arXiv subjects

D. J. Wilner

Publications and source records attributed to D. J. Wilner.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

An Empirical Planetesimal Belt Radius - Stellar Luminosity Relation

Resolved observations of millimetre-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 $L_{\star}$, following $R\propto L^{0.19}_{\star}$ with a low intrinsic scatter of $\sim$17%. Remarkably, our Edgeworth-Kuiper belt in the Solar System and the two CO snow lines imaged in protoplanetary disks lie close to this $R$-$L_{\star}$ 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 $R$-$L_{\star}$ 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 $R$-$L_{\star}$ 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 and/or planets in the outer regions of planetary systems is linked to the volatility of their building blocks, as postulated by planet formation models.

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arXiv2018

Molecular reconnaissance of the $β$ Pictoris gas disk with the SMA: a low HCN/(CO+CO$_2$) outgassing ratio and predictions for future surveys

The exocometary origin of CO gas has been confirmed in several extrasolar Kuiper belts, with CO ice abundances consistent with Solar System comets. We here present a molecular survey of the $β$ Pictoris belt with the Submillimeter Array (SMA), reporting upper limits for CN, HCN, HCO$^+$, N$_2$H$^+$ and H$_2$CO, as well as for H$_2$S, CH$_3$OH, SiO and DCN from archival ALMA data. Non-detections can be attributed to rapid molecular photodissociation due to the A-star's strong UV flux. CN is the longest-lasting and most easily detectable molecule after CO in this environment. We update our NLTE excitation model to include UV fluorescence, finding it plays a key role in CO and CN excitation, and use it to turn the SMA CN/CO flux ratio constraint into an upper limit of $<2.5$% on the HCN/(CO+CO$_2$) ratio of outgassing rates. This value is consistent with, but at the low end of, the broad range observed in Solar System comets. If sublimation dominates outgassing, then this low value may be caused by decreased outgassing for the less volatile molecule HCN compared to CO. If instead UV photodesorption or collisional vaporization of unbound grains dominates outgassing, then this low ratio of rates would imply a low ice abundance ratio, which would in turn indicate a variation in cometary cyanide abundances across planetary systems. To conclude, we make predictions for future molecular surveys and show that CN and HCN should be readily detectable with ALMA around $β$ Pictoris for Solar-System-like exocometary compositions.

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arXiv2017

ALMA and VLA Observations of the HD 141569 System

We present VLA 9 mm (33 GHz) observations of the HD 141569 system from semester 16A. The observations achieve a resolution of 0.25 arcsec ($\sim28$ au) and a sensitivity of $4.7~μ\rm Jy~beam^{-1}$. We find (1) a $52\pm 5~μ$Jy point source at the location of HD 141569A that shows potential variability, (2) the detected flux is contained within the SED-inferred central clearing of the disc meaning the spectral index of the dust disc is steeper than previously inferred, and (3) the M dwarf companions are also detected and variable. Previous lower-resolution VLA observations (semester 14A) found a higher flux density, interpreted as solely dust emission. When combined with ALMA observations, the VLA 14A observations suggested the spectral index and grain size distribution of HD 141569's disc was shallow and an outlier among debris systems. Using archival ALMA observations of HD 141569 at 0.87 mm and 2.9 mm we find a dust spectral index of $α_{\rm mm} = 1.81\pm 0.20$. The VLA 16A flux corresponds to a brightness temperature of $\sim5\times10^{6}$ K, suggesting strong non-disc emission is affecting the inferred grain properties. The VLA 16A flux density of the M2V companion HD 141569B is $149\pm9~μ$Jy, corresponding to a brightness temperature of $\sim2\times10^{8}$ K and suggesting significant stellar variability when compared to the VLA14A observations, which are smaller by a factor of $\sim6$.

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arXiv2017

DCO$^+$, DCN and N$_2$D$^+$ reveal three different deuteration regimes in the disk around the Herbig Ae star HD163296

