HD 219828: An extreme planetary system with One long-period super Jupiter to a hot-neptune host star

An extreme planetary system around HD219828. One long-period super Jupiter to a hot-neptune host star

Authors:

Santos et al

Abstract:

With about 2000 extrasolar planets confirmed, the results show that planetary systems have a whole range of unexpected properties. We present a full investigation of the HD219828 system, a bright metal-rich star for which a hot neptune has previously been detected. We used a set of HARPS, SOPHIE, and ELODIE radial velocities to search for the existence of orbiting companions to HD219828. A dynamical analysis is also performed to study the stability of the system and to constrain the orbital parameters and planet masses. We announce the discovery of a long period (P=13.1years) massive (msini=15.1MJup) companion (HD219828c) in a very eccentric orbit (e=0.81). The same data confirms the existence of a hot-neptune, HD219828b, with a minimum mass of 21 MEarth and a period of 3.83days. The dynamical analysis shows that the system is stable. The HD219828 system is extreme and unique in several aspects. First, among all known exoplanet systems it presents an unusually high mass ratio. We also show that systems like HD219828, with a hot neptune and a long-period massive companion are more frequent than similar systems with a hot jupiter instead. This suggests that the formation of hot neptunes follows a different path than the formation of their hot jovian counterparts. The high mass, long period, and eccentricity of HD219828c also make it a good target for Gaia astrometry as well as a potential target for atmospheric characterisation, using direct imaging or high-resolution spectroscopy. Astrometric observations will allow us to derive its real mass and orbital configuration. If a transit of HD219828b is detected, we will be able to fully characterise the system, including the relative orbital inclinations. With a clearly known mass, HD219828c may become a benchmark object for the range in between giant planets and brown dwarfs.

Line-depth-ratio temperatures for the close binary nu Octantis: new evidence supporting the conjectured retrograde planet

Line-depth-ratio temperatures for the close binary nu Octantis: new evidence supporting the conjectured retrograde planet

Author:

Ramm et al

Abstract:

We explore the possibly that either star-spots or pulsations are the cause of a periodic radial-velocity signal (P~400 days) from the K-giant binary nu Octantis (P~1050 days, e~0.25), alternatively conjectured to have a retrograde planet. Our study is based on temperatures derived from 22 line-depth ratios (LDRs) for nu Oct and twenty calibration stars. Empirical evidence and stability modelling provide unexpected support for the planet since other standard explanations (star-spots, pulsations and additional stellar masses) each have credibility problems. However, the proposed system presents formidable challenges to planet-formation and stability theories: it has by far the smallest stellar separation of any claimed planet-harbouring binary (a_bin~2.6 au) and an equally unbelievable separation ratio (a_pl/a_bin~0.5), hence the necessity that the circumstellar orbit be retrograde.

The LDR analysis of 215 nu Oct spectra acquired between 2001--2007, from which the RV perturbation was first revealed, have no significant periodicity at any frequency. The LDRs recover the original 21 stellar temperatures with an average accuracy of 45+/-25 K. The 215 nu Oct temperatures have a standard deviation of only 4.2 K. Assuming the host primary is not pulsating, the temperatures converted to magnitude differences strikingly mimic the very stable photometric Hipparcos observations 15 years previously, implying the long-term stability of the star and demonstrating a novel use of LDRs as a photometric gauge. Our results provide substantial new evidence that conventional star-spots and pulsations are unlikely causes of the RV perturbation. The controversial system deserves continued attention, including with higher resolving-power spectra for bisector and LDR analyses.

nu Octantis b: a Retrograde S Type Circumbinary Gas Giant...or not?

The conjectured S-type retrograde planet in nu Octantis: more evidence including four years of iodine-cell radial velocities

Authors:

Ramm et al

Abstract:

We report 1212 radial-velocity (RV) measurements obtained in the years 2009-2013 using an iodine cell for the spectroscopic binary nu Octantis (K1III/IV). This system (a_bin~2.6 au, P~1050 days) is conjectured to have a Jovian planet with a semi-major axis half that of the binary host. The extreme geometry only permits long-term stability if the planet is in a retrograde orbit. Whilst the reality of the planet (P~415 days) remains uncertain, other scenarios (stellar variability or apsidal motion caused by a yet unobserved third star) continue to appear substantially less credible based on CCF bisectors, line-depth ratios and many other independent details. If this evidence is validated but the planet is disproved, the claims of other planets using RVs will be seriously challenged.

We also describe a significant revision to the previously published RVs and the full set of 1437 RVs now encompasses nearly 13 years. The sensitive orbital dynamics allow us to constrain the three-dimensional architecture with a broad prior probability distribution on the mutual inclination, which with posterior samples obtained from an N-body Markov chain Monte Carlo is found to be 158.4 +/- 1.2 deg. None of these samples are dynamically stable beyond 1 Myr. However, a grid search around the best-fitting solution finds a region that has many models stable for 10 Myr, and includes one model within 1-sigma that is stable for at least 100 Myr. The planet's exceptional nature demands robust independent verification and makes the theoretical understanding of its formation a worthy challenge.

Chemical Elements Abundance in the Universe and the Origin of Life

Chemical Elements Abundance in the Universe and the Origin of Life

Authors:

Valkovic et al

Abstract:

Element synthesis which started with p-p chain has resulted in several specific characteristics including lack of any stable isotope having atomic masses 5 or 8. The carbon to oxygen ratio is fixed early by the chain of coincidences. These, remarkably fine-tuned, conditions are responsible for our own existence and indeed the existence of any carbon based life in the Universe. Chemical evolution of galaxies reflects in the changes of chemical composition of stars, interstellar gas and dust. The evolution of chemical element abundances in a galaxy provides a clock for galactic aging. On the other hand, the living matter on the planet Earth needs only some elements for its existence. Compared with element requirements of living matter a hypothesis is put forward, by accepting the Anthropic Principle, which says: life as we know, (H-C-N-O) based, relying on the number of bulk and trace elements originated when two element abundance curves, living matter and galactic, coincided. This coincidence occurring at particular redshift could indicates the phase of the Universe when the life originated. It is proposed to look into redshift region z = 0.5 to 2.5 (approximately t = -5.2x10E9 to -11.3x10E9 years) where many galaxies have been observed and to use these data to study the evolution of metallicity with respect to the other properties of galaxies in order to determine the time when universal element abundance curve coincided with the element abundance curve of LUCA. The characteristic properties of the latter have been transmitted by the genetic code while the universe element abundance curve changed as the galaxies aged.

Night side cooling and surface friction affect climates of tidally locked terrestrial planets

Connecting the dots III: Night side cooling and surface friction affect climates of tidally locked terrestrial planets

Authors:

Carone et al

Abstract:

We investigate how night side cooling and surface friction impact surface temperatures and large scale circulation for tidally locked Earth-like planets. For each scenario, we vary the orbital period between Prot = 1 − 100 days and capture changes in climate states. We find drastic changes in climate states for different surface friction scenarios. For very efficient surface friction (ts, fric = 0.1 days), the simulations for short rotation periods (Prot ≤ 10 days) show predominantly standing extra tropical Rossby waves. These waves lead to climate states with two high latitude westerly jets and unperturbed meridional direct circulation. In most other scenarios, simulations with short rotation periods exhibit instead dominance by standing tropical Rossby waves. Such climate states have a single equatorial westerly jet, which disrupts direct circulation. Experiments with weak surface friction (ts, fric = ~10 − 100 days) show decoupling between surface temperatures and circulation, which leads to strong cooling of the night side. The experiment with ts, fric = ~100 days assumes climate states with easterly flow (retrograde rotation) for medium and slow planetary rotations Prot = 12 − 100 days. We show that an increase of night side cooling efficiency by one order of magnitude compared to the nominal model leads to a cooling of the night side surface temperatures by 80-100 K. The day side surface temperatures only drop by 25 K at the same time. The increase in thermal forcing suppresses the formation of extra tropical Rossby waves on small planets (RP = 1REarth) in the short rotation period regime (Prot ≤ 10 days).

