arXiv subjects

Catherine Espaillat

Publications and source records attributed to Catherine Espaillat.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

The Ultraviolet View of Star and Planet Formation: Disks, Accretion, and Outflows with the Hubble Space Telescope into the 2030s

The spatial distribution and lifetime of molecular gas in the inner regions of young circumstellar disks are key to understanding the formation of planetary systems. Gas-rich disks are observed to disperse in the first ~10 Myr, and recent observational and theoretical evidence suggests that circumstellar disks winds may dominate the removal of angular momentum from the disk, allowing it to dissipate through accretion onto the central star and through low-velocity (<~30 km/s) outflows. The Hubble Space Telescope has revolutionized our understanding of the disks, accretion, and outflow processes that drive the evolution of planet-forming disks and is poised to answer the key questions in the field in the coming decade. We describe how HST's ultraviolet capabilities can address these questions and identify key goals and high-priority observations for HST into the 2030s.

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arXiv2026

Indications of Rapid Dust Formation in the Inner Region of a Protoplanetary Disk

We report a significant increase in mid-infrared emission $\leq10$ $μ$m in a transitional disk. The 2024 JWST/MIRI observation of the disk around CVSO 1942 reveals flux increase by a factor of two at $λ\leq10$ $μ$m, compared to the near photospheric flux level observed with Spitzer/IRS in 2005. No significant change in flux at $\gtrsim15$ $μ$m is detected in the spectra. Comparing the MIRI/MRS spectrum and NEOWISE photometry, we found that this $\leq10$ $μ$m flux increase occurs on a timescale of 2 weeks and is consistent with the presence of warm (1,400 K), optically thick, large ($\gtrsim1$ $μ$m) dust grains near the dust sublimation radius. We propose that this rapid dust appearance may indicate in situ dust formation, possibly from planetesimal collisions in the inner disk.

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arXiv2024

A giant planet transiting a 3-Myr protostar with a misaligned disk

Astronomers have found more than a dozen planets transiting 10-40 million year old stars, but even younger transiting planets have remained elusive. A possible reason for the lack of such discoveries is that newly formed planets are not yet in a configuration that would be recognized as a transiting planet or cannot exhibit transits because our view is blocked by a protoplanetary disk. However, we now know that many outer disks are warped; provided the inner disk is depleted, transiting planets may thus be visible. Here we report the observations of the transiting planet IRAS 04125+2902 b orbiting a 3 Myr, 0.7 M$_\odot$, pre-main sequence star in the Taurus Molecular Cloud. IRAS 04125+2902 hosts a nearly face-on (i $\sim$ 30$^\circ$) transitional disk and a wide binary companion. The planet has a period of 8.83 days, a radius of 10.9 R$_\oplus$ (0.97R$_J$), and a 95%-confidence upper limit on its mass of 90M$_\oplus$ (0.3M$_J$) from radial velocity measurements, making it a possible precursor of the super-Earths and sub-Neptunes that are commonly found around main-sequence stars. The rotational broadening of the star and the orbit of the wide (4", 635 AU) companion are both consistent with edge-on orientations. Thus, all components of the system appear to be aligned except the outer disk; the origin of this misalignment is unclear. Given the rare set of circumstances required to detect a transiting planet at ages when the disk is still present, IRAS 04125+2902 b likely provides a unique window into sub-Neptunes immediately following formation.

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arXiv2024

A Model of the C IV $λλ$ 1548, 1550 Doublet Line in T Tauri Stars

The C IV doublet in the UV has long been associated with accretion in T Tauri stars. However, it is still unclear where and how the lines are formed. Here, we present a new C IV line model based on the currently available accretion shock and accretion flow models. We assume axisymmetric, dipolar accretion flows with different energy fluxes and calculate the properties of the accretion shock. We use Cloudy to obtain the carbon level populations and calculate the emerging line profiles assuming a plane-parallel geometry near the shock. Our model generally reproduces the intensities and shapes of the C IV emission lines observed from T Tauri stars. We find that the narrow component is optically thin and originates in the postshock, while the broad component is optically thick and emerges from the preshock. We apply our model to seven T Tauri stars from the Hubble Ultraviolet Legacy Library of Young Stars as Essential Standards Director's Discretionary program (ULLYSES), for which consistently determined accretion shock properties are available. We can reproduce the observations of four stars, finding that the accretion flows are carbon-depleted. We also find that the chromospheric emission accounts for less than 10 percent of the observed C IV line flux in accreting T Tauri stars. This work paves the way toward a better understanding of hot line formation and provides a potential probe of abundances in the inner disk.

