostly absent, and another mechanism has to be found to explain gas accretion. It has been proposed that magnetized winds, launched from the ionized disk surface, could drive accretion in the presence of a large-scale magnetic field. Aims: The efficiency and the impact of these surface winds on the disk structure is still highly uncertain. We present the first global simulations of a weakly ionized disk that exhibits large-scale magnetized winds. We also study the impact of self-organization, which was previously demonstrated only in non-stratified models. Methods: We perform numerical simulations of stratified disks with the PLUTO code. We compute the ionization fraction dynamically, and account for all three non-ideal MHD effects: ohmic and ambipolar diffusions, and the Hall drift. Simplified heating and cooling due to non-thermal radiation is also taken into account in the disk atmosphere. Results: We find that disks can be accreting or not, depending on the configuration of the large-scale magnetic field. Magnetothermal winds, driven both by magnetic acceleration and heating of the atmosphere, are obtained in the accreting case. In some cases, these winds are asymmetric, ejecting predominantly on one side of the disk. The wind mass loss rate depends primarily on the average ratio of magnetic to thermal pressure in the disk midplane. The non-accreting case is characterized by a meridional circulation, with accretion layers at the disk surface and decretion in the midplane. Finally, we observe self-organization, resulting in axisymmetric rings of density and associated pressure "bumps". The underlying mechanism and its impact on observable structures are discussed.

DEVELOPMENT OF A METHOD FOR THE OBSERVATION OF LIGHTNING IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS USING ION LINES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Muranushi, Takayuki; Akiyama, Eiji; Inutsuka, Shu-ichiro

2015-12-20

In this paper, we propose observational methods for detecting lightning in protoplanetary disks. We do so by calculating the critical electric field strength in the lightning matrix gas (LMG), the parts of the disk where the electric field is strong enough to cause lightning. That electric field accelerates multiple positive ion species to characteristic terminal velocities. In this paper, we present three distinct discharge models with corresponding critical electric fields. We simulate the position–velocity diagrams and the integrated emission maps for the models. We calculate the measure-of-sensitivity values for detection of the models and for distinguishing between the models. Atmore » the distance of TW Hya (54 pc), LMG that occupies 2π in azimuth and has 25 AU < r < 50 AU is detectable at 1200σ to 4000σ. The lower limits of the radii of 5σ-detectable LMG clumps are between 1.6 AU and 5.3 AU, depending on the models.« less

ALMA Observations of Polarization from Dust Scattering in the IM Lup Protoplanetary Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hull, Charles L. H.; Yang, Haifeng; Li, Zhi-Yun; Kataoka, Akimasa; Stephens, Ian W.; Andrews, Sean; Bai, Xuening; Cleeves, L. Ilsedore; Hughes, A. Meredith; Looney, Leslie; Pérez, Laura M.; Wilner, David

2018-06-01

We present 870 μm ALMA observations of polarized dust emission toward the Class II protoplanetary disk IM Lup. We find that the orientation of the polarized emission is along the minor axis of the disk, and that the value of the polarization fraction increases steadily toward the center of the disk, reaching a peak value of ∼1.1%. All of these characteristics are consistent with models of self-scattering of submillimeter-wave emission from an optically thin inclined disk. The distribution of the polarization position angles across the disk reveals that, while the average orientation is along the minor axis, the polarization orientations show a significant spread in angles; this can also be explained by models of pure scattering. We compare the polarization with that of the Class I/II source HL Tau. A comparison of cuts of the polarization fraction across the major and minor axes of both sources reveals that IM Lup has a substantially higher polarization fraction than HL Tau toward the center of the disk. This enhanced polarization fraction could be due a number of factors, including higher optical depth in HL Tau, or scattering by larger dust grains in the more evolved IM Lup disk. However, models yield similar maximum grain sizes for both HL Tau (72 μm) and IM Lup (61 μm, this work). This reveals continued tension between grain-size estimates from scattering models and from models of the dust emission spectrum, which find that the bulk of the (unpolarized) emission in disks is most likely due to millimeter-sized (or even centimeter-sized) grains.

Multiple Paths of Deuterium Fractionation in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aikawa, Yuri; Furuya, Kenji; Hincelin, Ugo; Herbst, Eric

2018-03-01

We investigate deuterium chemistry coupled with the nuclear spin-state chemistry of H2 and {{{H}}}3+ in protoplanetary disks. Multiple paths of deuterium fractionation are found; exchange reactions with D atoms, such as HCO+ + D, are effective in addition to those with HD. In a disk model with grain sizes appropriate for dark clouds, the freeze-out of molecules is severe in the outer midplane, while the disk surface is shielded from UV radiation. Gaseous molecules, including DCO+, thus become abundant at the disk surface, which tends to make their column density distribution relatively flat. If the dust grains have grown to millimeter size, the freeze-out rate of neutral species is reduced and the abundances of gaseous molecules, including DCO+ and N2D+, are enhanced in the cold midplane. Turbulent diffusion transports D atoms and radicals at the disk surface to the midplane, and stable ice species in the midplane to the disk surface. The effects of turbulence on chemistry are thus multifold; while DCO+ and N2D+ abundances increase or decrease depending on the regions, HCN and DCN in the gas and ice are greatly reduced at the innermost radii, compared to the model without turbulence. When cosmic rays penetrate the disk, the ortho-to-para ratio (OPR) of H2 is found to be thermal in the disk, except in the cold (≲10 K) midplane. We also analyze the OPR of {{{H}}}3+ and H2D+, as well as the main reactions of H2D+, DCO+, and N2D+, in order to analytically derive their abundances in the cold midplane.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dong Ruobing; Rafikov, Roman; Zhu Zhaohuan

Through detailed radiative transfer modeling, we present a disk+cavity model to simultaneously explain both the spectral energy distribution (SED) and Subaru H-band polarized light imaging for the pre-transitional protoplanetary disk PDS 70. In particular, we are able to match not only the radial dependence but also the absolute scale of the surface brightness of the scattered light. Our disk model has a cavity 65 AU in radius, which is heavily depleted of sub-micron-sized dust grains, and a small residual inner disk that produces a weak but still optically thick near-IR excess in the SED. To explain the contrast of themore » cavity's edge in the Subaru image, a factor of {approx}1000 depletion for the sub-micron-sized dust inside the cavity is required. The total dust mass of the disk may be on the order of 10{sup -4} M {sub Sun }, only weakly constrained due to the lack of long-wavelength observations and the uncertainties in the dust model. The scale height of the sub-micron-sized dust is {approx}6 AU at the cavity edge, and the cavity wall is optically thick in the vertical direction at H-band. PDS 70 is not a member of the class of (pre-)transitional disks identified by Dong et al., whose members only show evidence of the cavity in the millimeter-size dust but not the sub-micron-sized dust in resolved images. The two classes of (pre-)transitional disks may form through different mechanisms, or they may simply be at different evolution stages in the disk-clearing process.« less

The structure of disks around intermediate-mass young stars from mid-infrared interferometry. Evidence for a population of group II disks with gaps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menu, J.; van Boekel, R.; Henning, Th.; Leinert, Ch.; Waelkens, C.; Waters, L. B. F. M.

2015-09-01

Context. The disks around Herbig Ae/Be stars are commonly divided into group I and group II based on their far-infrared spectral energy distribution, and the common interpretation for that is flared and flat disks. Our understanding of the evolution of these disks is rapidly changing. Recent observations suggest that many flaring disks have gaps, whereas flat disks are thought to be gapless. Aims: The different groups of objects can be expected to have different structural signatures in high-angular-resolution data, related to gaps, dust settling, and flaring. We aim to use such data to gain new insight into disk structure and evolution. Methods: Over the past 10 years, the MIDI instrument on the Very Large Telescope Interferometer has collected observations of several tens of protoplanetary disks. We modeled the large set of observations with simple geometric models and compared the characteristic sizes among the different objects. A population of radiative-transfer models was synthesized for interpreting the mid-infrared signatures. Results: Objects with similar luminosities show very different disk sizes in the mid-infrared. This may point to an intrinsic diversity or could also hint at different evolutionary stages of the disks. Restricting this to the young objects of intermediate mass, we confirm that most group I disks are in agreement with being transitional (i.e., they have gaps). We find that several group II objects have mid-infrared sizes and colors that overlap with sources classified as group I, transition disks. This suggests that these sources have gaps, which has been demonstrated for a subset of them. This may point to an intermediate population between gapless and transition disks. Conclusions: Flat disks with gaps are most likely descendants of flat disks without gaps. Potentially related to the formation of massive bodies, gaps may therefore even develop in disks in a far stage of grain growth and settling. The evolutionary implications of this new population could be twofold. Either gapped flat disks form a separate population of evolved disks or some of them may evolve further into flaring disks with large gaps. The latter transformation may be governed by the interaction with a massive planet, carving a large gap and dynamically exciting the grain population in the disk. Appendices A and B are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.org

The ALMA-PILS survey: 3D modeling of the envelope, disks and dust filament of IRAS 16293-2422

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobsen, S. K.; Jørgensen, J. K.; van der Wiel, M. H. D.; Calcutt, H.; Bourke, T. L.; Brinch, C.; Coutens, A.; Drozdovskaya, M. N.; Kristensen, L. E.; Müller, H. S. P.; Wampfler, S. F.

2018-04-01

Context. The Class 0 protostellar binary IRAS 16293-2422 is an interesting target for (sub)millimeter observations due to, both, the rich chemistry toward the two main components of the binary and its complex morphology. Its proximity to Earth allows the study of its physical and chemical structure on solar system scales using high angular resolution observations. Such data reveal a complex morphology that cannot be accounted for in traditional, spherical 1D models of the envelope. Aims: The purpose of this paper is to study the environment of the two components of the binary through 3D radiative transfer modeling and to compare with data from the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. Such comparisons can be used to constrain the protoplanetary disk structures, the luminosities of the two components of the binary and the chemistry of simple species. Methods: We present 13CO, C17O and C18O J = 3-2 observations from the ALMA Protostellar Interferometric Line Survey (PILS), together with a qualitative study of the dust and gas density distribution of IRAS 16293-2422. A 3D dust and gas model including disks and a dust filament between the two protostars is constructed which qualitatively reproduces the dust continuum and gas line emission. Results: Radiative transfer modeling in our sampled parameter space suggests that, while the disk around source A could not be constrained, the disk around source B has to be vertically extended. This puffed-up structure can be obtained with both a protoplanetary disk model with an unexpectedly high scale-height and with the density solution from an infalling, rotating collapse. Combined constraints on our 3D model, from observed dust continuum and CO isotopologue emission between the sources, corroborate that source A should be at least six times more luminous than source B. We also demonstrate that the volume of high-temperature regions where complex organic molecules arise is sensitive to whether or not the total luminosity is in a single radiation source or distributed into two sources, affecting the interpretation of earlier chemical modeling efforts of the IRAS 16293-2422 hot corino which used a single-source approximation. Conclusions: Radiative transfer modeling of source A and B, with the density solution of an infalling, rotating collapse or a protoplanetary disk model, can match the constraints for the disk-like emission around source A and B from the observed dust continuum and CO isotopologue gas emission. If a protoplanetary disk model is used around source B, it has to have an unusually high scale-height in order to reach the dust continuum peak emission value, while fulfilling the other observational constraints. Our 3D model requires source A to be much more luminous than source B; LA 18 L⊙ and LB 3 L⊙.

Numerical modelling of the formation process of planets from protoplanetary cloud

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kozlov, N. N.; Eneyev, T. M.

1979-01-01

Evolution of the plane protoplanetary cloud, consisting of a great number of gravitationally interacting and uniting under collision bodies (protoplanets) moving in the central field of a large mass (the Sun or a planet), is considered. It is shown that in the course of protoplanetary cloud evolution the ring zones of matter expansion and compression occur with the subsequent development leading to formation of planets, rotating about their axes mainly directly. The principal numerical results were obtained through digital simulation of planetary accumulation.

Sulphur monoxide exposes a potential molecular disk wind from the planet-hosting disk around HD 100546

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Booth, Alice S.; Walsh, Catherine; Kama, Mihkel; Loomis, Ryan A.; Maud, Luke T.; Juhász, Attila

2018-03-01

Sulphur-bearing volatiles are observed to be significantly depleted in interstellar and circumstellar regions. This missing sulphur is postulated to be mostly locked up in refractory form. With ALMA we have detected sulphur monoxide (SO), a known shock tracer, in the HD 100546 protoplanetary disk. Two rotational transitions: J = 77-66 (301.286 GHz) and J = 78-67 (304.078 GHz) are detected in their respective integrated intensity maps. The stacking of these transitions results in a clear 5σ detection in the stacked line profile. The emission is compact but is spectrally resolved and the line profile has two components. One component peaks at the source velocity and the other is blue-shifted by 5 km s-1. The kinematics and spatial distribution of the SO emission are not consistent with that expected from a purely Keplerian disk. We detect additional blue-shifted emission that we attribute to a disk wind. The disk component was simulated using LIME and a physical disk structure. The disk emission is asymmetric and best fit by a wedge of emission in the north-east region of the disk coincident with a "hot-spot" observed in the CO J = 3-2 line. The favoured hypothesis is that a possible inner disk warp (seen in CO emission) directly exposes the north-east side of the disk to heating by the central star, creating locally the conditions to launch a disk wind. Chemical models of a disk wind will help to elucidate why the wind is particularly highlighted in SO emission and whether a refractory source of sulphur is needed. An alternative explanation is that the SO is tracing an accretion shock from a circumplanetary disk associated with the proposed protoplanet embedded in the disk at 50 au. We also report a non-detection of SO in the protoplanetary disk around HD 97048.

Migration of accreting giant planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robert, C.; Crida, A.; Lega, E.; Méheut, H.

2017-09-01

Giant planets forming in protoplanetary disks migrate relative to their host star. By repelling the gas in their vicinity, they form gaps in the disk's structure. If they are effectively locked in their gap, it follows that their migration rate is governed by the accretion of the disk itself onto the star, in a so-called type II fashion. Recent results showed however that a locking mechanism was still lacking, and was required to understand how giant planets may survive their disk. We propose that planetary accretion may play this part, and help reach this slow migration regime.

Exo-comet Detection in Debris Disks Around Young A-type Stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welsh, Barry; Montgomery, S. L.

2013-01-01

We present details of the successful search for comet-like bodies (i.e. exo-comets) in orbit around several nearby stars. These objects have been found in young stellar systems that are in the transitional stage of evolution between possession of a gaseous protoplanetary disk to that of a dust-rich debris disk. During this period it is thought that large planetesimals of ~ 1000 km diameter may cause dynamical perturbations in the population of smaller bodies (such as asteroids and comets), such that they are sent on highly eccentric orbits towards their parent star resulting in the liberation of large amounts of evaporating gas and dust. By observing the varying spectral absorption signature of the CaII K-line at 3933Å due to this liberated gas, we have been able to track the trajectory of these exo-comets over a time-frame of several nights as they approach (and sometimes pass around) the central star. The youngest debris disks (1 - 50 Myr) are thought to represent the last stage in the formation of planetary systems and they may resemble our solar system’s own debris disk at the time of the Late Heavy Bombardment when the terrestrial worlds were subject to frequent collisions with asteroids and comets. Collisions with water-rich comets from the outer regions of our solar system may have delivered water to thee Earth’s oceans.