Temperature Structure and Atmospheric Circulation of Dry, Tidally Locked Rocky Exoplanets

Temperature Structure and Atmospheric Circulation of Dry, Tidally Locked Rocky Exoplanets

Authors:

Koll et al

Abstract:

Next-generation space telescopes will observe the atmospheres of rocky planets orbiting nearby M-dwarfs. Understanding these observations will require well-developed theory in addition to numerical simulations. Here we present theoretical models for the temperature structure and atmospheric circulation of dry, tidally locked rocky exoplanets with grey radiative transfer and test them using a general circulation model (GCM). First, we develop a radiative-convective model that captures surface temperatures of slowly rotating and cool atmospheres. Second, we show that the atmospheric circulation acts as a global heat engine, which places strong constraints on large-scale wind speeds. Third, we develop a radiative-convective-subsiding model which extends our radiative-convective model to hot and thin atmospheres. We find that rocky planets develop large day-night temperature gradients at a ratio of wave-to-radiative timescales up to two orders of magnitude smaller than the value suggested by work on hot Jupiters. The small ratio is due to the heat engine inefficiency and asymmetry between updrafts and subsidence in convecting atmospheres. Fourth, we show using GCM simulations that rotation only has a strong effect on temperature structure if the atmosphere is hot or thin. Our models let us map out atmospheric scenarios for planets such as GJ 1132b and show how thermal phase curves could constrain them. Measuring phase curves of short-period planets will require similar amounts of time on the James Webb Space Telescope as detecting molecules via transit spectroscopy, so future observations should pursue both techniques.

Assessing the Habitability of Exoplanetary Earth-like Atmospheres Through Simualtions

Assessing the habitability of planets with Earth-like atmospheres with 1D and 3D climate modeling

Authors:

Godolt et al

Abstract:

The habitable zone (HZ) describes the range of orbital distances around a star where the existence of liquid water on the surface of an Earth-like planet is in principle possible. While 3D climate studies can calculate the water vapor, ice albedo, and cloud feedback self-consistently and therefore allow for a deeper understanding and the identification of relevant climate processes, 1D model studies rely on fewer model assumptions and can be more easily applied to the large parameter space possible for exoplanets. We evaluate the applicability of 1D climate models to estimate the potential habitability of Earth-like exoplanets by comparing our 1D model results to those of 3D climate studies in the literature. We applied a cloud-free 1D radiative-convective climate model to calculate the climate of Earth-like planets around different types of main-sequence stars with varying surface albedo and relative humidity profile. These parameters depend on climate feedbacks that are not treated self-consistently in most 1D models. We compared the results to those of 3D model calculations in the literature and investigated to what extent the 1D model can approximate the surface temperatures calculated by the 3D models. The 1D parameter study results in a large range of climates possible for an Earth-sized planet with an Earth-like atmosphere and water reservoir at a certain stellar insolation. At some stellar insolations the full spectrum of climate states could be realized, i.e., uninhabitable conditions as well as habitable surface conditions, depending only on the relative humidity and surface albedo assumed. When treating the surface albedo and the relative humidity profile as parameters in 1D model studies and using the habitability constraints found by recent 3D modeling studies, the same conclusions about the potential habitability of a planet can be drawn as from 3D model calculations.

When has the Galaxy Actually Been Habitable?

The evolution of galaxy habitability

Authors:

Gobat et al

Abstract:

We combine a semi-analytic model of galaxy evolution with constraints on circumstellar habitable zones and the distribution of terrestrial planets to probe the suitability of galaxies of different mass and type to host habitable planets, as well as its evolution with time. We find that the fraction of stars with terrestrial planets in their habitable zone ("habitability") depends only weakly on galaxy mass, with a maximum around 4e10 Msun. We estimate that 0.7% of all stars in Milky Way type galaxies to host a terrestrial planet within their habitable zone, consistent with the value derived from Kepler observations. On the other hand, the habitability of passive galaxies is slightly but systematically higher, unless we assume an unrealistically high sensitivity of planets to supernovae. We find that the overall habitability of galaxies has not changed significantly in the last ~8 Gyr, with most of the habitable planets in local disk galaxies having formed ~1.5 Gyr before our own solar system. Finally, we expect that ~1.4e9 planets similar to present-day Earth have existed so far in our galaxy.

Reduced Activity And Large Particles From the Disintegrating Planet Candidate KIC 12557548b

Reduced Activity And Large Particles From the Disintegrating Planet Candidate KIC 12557548b

Authors:

Schlawin et al

Abstract:

The intriguing exoplanet candidate KIC 12557548b is believed to have a comet-like tail of dusty debris trailing a small rocky planet. The tail of debris scatters up to 1.3% of the stellar light in the Kepler observatory's bandpass (0.42 um to 0.9 um). Observing the tail's transit depth at multiple wavelengths can reveal the composition and particle size of the debris, constraining the makeup and lifetime of the sub-Mercury planet. Early dust particle size predictions from the scattering of the comet-like tail pointed towards a dust size of ~0.1 um for silicate compositions. These small particles would produce a much deeper optical transit depth than near-infrared transit depth. We measure a transmission spectrum for KIC 12557548b using the SpeX spectrograph (covering 0.8 um to 2.4 um) simultaneously with the MORIS imager taking r' (0.63 um) photometry on the Infrared Telescope Facility for eight nights and one night in H band (1.63 um) using the Wide-Field IR Camera at the Palomar 200-inch telescope. The infrared spectra are plagued by systematic errors, but we argue that sufficient precision is obtained when using differential spectroscopic calibration when combining multiple nights. The average differential transmission spectrum is flat, supporting findings that KIC 12557548b's debris is likely composed of larger particles greater than ~0.5 um for pyroxene and olivine and greater than ~0.2 um for iron and corundum. The r' photometric transit depths are all below the average Kepler value, suggesting that the observations occurred during a weak period or that the mechanisms producing optical broadband transit depths are suppressed.

Exocometary gas in the HD 181327 debris ring

Exocometary gas in the HD 181327 debris ring

Authors:

Marino et al

Abstract:

An increasing number of observations have shown that gaseous debris discs are not an exception. However, until now we only knew of cases around A stars. Here we present the first detection of 12CO (2-1) disc emission around an F star, HD 181327, obtained with ALMA observations at 1.3 mm. The continuum and CO emission are resolved into an axisymmetric disc with ring-like morphology. Using a Markov chain Monte Carlo method coupled with radiative transfer calculations we study the dust and CO mass distribution. We find the dust is distributed in a ring with a radius of 86.0 +- 0.4 AU and a radial width of 23.2 +- 1.0 AU. At this frequency the ring radius is smaller than in the optical, revealing grain size segregation expected due to radiation pressure. We also report on the detection of low level continuum emission beyond the main ring out to ~200 AU. We model the CO emission in the non-LTE regime and we find that the CO is co-located with the dust, with a total CO gas mass ranging between 1.2x10^-6 Mearth and 2.9x10^-6 Mearth, depending on the gas kinetic temperature and collisional partners densities. The CO densities and location suggest a secondary origin, i.e. released from icy planetesimals in the ring. We derive a CO+CO2 cometary composition that is consistent with Solar system comets. Due to the low gas densities it is unlikely that the gas is shaping the dust distribution.