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arXiv2023

The life cycle of stars and their planets from the high energy perspective

One of the key research themes identified by the Astro2020 decadal survey is Worlds and Suns in Context. The Advanced X-ray Imaging Satellite (AXIS) is a proposed NASA APEX mission that will become the prime high-energy instrument for studying star-planet connections from birth to death. This work explores the major advances in this broad domain of research that will be enabled by the AXIS mission, through X-ray observations of stars in clusters spanning a broad range of ages, flaring M-dwarf stars known to host exoplanets, and young stars exhibiting accretion interactions with their protoplanetary disks. In addition, we explore the ability of AXIS to use planetary nebulae, white dwarfs, and the Solar System to constrain important physical processes from the microscopic (e.g., charge exchange) to the macroscopic (e.g., stellar wind interactions with the surrounding interstellar medium).

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arXiv2022

Determining Dust Properties in Protoplanetary Disks: SED-derived Masses and Settling With ALMA

We present spectral energy distribution (SED) modeling of 338 disks around T Tauri stars from eleven star-forming regions, ranging from $\sim$0.5 to 10 Myr old. The disk masses we infer from our SED models are typically greater than those reported from (sub)mm surveys by a factor of 1.5-5, with the discrepancy being generally higher for the more massive disks. Masses derived from (sub)mm fluxes rely on the assumption that the disks are optically thin at all millimeter wavelengths, which may cause the disk masses to be underestimated since the observed flux is not sensitive to the whole mass in the disk; SED models do not make this assumption and thus yield higher masses. Disks with more absorbing material should be optically thicker at a given wavelength; which could lead to a larger discrepancy for disks around massive stars when the disk temperature is scaled by the stellar luminosity. We also compare the disk masses and degree of dust settling across the different star-forming regions and find that disks in younger regions have more massive disks than disks in older regions, but a similar degree of dust settling. Together, these results offer potential partial solutions to the "missing" mass problem: disks around T Tauri stars may indeed have enough material to form planetary systems, though previous studies have underestimated the mass by assuming the disks to be optically thin; these planetary systems may also form earlier than previously theorized since significant dust evolution (i.e., settling) is already apparent in young disks.

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arXiv2022

Gemini-LIGHTS: Herbig Ae/Be and massive T-Tauri protoplanetary disks imaged with Gemini Planet Imager

We present the complete sample of protoplanetary disks from the Gemini- Large Imaging with GPI Herbig/T-tauri Survey (Gemini-LIGHTS) which observed bright Herbig Ae/Be stars and T-Tauri stars in near-infrared polarized light to search for signatures of disk evolution and ongoing planet formation. The 44 targets were chosen based on their near- and mid-infrared colors, with roughly equal numbers of transitional, pre-transitional, and full disks. Our approach explicitly did not favor well-known, "famous" disks or those observed by ALMA, resulting in a less-biased sample suitable to probe the major stages of disk evolution during planet formation. Our optimized data reduction allowed polarized flux as low as 0.002% of the stellar light to be detected, and we report polarized scattered light around 80% of our targets. We detected point-like companions for 47% of the targets, including 3 brown dwarfs (2 confirmed, 1 new), and a new super-Jupiter mass candidate around V1295 Aql. We searched for correlations between the polarized flux and system parameters, finding a few clear trends: presence of a companion drastically reduces the polarized flux levels, far-IR excess correlates with polarized flux for non-binary systems, and systems hosting disks with ring structures have stellar masses $<$ 3 Msun. Our sample also included four hot, dusty "FS CMa" systems and we detected large-scale ($>100$ au) scattered light around each, signs of extreme youth for these enigmatic systems. Science-ready images are publicly available through multiple distribution channels using a new FITS file standard jointly developed with members of the VLT/SPHERE team.