Probing the Origin and Evolution of Interstellar and Protoplanetary Biogenic Molecules:A Comprehensive Survey of Interstellar Ices with SPHEREx

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melnick, Gary J.; SPHEREx Science Team

2016-01-01

Many of the most important building blocks of life are locked in interstellar and protoplanetary ices. Examples include H2O, CO, CO2, and CH3OH, among others. There is growing evidence that in some environments, such as within the cores of dense molecular clouds and the mid-plane of protoplanetary disks, the amounts of these species in ices far exceeds that in the gas phase. As a result, collisions between ice-bearing bodies and newly forming planets are thought to be a major means of delivering these key species to young planets. There currently exist fewer than 250 ice absorption spectra toward Galactic molecular clouds, which is insufficient to reliably trace the ice content of clouds through the various stages of collapse to star and planet formation, or assess the effects of their environments and physical conditions, such as cloud density, internal temperature, presence or absence of embedded sources, external UV and X-ray radiation, gas-phase composition, or cosmic-ray ionization rate, on the ice composition for clouds at similar evolutionary stages. Ultimately, our goal is to understand how these findings connect to our own Solar System.SPHEREx, which is a mission in NASA's Small Explorer (SMEX) program that was selected for a Phase A study in July 2015, will be a game changer for the study of interstellar, circumstellar, and protoplanetary disk ices. SPHEREx will obtain spectra over the entire sky in the optical and near-IR, including the 2.5 to 4.8 micron region, which contains the above biogenic ice features. SPHEREx will detect millions of potential background continuum point sources already catalogued by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) at 3.4 and 4.6 microns for which there is evidence for intervening gas and dust based on the 2MASS+WISE colors with sufficient sensitivity to yield ice absorption spectra with SNR ≥ 100 per spectral resolution element. The resulting > 100-fold increase in the number of high-quality ice absorption spectra toward a wide variety of regions distributed throughout the Galaxy will reveal correlations between ice content and environment not possible with current spectra. Finally, SPHEREx will provide JWST with an ice source catalog for follow-up.

Origin and Diversity of Planetary Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.; Young, Richard E. (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

Modern theories of star and planet formation, which are based upon observations of the Solar System and of young stars and their environments, predict that rocky planets should form around most single stars, although it is possible that most such planets are lost to orbital decay within the protoplanetary disk. The frequency of formation of gas giant planets is more difficult to predict theoretically. Terrestrial planets are believed to grow via pairwise accretion until the spacing of planetary orbits becomes large enough that the configuration is stable for the age of the system. Giant planets begin their growth like terrestrial planets, but they become massive enough that they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas before the protoplanetary disk dissipates. Models for the formation of the giant planets found in recent radial velocity searches are discussed.

The Birth of Planetary Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.; Young, Richard E. (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

An overview of current theories of star and planet formation is presented. These models are based upon observations of the Solar System and of young stars and their environments, and they predict that rocky planets should form around most single stars, although it is possible that in some cases such planets are lost to orbital decay within the protoplanetary disk. The frequency of formation of gas giant planets is more difficult to predict theoretically. Terrestrial planets are believed to grow via pairwise accretion until the spacing of planetary orbits becomes large enough that the configuration is stable for the age of the system. Giant planets begin their growth like terrestrial planets, but they become massive enough that they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas before the protoplanetary disk dissipates.

Mineralogy and petrology of comet 81P/wild 2 nucleus samples

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zolensky, M.E.; Zega, T.J.; Yano, H.; Wirick, S.; Westphal, A.J.; Weisberg, M.K.; Weber, I.; Warren, J.L.; Velbel, M.A.; Tsuchiyama, A.; Tsou, P.; Toppani, A.; Tomioka, N.; Tomeoka, K.; Teslich, N.; Taheri, M.; Susini, J.; Stroud, R.; Stephan, T.; Stadermann, F.J.; Snead, C.J.; Simon, S.B.; Simionovici, A.; See, T.H.; Robert, F.; Rietmeijer, F.J.M.; Rao, W.; Perronnet, M.C.; Papanastassiou, D.A.; Okudaira, K.; Ohsumi, K.; Ohnishi, I.; Nakamura-Messenger, K.; Nakamura, T.; Mostefaoui, S.; Mikouchi, T.; Meibom, A.; Matrajt, G.; Marcus, M.A.; Leroux, H.; Lemelle, L.; Le, L.; Lanzirotti, A.; Langenhorst, F.; Krot, A.N.; Keller, L.P.; Kearsley, A.T.; Joswiak, D.; Jacob, D.; Ishii, H.; Harvey, R.; Hagiya, K.; Grossman, L.; Grossman, J.H.; Graham, G.A.; Gounalle, M.; Gillet, P.; Genge, M.J.; Flynn, G.; Ferroir, T.; Fallon, S.; Ebel, D.S.; Dai, Z.R.; Cordier, P.; Clark, B.; Chi, M.; Butterworth, Anna L.; Brownlee, D.E.; Bridges, J.C.; Brennan, S.; Brearley, A.; Bradley, J.P.; Bleuet, P.; Bland, P.A.; Bastien, R.

2006-01-01

The bulk of the comet 81P/Wild 2 (hereafter Wild 2) samples returned to Earth by the Stardust spacecraft appear to be weakly constructed mixtures of nanometer-scale grains, with occasional much larger (over 1 micrometer) ferromagnesian silicates, Fe-Ni sulfides, Fe-Ni metal, and accessory phases. The very wide range of olivine and low-Ca pyroxene compositions in comet Wild 2 requires a wide range of formation conditions, probably reflecting very different formation locations in the protoplanetary disk. The restricted compositional ranges of Fe-Ni sulfides, the wide range for silicates, and the absence of hydrous phases indicate that comet Wild 2 experienced little or no aqueous alteration. Less abundant Wild 2 materials include a refractory particle, whose presence appears to require radial transport in the early protoplanetary disk.

Spitzer Spectroscopy of the Transition Object TW Hya

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-24

results bear on our understanding of the evolutionary state of the TW Hya disk . Subject headings: (stars:) circumstellar matter — (stars:) planetary systems... protoplanetary disks — stars: pre-main sequence — (stars: individual) TW Hya 1. Introduction Spectroscopy with the Spitzer Space Telescope has...region of the disk . (2) If a planet has formed with a mass sufficient to open a gap (∼ 1MJ), gas will be cleared in the vicinity of its orbit, but gap

Resolved Observations of Transition Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Casassus, Simon

2016-04-01

Resolved observations are bringing new constraints on the origin of radial gaps in protoplanetary disks. The kinematics, sampled in detail in one case-study, are indicative of non-Keplerian flows, corresponding to warped structures and accretion which may both play a role in the development of cavities. Disk asymmetries seen in the radio continuum are being interpreted in the context of dust segregation via aerodynamic trapping. We summarise recent observational progress, and describe prospects for improvements in the near term.

HOW SPIRALS AND GAPS DRIVEN BY COMPANIONS IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS APPEAR IN SCATTERED LIGHT AT ARBITRARY VIEWING ANGLES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dong, Ruobing; Fung, Jeffrey; Chiang, Eugene, E-mail: rdong2013@berkeley.edu

2016-07-20

Direct imaging observations of protoplanetary disks at near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths have revealed structures of potentially planetary origin. Investigations of observational signatures from planet-induced features have so far focused on disks viewed face-on. Combining 3D hydrodynamics and radiative transfer simulations, we study how the appearance of the spiral arms and the gap produced in a disk by a companion varies with inclination and position angle in NIR scattered light. We compare the cases of a 3 M {sub J} and a 0.1 M {sub ⊙} companion, and make predictions suitable for testing with Gemini/GPI, Very Large Telescope/NACO/SPHERE, and Subaru/HiCIAO/SCExAO. We findmore » that the two trailing arms produced by an external perturber can have a variety of morphologies in inclined systems—they may appear as one trailing arm; two trailing arms on the same side of the disk; or two arms winding in opposite directions. The disk ring outside a planetary gap may also mimic spiral arms when viewed at high inclinations. We suggest potential explanations for the features observed in HH 30, HD 141569 A, AK Sco, HD 100546, and AB Aur. We emphasize that inclined views of companion-induced features cannot be converted into face-on views using simple and commonly practiced image deprojections.« less

ON THE LIKELIHOOD OF PLANET FORMATION IN CLOSE BINARIES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jang-Condell, Hannah, E-mail: hjangcon@uwyo.edu

2015-02-01

To date, several exoplanets have been discovered orbiting stars with close binary companions (a ≲ 30 AU). The fact that planets can form in these dynamically challenging environments implies that planet formation must be a robust process. The initial protoplanetary disks in these systems from which planets must form should be tidally truncated to radii of a few AU, which indicates that the efficiency of planet formation must be high. Here, we examine the truncation of circumstellar protoplanetary disks in close binary systems, studying how the likelihood of planet formation is affected over a range of disk parameters. If themore » semimajor axis of the binary is too small or its eccentricity is too high, the disk will have too little mass for planet formation to occur. However, we find that the stars in the binary systems known to have planets should have once hosted circumstellar disks that were capable of supporting planet formation despite their truncation. We present a way to characterize the feasibility of planet formation based on binary orbital parameters such as stellar mass, companion mass, eccentricity, and semimajor axis. Using this measure, we can quantify the robustness of planet formation in close binaries and better understand the overall efficiency of planet formation in general.« less

Super-Earths: Atmospheric Accretion, Thermal Evolution and Envelope Loss

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ginzburg, Sivan; Inamdar, Niraj K.; Schlichting, Hilke E.

Combined mass and radius observations have recently revealed many short-period planets a few times the size of Earth but with significantly lower densities. A natural explanation for the low density of these super Earths super-Earth is a voluminous gas atmosphere that engulfs more compact rocky cores. Planets with such substantial gas atmospheres may be a missing link between smaller planets, that did not manage to obtain or keep an atmosphere, and larger planets, that accreted gas too quickly and became gas giants gas- . In this chapter we review recent advancements in the understanding of low-density low- super-Earth formation and evolution. Specifically, we present a consistent picture of the various stages in the lives of these planets: gas accretion from the protoplanetary disk, possible atmosphere heating and evaporation mechanisms, collisions between planets, and finally, evolution up to the age at which the planets are observed.

Chasing Shadows: Rotation of the Azimuthal Asymmetry in the TW Hya Disk

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Debes, John H.; Poteet, Charles A.; Hines, Dean

2017-02-01

We have obtained new images of the protoplanetary disk orbiting TW Hya in visible, total intensity light with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) on the Hubble Space Telescope ( HST ), using the newly commissioned BAR5 occulter. These HST /STIS observations achieved an inner working angle of ∼0.″2, or 11.7 au, probing the system at angular radii coincident with recent images of the disk obtained by ALMA and in polarized intensity near-infrared light. By comparing our new STIS images to those taken with STIS in 2000 and with NICMOS in 1998, 2004, and 2005, we demonstrate that TW Hya’smore » azimuthal surface brightness asymmetry moves coherently in position angle. Between 50 au and 141 au we measure a constant angular velocity in the azimuthal brightness asymmetry of 22.°7 yr{sup −1} in a counterclockwise direction, equivalent to a period of 15.9 yr assuming circular motion. Both the (short) inferred period and lack of radial dependence of the moving shadow pattern are inconsistent with Keplerian rotation at these disk radii. We hypothesize that the asymmetry arises from the fact that the disk interior to 1 au is inclined and precessing owing to a planetary companion, thus partially shadowing the outer disk. Further monitoring of this and other shadows on protoplanetary disks potentially opens a new avenue for indirectly observing the sites of planet formation.« less

On the Grain-modified Magnetic Diffusivities in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Rui; Bai, Xue-Ning

2016-03-01

Weakly ionized protoplanetary disks (PPDs) are subject to nonideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) effects, including ohmic resistivity, the Hall effect, and ambipolar diffusion (AD), and the resulting magnetic diffusivities ({η }{{O}},{η }{{H}}, and {η }{{A}}) largely control the disk gas dynamics. The presence of grains not only strongly reduces the disk ionization fraction, but also modifies the scalings of {η }{{H}} and {η }{{A}} with magnetic field strength. We analytically derive asymptotic expressions of {η }{{H}} and {η }{{A}} in both the strong and weak field limits and show that toward a strong field, {η }{{H}} can change sign (at a threshold field strength {B}{{th}}), mimicking a flip of field polarity, and AD is substantially reduced. Applied to PPDs, we find that when small ˜0.1 (0.01)μm grains are sufficiently abundant (mass ratio ˜0.01 (10-4)), {η }{{H}} can change sign up to ˜2-3 scale heights above the midplane at a modest field strength (plasma β ˜ 100) over a wide range of disk radii. The reduction of AD is also substantial toward the AD-dominated outer disk and may activate the magnetorotational instability. We further perform local nonideal MHD simulations of the inner disk (within 10 au) and show that, with sufficiently abundant small grains, the magnetic field amplification due to the Hall-shear instability saturates at a very low level near the threshold field strength {B}{{th}}. Together with previous studies, we conclude by discussing the grain-abundance-dependent phenomenology of PPD gas dynamics.

VLA Observations of the Disk around the Young Brown Dwarf 2MASS J044427+2512

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ricci, L.; Rome, H.; Pinilla, P.

We present multi-wavelength radio observations obtained with the VLA of the protoplanetary disk surrounding the young brown dwarf 2MASS J04442713+2512164 (2M0444) in the Taurus star-forming region. 2M0444 is the brightest known brown dwarf disk at millimeter wavelengths, making this an ideal target to probe radio emission from a young brown dwarf. Thermal emission from dust in the disk is detected at 6.8 and 9.1 mm, whereas the 1.36 cm measured flux is dominated by ionized gas emission. We combine these data with previous observations at shorter sub-mm and mm wavelengths to test the predictions of dust evolution models in gas-richmore » disks after adapting their parameters to the case of 2M0444. These models show that the radial drift mechanism affecting solids in a gaseous environment has to be either completely made inefficient, or significantly slowed down by very strong gas pressure bumps in order to explain the presence of mm/cm-sized grains in the outer regions of the 2M0444 disk. We also discuss the possible mechanisms for the origin of the ionized gas emission detected at 1.36 cm. The inferred radio luminosity for this emission is in line with the relation between radio and bolometric luminosity valid for for more massive and luminous young stellar objects, and extrapolated down to the very low luminosity of the 2M0444 brown dwarf.« less

A Gap with a Deficit of Large Grains in the Protoplanetary Disk around TW Hya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsukagoshi, Takashi; Nomura, Hideko; Muto, Takayuki; Kawabe, Ryohei; Ishimoto, Daiki; Kanagawa, Kazuhiro D.; Okuzumi, Satoshi; Ida, Shigeru; Walsh, Catherine; Millar, T. J.

2016-10-01

We report ˜3 au resolution imaging observations of the protoplanetary disk around TW Hya at 145 and 233 GHz with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. Our observations revealed two deep gaps (˜25%-50%) at 22 and 37 au and shallower gaps (a few percent) at 6, 28, and 44 au, as recently reported by Andrews et al. The central hole with a radius of ˜3 au was also marginally resolved. The most remarkable finding is that the spectral index α (R) between bands 4 and 6 peaks at the 22 au gap. The derived power-law index of the dust opacity β (R) is ˜1.7 at the 22 au gap and decreases toward the disk center to ˜0. The most prominent gap at 22 au could be caused by the gravitational interaction between the disk and an unseen planet with a mass of ≲1.5 M Neptune, although other origins may be possible. The planet-induced gap is supported by the fact that β (R) is enhanced at the 22 au gap, indicating a deficit of ˜millimeter-sized grains within the gap due to dust filtration by a planet.

Polarimetric Imaging of Large Cavity Structures in the Pre-transitional Protoplanetary Disk Around PDS 70: Observations of the Disk

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hashimoto, J.; Dong, R.; Kudo, T.; Honda, M.; McClure, M. K.; Zhu, Z.; Muto, T.; Wisniewski, J.; Abe, L.; Brandner, W.;

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dong, Ruobing; Zhu, Zhaohuan; Fung, Jeffrey

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 themore » 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.« less

Protoplanetary disks in Taurus: Probing the role of multiplicity with ALMA observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laos, Stefan; Akeson, Rachel L.; Jensen, Eric L. N.