Volatile carbon locking and release in protoplanetary disks

Volatile carbon locking and release in protoplanetary disks. A study of TW Hya and HD 100546

Authors:

Kama et al

Abstract:

The composition of planetary solids and gases is largely rooted in the processing of volatile elements in protoplanetary disks. To shed light on the key processes, we carry out a comparative analysis of the gas-phase carbon abundance in two systems with a similar age and disk mass, but different central stars: HD 100546 and TW Hya. We combine our recent detections of C0 in these disks with observations of other carbon reservoirs (CO, C+, C2H) and gas mass and warm gas tracers (HD, O0), as well as spatially resolved ALMA observations and the spectral energy distribution. The disks are modelled with the DALI 2D physical-chemical code. Stellar abundances for HD 100546 are derived from archival spectra. Upper limits on HD emission from HD 100546 place an upper limit on the total disk mass of ≤0.1M⊙. The gas-phase carbon abundance in the atmosphere of this warm Herbig disk is at most moderately depleted compared to the interstellar medium, with [C]/[H]gas=(0.1−1.5)×10−4. HD 100546 itself is a λBo\"{o}tis star, with solar abundances of C and O but a strong depletion of rock-forming elements. In the gas of the T Tauri disk TW Hya, both C and O are strongly underabundant, with [C]/[H]gas=(0.2−5.0)×10−6 and C/O greater than 1. We discuss evidence that the gas-phase C and O abundances are high in the warm inner regions of both disks. Our analytical model, including vertical mixing and a grain size distribution, reproduces the observed [C]/[H]gas in the outer disk of TW Hya and allows to make predictions for other systems.

Incidence of debris discs around FGK stars in the solar neighbourhood

Incidence of debris discs around FGK stars in the solar neighbourhood

Authors:

Montesinos et al

Abstract:

Debris discs are a consequence of the planet formation process and constitute the fingerprints of planetesimal systems. Their solar system's counterparts are the asteroid and Edgeworth-Kuiper belts. The aim of this paper is to provide robust numbers for the incidence of debris discs around FGK stars in the solar neighbourhood. The full sample of 177 FGK stars with d less than 20 pc proposed for the DUNES survey is presented. Herschel/PACS observations at 100 and 160 micron complemented with data at 70 micron, and at 250, 350 and 500 micron SPIRE photometry, were obtained. The 123 objects observed by the DUNES collaboration were presented in a previous paper. The remaining 54 stars, shared with the DEBRIS consortium and observed by them, and the combined full sample are studied in this paper. The incidence of debris discs per spectral type is analysed and put into context together with other parameters of the sample, like metallicity, rotation and activity, and age.

The subsample of 105 stars with d less than 15 pc containing 23 F, 33 G and 49 K stars, is complete for F stars, almost complete for G stars and contains a substantial number of K stars to draw solid conclusions on objects of this spectral type. The incidence rates of debris discs per spectral type 0.26 (6 objects with excesses out of 23 F stars), 0.21 (7 out of 33 G stars) and 0.20 (10 out of 49 K stars), the fraction for all three spectral types together being 0.22 (23 out of 105 stars). Uncertainties corresponding to a 95% confidence level are given in the text for all these numbers. The medians of the upper limits of L_dust/L_* for each spectral type are 7.8E-7 (F), 1.4E-6 (G) and 2.2E-6 (K); the lowest values being around 4.0E-7. The incidence of debris discs is similar for active (young) and inactive (old) stars. The fractional luminosity tends to drop with increasing age, as expected from collisional erosion of the debris belts.

ALMA Observations of Circumstellar Disks in the Upper Scorpius OB Association

ALMA Observations of Circumstellar Disks in the Upper Scorpius OB Association

Authors:

Barenfeld et al

Abstract:

We present ALMA observations of 106 G-, K-, and M-type stars in the Upper Scorpius OB Association hosting circumstellar disks. With these data, we measure the 0.88 mm continuum and 12CO J=3−2 line fluxes of disks around low mass (0.14−1.66 M⊙) stars at an age of 5-11 Myr. Of the 75 primordial disks in the sample, 53 are detected in the dust continuum and 26 in CO. Of the 31 disks classified as debris/evolved transitional disks, 5 are detected in the continuum and none in CO. The lack of CO emission in approximately half of the disks with detected continuum emission can be explained if CO is optically thick but has a compact emitting area (≲40 AU), or if the CO is heavily depleted by a factor of at least ∼1000 relative to interstellar medium abundances and is optically thin. The continuum measurements are used to estimate the dust mass of the disks. We find a correlation between disk dust mass and stellar host mass consistent with a power-law relation of Mdust∝M1.67±0.37∗. Disk dust masses in Upper Sco are compared to those measured in the younger Taurus star forming region to constrain the evolution of disk dust mass. We find that the difference in the mean of log(Mdust/M∗) between Taurus and Upper Sco is 0.64±0.09, such that Mdust/M∗ is lower in Upper Sco by a factor of ∼4.5.

The Smoking gun of X-ray Photoevaporation for Protoplanetary Disks

Blueshifted [OI] lines from protoplanetary discs: the smoking gun of X-ray photoevaporation.

Authors:

Ercolanno et al

Abstract:

Photoevaporation of protoplanetary discs by high energy radiation from the central young stellar object is currently the favourite model to explain the sudden dispersal of discs from the inside out. While several theoretical works have provided a detailed pictured of this process, the direct observational validation is still lacking. Emission lines produced in these slow moving protoplanetary disc winds may bear the imprint of the wind structure and thus provide a potential diagnostic of the underlying dispersal process. In this paper we primarily focus on the collisionally excited neutral oxygen line at 6300A. We compare our models predictions to observational data and demonstrate a thermal origin for the observed blueshifted low-velocity component of this line from protoplanetary discs. Furthermore our models show that while this line is a clear tell-tale-sign of a warm, quasi-neutral disc wind, typical of X-ray photoevaporation, its strong temperature dependence makes it unsuitable to measure detailed wind quantities like mass-loss-rate.

Protoplanetary Disks in Misaligned Binary Systems

Discs in misaligned binary systems

Authors:

Rawiraswattana et al

Abstract:

We perform SPH simulations to study precession and changes in alignment between the circumprimary disc and the binary orbit in misaligned binary systems. We find that the precession process can be described by the rigid-disc approximation, where the disc is considered as a rigid body interacting with the binary companion only gravitationally. Precession also causes change in alignment between the rotational axis of the disc and the spin axis of the primary star. This type of alignment is of great important for explaining the origin of spin-orbit misaligned planetary systems. However, we find that the rigid-disc approximation fails to describe changes in alignment between the disc and the binary orbit. This is because the alignment process is a consequence of interactions that involve the fluidity of the disc, such as the tidal interaction and the encounter interaction. Furthermore, simulation results show that there are not only alignment processes, which bring the components towards alignment, but also anti-alignment processes, which tend to misalign the components. The alignment process dominates in systems with misalignment angle near 90°, while the anti-alignment process dominates in systems with the misalignment angle near 0° or 180°. This means that highly misaligned systems will become more aligned but slightly misaligned systems will become more misaligned.

Brown Dwarfs Give Hints to Exoplanet Characteristics

Brown dwarfs are smaller than stars, but more massive than giant planets. As such, they provide a natural link between astronomy and planetary science. However, they also show incredible variation when it comes to size, temperature, chemistry, and more, which makes them difficult to understand, too.