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arXiv2020

A triple star system with a misaligned and warped circumstellar disk shaped by disk tearing

Young stars are surrounded by a circumstellar disk of gas and dust, within which planet formation can occur. Gravitational forces in multiple star systems can disrupt the disk. Theoretical models predict that if the disk is misaligned with the orbital plane of the stars, the disk should warp and break into precessing rings, a phenomenon known as disk tearing. We present observations of the triple star system GWOrionis, finding evidence for disk tearing. Our images show an eccentric ring that is misaligned with the orbital planes and the outer disk. The ring casts shadows on a strongly warped intermediate region of the disk. If planets can form within the warped disk, disk tearing could provide a mechanism for forming wide-separation planets on oblique orbits.

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arXiv2019

Irregular dust features around intermediate-mass young stars with GPI: signs of youth or misaligned disks?

We are undertaking a large survey of over thirty disks using the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) to see whether the observed dust structures match spectral energy distribution (SED) predictions and have any correlation with stellar properties. GPI can observe near-infrared light scattered from dust in circumstellar environments using high-resolution Polarimetric Differential Imaging (PDI) with coronagraphy and adaptive optics. The data have been taken in J and H bands over two years, with inner working angles of 0.08'' and 0.11'' respectively. Ahead of the release of the complete survey results, here we present five objects with extended and irregular dust structures within 2'' of the central star. These objects are: FU Ori; MWC 789; HD 45677; Hen 3-365; and HD 139614. The observed structures are consistent with each object being a pre-main-sequence star with protoplanetary dust. The five objects' circumstellar environments could result from extreme youth and complex initial conditions, from asymmetric scattering patterns due to shadows cast by misaligned disks, or in some cases from interactions with companions. We see complex U_phi structures in most objects that could indicate multiple scattering or result from the illumination of companions. Specific key findings include the first high-contrast observation of MWC 789 revealing a newly-discovered companion candidate and arc, and two faint companion candidates around Hen 3-365. These two objects should be observed further to confirm whether the companion candidates are co-moving. Further observations and modeling are required to determine the causes of the structures.

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arXiv2019

Characterization of Ring Substructures in the Protoplanetary Disk of HD 169142 from Multi-Wavelength ALMA Observations

We present a detailed multi-wavelength characterization of the multi-ring disk of HD 169142. We report new ALMA observations at 3 mm and analyze them together with archival 0.89 and 1.3 mm data. Our observations resolve three out of the four rings in the disk previously seen in high-resolution ALMA data. A simple parametric model is used to estimate the radial profile of the dust optical depth, temperature, density, and particle size distribution. We find that the multiple ring features of the disk are produced by annular accumulations of large particles, probably associated with gas pressure bumps. Our model indicates that the maximum dust grain size in the rings is $\sim1$ cm, with slightly flatter power-law size distributions than the ISM-like size distribution ($p\sim3.5$) found in the gaps. In particular, the inner ring ($\sim26$ au) is associated with a strong and narrow buildup of dust particles that could harbor the necessary conditions to trigger the streaming instability. According to our analysis, the snowlines of the most important volatiles do not coincide with the observed substructures. We explore different ring formation mechanisms and find that planet-disk interactions are the most likely scenario to explain the main features of HD 169142. Overall, our multi-wavelength analysis provides some of the first unambiguous evidence of the presence of radial dust traps in the rings of HD 169142. A similar analysis in a larger sample of disks could provide key insights on the impact that disk substructures have on the dust evolution and planet formation processes.

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arXiv2019

The fastest components in stellar jets

Young stars accrete mass from a circumstellar disk, but at the same time disk and star eject outflows and jets. These outflows have an onion-like structure where the innermost and fastest layers are surrounded by increasingly lower velocity components. The outer layers are probably photo-evaporative and magnetocentrifugally launched disk winds, but the nature of the inner winds is still uncertain. Since the fastest components carry only a small fraction of the mass, they are best observed at high-energies (X-ray and UV) as the slower, more massive components do not reach plasma temperatures sufficient for relevant X-ray or UV emission. Outflows are the most likely way in which a star or its disk can shed angular momentum and allow accretion to proceed; thus we cannot understand the accretion and the rotation rate of young stars if we cannot solve the origin of the inner jet components. Stellar jets share characteristics with their counterparts in more massive astrophysical objects, such as stellar mass black holes and AGN, with the added benefit that young stars are found at much closer distances and thus scales not accessible in other types of objects can be resolved. To understand the origin and impact of the inner jets, sub-arcsecond imaging and spectroscopy in the UV and X-rays is required, together with theory and modelling to interpret existing and future observations.