2017-01-01

We present results from an ALMA survey of single and multiple young systems in Taurus designed to probe how protoplanetary disk mass depends on both stellar mass and multiplicity. In observations taken in Cycles 0 and 2, we detect over 25 new disks. These detections include disks around stars in both single and multiple systems and are predominantly around lower mass stars with spectral types from M0 to M6. Combined with previous detections, these observations reveal a wide range of disk mass around both primary and companion stars, and allow us to test if the relation previously seen between disk and stellar mass continues at lower stellar masses. We find that within multiple systems the ratio of primary to secondary stellar mass is not correlated with the ratio of primary to secondary disk mass. In some cases, the secondary star hosts the more massive disk, contrary to theoretical predictions. We will discuss the implications of these results for the process of planet formation in multiple systems.This work makes use of the following ALMA data: ADS/JAO.ALMA#2011.0.00150.S. and ADS/JAO.ALMA#2013.1.00105.S. ALMA is a partnership of ESO (representing its member states), NSF (USA) and NINS (Japan), together with NRC (Canada) and NSC and ASIAA (Taiwan), in cooperation with the Republic of Chile. The Joint ALMA Observatory is operated by ESO, AUI/NRAO and NAOJ. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

ngVLA Key Science Goal 2: Probing the Initial Conditions for Planetary Systems and Life with Astrochemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGuire, Brett; ngVLA Science Working Group 1

2018-01-01

One of the most challenging aspects in understanding the origin and evolution of planets and planetary systems is tracing the influence of chemistry on the physical evolution of a system from a molecular cloud to a solar system. Existing facilities have already shown the stunning degree of molecular complexity present in these systems. The unique combination of sensitivity and spatial resolution offered by the ngVLA will permit the observation of both highly complex and very low-abundance chemical species that are exquisitely sensitive to the physical conditions and evolutionary history of their sources, which are out of reach of current observatories. In turn, by understanding the chemical evolution of these complex molecules, unprecedentedly detailed astrophysical insight can be gleaned from these astrochemical observations.This poster will overview a number of key science goals in astrochemistry which will be enabled by the ngVLA, including:1) imaging of the deepest, densest regions in protoplanetary disks and unveiling the physical history through isotopic ratios2) probing the ammonia snow line in these disks, thought to be the only viable tracer of the water snowline3) observations of the molecular content of giant planet atmospheres4) detections of new, complex molecules, potentially including the simplest amino acids and sugars5) tracing the origin of chiral excess in star-forming regions

A Kinematical Detection of Two Embedded Jupiter-mass Planets in HD 163296

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teague, Richard; Bae, Jaehan; Bergin, Edwin A.; Birnstiel, Tilman; Foreman-Mackey, Daniel

2018-06-01

We present the first kinematical detection of embedded protoplanets within a protoplanetary disk. Using archival Atacama Large Millimetre Array (ALMA) observations of HD 163296, we demonstrate a new technique to measure the rotation curves of CO isotopologue emission to sub-percent precision relative to the Keplerian rotation. These rotation curves betray substantial deviations caused by local perturbations in the radial pressure gradient, likely driven by gaps carved in the gas surface density by Jupiter-mass planets. Comparison with hydrodynamic simulations shows excellent agreement with the gas rotation profile when the disk surface density is perturbed by two Jupiter-mass planets at 83 and 137 au. As the rotation of the gas is dependent upon the pressure of the total gas component, this method provides a unique probe of the gas surface density profile without incurring significant uncertainties due to gas-to-dust ratios or local chemical abundances that plague other methods. Future analyses combining both methods promise to provide the most accurate and robust measures of embedded planetary mass. Furthermore, this method provides a unique opportunity to explore wide-separation planets beyond the mm continuum edge and to trace the gas pressure profile essential in modeling grain evolution in disks.

Physical properties of gas disks around shell stars with and without dust

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grady, Carol A.

1992-01-01

Analysis of archival IRAS and IUE data has resulted in: (1) identification of 8 new A star proto-planetary candidates; (2) detection of a mass outflow event around Beta Pic (subsequently confirmed by the 1991 July HST observation); and (3) confirmation of the suggestion by Waters et al. (1988) that 51 Oph is a protoplanetary system similar to beta Pic with the detection of high density, high velocity, collisionally ionized accreting gas in the line of sight toward this star.

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Izidoro, A.; Winter, O. C.; Haghighipour, N.

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 bodiesmore » 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.« less

Origin and evolution of the atmospheres of early Venus, Earth and Mars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lammer, Helmut; Zerkle, Aubrey L.; Gebauer, Stefanie; Tosi, Nicola; Noack, Lena; Scherf, Manuel; Pilat-Lohinger, Elke; Güdel, Manuel; Grenfell, John Lee; Godolt, Mareike; Nikolaou, Athanasia

2018-05-01

We review the origin and evolution of the atmospheres of Earth, Venus and Mars from the time when their accreting bodies were released from the protoplanetary disk a few million years after the origin of the Sun. If the accreting planetary cores reached masses ≥ 0.5 M_Earth before the gas in the disk disappeared, primordial atmospheres consisting mainly of H_2 form around the young planetary body, contrary to late-stage planet formation, where terrestrial planets accrete material after the nebula phase of the disk. The differences between these two scenarios are explored by investigating non-radiogenic atmospheric noble gas isotope anomalies observed on the three terrestrial planets. The role of the young Sun's more efficient EUV radiation and of the plasma environment into the escape of early atmospheres is also addressed. We discuss the catastrophic outgassing of volatiles and the formation and cooling of steam atmospheres after the solidification of magma oceans and we describe the geochemical evidence for additional delivery of volatile-rich chondritic materials during the main stages of terrestrial planet formation. The evolution scenario of early Earth is then compared with the atmospheric evolution of planets where no active plate tectonics emerged like on Venus and Mars. We look at the diversity between early Earth, Venus and Mars, which is found to be related to their differing geochemical, geodynamical and geophysical conditions, including plate tectonics, crust and mantle oxidation processes and their involvement in degassing processes of secondary N_2 atmospheres. The buildup of atmospheric N_2, O_2, and the role of greenhouse gases such as CO_2 and CH_4 to counter the Faint Young Sun Paradox (FYSP), when the earliest life forms on Earth originated until the Great Oxidation Event ≈ 2.3 Gyr ago, are addressed. This review concludes with a discussion on the implications of understanding Earth's geophysical and related atmospheric evolution in relation to the discovery of potential habitable terrestrial exoplanets.

Signatures of Hot Molecular Hydrogen Absorption from Protoplanetary Disks. I. Non-thermal Populations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hoadley, Keri; France, Kevin; Arulanantham, Nicole

2017-09-01

The environment around protoplanetary disks (PPDs) regulates processes that drive the chemical and structural evolution of circumstellar material. We perform a detailed empirical survey of warm molecular hydrogen (H{sub 2}) absorption observed against H i-Ly α (Ly α : λ 1215.67) emission profiles for 22 PPDs, using archival Hubble Space Telescope ultraviolet (UV) spectra to identify H{sub 2} absorption signatures and quantify the column densities of H{sub 2} ground states in each sightline. We compare thermal equilibrium models of H{sub 2} to the observed H{sub 2} rovibrational level distributions. We find that, for the majority of targets, there is amore » clear deviation in high-energy states ( T {sub exc} ≳ 20,000 K) away from thermal equilibrium populations ( T (H{sub 2}) ≳ 3500 K). We create a metric to estimate the total column density of non-thermal H{sub 2} ( N (H{sub 2}){sub nLTE}) and find that the total column densities of thermal ( N (H{sub 2})) and N (H{sub 2}){sub nLTE} correlate for transition disks and targets with detectable C iv-pumped H{sub 2} fluorescence. We compare N (H{sub 2}) and N (H{sub 2}){sub nLTE} to circumstellar observables and find that N (H{sub 2}){sub nLTE} correlates with X-ray and far-UV luminosities, but no correlations are observed with the luminosities of discrete emission features (e.g., Ly α , C iv). Additionally, N (H{sub 2}) and N (H{sub 2}){sub nLTE} are too low to account for the H{sub 2} fluorescence observed in PPDs, so we speculate that this H{sub 2} may instead be associated with a diffuse, hot, atomic halo surrounding the planet-forming disk. We create a simple photon-pumping model for each target to test this hypothesis and find that Ly α efficiently pumps H{sub 2} levels with T {sub exc} ≥ 10,000 K out of thermal equilibrium.« less

Dust-trapping Rossby vortices in protoplanetary disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meheut, H.; Meliani, Z.; Varniere, P.; Benz, W.

2012-09-01

Context. One of the most challenging steps in planet formation theory is the one leading to the formation of planetesimals of kilometre size. A promising scenario involves the existence of vortices able to concentrate a large amount of dust and grains in their centres. Up to now this scenario has mostly been studied in 2D razor thin disks. A 3D study including, simultaneously, the formation and resulting dust concentration of the vortices with vertical settling, is still missing. Aims: The Rossby wave instability self-consistently forms 3D vortices, which have the unique quality of presenting a large-scale vertical velocity in their centre. Here we aim to study how this newly discovered effect can alter the dynamic evolution of the dust. Methods: We performed global 3D simulations of the RWI in a radially and vertically stratified disk using the code MPI-AMRVAC. After the growth phase of the instability, the gas and solid phases are modelled by a bi-fluid approach, where the dust is considered as a fluid without pressure. Both the drag force of the gas on the dust and the back reaction of the dust on the gas are included. Multiple grain sizes from 1 mm to 5 cm are used with a constant density distribution. Results: We obtain in a short timescale a high concentration of the largest grains in the vortices. Indeed, in 3 rotations the dust-to-gas density ratio grows from 10-2 to unity leading to a concentration of mass up to that of Mars in one vortex. The presence of the radial drift is also at the origin of a dust pile-up at the radius of the vortices. Lastly, the vertical velocity of the gas in the vortex causes the sedimentation process to be reversed, the mm size dust is lifted and higher concentrations are obtained in the upper layer than in the midplane. Conclusions: The Rossby wave instability is a promising mechanism for planetesimal formation, and the results presented here can be of particular interest in the context of future observations of protoplanetary disks.

DCOMP Award Lecture (Metropolis): A 3D Spectral Anelastic Hydrodynamic Code for Shearing, Stratified Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barranco, Joseph

2006-03-01

We have developed a three-dimensional (3D) spectral hydrodynamic code to study vortex dynamics in rotating, shearing, stratified systems (eg, the atmosphere of gas giant planets, protoplanetary disks around newly forming protostars). The time-independent background state is stably stratified in the vertical direction and has a unidirectional linear shear flow aligned with one horizontal axis. Superposed on this background state is an unsteady, subsonic flow that is evolved with the Euler equations subject to the anelastic approximation to filter acoustic phenomena. A Fourier-Fourier basis in a set of quasi-Lagrangian coordinates that advect with the background shear is used for spectral expansions in the two horizontal directions. For the vertical direction, two different sets of basis functions have been implemented: (1) Chebyshev polynomials on a truncated, finite domain, and (2) rational Chebyshev functions on an infinite domain. Use of this latter set is equivalent to transforming the infinite domain to a finite one with a cotangent mapping, and using cosine and sine expansions in the mapped coordinate. The nonlinear advection terms are time integrated explicitly, whereas the Coriolis force, buoyancy terms, and pressure/enthalpy gradient are integrated semi- implicitly. We show that internal gravity waves can be damped by adding new terms to the Euler equations. The code exhibits excellent parallel performance with the Message Passing Interface (MPI). As a demonstration of the code, we simulate vortex dynamics in protoplanetary disks and the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the dusty midplanes of protoplanetary disks.

The HD 163296 Circumstellar Disk in Scattered Light: Evidence of Time-Variable Self-Shadowing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wisniewski, John P.; Clampin, Mark; Grady, Carol A.; Ardila, David R.; Ford, Holland C.; Golimowski, David A.; Illingworth, Garth D.; Krist, John E.

2008-01-01

We present the first multi-color view of the scattered light disk of the Herbig Ae star HD 163296, based on coronagraphic observations from the Hubble Space Telescope Advanced Camera for Surveys (ACS). Radial profile fits of the surface brightness along the disk's semi-major axis indicates that the disk is not continuously flared, and extends to approx.540 AU. The disk's color (V-I)=1.1 at a radial distance of 3.5" is redder than the observed stellar color (V-I)=0.15. This red disk color might be indicative of either an evolution in the grain size distribution (i.e. grain growth) and/or composition, both of which would be consistent with the observed non-flared geometry of the outer disk. We also identify a single ansa morphological structure in our F435W ACS data, which is absent from earlier epoch F606W and F814W ACS data, but corresponds to one of the two ansa observed in archival HST STIS coronagraphic data. Following transformation to similar band-passes, we find that the scattered light disk of HD 163296 is 1 mag arcsec(sup -2) fainter at 3.5" in the STIS data than in the ACS data. Moreover, variations are seen in (i) the visibility of the ansa(e) structures, in (ii) the relative surface brightness of the ansa(e) structures, and in (iii) the (known) intrinsic polarization of the system. These results indicate that the scattered light from the HD 163296 disk is variable. We speculate that the inner disk wall, which Sitko et al. suggests has a variable scale height as diagnosed by near-IR SED variability, induces variable self-shadowing of the outer disk. We further speculate that the observed surface brightness variability of the ansa(e) structures may indicate that the inner disk wall is azimuthally asymmetric. Subject headings: circumstellar matter - stars: individual (HD 163296) - planetary systems: formation - planetary systems: protoplanetary disks

Observed properties of extrasolar planets.

PubMed

Howard, Andrew W

2013-05-03

Observational surveys for extrasolar planets probe the diverse outcomes of planet formation and evolution. These surveys measure the frequency of planets with different masses, sizes, orbital characteristics, and host star properties. Small planets between the sizes of Earth and Neptune substantially outnumber Jupiter-sized planets. The survey measurements support the core accretion model, in which planets form by the accumulation of solids and then gas in protoplanetary disks. The diversity of exoplanetary characteristics demonstrates that most of the gross features of the solar system are one outcome in a continuum of possibilities. The most common class of planetary system detectable today consists of one or more planets approximately one to three times Earth's size orbiting within a fraction of the Earth-Sun distance.

The Depletion of Water During Dispersal of Planet-forming Disk Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banzatti, A.; Pontoppidan, K. M.; Salyk, C.; Herczeg, G. J.; van Dishoeck, E. F.; Blake, G. A.

2017-01-01

We present a new velocity-resolved survey of 2.9 μm spectra of hot H2O and OH gas emission from protoplanetary disks, obtained with the Cryogenic Infrared Echelle Spectrometer at the VLT (R ˜ 96,000). With the addition of archival Spitzer-IRS spectra, this is the most comprehensive spectral data set of water vapor emission from disks ever assembled. We provide line fluxes at 2.9-33 μm that probe from the dust sublimation radius at ˜0.05 au out to the region of the water snow line. With a combined data set for 55 disks, we find a new correlation between H2O line fluxes and the radius of CO gas emission, as measured in velocity-resolved 4.7 μm spectra (R {}{co}), which probes molecular gaps in inner disks. We find that H2O emission disappears from 2.9 μm (hotter water) to 33 μm (colder water) as {R}{co} increases and expands out to the snow line radius. These results suggest that the infrared water spectrum is a tracer of inside-out water depletion within the snow line. It also helps clarify an unsolved discrepancy between water observations and models by finding that disks around stars of {M}\\star > 1.5 {M}⊙ generally have inner gaps with depleted molecular gas content. We measure radial trends in H2O, OH, and CO line fluxes that can be used as benchmarks for models to study the chemical composition and evolution of planet-forming disk regions at 0.05-20 au. We propose that JWST spectroscopy of molecular gas may be used as a probe of inner disk gas depletion, complementary to the larger gaps and holes detected by direct imaging and by ALMA.

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

The Distribution and Excitation of CH3CN in a Solar Nebula Analog

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Loomis, Ryan A.; Cleeves, L. Ilsedore; Öberg, Karin I.; Aikawa, Yuri; Bergner, Jennifer; Furuya, Kenji; Guzman, V. V.; Walsh, Catherine

2018-06-01

Cometary studies suggest that the organic composition of the early Solar Nebula was rich in complex nitrile species such CH3CN. Recent ALMA detections in protoplanetary disks suggest that these species may be common during planet and comet formation, but connecting gas-phase measurements to cometary abundances first requires constraints on formation chemistry and distributions of these species. We present here the detection of seven spatially resolved transitions of CH3CN in the protoplanetary disk around the T-Tauri star TW Hya. Using a rotational diagram analysis, we find a disk-averaged column density of {N}T={1.45}-0.15+0.19× {10}12 cm‑2 and a rotational temperature of {T}rot}={32.7}-3.4+3.9 K. A radially resolved rotational diagram shows the rotational temperature to be constant across the disk, suggesting that the CH3CN emission originates from a layer at z/r ∼ 0.3. Through comparison of the observations with predictions from a disk chemistry model, we find that grain-surface reactions likely dominate CH3CN formation and that in situ disk chemistry is sufficient to explain the observed CH3CN column density profile without invoking inheritance from the protostellar phase. However, the same model fails to reproduce a solar system cometary abundance of CH3CN relative to H2O in the midplane, suggesting that either vigorous vertical mixing or some degree of inheritance from interstellar ices occurred in the Solar Nebula.