New work led by Carnegie's Jacqueline Faherty surveyed various properties of 152 suspected young brown dwarfs in order to categorize their diversity and found that atmospheric properties may be behind much of their differences, a discovery that may apply to planets outside the solar system as well. The work is published by The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series.

Scientists are very interested in brown dwarfs, which hold promise for explaining not just planetary evolution, but also stellar formation. These objects are tougher to spot than more-massive and brighter stars, but they vastly outnumber stars like our Sun. They represent the smallest and lightest objects that can form like stars do in the Galaxy so they are an important "book end" in Astronomy.

For the moment, data on brown dwarfs can be used as a stand-in for contemplating extrasolar worlds we hope to study with future instruments like the James Webb Space Telescope.

"Brown dwarfs are far easier to study than planets, because they aren't overwhelmed by the brightness of a host star," Faherty explained.

But the tremendous diversity we see in the properties of the brown dwarf population means that there is still so much about them that remains unknown or poorly understood.

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The Spectral Energy Distribution of the Coldest Known Brown Dwarf

The Spectral Energy Distribution of the Coldest Known Brown Dwarf

Authors:

Luhman et al

Abstract:

WISE J085510.83-071442.5 (hereafter WISE 0855-0714) is the coldest known brown dwarf (~250 K) and the fourth closest known system to the Sun (2.2 pc). It has been previously detected only in the J band and two mid-IR bands. To better measure its spectral energy distribution (SED), we have performed deep imaging of WISE 0855-0714 in six optical and near-IR bands with Gemini Observatory, the Very Large Telescope, and the Hubble Space Telescope. Five of the bands show detections, although one detection is marginal (S/N~3). We also have obtained two epochs of images with the Spitzer Space Telescope for use in refining the parallax of the brown dwarf. By combining astrometry from this work and previous studies, we have derived a parallax of 0.449+/-0.008" (2.23+/-0.04 pc). We have compared our photometry for WISE 0855-0714 to data for known Y dwarfs and to the predictions of three suites of models by Saumon et al. (2012) and Morley et al. (2012, 2014) that are defined by the presence or absence of clouds and non-equilibrium chemistry. Our estimates of Y-J and J-H for WISE 0855-0714 are redder than colors of other Y dwarfs, confirming a predicted reversal of near-IR colors to redder values at temperatures below 300-400 K. In color-magnitude diagrams, no single suite of models provides a clearly superior match to the sequence formed by WISE 0855-0714 and other Y dwarfs. Instead, the best fitting model changes from one diagram to the next. Similarly, all of the models have substantial differences from the SED of WISE 0855-0714. As a result, we are currently unable to constrain the presence of clouds or non-equilibrium chemistry in its atmosphere.

ASASSN-16ae: A Powerful White-Light Flare on an Early-L Dwarf

ASASSN-16ae: A Powerful White-Light Flare on an Early-L Dwarf

Authors:

Schmidt et al

Abstract:

We report the discovery and classification of SDSS J053341.43+001434.1 (SDSS0533), an early-L dwarf first discovered during a powerful ΔV less than −11 magnitude flare observed as part of the ASAS-SN survey. Optical and infrared spectroscopy indicate a spectral type of L0 with strong Hα emission and a blue NIR spectral slope. Combining the photometric distance, proper motion, and radial velocity of SDSS0533 yields three-dimensional velocities of (U,V,W)=(14±13,−35±14,−94±22) km s−1, indicating that it is most likely part of the thick disk population and probably old. The three detections of SDSS0533 obtained during the flare are consistent with a total V-band flare energy of ∼8×1033 ergs (Etot>6.2×1034 erg), placing it among the strongest stellar flares detected. The presence of this powerful flare on an old L0 dwarf may indicate that stellar-type magnetic activity persists down to the end of the main sequence and on older ultracool dwarfs.

Interaction of the Evaporating Hot Neptune GJ 436b & its Host Star's Stellar Wind

An evaporating planet in the wind: stellar wind interactions with the radiatively braked exosphere of GJ436 b

Authors:

Bourrier et al

Abstract

The warm Neptune GJ436b was observed with HST/STIS at three different epochs in the stellar Ly-alpha line, showing deep, repeated transits caused by a giant exosphere of neutral hydrogen. The low radiation pressure from the M-dwarf host star was shown to play a major role in the dynamics of the escaping gas. Yet by itself it cannot explain the time-variable spectral features detected in each transit. Here we investigate the combined role of radiative braking and stellar wind interactions using numerical simulations with the EVaporating Exoplanet code (EVE) and we derive atmospheric and stellar properties through the direct comparison of simulated and observed spectra. Our simulations match the last two epochs well. The observed sharp early ingresses come from the abrasion of the planetary coma by the stellar wind. Spectra observed during the transit can be produced by a dual exosphere of planetary neutrals (escaped from the upper atmosphere of the planet) and neutralized protons (created by charge-exchange with the stellar wind). We find similar properties at both epochs for the planetary escape rate (2.5x108 g/s), the stellar photoionization rate (2x10−5 /s), the stellar wind bulk velocity (85 km/s), and its kinetic dispersion velocity (10 km/s). We find high velocities for the escaping gas (50-60 km/s) that may indicate MHD waves that dissipate in the upper atmosphere and drive the planetary outflow. In the last epoch the high density of the stellar wind (3x103 /cm3) led to the formation of an exospheric tail mainly composed of neutralized protons. The observations of GJ436 b allow for the first time to clearly separate the contributions of radiation pressure and stellar wind and to probe the regions of the exosphere shaped by each mechanism.

Reconstructing the high energy irradiation of the evaporating hot Jupiter HD 209458b

Reconstructing the high energy irradiation of the evaporating hot Jupiter HD 209458b

Authors:

Louden et al

Abstract:

The atmosphere of the exoplanet HD 209458b is undergoing sustained mass loss, believed to be caused by X-ray and extreme-ultraviolet (XUV) irradiation from its star. The majority of this flux is not directly observable due to interstellar absorption, but is required in order to correctly model the photo-evaporation of the planet and photo-ionisation of the outflow. We present a recovered high energy spectrum for HD\,209458 using a Differential Emission Measure (DEM) retrieval technique. We construct a model of the stellar corona and transition region for temperatures between 104.1 and 108 K which is constrained jointly by ultraviolet line strengths measured with the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) and X-ray flux measurements from XMM-Newton. The total hydrogen ionising luminosity (λ

Does CL Tau Have a Hot Jupiter Forming?

A Candidate Young Massive Planet in Orbit around the Classical T Tauri Star CI Tau

Authors:

Johns-Krull et al

Abstract:

The ~2 Myr old classical T Tauri star CI Tau shows periodic variability in its radial velocity (RV) variations measured at infrared (IR) and optical wavelengths. We find that these observations are consistent with a massive planet in a ~9-day period orbit. These results are based on 71 IR RV measurements of this system obtained over 5 years, and on 26 optical RV measurements obtained over 9 years. CI Tau was also observed photometrically in the optical on 34 nights over ~one month in 2012. The optical RV data alone are inadequate to identify an orbital period, likely the result of star spot and activity induced noise for this relatively small dataset. The infrared RV measurements reveal significant periodicity at ~9 days. In addition, the full set of optical and IR RV measurements taken together phase coherently and with equal amplitudes to the ~9 day period. Periodic radial velocity signals can in principle be produced by cool spots, hot spots, and reflection of the stellar spectrum off the inner disk, in addition to resulting from a planetary companion. We have considered each of these and find the planet hypothesis most consistent with the data. The radial velocity amplitude yields an Msin(i) of ~8.1 M_Jup; in conjunction with a 1.3 mm continuum emission measurement of the circumstellar disk inclination from the literature, we find a planet mass of ~11.3 M_Jup, assuming alignment of the planetary orbit with the disk.