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arXiv2019

Imaging Giant Protoplanets with the ELTs

We have now accumulated a wealth of observations of the planet-formation environment and of mature planetary systems. These data allow us to test and refine theories of gas-giant planet formation by placing constraints on the conditions and timescale of this process. Yet a number of fundamental questions remain unanswered about how protoplanets accumulate material, their photospheric properties and compositions, and how they interact with protoplanetary disks. While we have begun to detect protoplanet candidates during the last several years, we are presently only sensitive to the widest separation, highest mass / accretion rate cases. Current observing facilities lack the angular resolution and inner working angle to probe the few-AU orbital separations where giant planet formation is thought to be most efficient. They also lack the contrast to detect accretion rates that would form lower mass gas giants and ice giants. Instruments and telescopes coming online over the next decade will provide high contrast in the inner giant-planet-forming regions around young stars, allowing us to build a protoplanet census and to characterize planet formation in detail for the first time.

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arXiv2019

Protoplanetary Disk Science Enabled by Extremely Large Telescopes

The processes that transform gas and dust in circumstellar disks into diverse exoplanets remain poorly understood. One key pathway is to study exoplanets as they form in their young ($\sim$few~Myr) natal disks. Extremely Large Telescopes (ELTs) such as GMT, TMT, or ELT, can be used to establish the initial chemical conditions, locations, and timescales of planet formation, via (1)~measuring the physical and chemical conditions in protoplanetary disks using infrared spectroscopy and (2)~studying planet-disk interactions using imaging and spectro-astrometry. Our current knowledge is based on a limited sample of targets, representing the brightest, most extreme cases, and thus almost certainly represents an incomplete understanding. ELTs will play a transformational role in this arena, thanks to the high spatial and spectral resolution data they will deliver. We recommend a key science program to conduct a volume-limited survey of high-resolution spectroscopy and high-contrast imaging of the nearest protoplanetary disks that would result in an unbiased, holistic picture of planet formation as it occurs.

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arXiv2019

Multi-epoch Ultraviolet HST Observations of Accreting Low-mass Stars

Variability is a defining characteristic of young low-mass stars that are still accreting material from their primordial protoplanetary disk. Here we present the largest \textit{HST} variability study of Classical T Tauri stars (CTTS) to date. For 5 of these objects, we obtained a total of 25 spectra with the Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS). Mass accretion rates and the fraction of the star covered by accretion columns (i.e., filling factors) were inferred using 1D NLTE physical models whose parameters were fit within a Bayesian framework. On week long timescales, typical changes in the mass accretion rates range up to a factor of $\sim2$, while changes of up to a factor of $\sim5$ are inferred for the filling factors. In addition to this, we observed a possible accretion burst in the transitional disk system GM Aur, and an incident we interpret as a chance alignment of an accretion column and the undisturbed photosphere along our line of sight in the full disk system VW Cha. We also measure correlations between mass accretion rate and line luminosities for use as secondary tracers of accretion. We place our objects in context with recent high-cadence photometric surveys of low-mass star formation regions and highlight the need for more broad-wavelength, contemporaneous data to better understand the physical mechanisms behind accretion variability in CTTS.

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arXiv2019

Multiple spiral arms in the disk around intermediate-mass binary HD 34700A

We present the first images of the transition disk around the close binary system HD 34700A in polarized scattered light using the Gemini Planet Imager instrument on Gemini South. The J and H band images reveal multiple spiral-arm structures outside a large (R = 0.49" = 175 au) cavity along with a bluish spiral structure inside the cavity. The cavity wall shows a strong discontinuity and we clearly see significant non-azimuthal polarization Uphi consistent with multiple scattering within a disk at an inferred inclination ~42deg. Radiative transfer modeling along with a new Gaia distance suggest HD 37400A is a young (~5 Myr) system consisting of two intermediate-mass (~2Msun) stars surrounded by a transitional disk and not a solar-mass binary with a debris disk as previously classified. Conventional assumptions of the dust-to-gas ratio would rule out a gravitational instability origin to the spirals while hydrodynamical models using the known external companion or a hypothetical massive protoplanet in the cavity both have trouble reproducing the relatively large spiral arm pitch angles (~30deg) without fine tuning of gas temperature. We explore the possibility that material surrounding a massive protoplanet could explain the rim discontinuity after also considering effects of shadowing by an inner disk. Analysis of archival Hubble Space Telescope data suggests the disk is rotating counterclockwise as expected from the spiral arm structure and revealed a new low-mass companion at 6.45" separation. We include an appendix which sets out clear definitions of Q, U, Qphi, Uphi, correcting some confusion and errors in the literature.