The formation pathways of deuterated species trace different regions of protoplanetary disks and may shed light into their physical structure. We aim to constrain the radial extent of main deuterated species; we are particularly interested in spatially characterizing the high and low temperature pathways for enhancing deuteration of these species. We observed the disk surrounding the Herbig Ae star HD 163296 using ALMA in Band 6 and obtained resolved spectral imaging data of DCO$^+$ ($J$=3-2), DCN ($J$=3-2) and N$_2$D$^+$ ($J$=3-2). We model the radial emission profiles of DCO$^+$, DCN and N$_2$D$^+$, assuming their emission is optically thin, using a parametric model of their abundances and radial excitation temperature estimates. DCO$^+$ can be described by a three-region model, with constant-abundance rings centered at 70 AU, 150 AU and 260 AU. The DCN radial profile peaks at about ~60 AU and N$_2$D$^+$ is seen in a ring at ~160 AU. Simple models of both molecules using constant abundances reproduce the data. Assuming reasonable average excitation temperatures for the whole disk, their disk-averaged column densities (and deuterium fractionation ratios) are 1.6-2.6$\times 10^{12}$ cm$^{-2}$ (0.04-0.07), 2.9-5.2$\times 10^{12}$ cm$^{-2}$ ($\sim$0.02) and 1.6-2.5 $\times 10^{11}$ cm$^{-2}$ (0.34-0.45) for DCO$^+$, DCN and N$_2$D$^+$, respectively. Our simple best-fit models show a correlation between the radial location of the first two rings in DCO$^+$ and the DCN and N$_2$D$^+$ abundance distributions that can be interpreted as the high and low temperature deuteration pathways regimes. The origin of the third DCO$^+$ ring at 260 AU is unknown but may be due to a local decrease of ultraviolet opacity allowing the photodesorption of CO or due to thermal desorption of CO as a consequence of radial drift and settlement of dust grains.

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arXiv2017

Increased H$_2$CO production in the outer disk around HD 163296

Three formaldehyde lines were observed (H$_2$CO 3$_{03}$--2$_{02}$, H$_2$CO 3$_{22}$--2$_{21}$, and H$_2$CO 3$_{21}$--2$_{20}$) in the protoplanetary disk around the Herbig Ae star HD 163296 with ALMA at 0.5 arcsecond (60 AU) spatial resolution. H$_2$CO 3$_{03}$--2$_{02}$ was readily detected via imaging, while the weaker H$_2$CO 3$_{22}$--2$_{21}$ and H$_2$CO 3$_{21}$--2$_{20}$ lines required matched filter analysis to detect. H$_2$CO is present throughout most of the gaseous disk, extending out to 550 AU. An apparent 50 AU inner radius of the H$_2$CO emission is likely caused by an optically thick dust continuum. The H$_2$CO radial intensity profile shows a peak at 100 AU and a secondary bump at around 300 AU, suggesting increased production in the outer disk. Different parameterizations of the H$_2$CO abundance were compared to the observed visibilities with $χ^2$ minimization, using either a characteristic temperature, a characteristic radius or a radial power law index to describe the H$_2$CO chemistry. Similar models were applied to ALMA Science Verification data of C$^{18}$O. In all modeling scenarios, fits to the H$_2$CO data show an increased abundance in the outer disk. The overall best-fit H$_2$CO model shows a factor of two enhancement beyond a radius of 270$\pm$20 AU, with an inner abundance of $2\!-\!5 \times 10^{-12}$. The H$_2$CO emitting region has a lower limit on the kinetic temperature of $T > 20$ K. The C$^{18}$O modeling suggests an order of magnitude depletion in the outer disk and an abundance of $4\!-\!12 \times 10^{-8}$ in the inner disk. The increase in H$_2$CO outer disk emission could be a result of hydrogenation of CO ices on dust grains that are then sublimated via thermal desorption or UV photodesorption, or more efficient gas-phase production beyond about 300 AU if CO is photodisocciated in this region.

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arXiv2017

Detection of exocometary CO within the 440 Myr-old Fomalhaut belt: a similar CO+CO$_2$ ice abundance in exocomets and Solar System comets

Recent ALMA observations present mounting evidence for the presence of exocometary gas released within Kuiper belt analogues around nearby main sequence stars. This represents a unique opportunity to study their ice reservoir at the younger ages when volatile delivery to planets is most likely to occur. We here present the detection of CO J=2-1 emission co-located with dust emission from the cometary belt in the 440 Myr-old Fomalhaut system. Through spectro-spatial filtering, we achieve a 5.4$σ$ detection and determine that the ring's sky-projected rotation axis matches that of the star. The CO mass derived ($0.65-42 \times10^{-7}$ M$_{\oplus}$) is the lowest of any circumstellar disk detected to date, and must be of exocometary origin. Using a steady state model, we estimate the CO+CO$_2$ mass fraction of exocomets around Fomalhaut to be between 4.6-76%, consistent with Solar System comets and the two other belts known to host exocometary gas. This is the first indication of a similarity in cometary compositions across planetary systems that may be linked to their formation scenario and is consistent with direct ISM inheritance. In addition, we find tentative evidence that $(49\pm 27)$% of the detected flux originates from a region near the eccentric belt's pericentre. If confirmed, the latter may be explained through a recent impact event or CO pericentre glow due to exocometary release within a steady state collisional cascade. In the latter scenario, we show how the azimuthal dependence of the CO release rate leads to asymmetries in gas observations of eccentric exocometary belts.