Detecting Exo-Titans

Titan-like exoplanets: Variations in geometric albedo and effective transit height with haze production rate

Authors:

Checlair et al

Abstract:

Extensive studies characterizing Titan present an opportunity to study the atmospheric properties of Titan-like exoplanets. Using an existing model of Titan”s atmospheric haze, we computed geometric albedo spectra and effective transit height spectra for six values of the haze production rate (zero haze to twice present) over a wide range of wavelengths (0.2–2 um). In the geometric albedo spectra, the slope in the UV-visible changes from blue to red when varying the haze production rate values from zero to twice the current Titan value. This spectral feature is the most effective way to characterize the haze production rates. Methane absorption bands in the visible-NIR compete with the absorbing haze, being more prominent for smaller haze production rates. The effective transit heights probe a region of the atmosphere where the haze and gas are optically thin and that is thus not effectively probed by the geometric albedo. The effective transit height decreases smoothly with increasing wavelength, from 376 km to 123 km at 0.2 and 2 um, respectively. When decreasing the haze production rate, the methane absorption bands become more prominent, and the effective transit height decreases with a steeper slope with increasing wavelength. The slope of the geometric albedo in the UV-visible increases smoothly with increasing haze production rate, while the slope of the effective transit height spectra is not sensitive to the haze production rate other than showing a sharp rise when the haze production rate increases from zero. We conclude that geometric albedo spectra provide the most sensitive indicator of the haze production rate and the background Rayleigh gas. Our results suggest that important and complementary information can be obtained from the geometric albedo and motivates improvements in the technology for direct imaging of nearby exoplanets.

Proxima Centauri b: a 1.3 Earth Mass Exoplanet With an 11.2 day Orbit in the Habitable Zone

A terrestrial planet candidate in a temperate orbit around Proxima Centauri

Authors:

Anglada-Escudé et al

Abstract:

At a distance of 1.295 parsecs, the red dwarf Proxima Centauri (α Centauri C, GL 551, HIP 70890 or simply Proxima) is the Sun’s closest stellar neighbour and one of the best-studied low-mass stars. It has an effective temperature of only around 3,050 kelvin, a luminosity of 0.15 per cent of that of the Sun, a measured radius of 14 per cent of the radius of the Sun and a mass of about 12 per cent of the mass of the Sun. Although Proxima is considered a moderately active star, its rotation period is about 83 days (ref. 3) and its quiescent activity levels and X-ray luminosity are comparable to those of the Sun. Here we report observations that reveal the presence of a small planet with a minimum mass of about 1.3 Earth masses orbiting Proxima with a period of approximately 11.2 days at a semi-major-axis distance of around 0.05 astronomical units. Its equilibrium temperature is within the range where water could be liquid on its surface.

Kepler-539b & Kepler-539c are Wide Orbit Gas Giants

Kepler-539: A young extrasolar system with two giant planets on wide orbits and in gravitational interaction

Authors:

Mancini et al

Abstract:

We confirm the planetary nature of Kepler-539 b (aka Kepler object of interest K00372.01), a giant transiting exoplanet orbiting a solar-analogue G2 V star. The mass of Kepler-539 b was accurately derived thanks to a series of precise radial velocity measurements obtained with the CAFE spectrograph mounted on the CAHA 2.2-m telescope. A simultaneous fit of the radial-velocity data and Kepler photometry revealed that Kepler-539 b is a dense Jupiter-like planet with a mass of Mp = 0.97 ± 0.29 MJup and a radius of Rp = 0.747 ± 0.018 RJup, making a complete circular revolution around its parent star in 125.6 days. The semi-major axis of the orbit is roughly 0.5 au, implying that the planet is at ≈0.45 au from the habitable zone. By analysing the mid-transit times of the 12 transit events of Kepler-539 b recorded by the Kepler spacecraft, we found a clear modulated transit time variation (TTV), which is attributable to the presence of a planet c in a wider orbit. The few timings available do not allow us to precisely estimate the properties of Kepler-539 c and our analysis suggests that it has a mass between 1.2 and 3.6 MJup, revolving on a very eccentric orbit (0.4

DYNAMICS AND TRANSIT VARIATIONS OF RESONANT EXOPLANETS

DYNAMICS AND TRANSIT VARIATIONS OF RESONANT EXOPLANETS

Authors:

Nesvorný et al

Abstract:

Transit timing variations (TTVs) are deviations of the measured midtransit times from the exact periodicity. One of the most interesting causes of TTVs is the gravitational interaction between planets. Here we consider a case of two planets in a mean motion resonance (orbital periods in a ratio of small integers). This case is important because the resonant interaction can amplify the TTV effect and allow planets to be detected more easily. We develop an analytic model of the resonant dynamics valid for small orbital eccentricities and use it to derive the principal TTV terms. We find that a resonant system should show TTV terms with two basic periods (and their harmonics). The resonant TTV period is proportional (m/M *)−2/3, where m and M * are the planetary and stellar masses. For m = 10−4 M *, for example, the TTV period exceeds the orbital period by about two orders of magnitude. The amplitude of the resonant TTV terms scales linearly with the libration amplitude. The ratio of the TTV amplitudes of two resonant planets is inversely proportional to the ratio of their masses. These and other relationships discussed in the main text can be used to aid the interpretation of TTV observations.

Studying the HD 41004AB Circumbinary System

Circumstellar multi-planetary systems in binary stars: secular resonances and a semi-analytical approach to determine the location

Authors:

Pilat-Lohinger et al

Abstract:

Binary stars are of special interest for studies of planetary motion and habitability as most of the stars in the solar neighborhood are part of such stellar systems. Since a secondary star causes gravitational perturbations the planetary motion is restricted to certain regions of the phase space depending on the binary configuration. In case a binary system hosts a giant planet it is obvious that additional perturbations will occur. These perturbations will be studied in detail in this investigation where we take into account various binary-planet configurations. We show how the dynamics of another test-planet is influenced by mean motion and secular resonances. Therefore, it is important to know the locations of these resonances. First, we study the binary system HD41004AB to visualize the perturbations on the dynamics of test-planets caused by the secondary star and the detected giant planet. Then we perform a frequency analysis of the orbits to identify of the secular resonance. And finally, we develop a new semi-analytical approach to determine the location of this resonance.

Completeness of the Q1-Q17 DR24 Planet Candidate Catalogue

Measuring Transit Signal Recovery in the Kepler Pipeline. III. Completeness of the Q1-Q17 DR24 Planet Candidate Catalogue, with Important Caveats for Occurrence Rate Calculations

Authors:

Christiansen et al

Abstract:

With each new version of the Kepler pipeline and resulting planet candidate catalogue, an updated measurement of the underlying planet population can only be recovered with an corresponding measurement of the Kepler pipeline detection efficiency. Here, we present measurements of the sensitivity of the pipeline (version 9.2) used to generate the Q1-Q17 DR24 planet candidate catalog (Coughlin et al. 2016). We measure this by injecting simulated transiting planets into the pixel-level data of 159,013 targets across the entire Kepler focal plane, and examining the recovery rate. Unlike previous versions of the Kepler pipeline, we find a strong period dependence in the measured detection efficiency, with longer (greater than 40 day) periods having a significantly lower detectability than shorter periods, introduced in part by an incorrectly implemented veto. Consequently, the sensitivity of the 9.2 pipeline cannot be cast as a simple one-dimensional function of the signal strength of the candidate planet signal as was possible for previous versions of the pipeline. We report on the implications for occurrence rate calculations based on the Q1-Q17 DR24 planet candidate catalog and offer important caveats and recommendations for performing such calculations. As before, we make available the entire table of injected planet parameters and whether they were recovered by the pipeline, enabling readers to derive the pipeline detection sensitivity in the planet and/or stellar parameter space of their choice.