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arXiv2018

Imaging the disc rim and a moving close-in companion candidate in the pre-transitional disc of V1247 Orionis

V1247 Orionis harbours a pre-transitional disc with a partially cleared gap. Earlier interferometric and polarimetric observations revealed strong asymmetries both in the gap region and in the outer disc. The presence of a companion was inferred to explain these asymmetric structures and the ongoing disc clearing. Using an extensive set of multi-wavelength and multi-epoch observations we aimed to identify the origin of the previously detected asymmetries. We have observed V1247 Ori at three epochs spanning $\sim678$ days using sparse aperture masking interferometry with Keck/NIRC2 and VLT/NACO. In addition, we search for signs of accretion through VLT/SPHERE-ZIMPOL spectral differential imaging in H$α$ and R-band continuum. Our SMA sub-millimetre interferometry in 880 $μ$m continuum and in the CO(3-2) line allows us to constrain the orientation and direction of rotation of the outer disc. We find the L'-band emission to be dominated by static features which trace forward-scattered dust emission from the inner edge of the outer disc located to the north-east. In H- and K-band, we see evidence for a companion candidate that moved systematically by 45$^{\circ}$ within the first $\sim$345 days. The separation of the companion candidate is not well constrained, but the observed position angle change is consistent with Keplerian motion of a body located on a 6 au orbit. From the SMA CO moment map, the location of the disc rim, and the detected orbital motion, we deduced the three-dimensional orientation of the disc. We see no indication of accretion in H$α$ and set upper limits for an accreting companion. The measured contrast of the companion candidate in H and K is consistent with an actively accreting protoplanet. Hence, we identify V1247 Ori as a unique laboratory for studying companion-disc interactions and disc clearing.

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arXiv2018

A transitional disk around an intermediate mass star in the sparse population of the Orion OB1 Association

We present a detailed study of the disk around the intermediate mass star SO 411, aiming to explain the spectral energy distribution of this star. We show that this is a transitional disk truncated at $\sim$11 au, with $\sim$0.03 lunar masses of optically thin dust inside the cavity. Gas also flows through the cavity, since we find that the disk is still accreting mass onto the star, at a rate of $\sim 5x10^{-9}$ Msun/yr. Until now, SO 411 has been thought to belong to the $\sim$3 Myr old {$σ$} Orionis cluster. However, we analyzed the second Gaia Data Release in combination with kinematic data previously reported, and found that SO 411 can be associated with an sparse stellar population located in front of the {$σ$} Orionis cluster. If this is the case, then SO 411 is older and even more peculiar, since primordial disks in this stellar mass range are scarce for ages $>$5 Myr. Analysis of the silicate 10$μ$m feature of SO 411 indicates that the observed feature arises at the edge of the outer disk, and displays a very high crystallinity ratio of $\sim$0.5, with forsterite the most abundant silicate crystal. The high forsterite abundance points to crystal formation in non-equilibrium conditions. The PAH spectrum of SO 411 is consistent with this intermediate state between the hot and luminous Herbig Ae and the less massive and cooler T Tauri stars. Analysis of the 7.7$μ$m PAH feature indicates that small PAHs still remain in the SO 411 disk.

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arXiv2018

The Planet Formation Imager

The Planet Formation Imager (PFI, www.planetformationimager.org) is a next-generation infrared interferometer array with the primary goal of imaging the active phases of planet formation in nearby star forming regions. PFI will be sensitive to warm dust emission using mid-infrared capabilities made possible by precise fringe tracking in the near-infrared. An L/M band combiner will be especially sensitive to thermal emission from young exoplanets (and their disks) with a high spectral resolution mode to probe the kinematics of CO and H2O gas. In this paper, we give an overview of the main science goals of PFI, define a baseline PFI architecture that can achieve those goals, point at remaining technical challenges, and suggest activities today that will help make the Planet Formation Imager facility a reality.

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