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arXiv2017

Radial Surface Density Profiles of Gas and Dust in the Debris Disk around 49 Ceti

We present ~0.4 resolution images of CO(3-2) and associated continuum emission from the gas-bearing debris disk around the nearby A star 49 Ceti, observed with the Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array (ALMA). We analyze the ALMA visibilities in tandem with the broad-band spectral energy distribution to measure the radial surface density profiles of dust and gas emission from the system. The dust surface density decreases with radius between ~100 and 310 au, with a marginally significant enhancement of surface density at a radius of ~110 au. The SED requires an inner disk of small grains in addition to the outer disk of larger grains resolved by ALMA. The gas disk exhibits a surface density profile that increases with radius, contrary to most previous spatially resolved observations of circumstellar gas disks. While ~80% of the CO flux is well described by an axisymmetric power-law disk in Keplerian rotation about the central star, residuals at ~20% of the peak flux exhibit a departure from axisymmetry suggestive of spiral arms or a warp in the gas disk. The radial extent of the gas disk (~220 au) is smaller than that of the dust disk (~300 au), consistent with recent observations of other gas-bearing debris disks. While there are so far only three broad debris disks with well characterized radial dust profiles at millimeter wavelengths, 49 Ceti's disk shows a markedly different structure from two radially resolved gas-poor debris disks, implying that the physical processes generating and sculpting the gas and dust are fundamentally different.

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arXiv2017

New constraints on the millimetre emission of six debris disks

The presence of dusty debris around main sequence stars denotes the existence of planetary systems. Such debris disks are often identified by the presence of excess continuum emission at infrared and (sub-)millimetre wavelengths, with measurements at longer wavelengths tracing larger and cooler dust grains. The exponent of the slope of the disk emission at sub-millimetre wavelengths, `q', defines the size distribution of dust grains in the disk. This size distribution is a function of the rigid strength of the dust producing parent planetesimals. As part of the survey `PLAnetesimals around TYpical Pre-main seqUence Stars' (PLATYPUS) we observed six debris disks at 9-mm using the Australian Telescope Compact Array. We obtain marginal (~3-σ) detections of three targets: HD 105, HD 61005, and HD 131835. Upper limits for the three remaining disks, HD20807, HD109573, and HD109085, provide further constraint of the (sub-)millimetre slope of their spectral energy distributions. The values of q (or their limits) derived from our observations are all smaller than the oft-assumed steady state collisional cascade model (q = 3.5), but lie well within the theoretically expected range for debris disks q ~ 3 to 4. The measured q values for our targets are all < 3.3, consistent with both collisional modelling results and theoretical predictions for parent planetesimal bodies being `rubble piles' held together loosely by their self-gravity.

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arXiv2017

Radio Monitoring of Protoplanetary Discs

Protoplanetary disc systems observed at radio wavelengths often show excess emission above that expected from a simple extrapolation of thermal dust emission observed at short millimetre wavelengths. Monitoring the emission at radio wavelengths can be used to help disentangle the physical mechanisms responsible for this excess, including free-free emission from a wind or jet, and chromospheric emission associated with stellar activity. We present new results from a radio monitoring survey conducted with Australia Telescope Compact Array over the course of several years with observation intervals spanning days, months and years, where the flux variability of 11 T Tauri stars in the Chamaeleon and Lupus star forming regions was measured at 7 and 15 mm and 3 and 6 cm. Results show that for most sources are variable to some degree at 7 mm, indicating the presence of emission mechanisms other than thermal dust in some sources. Additionally, evidence of grain growth to cm-sized pebbles was found for some sources that also have signs of variable flux at 7 mm. We conclude that multiple processes contributing to the emission are common in T Tauri stars at 7 mm and beyond, and that a detection at a single epoch at radio wavelengths should not be used to determine all processes contributing to the emission.