Really? Data Compression as the Answer to the Fermi Paradox?

Non-random structures in universal compression and the Fermi paradox

Authors:

Gurzadyan et al

Abstract:

We study the hypothesis of information panspermia assigned recently among possible solutions of the Fermi paradox ("where are the aliens?"). It suggests that the expenses of alien signaling can be significantly reduced, if their messages contain compressed information. To this end we consider universal compression and decoding mechanisms (e.g. the Lempel-Ziv-Welch algorithm) that can reveal non-random structures in compressed bit strings. The efficiency of Kolmogorov stochasticity parameter for detection of non-randomness is illustrated, along with the Zipf's law. The universality of these methods, i.e. independence on data details, can be principal in searching for intelligent messages.

Maximized ExoEarth Candidate Yields for Starshades

Maximized ExoEarth Candidate Yields for Starshades

Authors:

Stark et al

Abstract:

The design and scale of a future mission to directly image and characterize potentially Earth-like planets will be impacted, to some degree, by the expected yield of such planets. Recent efforts to increase the estimated yields, by creating observation plans optimized for the detection and characterization of Earth-twins, have focused solely on coronagraphic instruments; starshade-based missions could benefit from a similar analysis. Here we explore how to prioritize observations for a starshade given the limiting resources of both fuel and time, present analytic expressions to estimate fuel use, and provide efficient numerical techniques for maximizing the yield of starshades. We implemented these techniques to create an approximate design reference mission code for starshades and used this code to investigate how exoEarth candidate yield responds to changes in mission, instrument, and astrophysical parameters for missions with a single starshade. We find that a starshade mission operates most efficiently somewhere between the fuel- and exposure-time limited regimes, and as a result, is less sensitive to photometric noise sources as well as parameters controlling the photon collection rate in comparison to a coronagraph. We produced optimistic yield curves for starshades, assuming our optimized observation plans are schedulable and future starshades are not thrust-limited. Given these yield curves, detecting and characterizing several dozen exoEarth candidates requires either multiple starshades or an eta_Earth greater than ~0.3.

HABITABLE ZONES OF POST-MAIN SEQUENCE STARS

HABITABLE ZONES OF POST-MAIN SEQUENCE STARS

Authors:

Ramirez et al

Abstract:

Once a star leaves the main sequence and becomes a red giant, its Habitable Zone (HZ) moves outward, promoting detectable habitable conditions at larger orbital distances. We use a one-dimensional radiative-convective climate and stellar evolutionary models to calculate post-MS HZ distances for a grid of stars from 3700 to 10,000 K (~M1 to A5 stellar types) for different stellar metallicities. The post-MS HZ limits are comparable to the distances of known directly imaged planets. We model the stellar as well as planetary atmospheric mass loss during the Red Giant Branch (RGB) and Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) phases for super-Moons to super-Earths. A planet can stay between 200 million years up to 9 Gyr in the post-MS HZ for our hottest and coldest grid stars, respectively, assuming solar metallicity. These numbers increase for increased stellar metallicity. Total atmospheric erosion only occurs for planets in close-in orbits. The post-MS HZ orbital distances are within detection capabilities of direct imaging techniques.

The Spitzer infrared spectrograph survey of protoplanetary disks in Orion A: I. disk properties

The Spitzer infrared spectrograph survey of protoplanetary disks in Orion A: I. disk properties

Authors:

Kim et al

Abstract:

We present our investigation of 319 Class II objects in Orion A observed by Spitzer/IRS. We also present the follow-up observation of 120 of these Class II objects in Orion A from IRTF/SpeX. We measure continuum spectral indices, equivalent widths, and integrated fluxes that pertain to disk structure and dust composition from IRS spectra of Class II objects in Orion A. We estimate mass accretion rates using hydrogen recombination lines in the SpeX spectra of our targets. Utilizing these properties, we compare the distributions of the disk and dust properties of Orion A disks to those of Taurus disks with respect to position within Orion A (ONC and L1641) and to the sub-groups by the inferred radial structures, such as transitional disks vs. radially continuous full disks. Our main findings are as follows. (1) Inner disks evolve faster than the outer disks. (2) Mass accretion rate of transitional disks and that of radially continuous full disks are statistically significantly displaced from each other. The median mass accretion rate of radially continuous disks in ONC and L1641 is not very different from that in Taurus. (3) Less grain processing has occurred in the disks in ONC compared to those in Taurus, based on analysis of the shape index of the 10 μm silicate feature (F11.3/F9.8). (4) The 20-31 μm continuum spectral index tracks the projected distance from the most luminous Trapezium star, θ1 Ori C. A possible explanation is the effect of UV ablation of the outer part of the disks.

An Origin of Multiple Ring Structure and Hidden Planets in HL Tauri

An Origin of Multiple Ring Structure and Hidden Planets in HL Tau: A Unified Picture by Secular Gravitational Instability

Authors:

Takahashi et al

Abstract:

Recent ALMA observation has revealed multiple ring structures formed in a protoplanetary disk around HL Tau. Prior to the ALMA observation of HL Tau, theoretical analysis of secular gravitational instability (GI) described a possible formation of multiple ring structures with separations of 13 AU around a radius of 100 AU in protoplanetary disks under certain conditions. In this article, we reanalyze the viability of secular GI by adopting the physical values inferred from the observations. We derive the radial distributions of the most unstable wavelength and the growth timescale of secular GI and verify that secular GI can form the ring structures observed in HL Tau. When a turbulent viscosity coefficient α remains to be small in inner region of the disk, secular GI grows in the whole disk. Thus, the formation of planetary mass objects should occur first in the inner region as a result of gravitational fragmentation after the non-linear growth of secular GI. In this case, resulting objects are expected to create the gaps at r ~ 10 AU and ~ 30 AU. As a result, all ring structures in HL Tau can be created by secular GI. If this scenario is realized in HL Tau, outer region corresponds to the earlier growth phase of the most unstable mode of secular GI, and the inner region corresponds to the outcome of the non-linear growth of secular GI. Therefore, this interpretation suggests that we are possibly witnessing both the beginning and end of planet formation in HL Tau.

The SEEDS High Contrast Imaging Survey of Exoplanets around Young Stellar Objects

The SEEDS High Contrast Imaging Survey of Exoplanets around Young Stellar Objects

Authors:

Uyama et al

Abstract:

We present high-contrast observations of 68 young stellar objects (YSOs) taken as part of the SEEDS survey on the Subaru telescope. Our targets are very young (less than 10 Myr) stars, which often harbor protoplanetary disks where planets may be forming. We achieve typical contransts of ∼10−4-10−5.5 at the angular distance of 1$\arcsec$ from the central star, corresponding to typical mass sensitivities (assuming hot-start evolutionary models) of ∼10 MJ at 70 AU and ∼6 MJ at 140 AU. We have detected a stellar companion to HIP 79462 and confirmed the substellar objects GQ Lup b and ROXs 42B b. An additional six companion candidates await follow-up observations to check for common proper-motion. Our SEEDS YSO observations prove the population of planets and brown dwarfs at the very youngest ages, these may be compared to the results of surveys targeting somewhat older stars. We will present a detailed statistical analysis of our sample and its implications for giant planet formation in a future paper.