The Chemistry of Multiply Deuterated Molecules in Protoplanetary Disks: I. The Outer Disk

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Willacy, K.

2007-01-01

We present new models of the deuterium chemistry in protoplanetary disks, including, for the first time, multiply deuterated species. We use these models to explore whether observations in combination with models can give us clues as to which desorption processes occur in disks.We find, in common with other authors, that photodesorption can allow strongly bound molecules such as HDO to exist in the gas phase in a layer above the midplane. Models including this process give the best agreement with the observations. In the midplane, cosmic-ray heating can desorb weakly bound molecules such as CO and N2. We find the observations suggest that N2 is gaseous in this region, but that CO must be retained on the grains to account for the observed DCO+/HCO+. This could be achieved by CO having a higher binding energy than N2 (as may be the case when these molecules are accreted onto water ice) or by a smaller cosmic-ray desorption rate for CO than assumed here, as suggested by recent theoretical work. For gaseous molecules the calculated deuteration can be greatly changed by chemical processing in the disk from the input molecular cloud values. On the grains singly deuterated species tend to retain the D/H ratio set in the molecular cloud, whereas multiply deuterated species are more affected by the disk chemistry. Consequently, the D/H ratios observed in comets may be partly set in the parent cloud and partly in the disk, depending on the molecule.

Destruction of Refractory Carbon in Protoplanetary Disks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson, Dana E.; Blake, Geoffrey A.; Bergin, Edwin A.

The Earth and other rocky bodies in the inner solar system contain significantly less carbon than the primordial materials that seeded their formation. These carbon-poor objects include the parent bodies of primitive meteorites, suggesting that at least one process responsible for solid-phase carbon depletion was active prior to the early stages of planet formation. Potential mechanisms include the erosion of carbonaceous materials by photons or atomic oxygen in the surface layers of the protoplanetary disk. Under photochemically generated favorable conditions, these reactions can deplete the near-surface abundance of carbon grains and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by several orders of magnitude onmore » short timescales relative to the lifetime of the disk out to radii of ∼20–100+ au from the central star depending on the form of refractory carbon present. Due to the reliance of destruction mechanisms on a high influx of photons, the extent of refractory carbon depletion is quite sensitive to the disk’s internal radiation field. Dust transport within the disk is required to affect the composition of the midplane. In our current model of a passive, constant- α disk, where α = 0.01, carbon grains can be turbulently lofted into the destructive surface layers and depleted out to radii of ∼3–10 au for 0.1–1 μ m grains. Smaller grains can be cleared out of the planet-forming region completely. Destruction may be more effective in an actively accreting disk or when considering individual grain trajectories in non-idealized disks.« less

GAPS IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS AS SIGNATURES OF PLANETS. II. INCLINED DISKS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jang-Condell, Hannah; Turner, Neal J.

2013-07-20

We examine the observational appearance of partial gaps being opened by planets in protoplanetary disks, considering the effects of the inclination relative to the line of sight. We model the disks with static {alpha}-models with detailed radiative transfer, parameterizing the shape and size of the partially cleared gaps based on the results of hydrodynamic simulations. As in previous work, starlight falling across the gap leads to high surface brightness contrasts. The gap's trough is darkened by both shadowing and cooling, relative to the uninterrupted disk. The gap's outer wall is brightened by direct illumination and also by heating, which puffsmore » it up so that it intercepts more starlight. In this paper, we examine the effects of inclination on resolved images of disks with and without gaps at a wide range of wavelengths. The scattering surface's offset from the disk midplane creates a brightness asymmetry along the axis of inclination, making the disk's near side appear brighter than the far side in scattered light. Finite disk thickness also causes the projected distances of equidistant points on the disk surface to be smaller on the near side of the disk as compared to the far side. Consequently, the gap shoulder on the near side of the disk should appear brighter and closer to the star than on the far side. However, if the angular resolution of the observation is coarser than the width of the brightened gap shoulder, then the gap shoulder on the far side may appear brighter because of its larger apparent size. We present a formula to recover the scale height and inclination angle of an imaged disk using simple geometric arguments and measuring disk asymmetries. Resolved images of circumstellar disks have revealed clearings and gaps, such as the transitional disk in LkCa 15. Models created using our synthetic imaging attempting to match the morphology of observed scattered light images of LkCa 15 indicate that the H-band flux deficit in the inner {approx}0.''5 of the disk can be explained with a planet if mass is greater than 0.5 Jupiter mass.« less

Resonant Drag Instabilities in protoplanetary disks: the streaming instability and new, faster-growing instabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Squire, Jonathan; Hopkins, Philip F.

2018-04-01

We identify and study a number of new, rapidly growing instabilities of dust grains in protoplanetary disks, which may be important for planetesimal formation. The study is based on the recognition that dust-gas mixtures are generically unstable to a Resonant Drag Instability (RDI), whenever the gas, absent dust, supports undamped linear modes. We show that the "streaming instability" is an RDI associated with epicyclic oscillations; this provides simple interpretations for its mechanisms and accurate analytic expressions for its growth rates and fastest-growing wavelengths. We extend this analysis to more general dust streaming motions and other waves, including buoyancy and magnetohydrodynamic oscillations, finding various new instabilities. Most importantly, we identify the disk "settling instability," which occurs as dust settles vertically into the midplane of a rotating disk. For small grains, this instability grows many orders of magnitude faster than the standard streaming instability, with a growth rate that is independent of grain size. Growth timescales for realistic dust-to-gas ratios are comparable to the disk orbital period, and the characteristic wavelengths are more than an order of magnitude larger than the streaming instability (allowing the instability to concentrate larger masses). This suggests that in the process of settling, dust will band into rings then filaments or clumps, potentially seeding dust traps, high-metallicity regions that in turn seed the streaming instability, or even overdensities that coagulate or directly collapse to planetesimals.

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

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tsang, David; Cumming, Andrew; Turner, Neal J., E-mail: dtsang@physics.mcgill.ca

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 featuremore » 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.« less

Torques Induced by Scattered Pebble-flow in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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.

A Star Close Encounter

NASA Image and Video Library

2006-10-03

The potential planet-forming disk (or "protoplanetary disk") of a sun-like star is being violently ripped away by the powerful winds of a nearby hot O-type star in this image from NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope. At up to 100 times the mass of sun-like stars, O stars are the most massive and energetic stars in the universe. The O star can be seen to the right of the image, as the large orange spot with the white center. To the left, the comet-like structure is actually a neighboring solar system that is being destroyed by the O star's powerful winds and intense ultraviolet light. In a process called "photoevaporation," immense output from the O star heats up the nearby protoplanetary disk so much that gas and dust boil off, and the disk can no longer hold together. Photon (or light) blasts from the O star then strip the potential planet-forming disk off its neighbor star by blowing away evaporated material. This effect is illustrated in the smaller system's comet-like structure. The system is located about 2,450 light-years away in the star-forming cloud IC 1396. The image was taken with Spitzer's multiband imaging photometer instrument at 24 microns. The picture is a pseudo-color stretch representing intensity. Yellow and white represent hot areas, whereas purple and blue represent relatively cooler, fainter regions.

ANALYSIS OF THE INSTABILITY DUE TO GAS–DUST FRICTION IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shadmehri, Mohsen, E-mail: m.shadmehri@gu.ac.ir

2016-02-01

We study the stability of a dust layer in a gaseous disk subject to linear axisymmetric perturbations. Instead of considering single-size particles, however, the population of dust particles is assumed to consist of two grain species. Dust grains exchange momentum with the gas via the drag force and their self-gravity is also considered. We show that the presence of two grain sizes can increase the efficiency of the linear growth of drag-driven instability in the protoplanetary disks (PPDs). A second dust phase with a small mass, compared to the first dust phase, would reduce the growth timescale by a factormore » of two or more, especially when its coupling to the gas is weak. This means that once a certain amount of large dust particles form, even though it is much smaller than that of small dust particles, the dust layer becomes more unstable and dust clumping is accelerated. Thus, the presence of dust particles of various sizes must be considered in studies of dust clumping in PPDs where both large and small dust grains are present.« less

Planet Formation - Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.

2005-01-01

Modern theories of star and planet formation are based upon observations of planets and smaller bodies within our own Solar System, exoplanets &round normal stars and of young stars and their environments. Terrestrial planets are believed to grow via pairwise accretion until the spacing of planetary orbits becomes large enough that the configuration is stable for the age of the system. Giant planets begin their growth as do terrestrial planets, but they become massive enough that they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas before the protoplanetary disk dissipates. These models predict that rocky planets should form in orbit about most single stars. It is uncertain whether or not gas giant planet formation is common, because most protoplanetary disks may dissipate before solid planetary cores can grow large enough to gravitationally trap substantial quantities of gas. A potential hazard to planetary systems is radial decay of planetary orbits resulting from interactions with material within the disk. Planets more massive than Earth have the potential to decay the fastest, and may be able to sweep up smaller planets in their path.

Upper limits to the detection of ammonia from protoplanetary disks around HL Tauri and L1551-IRS 5

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gomez, Jose F.; Torrelles, Jose M.; Ho, Paul T. P.; Rodriguez, Luis F.; Canto, Jorge

1993-01-01

We present NH3(1, 1) and (2, 2) observations of the young stellar sources HL Tau and L1551-IRS 5 using the VLA in its B-configuration, which provides an angular resolution of about 0.4 arcsec (about 50 AU at 140 pc) at 1.3 cm wavelength. Our goal was to detect and resolve circumstellar molecular disks with radius of the order of 100 AU around these two sources. No ammonia emission was detected toward either of them. The 3-sigma levels were 2.7 mJy/beam and 3.9 mJy/beam for HL Tau and L1551-IRS 5, respectively, with a velocity resolution of about 5 km/s. With this nondetection, we estimate upper limits to the mass of the proposed protoplanetary molecular disks (within a radius of 10 AU from the central stars) on the order of 0.02/(X(NH3)/10 exp -8) solar mass for HL Tau and 0.1/(X(NH3)/10 exp -8) solar mass for L1551-IRS 5.

The formation of giant planets and its effects on protoplanetary disks: the case of Jupiter and the Jovian Early Bombardment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turrini, D.; ISSI Team "Vesta, the key to the origins of the Solar System"; EChO "Planetary Formation" Working Group

The formation of giant planets is accompanied by a short but intense primordial bombardment \\citep{safronov69,weidenschilling75,weidenschilling01,turrini11}: the prototype for this class of events is the Jovian Early Bombardment (JEB) caused by the formation of Jupiter in the Solar System \\citep{turrini11,turrini12}. The JEB affected the collisional evolution of the minor bodies in the inner Solar System by inflicting mass loss to planetesimals \\citep{turrini12,turrini14a,turrini14b} due to cratering erosion and, at the same time, delivering water and volatile materials to the asteroid belt \\citep{turrini14b}. The JEB also resulted in a significant number of collisions between Jupiter and planetesimals formed over a wide orbital range, delivering volatile and refractory materials to the giant planet and its circumplanetary disk \\citep{turrini14c}. In this talk I'll discuss how the study of the effects of the JEB on Vesta can be used to constrain the early evolution of the Solar System \\citep{turrini14a,turrini14b} and how these constraints can, in turn, provide insight on the composition of Jupiter and of its satellites. Finally, I'll discuss the implications of the JEB model for extrasolar planets \\citep{turrini14c}.

CLUSTER DYNAMICS LARGELY SHAPES PROTOPLANETARY DISK SIZES

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vincke, Kirsten; Pfalzner, Susanne, E-mail: kvincke@mpifr-bonn.mpg.de

2016-09-01

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

Circumstellar Material on and off the Main Sequence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Steele, Amy; Debes, John H.; Deming, Drake

2017-06-01

There is evidence of circumstellar material around main sequence, giant, and white dwarf stars that originates from the small-body population of planetary systems. These bodies tell us something about the chemistry and evolution of protoplanetary disks and the planetary systems they form. What happens to this material as its host star evolves off the main sequence, and how does that inform our understanding of the typical chemistry of rocky bodies in planetary systems? In this talk, I will discuss the composition(s) of circumstellar material on and off the main sequence to begin to answer the question, “Is Earth normal?” In particular, I look at three types of debris disks to understand the typical chemistry of planetary systems—young debris disks, debris disks around giant stars, and dust around white dwarfs. I will review the current understanding on how to infer dust composition for each class of disk, and present new work on constraining dust composition from infrared excesses around main sequence and giant stars. Finally, dusty and polluted white dwarfs hold a unique key to our understanding of the composition of rocky bodies around other stars. In particular, I will discuss WD1145+017, which has a transiting, disintegrating planetesimal. I will review what we know about this system through high speed photometry and spectroscopy and present new work on understanding the complex interplay of physics that creates white dwarf pollution from the disintegration of rocky bodies.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Simon, M. N.; Pascucci, I.; Keane, J. T.

Using Keck/HIRES spectra (Δ v ∼ 7 km s{sup -1}) we analyze forbidden lines of [O i] 6300 Å, [O i] 5577 Å and [S ii] 6731 Å from 33 T Tauri stars covering a range of disk evolutionary stages. After removing a high-velocity component (HVC) associated with microjets, we study the properties of the low-velocity component (LVC). The LVC can be attributed to slow disk winds that could be magnetically (magnetohydrodynamic) or thermally (photoevaporative) driven. Both of these winds play an important role in the evolution and dispersal of protoplanetary material. LVC emission is seen in all 30 starsmore » with detected [O i] but only in two out of eight with detected [S ii], so our analysis is largely based on the properties of the [O i] LVC. The LVC itself is resolved into broad (BC) and narrow (NC) kinematic components. Both components are found over a wide range of accretion rates and their luminosity is correlated with the accretion luminosity, but the NC is proportionately stronger than the BC in transition disks. The full width at half maximum of both the BC and NC correlates with disk inclination, consistent with Keplerian broadening from radii of 0.05 to 0.5 au and 0.5 to 5 au, respectively. The velocity centroids of the BC suggest formation in an MHD disk wind, with the largest blueshifts found in sources with closer to face-on orientations. The velocity centroids of the NC, however, show no dependence on disk inclination. The origin of this component is less clear and the evidence for photoevaporation is not conclusive.« less

Childhood to adolescence: dust and gas clearing in protoplanetary disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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 their classical T Tauri star counterparts. The gaps are cleared of most ~100 μm sized grains as well as the ~10 μm sized grains visible in the mid-infrared as silicate emission features.

Gas Velocities Reveal Newly Born Planets in a Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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, which can be reproduced by the presence of a 2-Jupiter-mass planet at 260 AU. [Pinte et al. 2018]Watching Gas MoveIn two papers published today in ApJL one led by Richard Teague (University of Michigan) and the other led by Christophe Pinte (Monash University in Australia and Grenoble Alpes University in France) astronomers have announced the detection of distinctive signs of planets in the gas motion of the disk surrounding HD 163296. This young star, located about 330 light-years away, is only 4 million years old.Unlike studies that hinge on observations of a disks dust which only makes up 1% of the disks mass! both studies here took a new approach: they used detailed ALMA observations revealing the dynamics of the disks carbon monoxide gas. By studying the gass motion, the teams found deviations from the Keplerian velocity that would be expected if there were no planets present. The authors then ran simulations to demonstrate that the deviations are consistent with local pressure perturbations caused by the passage of giant planets.Rotational velocity deviations due to changes in the local pressure, caused in this simulation by the presence of planets. [Teague et al. 2018]Giants FoundWhat did they find? Teague and collaborators, whose technique to identify velocity variations is best suited to explore the inner regions of the disk, discovered evidence for two separate Jupiter-mass planets orbiting at distances of 83 AU and 137 AU in the disk. Pinte and collaborators, whose velocity-measurement technique better explores the outer regions of the disk, found evidence for a two-Jupiter-mass planet orbiting at 260 AU.These results will rely on additional imaging in the coming years to confirm the presence of these newly born planets and a detection of point sources at these radii remains a hopeful goal for the future. Nonetheless, the new techniques explored here by Teague, Pinte, and collaborators are a promising route for young exoplanet discovery and characterization in other disks imaged by ALMA and future instruments.CitationRichard Teague et al 2018 ApJL 860 L12. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aac6d7C. Pinte et al 2018 ApJL 860 L13. doi:10.3847/2041-8213/aac6dc

Gas and Dust Structures of the Protoplanetary Disk around HD 142527

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Momose, M.; Muto, T.; Hanawa, T.; Fukagawa, M.; Tsukagoshi, T.; Saigo, K.; Kataoka, A.; Nomura, H.; Takeuchi, T.; Akiyama, E.; Ohashi, N.; Fujiwara, H.; Shibai, H.; Kitamura, Y.; Inutsuka, S.; Kobayashi, H.; Honda, M.; Aso, Y.; Takahashi, S. Z.