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arXiv2016

Exocometary gas structure, origin and physical properties around $β$ Pictoris through ALMA CO multi-transition observations

Recent ALMA observations unveiled the structure of CO gas in the 23 Myr-old $β$ Pictoris planetary system, a component that has been discovered in many similarly young debris disks. We here present ALMA CO J=2-1 observations, at an improved spectro-spatial resolution and sensitivity compared to previous CO J=3-2 observations. We find that 1) the CO clump is radially broad, favouring the resonant migration over the giant impact scenario for its dynamical origin, 2) the CO disk is vertically tilted compared to the main dust disk, at an angle consistent with the scattered light warp. We then use position-velocity diagrams to trace Keplerian radii in the orbital plane of the disk. Assuming a perfectly edge-on geometry, this shows a CO scale height increasing with radius as $R^{0.75}$, and an electron density (derived from CO line ratios through NLTE analysis) in agreement with thermodynamical models. Furthermore, we show how observations of optically thin line ratios can solve the primordial versus secondary origin dichotomy in gas-bearing debris disks. As shown for $β$ Pictoris, subthermal (NLTE) CO excitation is symptomatic of H$_2$ densities that are insufficient to shield CO from photodissociation over the system's lifetime. This means that replenishment from exocometary volatiles must be taking place, proving the secondary origin of the disk. In this scenario, assuming steady state production/destruction of CO gas, we derive the CO+CO$_2$ ice abundance by mass in $β$ Pic's exocomets to be at most $\sim$6%, consistent with comets in our own Solar System and in the coeval HD181327 system.

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arXiv2016

Search for substellar-mass companions and asymmetries in their parent discs

Transitional discs are a class of circumstellar discs around young stars with extensive clearing of dusty material within their inner regions on 10s of au scales. One of the primary candidates for this kind of clearing is the formation of planet(s) within the disc that then accrete or clear their immediate area as they migrate through the disc. Our sample included eight transitional discs. Using the Keck/NIRC2 instrument we utilised the Sparse Aperture Masking (SAM) interferometry technique to search for asymmetries indicative of ongoing planet formation. We searched for close-in companions using both model fitting and interferometric image reconstruction techniques. Using simulated data, we derived diagnostics that helped us to distinguish between point sources and extended asymmetric disc emission. In addition, we investigated the degeneracy between the contrast and separation that appear for marginally resolved companions. We found FP Tau to contain a previously unseen disc wall, and DM Tau, LkHa 330, and TW Hya to contain an asymmetric signal indicative of point source-like emission. We placed upper limits on the contrast of a companion in RXJ1842.9-3532 and V2246 Oph. We ruled the asymmetry signal in RXJ1615.3-3255 and V2062 Oph to be false positives. In the cases where our data indicated a potential companion we computed estimates for the value of $M_c \dot M_c$ and found values in the range of $10^{-5} - 10^{-3} M^2_J yr^{-1}$. We found significant asymmetries in four targets. Of these, three were consistent with companions. We resolved a previously unseen gap in the disc of FP Tau extending inwards from approximately 10 au.

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arXiv2016

A Disk-based Dynamical Constraint on the Mass of the Young Binary DQ Tau

We present new ALMA observations of CO $J$=2$-$1 line emission from the DQ Tau circumbinary disk. These data are used to tomographically reconstruct the Keplerian disk velocity field in a forward-modeling inference framework, and thereby provide a dynamical constraint on the mass of the DQ Tau binary of $M_\ast = 1.27_{-0.27}^{+0.46} \,M_\odot$. Those results are compared with an updated and improved orbital solution for this double-lined system based on long-term monitoring of its stellar radial velocities. Both of these independent dynamical constraints on the binary mass are in excellent agreement: taken together, they demonstrate that the DQ Tau system mass is $1.21\pm0.26\,M_\odot$ and that the disk and binary orbital planes are aligned within $3^\circ$ (at 3$σ$ confidence). The predictions of various theoretical models for pre-main sequence stellar evolution are also consistent with these masses, although more detailed comparisons are difficult due to lingering uncertainties in the photospheric properties of the individual components. DQ Tau is the third nearly equal-mass double-lined spectroscopic binary with a circumbinary disk that has been dynamically "weighed" with these two independent techniques: all show consistent results, validating the overall accuracy of the disk-based approach and demonstrating that it can be robustly applied to large samples of young, single stars as ALMA ramps up to operations at full capacity.