There are Concerns About WFIRST's Cost Growing

The estimated cost of NASA’s next major astrophysics mission after the James Webb Space Telescope has increased by up to 25 percent, growth that a new report warns could hurt other priorities for NASA astronomy missions in the coming years.

The potential cost increase in the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST) mission was noted in a report issued by the National Academies Aug. 15 that reviewed the progress by NASA and other agencies in implementing the most recent astrophysics decadal survey, published in 2010.

WFIRST, which became a formal project in February, had an estimated cost of $2.0 to 2.3 billion, based on an independent cost and technical estimate performed by the Aerospace Corp. in 2015. However, the National Academies report said that between the completion of that assessment and the decision to make WFIRST a formal project, known as Key Decision Point A, the cost of the mission had increased by $550 million.

Part of that increase, according to the report, is linked to the decision to fly WFIRST at the Earth-sun L-2 Lagrange point, about 1.5 million kilometers from the Earth, rather than in geostationary orbit as originally planned. Increased prices for the baseline launch vehicle, a United Launch Alliance Delta 4 Heavy, also contributed to the cost growth by an unknown amount. “Some of it may simply reflect more accurate assessment as the mission design matures,” the report added.

NASA spokeswoman Felicia Chou said Aug. 15 that of that $550 million increase, only $100 million was linked to design changes to the WFIRST spacecraft. The rest, she said, was caused by factors that included a change in the estimated launch vehicle price and a delayed launch date.

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A Comprehensive Dust Model Applied to the Resolved Beta Pictoris Debris Disk from Optical to Radio Wavelengths

A Comprehensive Dust Model Applied to the Resolved Beta Pictoris Debris Disk from Optical to Radio Wavelengths

Authors:

Ballering et al

Abstract:

We investigate whether varying the dust composition (described by the optical constants) can solve a persistent problem in debris disk modeling--the inability to fit the thermal emission without over-predicting the scattered light. We model five images of the beta Pictoris disk: two in scattered light from HST/STIS at 0.58 microns and HST/WFC3 at 1.16 microns, and three in thermal emission from Spitzer/MIPS at 24 microns, Herschel/PACS at 70 microns, and ALMA at 870 microns. The WFC3 and MIPS data are published here for the first time. We focus our modeling on the outer part of this disk, consisting of a parent body ring and a halo of small grains. First, we confirm that a model using astronomical silicates cannot simultaneously fit the thermal and scattered light data. Next, we use a simple, generic function for the optical constants to show that varying the dust composition can improve the fit substantially. Finally, we model the dust as a mixture of the most plausible debris constituents: astronomical silicates, water ice, organic refractory material, and vacuum. We achieve a good fit to all datasets with grains composed predominantly of silicates and organics, while ice and vacuum are, at most, present in small amounts. This composition is similar to one derived from previous work on the HR 4796A disk. Our model also fits the thermal SED, scattered light colors, and high-resolution mid-IR data from T-ReCS for this disk. Additionally, we show that sub-blowout grains are a necessary component of the halo.

Zeta Reticuli's Circumstellar Disk

ζ2 Ret, its debris disk, and its lonely stellar companion ζ1 Ret. Different Tc trends for different spectra

Authors:

Adibekyan et al

Abstract:

Several studies have reported a correlation between the chemical abundances of stars and condensation temperature (known as Tc trend). Very recently, a strong Tc trend was reported for the ζ Reticuli binary system, which consists of two solar analogs. The observed trend in ζ2 Ret relative to its companion was explained by the presence of a debris disk around ζ2 Ret. Our goal is to re-evaluate the presence and variability of the Tc trend in the ζ Reticuli system and to understand the impact of the presence of the debris disk on a star. We used very high-quality spectra of the two stars retrieved from the HARPS archive to derive very precise stellar parameters and chemical abundances. We derived the stellar parameters with the classical (nondifferential) method, while we applied a differential line-by-line analysis to achieve the highest possible precision in abundances, which are fundamental to explore for very tiny differences in the abundances between the stars. We confirm that the abundance difference between ζ2 Ret and ζ1 Ret shows a significant (∼ 2 σ) correlation with Tc. However, we also find that the Tc trends depend on the individual spectrum used (even if always of very high quality). In particular, we find significant but varying differences in the abundances of the same star from different individual high-quality spectra. Our results for the ζ Reticuli system show, for example, that nonphysical factors, such as the quality of spectra employed and errors that are not accounted for, can be at the root of the Tc trends for the case of individual spectra.

Photoevaporation and close encounters: how the environment around Cygnus OB2 affects the evolution of protoplanetary disks

Photoevaporation and close encounters: how the environment around Cygnus OB2 affects the evolution of protoplanetary disks

Authors:

Guarcello et al

Abstract:

In our Galaxy, star formation occurs in a variety of environments, with a large fraction of stars formed in clusters hosting massive stars. OB stars have an important feedback on the evolution of protoplanetary disks around nearby young stars and likely on the process of planet formation occurring in them. The nearby massive association Cygnus OB2 is an outstanding laboratory to study this feedback. It is the closest massive association to our Sun, and hosts hundreds of massive stars and thousands of low mass members. In this paper, we analyze the spatial variation of the disk fraction in Cygnus OB2 and we study its correlation with the local values of Far and Extreme ultraviolet radiation fields and the local stellar surface density. We present definitive evidence that disks are more rapidly dissipated in the regions of the association characterized by intense local UV field and large stellar density. In particular, the FUV radiation dominates disks dissipation timescales in the proximity (i.e. within 0.5 pc) of the O stars. In the rest of the association, EUV photons potentially induce a significant mass loss from the irradiated disks across the entire association, but the efficiency of this process is reduced at increasing distances from the massive stars due to absorption by the intervening intracluster material. We find that disk dissipation due to close stellar encounters is negligible in Cygnus OB2, and likely to have affected 1% or fewer of the stellar population. Disk dissipation is instead dominated by photoevaporation. We also compare our results to what has been found in other young clusters with different massive populations, concluding that massive associations like Cygnus OB2 are potentially hostile to protoplanetary disks, but that the environments where disks can safely evolve in planetary systems are likely quite common in our Galaxy.

Gliese 1132b is a Venus Analog With An Oxygen Rich Atmosphere but no Life (probably)

The distant planet GJ 1132b intrigued astronomers when it was discovered last year. Located just 39 light-years from Earth, it might have an atmosphere despite being baked to a temperature of around 450 degrees Fahrenheit. But would that atmosphere be thick and soupy or thin and wispy? New research suggests the latter is much more likely.

Harvard astronomer Laura Schaefer (Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, or CfA) and her colleagues examined the question of what would happen to GJ 1132b over time if it began with a steamy, water-rich atmosphere.

Orbiting so close to its star, at a distance of just 1.4 million miles, the planet is flooded with ultraviolet or UV light. UV light breaks apart water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen, both of which then can be lost into space. However, since hydrogen is lighter it escapes more readily, while oxygen lingers behind.

"On cooler planets, oxygen could be a sign of alien life and habitability. But on a hot planet like GJ 1132b, it's a sign of the exact opposite - a planet that's being baked and sterilized," said Schaefer.