2015-12-01

HD142527 is a Herbig Fe star accompanied by a disk with ring-like structure. We derive the distributions of dust and gas separately by model fitting and discuss the spatial variation of gas-to-dust mass ratio in the disk. The radial distribution of dust is well approximated by a Gaussian function, while the gas is roughly followed by a power-law distribution between 110 and 400 AU in radius, which is significantly more extended than dust. G/d may reach the order of unity at the northern peak.

Dynamics of the Final Stages of Terrestrial Planet Growth and the Formation of the Earth-Moon System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.; Rivera, Eugenio J.; DeVincenzi, Donald (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

An overview of current theories of star and planet formation, with emphasis on terrestrial planet accretion and the formation of the Earth-Moon system is presented. These models predict that rocky planets should form around most single stars, although it is possible that in some cases such planets are lost to orbital decay within the protoplanetary disk. The frequency of formation of gas giant planets is more difficult to predict theoretically. Terrestrial planets are believed to grow via pairwise accretion until the spacing of planetary orbits becomes large enough that the configuration is stable for the age of the system. Giant impacts during the final stages of growth can produce large planetary satellites, such as Earth's Moon. Giant planets begin their growth like terrestrial planets, but they become massive enough that they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas before the protoplanetary disk dissipates.

DIRECT DETECTION OF PRECURSORS OF GAS GIANTS FORMED BY GRAVITATIONAL INSTABILITY WITH THE ATACAMA LARGE MILLIMETER/SUBMILLIMETER ARRAY

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mayer, Lucio; Peters, Thomas; Pineda, Jaime E.

Phases of gravitational instability are expected in the early phases of disk evolution, when the disk mass is still a substantial fraction of the mass of the star. Disk fragmentation into sub-stellar objects could occur in the cold exterior part of the disk. Direct detection of massive gaseous clumps on their way to collapse into gas giant planets would offer an unprecedented test of the disk instability model. Here we use state-of-the-art 3D radiation-hydro simulations of disks undergoing fragmentation into massive gas giants, post-processed with RADMC-3D to produce dust continuum emission maps. These are then fed into the Common Astronomymore » Software Applications (CASA) ALMA simulator. The synthetic maps show that both overdense spiral arms and actual clumps at different stages of collapse can be detected with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in the full configuration at the distance of the Ophiuchus star forming region (125 pc). The detection of clumps is particularly effective at shorter wavelengths (690 GHz) combining two resolutions with multi-scale clean. Furthermore, we show that a flux-based estimate of the mass of a protoplanetary clump can be comparable to a factor of three higher than the gravitationally bound clump mass. The estimated mass depends on the assumed opacity, and on the gas temperature, which should be set using the input of radiation-hydro simulations. We conclude that ALMA has the capability to detect “smoking gun” systems that are a signpost of the disk instability model for gas giant planet formation.« less

THE REBOUND CONDITION OF DUST AGGREGATES REVEALED BY NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF THEIR COLLISIONS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wada, Koji; Tanaka, Hidekazu; Yamamoto, Tetsuo

2011-08-10

Collisional growth of dust aggregates is a plausible root of planetesimals forming in protoplanetary disks. However, a rebound of colliding dust aggregates prevents dust from growing into planetesimals. In fact, rebounding aggregates are observed in laboratory experiments but not in previous numerical simulations. Therefore, the condition of rebound between dust aggregates should be clarified to better understand the processes of dust growth and planetesimal formation. We have carried out numerical simulations of aggregate collisions for various types of aggregates and succeeded in reproducing a rebound of colliding aggregates under specific conditions. Our finding is that in the rebound process, themore » key factor of the aggregate structure is the coordination number, namely, the number of particles in contact with a particle. A rebound is governed by the energy dissipation along with restructuring of the aggregates and a large coordination number inhibits the restructuring at collisions. Results of our numerical simulation for various aggregates indicate that they stick to each other when the mean coordination number is less than 6, regardless of their materials and structures, as long as their collision velocity is less than the critical velocity for fragmentation. This criterion of the coordination number would correspond to a filling factor of {approx}0.3, which is somewhat larger than that reported in laboratory experiments. In protoplanetary disks, dust aggregates are expected to have low bulk densities (<0.1 g cm{sup -3}) during their growth, which would prevent dust aggregates from rebounding. This result supports the formation of planetesimals with direct dust growth in protoplanetary disks.« less

Gaps, rings, and non-axisymmetric structures in protoplanetary disks: Emission from large grains

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

2016-05-01

Aims: Dust grains with sizes around (sub)mm are expected to couple only weakly to the gas motion in regions beyond 10 au of circumstellar disks. In this work, we investigate the influence of the spatial distribution of these grains on the (sub)mm appearance of magnetized protoplanetary disks. Methods: We perform non-ideal global 3D magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) stratified disk simulations, including particles of different sizes (50 μm to 1 cm), using a Lagrangian particle solver. Subsequently, we calculate the spatial dust temperature distribution, including the dynamically coupled submicron-sized dust grains, and derive ideal continuum re-emission maps of the disk through radiative transfer simulations. Finally, we investigate the feasibility of observing specific structures in the thermal re-emission maps with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA). Results: Depending on the level of turbulence, the radial pressure gradient of the gas, and the grain size, particles settle to the midplane and/or drift radially inward. The pressure bump close to the outer edge of the dead-zone leads to particle-trapping in ring structures. More specifically, vortices in the disk concentrate the dust and create an inhomogeneous distribution of solid material in the azimuthal direction. The large-scale disk perturbations are preserved in the (sub)mm re-emission maps. The observable structures are very similar to those expected from planet-disk interaction. Additionally, the larger dust particles increase the brightness contrast between the gap and ring structures. We find that rings, gaps, and the dust accumulation in the vortex could be traced with ALMA down to a scale of a few astronomical units in circumstellar disks located in nearby star-forming regions. Finally, we present a brief comparison of these structures with those recently found with ALMA in the young circumstellar disks of HL Tau and Oph IRS 48.

ALMA Observations of Elias 2–24: A Protoplanetary Disk with Multiple Gaps in the Ophiuchus Molecular Cloud

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cieza, Lucas A.; Casassus, Simon; Pérez, Sebastian; Hales, Antonio; Cárcamo, Miguel; Ansdell, Megan; Avenhaus, Henning; Bayo, Amelia; Bertrang, Gesa H.-M.; Cánovas, Hector; Christiaens, Valentin; Dent, William; Ferrero, Gabriel; Gamen, Roberto; Olofsson, Johan; Orcajo, Santiago; Osses, Axel; Peña-Ramirez, Karla; Principe, David; Ruíz-Rodríguez, Dary; Schreiber, Matthias R.; van der Plas, Gerrit; Williams, Jonathan P.; Zurlo, Alice

2017-12-01

We present ALMA 1.3 mm continuum observations at 0\\buildrel{\\prime\\prime}\\over{.} 2 (25 au) resolution of Elias 2–24, one of the largest and brightest protoplanetary disks in the Ophiuchus Molecular Cloud, and we report the presence of three partially resolved concentric gaps located at ∼20, 52, and 87 au from the star. We perform radiative transfer modeling of the disk to constrain its surface density and temperature radial profile and place the disk structure in the context of mechanisms capable of forming narrow gaps such as condensation fronts and dynamical clearing by actively forming planets. In particular, we estimate the disk temperature at the locations of the gaps to be 23, 15, and 12 K (at 20, 52, and 87 au, respectively), very close to the expected snowlines of CO (23–28 K) and N2 (12–15 K). Similarly, by assuming that the widths of the gaps correspond to 4–8× the Hill radii of forming planets (as suggested by numerical simulations), we estimate planet masses in the range of 0.2{--}1.5 {M}{Jup}, 1.0{--}8.0 {M}{Jup}, and 0.02{--}0.15 {M}{Jup} for the inner, middle, and outer gap, respectively. Given the surface density profile of the disk, the amount of “missing mass” at the location of each one of these gaps (between 4 and 20 {M}{Jup}) is more than sufficient to account for the formation of such planets.

Constraints on observing brightness asymmetries in protoplanetary disks at solar system scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunngräber, Robert; Wolf, Sebastian

2018-04-01

We have quantified the potential capabilities of detecting local brightness asymmetries in circumstellar disks with the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) in the mid-infrared wavelength range. The study is motivated by the need to evaluate theoretical models of planet formation by direct observations of protoplanets at early evolutionary stages, when they are still embedded in their host disk. Up to now, only a few embedded candidate protoplanets have been detected with semi-major axes of 20-50 au. Due to the small angular separation from their central star, only long-baseline interferometry provides the angular resolving power to detect disk asymmetries associated to protoplanets at solar system scales in nearby star-forming regions. In particular, infrared observations are crucial to observe scattered stellar radiation and thermal re-emission in the vicinity of embedded companions directly. For this purpose we performed radiative transfer simulations to calculate the thermal re-emission and scattered stellar flux from a protoplanetary disk hosting an embedded companion. Based on that, visibilities and closure phases are calculated to simulate observations with the future beam combiner MATISSE, operating at the L, M and N bands at the VLTI. We find that the flux ratio of the embedded source to the central star can be as low as 0.5 to 0.6% for a detection at a feasible significance level due to the heated dust in the vicinity of the embedded source. Furthermore, we find that the likelihood for detection is highest for sources at intermediate distances r ≈ 2-5 au and disk masses not higher than ≈10-4 M⊙.

Numerical Simulation of Protoplanetary Vortices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lin, H.; Barranco, J. A.; Marcus, P. S.

2003-01-01

The fluid dynamics within a protoplanetary disk has been attracting the attention of many researchers for a few decades. Previous works include, to list only a few among many others, the well-known prescription of Shakura & Sunyaev, the convective and instability study of Stone & Balbus and Hawley et al., the Rossby wave approach of Lovelace et al., as well as a recent work by Klahr & Bodenheimer, which attempted to identify turbulent flow within the disk. The disk is commonly understood to be a thin gas disk rotating around a central star with differential rotation (the Keplerian velocity), and the central quest remains as how the flow behavior deviates (albeit by a small amount) from a strong balance established between gravitational and centrifugal forces, transfers mass and momentum inward, and eventually forms planetesimals and planets. In earlier works we have briefly described the possible physical processes involved in the disk; we have proposed the existence of long-lasting, coherent vortices as an efficient agent for mass and momentum transport. In particular, Barranco et al. provided a general mathematical framework that is suitable for the asymptotic regime of the disk; Barranco & Marcus (2000) addressed a proposed vortex-dust interaction mechanism which might lead to planetesimal formation; and Lin et al. (2002), as inspired by general geophysical vortex dynamics, proposed basic mechanisms by which vortices can transport mass and angular momentum. The current work follows up on our previous effort. We shall focus on the detailed numerical implementation of our problem. We have developed a parallel, pseudo-spectral code to simulate the full three-dimensional vortex dynamics in a stably-stratified, differentially rotating frame, which represents the environment of the disk. Our simulation is validated with full diagnostics and comparisons, and we present our results on a family of three-dimensional, coherent equilibrium vortices.

Cooling Requirements for the Vertical Shear Instability in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Min-Kai; Youdin, Andrew N.

2015-09-01

The vertical shear instability (VSI) offers a potential hydrodynamic mechanism for angular momentum transport in protoplanetary disks (PPDs). The VSI is driven by a weak vertical gradient in the disk’s orbital motion, but must overcome vertical buoyancy, a strongly stabilizing influence in cold disks, where heating is dominated by external irradiation. Rapid radiative cooling reduces the effective buoyancy and allows the VSI to operate. We quantify the cooling timescale tc needed for efficient VSI growth, through a linear analysis of the VSI with cooling in vertically global, radially local disk models. We find the VSI is most vigorous for rapid cooling with {t}{{c}}\\lt {{{Ω }}}{{K}}-1h| q| /(γ -1) in terms of the Keplerian orbital frequency, {{{Ω }}}{{K}}, the disk’s aspect-ratio, h\\ll 1, the radial power-law temperature gradient, q, and the adiabatic index, γ. For longer tc, the VSI is much less effective because growth slows and shifts to smaller length scales, which are more prone to viscous or turbulent decay. We apply our results to PPD models where tc is determined by the opacity of dust grains. We find that the VSI is most effective at intermediate radii, from ∼5 to ∼50 AU with a characteristic growth time of ∼30 local orbital periods. Growth is suppressed by long cooling times both in the opaque inner disk and the optically thin outer disk. Reducing the dust opacity by a factor of 10 increases cooling times enough to quench the VSI at all disk radii. Thus the formation of solid protoplanets, a sink for dust grains, can impede the VSI.

On the jet of a young star RWAurA and related problems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berdnikov, L. N.; Burlak, M. A.; Vozyakova, O. V.; Dodin, A. V.; Lamzin, S. A.; Tatarnikov, A. M.

2017-07-01

Having compared images of a jet of the young star RWAurA obtained with an interval of 21.3 yr, we have found that the outermost knots of the jet have emerged approximately 350 years ago. We come up with arguments that the jet itself has appeared at the same time, and intensive accretion onto the star has begun due to rearrangement of its protoplanetary disk structure caused by the tidal effect of the companion RWAur B. More precisely suppose that intensification of accretion is a response to changing conditions in the outer-disk regions which has followed after the sound wave, generated by these changes, has passed the disk in the radial direction. In our opinion difference in the parameters of blue and red lobes of the RWAurA jet is a result of the asymmetric distribution of the circumstellar matter above and below the disk due to companion's passage. It was found from the analysis of the RWAur historical light curve that deep and long-term (Δ t > 150 days) light attenuations of RWAurA observed after 2010 had no precedents in the previous 110 years.We also associate the change in the character of photometric variability of the star with the rearrangement of the structure of inner ( r < 1 AU) regions of its protoplanetary disk, and discuss why these changes have begun only 350 years after the beginning of the active accretion phase.

MASS MEASUREMENTS IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS FROM HYDROGEN DEUTERIDE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McClure, M. K.; Bergin, E. A.; Cleeves, L. I., E-mail: mmcclure@eso.org, E-mail: ebergin@umich.edu, E-mail: ilse.cleeves@cfa.harvard.edu

2016-11-10

The total gas mass of a protoplanetary disk is a fundamental, but poorly determined, quantity. A new technique has been demonstrated to assess directly the bulk molecular gas reservoir of molecular hydrogen using the HD J = 1–0 line at 112 μ m. In this work we present a Herschel Space Observatory {sup 10} survey of six additional T Tauri disks in the HD line. Line emission is detected at >3 σ significance in two cases: DM Tau and GM Aur. For the other four disks, we establish upper limits to the line flux. Using detailed disk structure and ray-tracingmore » models, we calculate the temperature structure and dust mass from modeling the observed spectral energy distributions, and we include the effect of UV gas heating to determine the amount of gas required to fit the HD line. The ranges of gas masses are 1.0–4.7 × 10{sup -2} for DM Tau and 2.5–20.4 × 10{sup -2} for GM Aur. These values are larger than those found using CO for GM Aur, while the CO-derived gas mass for DM Tau is consistent with the lower end of our mass range. This suggests a CO chemical depletion from the gas phase of up to a factor of five for DM Tau and up to two orders of magnitude for GM Aur. We discuss how future analysis can narrow the mass ranges further.« less

Formation of Jupiter and Saturn

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.; Young, Richard E. (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

An overview of current theories of the formation of our Solar System, with emphasis on giant planets, is presented. The most detailed models are based upon observations of planets and smaller bodies within our own Solar System and of young stars and their environments. Terrestrial planets are believed to grow via pairwise accretion until the spacing of planetary orbits becomes large enough that the configuration is stable for the age of the system. Giant planets begin their growth as do terrestrial planets, but they become massive enough that they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas before the protoplanetary disk dissipates. Larger disk mass allows for faster growth of solid planetary bodies. The ability of a solid planet to trap gas from the protoplanetary disk increases rapidly as its mass increases (because the depth of its gravitational potential well increases), but decreases as the planetesimal accretion rate is increased (as it becomes hotter). The net effect of increasing disk mass is that gas giant planets form more rapidly, but with larger core masses. Observations of circumstellar disks suggest an upper bound on the time available prior to dissipation of the gas, and planetary models place upper limits on core sizes. Together, these constraints suggest that Jupiter and Saturn formed in 1-10 million years, and the density of solids in the region of their formation was a few times as large as the lower bound provided by the traditional minimum mass nebula.