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arXiv2015

A multi-wavelength analysis for interferometric (sub-)mm observations of protoplanetary disks: radial constraints on the dust properties and the disk structure

Theoretical models of grain growth predict dust properties to change as a function of protoplanetary disk radius, mass, age and other physical conditions. We lay down the methodology for a multi-wavelength analysis of (sub-)mm and cm continuum interferometric observations to constrain self-consistently the disk structure and the radial variation of the dust properties. The computational architecture is massively parallel and highly modular. The analysis is based on the simultaneous fit in the uv-plane of observations at several wavelengths with a model for the disk thermal emission and for the dust opacity. The observed flux density at the different wavelengths is fitted by posing constraints on the disk structure and on the radial variation of the grain size distribution. We apply the analysis to observations of three protoplanetary disks (AS 209, FT Tau, DR Tau) for which a combination of spatially resolved observations in the range ~0.88mm to ~10mm is available (from SMA, CARMA, and VLA), finding evidence of a decreasing maximum dust grain size (a_max) with radius. We derive large a_max values up to 1 cm in the inner disk between 15 and 30 AU and smaller grains with a_max~1 mm in the outer disk (R > 80AU). In this paper we develop a multi-wavelength analysis that will allow this missing quantity to be constrained for statistically relevant samples of disks and to investigate possible correlations with disk or stellar parameters.

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arXiv2015

Evidence of Short Timescale Flux Density Variations of UC HII regions in Sgr B2 Main and North

We have recently published observations of significant flux density variations at 1.3 cm in HII regions in the star forming regions Sgr B2 Main and North (De Pree et al. 2014). To further study these variations, we have made new 7 mm continuum and recombination line observations of Sgr B2 at the highest possible angular resolution of the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array (VLA). We have observed Sgr B2 Main and North at 42.9 GHz and at 45.4 GHz in the BnA configuration (Main) and the A configuration (North). We compare these new data to archival VLA 7 mm continuum data of Sgr B2 Main observed in 2003 and Sgr B2 North observed in 2001. We find that one of the 41 known ultracompact and hypercompact HII regions in Sgr B2 (K2-North) has decreased $\sim$27% in flux density from 142$\pm$14 mJy to 103$\pm$10 mJy (2.3$σ$) between 2001 and 2012. A second source, F3c-Main has increased $\sim$30% in flux density from 82$\pm$8 mJy to 107 $\pm$11 mJy (1.8$σ$) between 2003 and 2012. F3c-Main was previously observed to increase in flux density at 1.3 cm over a longer time period between 1989 and 2012 (De Pree et al. 2014). An observation of decreasing flux density, such as that observed in K2-North, is particularly significant since such a change is not predicted by the classical hypothesis of steady expansion of HII regions during massive star accretion. Our new observations at 7 mm, along with others in the literature, suggest that the formation of massive stars occurs through time-variable and violent accretion.

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arXiv2015

Early Science with the Large Millimeter Telescope: Observations of dust continuum and CO emission lines of cluster-lensed submillimetre galaxies at z=2.0-4.7

We present Early Science observations with the Large Millimeter Telescope, AzTEC 1.1 mm continuum images and wide bandwidth spectra (73-111 GHz) acquired with the Redshift Search Receiver, towards four bright lensed submillimetre galaxies identified through the Herschel Lensing Survey-snapshot and the SCUBA-2 Cluster Snapshot Survey. This pilot project studies the star formation history and the physical properties of the molecular gas and dust content of the highest redshift galaxies identified through the benefits of gravitational magnification. We robustly detect dust continuum emission for the full sample and CO emission lines for three of the targets. We find that one source shows spectroscopic multiplicity and is a blend of three galaxies at different redshifts (z=2.040, 3.252 and 4.680), reminiscent of previous high-resolution imaging follow-up of unlensed submillimetre galaxies, but with a completely different search method, that confirm recent theoretical predictions of physically unassociated blended galaxies. Identifying the detected lines as 12CO (J_up=2-5) we derive spectroscopic redshifts, molecular gas masses, and dust masses from the continuum emission. The mean H_2 gas mass of the full sample is (2.0 +- 0.2) x 10^11 M_sun/μ, and the mean dust mass is (2.0+-0.2) x 10^9 M_sun/μ, where μ=2-5 is the expected lens amplification. Using these independent estimations we infer a gas-to-dust ratio of δ_GDR=55-75, in agreement with other measurements of submillimetre galaxies. Our magnified high-luminosity galaxies fall on the same locus as other high-redshift submillimetre galaxies, extending the L'_CO - L_FIR correlation observed for local luminous and ultraluminous infrared galaxies to higher FIR and CO luminosities.