Formation of Jupiter and Saturn

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

An overview of current theories of the formation of our Solar System, with emphasis on giant planets, is presented. The most detailed models are based upon observations of planets and smaller bodies within our own Solar System and of young stars and their environments. Terrestrial planets are believed to grow via pairwise accretion until the spacing of planetary orbits becomes large enough that the configuration is stable for the age of the system. Giant planets begin their growth as do terrestrial planets, but they become massive enough that they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas before the protoplanetary disk dissipates. Larger disk mass allows for faster growth of solid planetary bodies. The ability of a solid planet to trap gas from the protoplanetary disk increases rapidly as its mass increases (because the depth of its gravitational potential well increases), but decreases as the planetesimal accretion rate is increased (as it becomes hotter). The net effect of increasing disk mass is that gas giant planets form more rapidly, but with larger core masses. Observations of circumstellar disks suggest an upper bound on the time available prior to dissipation of the gas, and planetary models place upper limits on core sizes. Together, these constraints suggest that Jupiter and Saturn formed in 1 - 10 million years, and the density of solids in the region of their formation was a few times as large as the lower bound provided by the traditional minimum mass nebula.

Heliophysics: Evolving Solar Activity and the Climates of Space and Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schrijver, Carolus J.; Siscoe, George L.

2010-09-01

Preface; 1. Interconnectedness in heliophysics Carolus J. Schrijver and George L. Siscoe; 2. Long-term evolution of magnetic activity of Sun-like stars Carolus J. Schrijver; 3. Formation and early evolution of stars and proto-planetary disks Lee W. Hartmann; 4. Planetary habitability on astronomical time scales Donald E. Brownlee; 5. Solar internal flows and dynamo action Mark S. Miesch; 6. Modeling solar and stellar dynamos Paul Charbonneau; 7. Planetary fields and dynamos Ulrich R. Christensen; 8. The structure and evolution of the 3D solar wind John T. Gosling; 9. The heliosphere and cosmic rays J. Randy Jokipii; 10. Solar spectral irradiance: measurements and models Judith L. Lean and Thomas N. Woods; 11. Astrophysical influences on planetary climate systems Juerg Beer; 12. Evaluating the drivers of Earth's climate system Thomas J. Crowley; 13. Ionospheres of the terrestrial planets Stanley C. Solomon; 14. Long-term evolution of the geospace climate Jan J. Sojka; 15. Waves and transport processes in atmospheres and oceans Richard L. Walterscheid; 16. Solar variability, climate, and atmospheric photochemistry Guy P. Brasseur, Daniel Marsch and Hauke Schmidt; Appendix I. Authors and editors; List of illustrations; List of tables; Bibliography; Index.

Heliophysics: Evolving Solar Activity and the Climates of Space and Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schrijver, Carolus J.; Siscoe, George L.

2012-01-01

Preface; 1. Interconnectedness in heliophysics Carolus J. Schrijver and George L. Siscoe; 2. Long-term evolution of magnetic activity of Sun-like stars Carolus J. Schrijver; 3. Formation and early evolution of stars and proto-planetary disks Lee W. Hartmann; 4. Planetary habitability on astronomical time scales Donald E. Brownlee; 5. Solar internal flows and dynamo action Mark S. Miesch; 6. Modeling solar and stellar dynamos Paul Charbonneau; 7. Planetary fields and dynamos Ulrich R. Christensen; 8. The structure and evolution of the 3D solar wind John T. Gosling; 9. The heliosphere and cosmic rays J. Randy Jokipii; 10. Solar spectral irradiance: measurements and models Judith L. Lean and Thomas N. Woods; 11. Astrophysical influences on planetary climate systems Juerg Beer; 12. Evaluating the drivers of Earth's climate system Thomas J. Crowley; 13. Ionospheres of the terrestrial planets Stanley C. Solomon; 14. Long-term evolution of the geospace climate Jan J. Sojka; 15. Waves and transport processes in atmospheres and oceans Richard L. Walterscheid; 16. Solar variability, climate, and atmospheric photochemistry Guy P. Brasseur, Daniel Marsch and Hauke Schmidt; Appendix I. Authors and editors; List of illustrations; List of tables; Bibliography; Index.

Chemical diversity of organic volatiles among comets: An emerging taxonomy and implications for processes in the proto-planetary disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mumma, Michael J.

2008-10-01

As messengers from the early Solar System, comets contain key information from the time of planet formation and even earlier some may contain material formed in our natal interstellar cloud. Along with water, the cometary nucleus contains ices of natural gases (CH4, C2H6), alcohols (CH3OH), acids (HCOOH), embalming fluid (H2CO), and even anti-freeze (ethylene glycol). Comets today contain some ices that vaporize at temperatures near absolute zero (CO, CH4), demonstrating that their compositions remain largely unchanged after 4.5 billion years. By comparing their chemical diversity, several distinct cometary classes have been identified but their specific relation to chemical gradients in the proto-planetary disk remains murky. How does the compositional diversity of comets relate to nebular processes such as chemical processing, radial migration, and dynamical scattering? No current reservoir holds a unique class, but their fractional abundance can test emerging dynamical models for origins of the scattered Kuiper disk, the Oort cloud, and the (proposed) main-belt comets. I will provide a simplified overview emphasizing what we are learning, current issues, and their relevance to the subject of this Symposium.

Planet Formation and the Characteristics of Extrasolar Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

An overview of current theories of planetary growth, emphasizing the formation of extrasolar planets, is presented. Models of planet formation are based upon observations of the Solar System, extrasolar planets, and young stars and their environments. Terrestrial planets are believed to grow via pairwise accretion until the spacing of planetary orbits becomes large enough that the configuration is stable for the age of the system. Giant planets begin their growth like terrestrial planets, but if they become massive enough before the protoplanetary disk dissipates, then they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas. These models predict that rocky planets should form in orbit about most single stars. It is uncertain whether or not gas giant planet formation is common, because most protoplanetary disks may dissipate before solid planetary cores can grow large enough to gravitationally trap substantial quantities of gas. A potential hazard to planetary systems is radial decay of planetary orbits resulting from interactions with material within the disk. Planets more massive than Earth have the potential to decay the fastest, and may be able to sweep up smaller planets in their path. The implications of the giant planets found in recent radial velocity searches for the abundances of habitable planets are discussed.

Sublimation of icy planetesimals and the delivery of water to the habitable zone around solar type stars

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brunini, Adrián; López, María Cristina

2018-06-01

We present a semi analytic model to evaluate the delivery of water to the habitable zone around a solar type star carried by icy planetesimals born beyond the snow line. The model includes sublimation of ice, gas drag and scattering by an outer giant planet located near the snow line. The sublimation model is general and could be applicable to planetary synthesis models or N-Body simulations of the formation of planetary systems. We perform a short series of simulations to asses the potential relevance of sublimation of volatiles in the process of delivery of water to the inner regions of a planetary system during early stages of its formation. We could anticipate that erosion by sublimation would prevent the arrival of much water to the habitable zone of protoplanetary disks in the form of icy planetesimals. Close encounters with a massive planet orbiting near the outer edge of the snow line could make possible for planetesimals to reach the habitable zone somewhat less eroded. However, only large planetesimals could provide appreciable amounts of water. Massive disks and sharp gas surface density profiles favor icy planetesimals to reach inner regions of a protoplanetary disk.

Characterizing the Evolution of Circumstellar Systems with the Hubble Space Telescope and the Gemini Planet Imager

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wolff, Schuyler; Schuyler G. Wolff

2018-01-01

The study of circumstellar disks at a variety of evolutionary stages is essential to understand the physical processes leading to planet formation. The recent development of high contrast instruments designed to directly image the structures surrounding nearby stars, such as the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) and coronagraphic data from the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) have made detailed studies of circumstellar systems possible. In my thesis work I detail the observation and characterization of three systems. GPI polarization data for the transition disk, PDS 66 shows a double ring and gap structure with a temporally variable azimuthal asymmetry. This evolved morphology could indicate shadowing from some feature in the innermost regions of the disk, a gap-clearing planet, or a localized change in the dust properties of the disk. Millimeter continuum data of the DH Tau system places limits on the dust mass that is contributing to the strong accretion signature on the wide-separation planetary mass companion, DH Tau b. The lower than expected dust mass constrains the possible formation mechanism, with core accretion followed by dynamical scattering being the most likely. Finally, I present HST scattered light observations of the flared, edge-on protoplanetary disk ESO H$\\alpha$ 569. I combine these data with a spectral energy distribution to model the key structural parameters such as the geometry (disk outer radius, vertical scale height, radial flaring profile), total mass, and dust grain properties in the disk using the radiative transfer code MCFOST. In order to conduct this work, I developed a new tool set to optimize the fitting of disk parameters using the MCMC code \\texttt{emcee} to efficiently explore the high dimensional parameter space. This approach allows us to self-consistently and simultaneously fit a wide variety of observables in order to place constraints on the physical properties of a given disk, while also rigorously assessing the uncertainties in those derived properties.

Gas in Debris Disks and the Volatiles of Terrestrial Planet Formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kuchner, Marc

2010-01-01

Debris disks are a kind of protoplanetary disk that likely corresponds to the epoch of terrestrial planet and outer planet formation. Previously pictured to be gas-free, some debris disks are now revealing gas components, sometimes with strikingly non-solar abundance patterns. Understanding the nature and distribution of this gas may eventually help us understand the origin of volatiles on the Earth, the carbon depletion of the asteroids, and even the origin of life. I'll describe what we know about these systems observationally, some of the leading hypotheses about the sources and sinks of the gas, and how these new astronomical discoveries may bear on solar-system science.

Reduced gas accretion on super-Earths and ice giants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lambrechts, M.; Lega, E.

2017-10-01

A large fraction of giant planets have gaseous envelopes that are limited to about 10% of their total mass budget. Such planets are present in the solar system (Uranus, Neptune) and are frequently observed in short periods around other stars (the so-called super-Earths). In contrast to these observations, theoretical calculations based on the evolution of hydrostatic envelopes argue that such low-mass envelopes cannot be maintained around cores exceeding five Earth masses. Instead, under nominal disk conditions, these planets would acquire massive envelopes through runaway gas accretion within the lifetime of the protoplanetary disk. In this work we show that planetary envelopes are not in hydrostatic balance, which slows down envelope growth. A series of 3D global, radiative hydrodynamical simulations reveal a steady-state gas flow, which enters through the poles and exits in the disk midplane. Gas is pushed through the outer envelope in about ten orbital timescales. In regions of the disk that are not significantly dust-depleted, envelope accretion onto cores of about five Earth masses can get stalled as the gas flow enters the deep interior. Accreted solids sublimate deep in the convective interior, but small opacity-providing grains are trapped in the flow and do not settle, which further prevents rapid envelope accretion. The transition to runaway gas accretion can however be reached when cores grow larger than typical super-Earths, beyond 15 Earth masses, and preferably when disk opacities are below κ = 1 cm2/g. These findings offer an explanation for the typical low-mass envelopes around the cores of super-Earths.

High-Nickel Iron-Sulfides in Anhydrous, Gems-Rich CP IDPs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

FLynn, G. J.; Keller, L. P.; Wirick, S.; Hu, W.; Li, L.; Yan, H.; Huang, X.; Nazaretski, E.; Lauer, K.; Chu, Y. S.

2016-01-01

Chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles (CP IDPs) that were not severly heated during atmospheric deceleration are the best preserved samples of the solids that condensed from the Solar protoplanetary disk, as well as pre-Solar grains thatr survived incorporation into the disk, currently available for laboratory analysis [1]. These CP IDPs never experienced the aqueous and/or thermal processing, gravitational compaction, and shock effects that overprinted the record of Solar nebula processes in meteorites.

New Heating Mechanism of Asteroids in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Menzel, Raymond L.; Roberge, W. G.

2013-10-01

Heating of asteroids in the early solar system has been mainly attributed to two mechanisms: the decay of short-lived radionuclides and the unipolar induction mechanism originally proposed in a classic series of papers by Sonett and collaborators. As originally conceived, unipolar induction heating is the result of the dissipation of current inside the body driven by a “motional electric field”, which appears in the asteroid’s reference frame when it is immersed in a fully-ionized, magnetized T-Tauri solar wind. However we point out a subtle conceptual error in the way that the electric field is calculated. Strictly speaking, the motional electric field used by Sonett et al. is the electric field in the free-streaming plasma far from the asteroid. For realistic assumptions about the plasma density in protoplanetary disks, the interaction between the plasma and asteroid cause the formation of a shear layer, in which the motional electric field decreases and even vanishes at the asteroid surface. We reexamine and improve the induction heating mechanism by: (1) correcting this conceptual error by using non-ideal multifluid MHD to self consistently calculate the velocity, magnetic, and electric fields in and around the shear layer; and (2) considering more realistic environments and scenarios that are consistent with current theories about protoplanetary disks. We present solutions for two highly idealized flows, which demonstrate that the electric field inside the asteroid is actually produced by magnetic field gradients in the shear layer, and can either vanish or be comparable to the fields predicted by Sonett et al. depending on the flow geometry. We term this new mechanism “electrodynamic heating”, calculate its possible upper limits, and compare them to heating generated by the decay of short-lived radionuclides.

Planetesimal Formation in the Warm, Inner Disk: Experiments with Tempered Dust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Beule, Caroline; Landers, Joachim; Salamon, Soma; Wende, Heiko; Wurm, Gerhard

2017-03-01

It is an open question how elevated temperatures in the inner parts of protoplanetary disks influence the formation of planetesimals. We approach this problem here by studying the tensile strength of granular beds with dust samples tempered at different temperatures. We find via laboratory experiments that tempering at increasing temperatures is correlated with an increase in cohesive forces. We studied dust samples of palagonite (JSC Mars-1a) which were tempered for up to 200 hr at temperatures between 600 and 1200 K, and measured the relative tensile strengths of highly porous dust layers once the samples cooled to room temperature. Tempering increases the tensile strength from 800 K upwards. This change is accompanied by mineral transformations, the formation of iron oxide crystallites as analyzed by Mössbauer spectroscopy, changes in the number size distribution, and the morphology of the surface visible as cracks in larger grains. These results suggest a difference in the collisional evolution toward larger bodies with increasing temperature as collisional growth is fundamentally based on cohesion. While high temperatures might also increase sticking (not studied here), compositional evolution will already enhance the cohesion and the possibility of growing larger aggregates on the way toward planetesimals. This might lead to a preferred in situ formation of inner planets and explain the observed presence of dense inner planetary systems.

Planetesimal Formation in the Warm, Inner Disk: Experiments with Tempered Dust

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

De Beule, Caroline; Landers, Joachim; Salamon, Soma

2017-03-01

It is an open question how elevated temperatures in the inner parts of protoplanetary disks influence the formation of planetesimals. We approach this problem here by studying the tensile strength of granular beds with dust samples tempered at different temperatures. We find via laboratory experiments that tempering at increasing temperatures is correlated with an increase in cohesive forces. We studied dust samples of palagonite (JSC Mars-1a) which were tempered for up to 200 hr at temperatures between 600 and 1200 K, and measured the relative tensile strengths of highly porous dust layers once the samples cooled to room temperature. Temperingmore » increases the tensile strength from 800 K upwards. This change is accompanied by mineral transformations, the formation of iron oxide crystallites as analyzed by Mössbauer spectroscopy, changes in the number size distribution, and the morphology of the surface visible as cracks in larger grains. These results suggest a difference in the collisional evolution toward larger bodies with increasing temperature as collisional growth is fundamentally based on cohesion. While high temperatures might also increase sticking (not studied here), compositional evolution will already enhance the cohesion and the possibility of growing larger aggregates on the way toward planetesimals. This might lead to a preferred in situ formation of inner planets and explain the observed presence of dense inner planetary systems.« less

Rossby Wave Instability in Astrophysical Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lovelace, Richard; Li, Hui

2014-10-01

A brief review is given of the Rossby wave instability in astrophysical disks. In non-self-gravitating discs, around for example a newly forming stars, the instability can be triggered by an axisymmetric bump at some radius r0 in the disk surface mass-density. It gives rise to exponentially growing non-axisymmetric perturbation (proportional to Exp[im ϕ], m = 1,2,...) in the vicinity of r0 consisting of anticyclonic vortices. These vortices are regions of high pressure and consequently act to trap dust particles which in turn can facilitate planetesimal growth in protoplanetary disks. The Rossby vortices in the disks around stars and black holes may cause the observed quasi-periodic modulations of the disk's thermal emission. Stirling Colgate's long standing interest in all types of vortices - particularly tornados - had an important part in stimulating the research on the Rossby wave instability.

Modeling Dust Emission of HL Tau Disk Based on Planet-Disk Interactions

DOE PAGES

Jin, Sheng; Li, Shengtai; Isella, Andrea; ...

2016-02-09

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

A 3D Numerical Study of Gravitational Instabilities in Young Circumbinary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cai, Kai; Michael, Scott; Durisen, Richard

2013-07-01

Gravitational instabilities (GIs) in protoplanetary disks have been suggested as one of the major formation mechanisms of giant planets. Theoretical and computational studies have indicated that certain family of GIs can be excited in a circumbinary disk, which could lead to enhanced protoplanet formation (e.g., Sellwood & Lin 1989, Boss 2006). We have carried out a 3D simulation of a gravitationally unstable circumbinary disk around a young Sun-like star and a 0.02-Msun companion, both inside the central hole of the disk. Here we present a preliminary comparison between this simulation and a similarly simulated circumstellar disk around a solar-mass star but without the low-mass companion. The GIs stimulated by the binary and those that arise spontaneously are quite different in structure and strength. However, no fragmentation is observed, even after many orbital periods as measured in the outer disk.

Lessons from Coronagraphic Imaging with HST that may apply to JWST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grady, C. A.; Hines, Dean C.; Schneider, Glenn; McElwain, Michael W.

2017-06-01

One of the major capabilities offered by JWST is coronagraphic imaging from space, covering the near through mid-IR and optimized for study of planet formation and the evolution of planetary systems. Planning for JWST has resulted in expectations for instrument performance, observation strategies and data reduction approaches. HST with 20 years of coronagraphic imaging offers some experience which may be useful to those planning for JWST. 1) Real astronomical sources do not necessarily conform to expectations. Debris disks may be accompanied by more distant material, and some systems may be conspicuous in scattered light when offering only modest IR excesses. Proto-planetary disks are not constantly illuminated, and thus a single epoch observation of the source may not be sufficient to reveal everything about it. 2) The early expectation with NICMOS was that shallow, 2-roll observations would reveal a wealth of debris disks imaged in scattered light, and that only a limited set of PSF observations would be required. Instead, building up a library of spatially resolved disks in scattered light has proven to require alternate observing strategies, is still on-going, and has taken far longer than expected. 3) A wealth of coronagraphic options with an instrument may not be scientifically informative, unless there is a similar time investment in acquisition of calibration data in support of the science observations. 4) Finally, no one anticipated what can be gleaned from coronagraphic imaging. We should expect similar, unexpected, and ultimately revolutionary discoveries with JWST.

Mass-loss evolution of close-in exoplanets: Evaporation of hot Jupiters and the effect on population

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kurokawa, H.; Nakamoto, T., E-mail: kurokawa@nagoya-u.jp

2014-03-01

During their evolution, short-period exoplanets may lose envelope mass through atmospheric escape owing to intense X-ray and extreme ultraviolet (XUV) radiation from their host stars. Roche-lobe overflow induced by orbital evolution or intense atmospheric escape can also contribute to mass loss. To study the effects of mass loss on inner planet populations, we calculate the evolution of hot Jupiters considering mass loss of their envelopes and thermal contraction. Mass loss is assumed to occur through XUV-driven atmospheric escape and the following Roche-lobe overflow. The runaway effect of mass loss results in a dichotomy of populations: hot Jupiters that retain theirmore » envelopes and super Earths whose envelopes are completely lost. Evolution primarily depends on the core masses of planets and only slightly on migration history. In hot Jupiters with small cores (≅ 10 Earth masses), runaway atmospheric escape followed by Roche-lobe overflow may create sub-Jupiter deserts, as observed in both mass and radius distributions of planetary populations. Comparing our results with formation scenarios and observed exoplanets populations, we propose that populations of closely orbiting exoplanets are formed by capturing planets at/inside the inner edges of protoplanetary disks and subsequent evaporation of sub-Jupiters.« less

Hubble Space Telescope observations of Orion Nebula, Helix Nebula, and NGC 6822

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spitzer, Lyman; Fitzpatrick, Ed

1999-01-01

This grant covered the major part of the work of the Principal Investigator and his collaborators as a Guaranteed Time Observer on the Hubble Space Telescope. The work done naturally divided itself into two portions the first being study of nebular objects and the second investigation of the interstellar medium between stars. The latter investigation was pursued through a contract with Princeton University, with Professor Lyman Spitzer as the supervising astronomer, assisted by Dr. Ed Fitzpatrick. Following the abrupt death of Professor Spitzer, his responsibilities were shifted to Dr. Fitzpatrick. When Dr. Fitzpatrick relocated to Villanova University the concluding work on that portion of this grant was concluded under a direct service arrangement. This program has been highly successful and the resulting publications in scientific journals are listed below. To the scientist, this is the bottom line, so that I shall simply try to describe the general nature of what was accomplished. There were three nebular programs conducted, one on the Orion Nebula, the second on the Helix Nebula, and the third on NGC 6822. The largest program was that on the Orion Nebula. This involved both HST observations and supporting groundbased observations obtained with a variety of instruments, including the Coude Feed Telescope at the Kitt Peak National observatory in Arizona, the Cerro Tololo observatory in Chile, and the Keck Observatory on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Moreover, considerable theoretical modeling was done and all of the data analysis was performed at the Rice University in Houston, except for the PI's period of sabbatical leave (6-96 through 7-97) when he was based at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Heidelberg, Germany. The Orion Nebula program was the most productive part, resulting in numerous papers, but more important in the discovery of a new class of objects, for which we coined the name "proplyds". The proplyds are protoplanetary disks surrounding very young stars still in the process of creation. The Orion Nebula is the residual material from a burst of star formation that occurred about 300,000 years ago. Each of these new stars has a surrounding disk of protoplanetary material. The same physics that renders the Nebula so highly visible means that the proto-planetary disks are also quite visible. With the wisdom of hindsight, we now see that this was to be expected and that we should have been searching specifically for this type of object. The discovery of these objects and their subsequent detailed investigation has lead to an accurate assessment of the frequency of protoplanetary disks in young stars and determination of the likelihood of survival of these disks into an era where planets actually form.

Astronomers See First Stages of Planet-Building Around Nearby Star

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2005-06-01

Interstellar travelers might want to detour around the star system TW Hydrae to avoid a messy planetary construction site. Astronomer David Wilner of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) and his colleagues have discovered that the gaseous protoplanetary disk surrounding TW Hydrae holds vast swaths of pebbles extending outward for at least 1 billion miles. These rocky chunks should continue to grow in size as they collide and stick together until they eventually form planets. Dust Disk Graphic Artist's Conception of Dusty Disk Around Young Star TW Hydrae CREDIT: Bill Saxton, NRAO/AUI/NSF (Click on image for larger version 1.8 MB) "We're seeing planet building happening right before our eyes," said Wilner. "The foundation has been laid and now the building materials are coming together to make a new solar system." Wilner used the National Science Foundation's Very Large Array to measure radio emissions from TW Hydrae. He detected radiation from a cold, extended dust disk suffused with centimeter-sized pebbles. Such pebbles are a prerequisite for planet formation, created as dust collects together into larger and larger clumps. Over millions of years, those clumps grow into planets. "We're seeing an important step on the path from interstellar dust particles to planets," said Mark Claussen (NRAO), a co-author on the paper announcing the discovery. "No one has seen this before." A dusty disk like that in TW Hydrae tends to emit radio waves with wavelengths similar to the size of the particles in the disk. Other effects can mask this, however. In TW Hydrae, the astronomers explained, both the relatively close distance of the system and the stage of the young star's evolution are just right to allow the relationship of particle size and wavelength to prevail. The scientists observed the young star's disk with the VLA at several centimeter-range wavelengths. "The strong emission at wavelengths of a few centimeters is convincing evidence that particles of about the same size are present," Claussen said. Not only does TW Hydrae show evidence of ongoing planet formation, it also shows signs that at least one giant planet may have formed already. Wilner's colleague, Nuria Calvet (CfA), has created a computer simulation of the disk around TW Hydrae using previously published infrared observations. She showed that a gap extends from the star out to a distance of about 400 million miles - similar to the distance to the asteroid belt in our solar system. The gap likely formed when a giant planet sucked up all the nearby material, leaving a hole in the middle of the disk. Located about 180 light-years away in the constellation Hydra the Water Snake, TW Hydrae consists of a 10 million-year-old star about four-fifths as massive as the Sun. The protoplanetary disk surrounding TW Hydrae contains about one-tenth as much material as the Sun -- more than enough to form one or more Jupiter-sized worlds. "TW Hydrae is unique," said Wilner. "It's nearby, and it's just the right age to be forming planets. We'll be studying it for decades to come." This research was published in the June 20, 2005, issue of the Astrophysical Journal Letters. Headquartered in Cambridge, Mass., the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) is a joint collaboration between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and the Harvard College Observatory. CfA scientists, organized into six research divisions, study the origin, evolution and ultimate fate of the universe. The National Radio Astronomy Observatory is a facility of the National Science Foundation, operated under cooperative agreement by Associated Universities, Inc.

A Panchromatic Study of Molecular Gas in the Protoplanetary System RY Lupi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arulanantham, Nicole; France, Kevin; Hoadley, Keri

2018-01-01

To understand how planet formation occurs in protoplanetary disks, we must first characterize the behavior of material within 10 AU of the central star. We present a study of molecular gas at these radii in the disk around the young star RY Lupi, through spectra from HST-COS, HST-STIS, and VLT-CRIRES. We model the radial distribution of flux from hot (T ~ 2000 K) molecular gas in a surface layer between r = 0.1-10 AU, as traced by LyA-pumped H2. The result indicates that the H2 emission originates in a narrow ring centered at 1 AU, with a sharp decline in flux at r < 0.1 AU that is consistent with what is expected for transitional disks. When we adopt a more basic approach to evaulate the shapes of the emission lines, we find that a two-component Gaussian profile assuming two rings of gas in the inner disk provides a statistically better fit to the H2 emission lines than the single-component model of a smooth disk. This two-component profile includes broad (FWHMbroad, H2 = 105 +/- 15 km/s) and narrow (FWHMnarrow, H2 = 43 +/- 13 km/s) lines, corresponding to average gas radii of ~ 0.4 AU and ~ 3 AU. An analysis of the spatial origin of 4.7 micron 12CO emission shows that this population of warm (T ~ 1500 K) gas also produces two-component emission line profiles ( ~ 0.4 AU, ~ 15 AU), indicating again that the inner disk is radially stratified. Despite the evidence that this is a transitional disk system, we detect UV CO absorption that is not typically seen in more evolved systems. We model these features along with IR CO absorptions to constrain the properties of the cooler (T ~ 100-300 K) disk atmosphere.

Probing for Exoplanets Hiding in Dusty Debris Disks: Disk Imaging, Characterization, and Exploration with HST-STIS Multi-roll Coronagraphy

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schneider, Glenn; Grady, Carol A.; Hines, Dean C.; Stark, Christopher C.; Debes, John; Carson, Joe; Kuchner, Marc J.; Perrin, Marshall; Weinberger, Alycia; Wisniewski, John P.;

Probing for exoplanets hiding in dusty debris disks: Disk imaging, characterization, and exploration with HST/STIS multi-roll coronagraphy

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schneider, Glenn; Hinz, Phillip M.; Grady, Carol A.

Spatially resolved scattered-light images of circumstellar debris in exoplanetary systems constrain the physical properties and orbits of the dust particles in these systems. They also inform on co-orbiting (but unseen) planets, the systemic architectures, and forces perturbing the starlight-scattering circumstellar material. Using Hubble Space Telescope (HST)/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) broadband optical coronagraphy, we have completed the observational phase of a program to study the spatial distribution of dust in a sample of 10 circumstellar debris systems and 1 'mature' protoplanetrary disk, all with HST pedigree, using point-spread-function-subtracted multi-roll coronagraphy. These observations probe stellocentric distances ≥5 AU for the nearestmore » systems, and simultaneously resolve disk substructures well beyond corresponding to the giant planet and Kuiper Belt regions within our own solar system. They also disclose diffuse very low-surface-brightness dust at larger stellocentric distances. Herein we present new results inclusive of fainter disks such as HD 92945 (F {sub disk}/F {sub star} = 5 × 10{sup –5}), confirming, and better revealing, the existence of a narrow inner debris ring within a larger diffuse dust disk. Other disks with ring-like substructures and significant asymmetries and complex morphologies include HD 181327, for which we posit a spray of ejecta from a recent massive collision in an exo-Kuiper Belt; HD 61005, suggested to be interacting with the local interstellar medium; and HD 15115 and HD 32297, also discussed in the context of putative environmental interactions. These disks and HD 15745 suggest that debris system evolution cannot be treated in isolation. For AU Mic's edge-on disk, we find out-of-plane surface brightness asymmetries at ≥5 AU that may implicate the existence of one or more planetary perturbers. Time-resolved images of the MP Mus protoplanetary disk provide spatially resolved temporal variability in the disk illumination. These and other new images from our HST/STIS GO/12228 program enable direct inter-comparison of the architectures of these exoplanetary debris systems in the context of our own solar system.« less

PHOTOPHORESIS IN A DILUTE, OPTICALLY THICK MEDIUM AND DUST MOTION IN PROTOPLANETARY DISKS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McNally, Colin P.; Hubbard, Alexander, E-mail: cmcnally@nbi.dk, E-mail: ahubbard@amnh.org

2015-11-20

We derive expressions for the photophoretic force on opaque spherical particles in a dilute gas in the optically thick regime where the radiation field is in local thermal equilibrium. Under those conditions, the radiation field has a simple form, leading to well defined analytical approximations for the photophoretic force that also consider both the internal thermal conduction within the particle, and the effects of heat conduction and radiation to the surrounding gas. We derive these results for homogeneous spherical particles; and for the double layered spheres appropriate for modeling solid grains with porous aggregate mantles. Then, as a specific astrophysicalmore » application of these general physical results, we explore the parameter space relevant to the photophoresis driven drift of dust in protoplanetary disks. We show that highly porous silicate grains have sufficiently low thermal conductivities that photophoretic effects, such as significant relative velocities between particles with differing porosity or levitation above the midplane, are expected to occur.« less

The Effects of Gravitational Instabilities on Gas Giant Planet Migration in Protoplanetary Disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michael, Scott A.; Durisen, R. H.

2010-05-01

In this paper we conduct several three-dimensional radiative hydrodynamic simulations to explore the effect of the inclusion of gas giant planets in gravitationally unstable protoplanetary disks. We compare several simulations carried out with the CHYMERA code including: a baseline simulation without a planet, and three simulations including planets of various masses 0.3, 1 and 3 Jupiter masses. The planets are inserted into the baseline simulation after the gravitational instabilities (GIs) have grown to non-linear amplitude. The planets are inserted at the same radius, which coincides with the co-rotation radius of the dominant global mode in the baseline simulation. We examine the effect that the GIs have on migration rates as well as the potential of halting inward migration. We also examine the effect the insertion of the planet has on the global torques caused by the GIs. Furthermore, we explore the relationship between planet mass and migration rates and effect on GIs.