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arXiv2015

Extremely-bright submillimeter galaxies beyond the Lupus-I star-forming region

We report detections of two candidate distant submillimeter galaxies (SMGs), MM J154506.4$-$344318 and MM J154132.7$-$350320, which are discovered in the AzTEC/ASTE 1.1 mm survey toward the Lupus-I star-forming region. The two objects have 1.1 mm flux densities of 43.9 and 27.1 mJy, and have Herschel/SPIRE counterparts as well. The Submillimeter Array counterpart to the former SMG is identified at 890 $μ$m and 1.3 mm. Photometric redshift estimates using all available data from the mid-infrared to the radio suggest that the redshifts of the two SMGs are $z_{\rm photo} \simeq$ 4-5 and 3, respectively. Near-infrared objects are found very close to the SMGs and they are consistent with low-$z$ ellipticals, suggesting that the high apparent luminosities can be attributed to gravitational magnification. The cumulative number counts at $S_{\rm 1.1mm} \ge 25$ mJy, combined with other two 1.1-mm brightest sources, are $0.70 ^{+0.56}_{-0.34}$ deg$^{-2}$, which is consistent with a model prediction that accounts for flux magnification due to strong gravitational lensing. Unexpectedly, a $z > 3$ SMG and a Galactic dense starless core (e.g., a first hydrostatic core) could be similar in the mid-infrared to millimeter spectral energy distributions and spatial structures at least at $\gtrsim 1"$. This indicates that it is necessary to distinguish the two possibilities by means of broad band photometry from the optical to centimeter and spectroscopy to determine the redshift, when a compact object is identified toward Galactic star-forming regions.

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arXiv2014

The Debris Disk of Solar Analogue $τ$ Ceti: Herschel Observations and Dynamical Simulations of the Proposed Multiplanet System

$τ$ Ceti is a nearby, mature G-type star very similar to our Sun, with a massive Kuiper Belt analogue (Greaves et al. 2004) and possible multiplanet system (Tuomi et al. 2013) that has been compared to our Solar System. We present Herschel Space Observatory images of the debris disk, finding the disk is resolved at 70 and 160 microns, and marginally resolved at 250 microns. The Herschel images and infrared photometry from the literature are best modelled using a wide dust annulus with an inner edge between 1-10 AU and an outer edge at ~55 AU, inclined from face-on by 35$\pm$10 degrees, and with no significant azimuthal structure. We model the proposed tightly-packed planetary system of five super-Earths and find that the innermost dynamically stable disk orbits are consistent with the inner edge found by the observations. The photometric modelling, however, cannot rule out a disk inner edge as close to the star as 1 AU, though larger distances produce a better fit to the data. Dynamical modelling shows that the 5 planet system is stable with the addition of a Neptune or smaller mass planet on an orbit outside 5 AU, where the Tuomi et al. analysis would not have detected a planet of this mass.

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arXiv2014

On the structure of the transition disk around TW Hya

For over a decade, the structure of the inner cavity in the transition disk of TW Hydrae has been a subject of debate. Modeling the disk with data obtained at different wavelengths has led to a variety of proposed disk structures. Rather than being inconsistent, the individual models might point to the different faces of physical processes going on in disks, such as dust growth and planet formation. Our aim is to investigate the structure of the transition disk again and to find to what extent we can reconcile apparent model differences. A large set of high-angular-resolution data was collected from near-infrared to centimeter wavelengths. We investigated the existing disk models and established a new self-consistent radiative-transfer model. A genetic fitting algorithm was used to automatize the parameter fitting. Simple disk models with a vertical inner rim and a radially homogeneous dust composition from small to large grains cannot reproduce the combined data set. Two modifications are applied to this simple disk model: (1) the inner rim is smoothed by exponentially decreasing the surface density in the inner ~3 AU, and (2) the largest grains (>100 um) are concentrated towards the inner disk region. Both properties can be linked to fundamental processes that determine the evolution of protoplanetary disks: the shaping by a possible companion and the different regimes of dust-grain growth, respectively. The full interferometric data set from near-infrared to centimeter wavelengths requires a revision of existing models for the TW Hya disk. We present a new model that incorporates the characteristic structures of previous models but deviates in two key aspects: it does not have a sharp edge at 4 AU, and the surface density of large grains differs from that of smaller grains. This is the first successful radiative-transfer-based model for a full set of interferometric data.

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