Planetary Formation: From The Earth And Moon To Extrasolar Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.; DeVincenzi, Donald (Technical Monitor)

1999-01-01

An overview of current theories of planetary growth, emphasizing the formation of habitable planets, is presented. These models are based upon observations of the Solar System and of young stars and their environments. They predict that rocky planets should form around most single stars, although it is possible that in some cases such planets are lost - to orbital decay within the protoplanetary disk. Terrestrial planets are believed to grow via pairwise accretion until the spacing of planetary orbits becomes large enough that the configuration is stable for the age of the system. Giant planets begin their growth like terrestrial planets, but if they become massive enough before the protoplanetary disk dissipates, then they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas. Specific issues to be discussed include: (1) how do giant planets influence the formation and habitability of terrestrial planets? (2) could a giant impact leading to lunar formation have occurred - 100 million years after the condensation of the oldest meteorites?

The Formation of the Earth-Moon System and the Planets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lissauer, Jack J.; Young, Richard E. (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

An overview of current theories of star and planet formation, with emphasis on terrestrial planet accretion and the formation of the Earth-Moon system is presented. These models are based upon observations of the Solar System and of young stars and their environments. They predict that rocky planets should form around most single stars, although it is possible that in some cases such planets are lost to orbital decay within the protoplanetary disk. The frequency of formation of gas giant planets is more difficult to predict theoretically. Terrestrial planets are believed to grow via pairwise accretion until the spacing of planetary orbits becomes large enough that the configuration is stable for the age of the system. Giant impacts during the final stages of growth can produce large planetary satellites, such as Earth's Moon. Giant planets begin their growth like terrestrial planets, but they become massive enough that they are able to accumulate substantial amounts of gas before the protoplanetary disk dissipates.

Evolution of Earth Like Planets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monroy-Rodríguez, M. A.; Vega, K. M.

2017-07-01

In order to study and explain the evolution of our own planet we have done a review of works related to the evolution of Earth-like planets. From the stage of proto-planet to the loss of its atmosphere. The planetary formation from the gas and dust of the proto-planetary disk, considering the accretion by the process of migration, implies that the material on the proto-planet is very mixed. The newborn planet is hot and compact, it begins its process of stratification by gravity separation forming a super dense nucleus, an intermediate layer of convective mantle and an upper mantle that is less dense, with material that emerges from zones at very high pressure The surface with low pressure, in this process the planet expands and cools. This process also releases gas to the surface, forming the atmosphere, with the gas gravitationally bounded. The most important thing for the life of the planet is the layer of convective mantle, which produces the magnetic field, when it stops the magnetic field disappears, as well as the rings of van allen and the solar wind evaporates the atmosphere, accelerating the evolution and cooling of the planet. In a natural cycle of cataclysms and mass extinctions, the solar system crosses the galactic disk every 30 million years or so, the increase in the meteorite fall triggers the volcanic activity and the increase in the release of CO2 into the atmosphere reaching critical levels (4000 billion tons) leads us to an extinction by overheating that last 100 000 years, the time it takes CO2 to sediment to the ocean floor. Human activity will lead us to reach critical levels of CO2 in approximately 300 years.

Sources of Shock Waves in the Protoplanetary Disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boss, A. P.; Durisen, R. H.

2005-12-01

Finding an appropriate heat source for melting the chondrules that constitute the bulk of many primitive meteorites is perhaps the most important outstanding problem in all of meteoritics. Shock waves within the Solar Nebula are one possible means for accomplishing this provided that they move with respect to the precursor aggregates at speeds of ~ 6 to 9 km s-1 in environments with appropriate nebular pressures and densities. Here we briefly review the status of four different mechanisms which have been proposed as sources of such shock fronts. We argue that two of them, the accretion shock at the nebular surface and shocks propagating inside the nebula launched by the impact of gas clumps falling onto the disk, are unlikely to work. Bow shocks driven by 1000-km-size planetesimals show more promise, but require the presence of Jupiter to raise the eccentricities of the planetesimals. We then focus this chapter on the fourth mechanism, which may be the dominant source of shocks in the early nebula. Wood (1996) proposed that the chondrule-producing shocks were due to nebular spiral arms. This hypothesis is now strongly supported by recent calculations of the evolution of gravitationally unstable disks. In a gaseous disk capable of forming Jupiter, the disk gas must have been close to marginal gravitational instability near or beyond Jupiter's orbit. Massive clumps and spirals due to such instability can drive spiral shock fronts inward with shock speeds as large as ~ 10 km s-1 at asteroidal orbits, sufficient to account for chondrule formation. Once Jupiter forms, it may either continue to drive strong shock fronts at asteroidal distances, or it may pump up the eccentricity of planetesimals, leading to chondrule processing for as long as the inner disk gas survives, a few Myr or so. Mixing and transport of solids in an unstable disk results in a scenario that unifies chondrite formation from chondrules, refractory inclusions, and matrix grains with disk processes associated with gas giant planet formation.

THE DISTRIBUTION AND CHEMISTRY OF H{sub 2}CO IN THE DM TAU PROTOPLANETARY DISK

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Loomis, Ryan A.; Öberg, Karin I.; Guzman, Viviana V.

H{sub 2}CO ice on dust grains is an important precursor of complex organic molecules (COMs). H{sub 2}CO gas can be readily observed in protoplanetary disks and may be used to trace COM chemistry. However, its utility as a COM probe is currently limited by a lack of constraints on the relative contributions of two different formation pathways: on icy grain surfaces and in the gas phase. We use archival Atacama Large (sub-)Millimeter Array observations of the resolved distribution of H{sub 2}CO emission in the disk around the young low-mass star DM Tau to assess the relative importance of these formationmore » routes. The observed H{sub 2}CO emission has a centrally peaked and radially broad brightness profile (extending out to 500 AU). We compare these observations with disk chemistry models with and without grain-surface formation reactions and find that both gas and grain-surface chemistry are necessary to explain the spatial distribution of the emission. Gas-phase H{sub 2}CO production is responsible for the observed central peak, while grain-surface chemistry is required to reproduce the emission exterior to the CO snow line (where H{sub 2}CO mainly forms through the hydrogenation of CO ice before being non-thermally desorbed). These observations demonstrate that both gas and grain-surface pathways contribute to the observed H{sub 2}CO in disks and that their relative contributions depend strongly on distance from the host star.« less

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

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

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

The Thermal Regulation of Gravitational Instabilities in Protoplanetary Disks. II. Extended Simulations with Varied Cooling Rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mejía, Annie C.; Durisen, Richard H.; Pickett, Megan K.; Cai, Kai

2005-02-01

In order to investigate mass transport and planet formation through gravitational instabilities (GIs), we have extended our three-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of protoplanetary disks from a previous paper. Our goal is to determine the asymptotic behavior of GIs and how it is affected by different constant cooling times. Initially, Rdisk=40 AU, Mdisk=0.07 Msolar, M*=0.5 Msolar, and Qmin=1.5. Sustained cooling, with tcool=2 ORPs (outer rotation periods; 1ORP~250 yr), drives the disk to instability in about 4 ORPs. This calculation is followed for 23.5 ORPs. After 12 ORPs, the disk settles into a quasi-steady state with sustained nonlinear instabilities, an average Q=1.44 over the outer disk, a well-defined power law Σ(r), and a roughly steady M~5×10-7 Msolar yr-1. The transport is driven by global low-order spiral modes. We restart the calculation at 11.2 ORPs with tcool=1 and 1/4 ORPs. The latter case is also run at high azimuthal resolution. We find that shorter cooling times lead to increased M-values, denser and thinner spiral structures, and more violent dynamic behavior. The asymptotic total internal energy and the azimuthally averaged Q(r) are insensitive to tcool. Fragmentation occurs only in the high-resolution tcool=1/4 ORP case; however, none of the fragments survive for even a quarter of an orbit. Ringlike density enhancements appear and grow near the boundary between GI-active and GI-inactive regions. We discuss the possible implications of these rings for gas giant planet formation.

Filling in the gaps: Illuminating (a) Clearing mechanisms in transitional protoplanetary disks, and (b) Quantitative illiteracy among undergraduate science students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Follette, Katherine Brutlag

What processes are responsible for the dispersal of protoplanetary disks? In this dissertation, beginning with a brief Introduction to planet detection, disk dispersal and high-contrast imaging in Chapter 1, I will describe how ground-based adaptive optics (AO) imaging can help to inform these processes. Chapter 2 presents Polarized Differential Imaging (PDI) of the transitional disk SR21 at H-band taken as part of the Strategic Exploration of Exoplanets and Disks with Subaru (SEEDS). These observations were the first to show that transition disk cavities can appear markedly different at different wavelengths. The observation that the sub-mm cavity is absent in NIR scattered light is consistent with grain filtration at a planet-induced gap edge. Chapter 3 presents SEEDS data of the transition disk Oph IRS 48. This highly asymmetrical disk is also most consistent with a planet-induced clearing mechanism. In particular, the images reveal both the disk cavity and a spiral arm/divot that had not been imaged previously. This study demonstrates the power of multiwavelength PDI imaging to verify disk structure and to probe azimuthal variation in grain properties. Chapter 4 presents Magellan visible light adaptive optics imaging of the silhouette disk Orion 218-354. In addition to its technical merits, these observations reveal the surprising fact that this very young disk is optically thin at H-alpha. The simplest explanation for this observation is that significant grain growth has occurred in this disk, which may be responsible for the pre-transitional nature of its SED. Chapter 5 presents brief descriptions of several other works-in-progress that build on my previous work. These include the MagAO Giant Accreting Protoplanet Survey (GAPlanetS), which will probe the inner regions of transition disks at unprecedented resolution in search of young planets in the process of formation. Chapters 6-8 represent my educational research in quantitative literacy, beginning with an introduction to the literature and study motivation in Chapter 6. Chapter 7 describes the development and validation of the Quantitative Reasoning for College Science (QuaRCS) Assessment instrument. Chapter 8 briefly describes the next steps for Phase II of the QuaRCS study.

Using Schumann Resonance Measurements for Constraining the Water Abundance on the Giant Planets - Implications for the Solar System Formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Simoes, Fernando; Pfaff, Robert; Hamelin, Michel; Klenzing, Jeffrey; Freudenreich, Henry; Beghin, Christian; Berthelier, Jean-Jacques; Bromund, Kenneth; Grard, Rejean; Lebreton, Jean-Pierre;

The formation of fragments at corotation in isothermal protoplanetary disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durisen, Richard H.; Hartquist, Thomas W.; Pickett, Megan K.

2008-09-01

Numerical hydrodynamics simulations have established that disks which are evolved under the condition of local isothermality will fragment into small dense clumps due to gravitational instabilities when the Toomre stability parameter Q is sufficiently low. Because fragmentation through disk instability has been suggested as a gas giant planet formation mechanism, it is important to understand the physics underlying this process as thoroughly as possible. In this paper, we offer analytic arguments for why, at low Q, fragments are most likely to form first at the corotation radii of growing spiral modes, and we support these arguments with results from 3D hydrodynamics simulations.

VizieR Online Data Catalog: 340GHz SMA obs. of 50 nearby protoplanetary disks (Tripathi+, 2017)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tripathi, A.; Andrews, S. M.; Birnstiel, T.; Wilner, D. J.

2018-03-01

A sample of 50 nearby (d<=200pc) disk targets was collated from the archived catalog of ~340GHz (880um) continuum measurements made with the Submillimeter Array (SMA), since the start of science operations in 2004. Of the 50 disks in our survey, 10 were recently observed by us expressly for the purposes of the present study. To our knowledge, the SMA observations of 18 targets have not yet been published elsewhere. Table 1 is a brief SMA observation log, with references for where the data originally appeared (observations span 2005 jun 12 to 2015 Jan 19). (3 data files).

Probing Protoplanetary Disk Upper Atmospheres for Heating and Dust Settling Using Synthetic CO Spectra

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Josiah; Brittain, S. D.

2010-01-01

CO emission is a useful probe of the warm gas distribution in the planet forming regions of disks around Herbig Ae/Be stars. We model UV fluoresced and thermally excited CO in the circumstellar disks of several HAeBes. We find indications of dust settling in the upper atmospheres of HD 141569 and HD 7048 and a correlation between PAH luminosity and gas heating in these two systems. This project was funded by a partnership between the National Science Foundation (NSF AST-0552798), Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU), and the Department of Defense (DoD) ASSURE (Awards to Stimulate and Support Undergraduate Research Experiences) programs.

Measuring the structure and composition of circumstellar debris disks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ballering, Nicholas Paul

In this dissertation, I measure the structure and composition of circumstellar debris disks to probe the underlying planetary systems. In Chapter 1, I provide an introduction to the field of debris disks. I highlight our current observational and theoretical understanding of the field, rather than providing a detailed history. This is intended to give the reader context and motivation for the subsequent chapters. I also describe important developments in debris disk science that are not the focus of this dissertation, but are nevertheless vital for a complete overview. In Chapter 2, I describe my analysis of a large sample of cold (<130 K) debris disks seen in Spitzer/IRS data. Previous work had suggested a common temperature for these disk components, regardless of spectral type. I find that there is trend with spectral type and argue that the locations of cold disks are not set by snow lines, but more likely by the formation/evolution of planets. This work was published in Ballering et al. (2013). In Chapter 3, I turn my focus to the warm (˜190 K) debris components identified in Chapter 2--specifically those exhibiting silicate emission features. I show that these features arise from exozodiacal dust in the habitable zones around these stars. This was published in Ballering et al. (2014). In Chapter 4, I examine the remainder of the warm disks to investigate what mechanism sets their location. I find that for many systems, the locations trace the water snow line in the primordial protoplanetary disk, rather than the current snow line. This favors the interpretation that warm debris components arise from asteroid belts in these systems. This study will be published soon. In Chapter 5, I analyze images of the debris disk around beta Pictoris at five different wavelengths, including in thermal emission and scattered light. I find that matching the disk brightness at all wavelengths constrains the composition of the dust, with a mixture of astronomical silicates and organic refractory material fitting the data well. This was published in Ballering et al. (2016). In Chapter 6, I conclude with a summary of this dissertation and prospects for future progress in these areas.

X-ray radiative transfer in protoplanetary disks. The role of dust and X-ray background fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rab, Ch.; Güdel, M.; Woitke, P.; Kamp, I.; Thi, W.-F.; Min, M.; Aresu, G.; Meijerink, R.

2018-01-01

Context. The X-ray luminosities of T Tauri stars are about two to four orders of magnitude higher than the luminosity of the contemporary Sun. As these stars are born in clusters, their disks are not only irradiated by their parent star but also by an X-ray background field produced by the cluster members. Aims: We aim to quantify the impact of X-ray background fields produced by young embedded clusters on the chemical structure of disks. Further, we want to investigate the importance of the dust for X-ray radiative transfer in disks. Methods: We present a new X-ray radiative transfer module for the radiation thermo-chemical disk code PRODIMO (PROtoplanetary DIsk MOdel), which includes X-ray scattering and absorption by both the gas and dust component. The X-ray dust opacities can be calculated for various dust compositions and dust-size distributions. For the X-ray radiative transfer we consider irradiation by the star and by X-ray background fields. To study the impact of X-rays on the chemical structure of disks we use the well established disk ionization tracers N2H+ and HCO+. Results: For evolved dust populations (e.g. grain growth), X-ray opacities are mostly dominated by the gas; only for photon energies E ≳ 5-10 keV do dust opacities become relevant. Consequently the local disk X-ray radiation field is only affected in dense regions close to the disk midplane. X-ray background fields can dominate the local X-ray disk ionization rate for disk radii r ≳ 20 au. However, the N2H+ and HCO+ column densities are only significantly affected in cases of low cosmic-ray ionization rates (≲10-19 s-1), or if the background flux is at least a factor of ten higher than the flux level of ≈10-5 erg cm-2 s-1 expected for clusters typical for the solar vicinity. Conclusions: Observable signatures of X-ray background fields in low-mass star-formation regions, like Taurus, are only expected for cluster members experiencing a strong X-ray background field (e.g. due to their location within the cluster). For the majority of the cluster members, the X-ray background field has relatively little impact on the disk chemical structure.