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The Orbit of the L dwarf + T dwarf Spectral Binary SDSS J080531.84+481233.0

The Orbit of the L dwarf + T dwarf Spectral Binary SDSS J080531.84+481233.0

Authors:

Burgasser et al

Abstract:

We report four years of radial velocity monitoring observations of SDSS J080531.84+481233.0 that reveal significant and periodic variability, confirming the binary nature of the source. We infer an orbital period of 2.02±0.03 yr, a semi-major axis of 0.76+0.05−0.06 AU, and an eccentricity of 0.46±0.05, consistent with the amplitude of astrometric variability and prior attempts to resolve the system. Folding in constraints based on the spectral types of the components (L4±0.7 and T5.5±1.1), corresponding effective temperatures, and brown dwarf evolutionary models, we further constrain the orbital inclination of this system to be nearly edge-on (90o±19o), and deduce a large system mass ratio (M2/M1 = 0.86+0.10−0.12), substellar components (M1 = 0.057+0.016−0.014 M⊙, M2 = 0.048+0.008−0.010 M⊙), and a relatively old system age (minimum age = 4.0+1.9−1.2 Gyr). The measured projected rotational velocity of the primary (vsini = 34.1±0.7 km/s) implies that this inactive source is a rapid rotator (period ≲ 3 hr) and a viable system for testing spin-orbit alignment in very-low-mass multiples. The combination of well-determined component atmospheric properties and masses near and/or below the hydrogen minimum mass make SDSS J0805+4812AB an important system for future tests of brown dwarf evolutionary models.

The Collapse of the Wien Tail in the Coldest Brown Dwarf?

The Collapse of the Wien Tail in the Coldest Brown Dwarf? Hubble Space Telescope Near-Infrared Photometry of WISE J085510.83-071442.5

Authors:

Schneider et al

Abstract:

We present Hubble Space Telescope (HST) near-infrared photometry of the coldest known brown dwarf, WISE J085510.83−071442.5 (WISE 0855−0714). WISE 0855−0714 was observed with the Wide Field Camera 3 (WFC3) aboard HST using the F105W, F125W, and F160W filters, which approximate the Y, J, and H near-infrared bands. WISE 0855−0714 is undetected at F105W with a corresponding 2σ magnitude limit of ∼26.9. We marginally detect WISE 0855−0714 in the F125W images (S/N ∼4), with a measured magnitude of 26.41 ± 0.27, more than a magnitude fainter than the J−band magnitude reported by Faherty and coworkers. WISE J0855−0714 is clearly detected in the F160W band, with a magnitude of 23.90 ± 0.02, the first secure detection of WISE 0855−0714 in the near-infrared. Based on these data, we find that WISE 0855−0714 has extremely red F105W−F125W and F125W−F160W colors relative to other known Y dwarfs. We find that when compared to the models of Saumon et al. and Morley et al., the F105W−F125W and F125W−F160W colors of WISE 0855−0714 cannot be accounted for simultaneously. These colors likely indicate that we are seeing the collapse of flux on the Wien tail for this extremely cold object.

The First Spectrum of the Coldest Brown Dwarf

The First Spectrum of the Coldest Brown Dwarf

Authors:

Skemer et al

Abstract:

The recently discovered brown dwarf WISE 0855 presents our first opportunity to directly study an object outside the Solar System that is nearly as cold as our own gas giant planets. However the traditional methodology for characterizing brown dwarfs---near infrared spectroscopy---is not currently feasible as WISE 0855 is too cold and faint. To characterize this frozen extrasolar world we obtained a 4.5-5.2 μm spectrum, the same bandpass long used to study Jupiter's deep thermal emission. Our spectrum reveals the presence of atmospheric water vapor and clouds, with an absorption profile that is strikingly similar to Jupiter. The spectrum is high enough quality to allow the investigation of dynamical and chemical processes that have long been studied in Jupiter's atmosphere, but now on an extrasolar world.

On turbulence driven by axial precession and tidal evolution of the spin–orbit angle of close-in giant planets

On turbulence driven by axial precession and tidal evolution of the spin–orbit angle of close-in giant planets

Author:

Barker

Abstract:

The spin axis of a rotationally deformed planet is forced to precess about its orbital angular momentum vector, due to the tidal gravity of its host star, if these directions are misaligned. This induces internal fluid motions inside the planet that are subject to a hydrodynamic instability. We study the turbulent damping of precessional fluid motions, as a result of this instability, in the simplest local computational model of a giant planet (or star), with and without a weak internal magnetic field. Our aim is to determine the outcome of this instability, and its importance in driving tidal evolution of the spin–orbit angle in precessing planets (and stars). We find that this instability produces turbulent dissipation that is sufficiently strong that it could drive significant tidal evolution of the spin–orbit angle for hot Jupiters with orbital periods shorter than about 10–18 days. If this mechanism acts in isolation, this evolution would be towards alignment or anti-alignment, depending on the initial angle, but the ultimate evolution (if other tidal mechanisms also contribute) is expected to be towards alignment. The turbulent dissipation is proportional to the cube of the precession frequency, so it leads to much slower damping of stellar spin–orbit angles, implying that this instability is unlikely to drive evolution of the spin–orbit angle in stars (either in planetary or close binary systems). We also find that the instability-driven flow can act as a system-scale dynamo, which may play a role in producing magnetic fields in short-period planets.

What *IS* the Radius of hot Neptune Corot-24b?

Identifying the "true" radius of the hot sub-Neptune CoRoT-24b by mass loss modelling

Authors:

Lammer et al

Abstract:

For the hot exoplanets CoRoT-24b and CoRoT-24c, observations have provided transit radii RT of 3.7±0.4 R⊕ and 4.9±0.5 R⊕, and masses of ≤5.7 M⊕ and 28±11 M⊕, respectively. We study their upper atmosphere structure and escape applying an hydrodynamic model. Assuming RT≈ RPL, where RPL is the planetary radius at the pressure of 100 mbar, we obtained for CoRoT-24b unrealistically high thermally-driven hydrodynamic escape rates. This is due to the planet's high temperature and low gravity, independent of the stellar EUV flux. Such high escape rates could last only for less than 100 Myr, while RPL shrinks till the escape rate becomes less than or equal to the maximum possible EUV-driven escape rate. For CoRoT-24b, RPL must be therefore located at ≈1.9−2.2 R⊕ and high altitude hazes/clouds possibly extinct the light at RT. Our analysis constraints also the planet's mass to be 5−5.7 M⊕. For CoRoT-24c, RPL and RT lie too close together to be distinguished in the same way. Similar differences between RPL and RT may be present also for other hot, low-density sub-Neptunes.

CVSO 30c? A new Directly Imaged Gas Giant

Direct Imaging discovery of a second planet candidate around the possibly transiting planet host CVSO 30

Authors:

Schmidt et al

Abstract:

We surveyed the 25 Ori association for direct-imaging companions. This association has an age of only few million years. Among other targets, we observed CVSO 30, which has recently been identified as the first T Tauri star found to host a transiting planet candidate. We report on photometric and spectroscopic high-contrast observations with the Very Large Telescope, the Keck telescopes, and the Calar Alto observatory. They reveal a directly imaged planet candidate close to the young M3 star CVSO 30. The JHK-band photometry of the newly identified candidate is at better than 1 sigma consistent with late-type giants, early-T and early-M dwarfs, and free-floating planets. Other hypotheses such as galaxies can be excluded at more than 3.5 sigma. A lucky imaging z' photometric detection limit z'= 20.5 mag excludes early-M dwarfs and results in less than 10 MJup for CVSO 30 c if bound. We present spectroscopic observations of the wide companion that imply that the only remaining explanation for the object is that it is the first very young (less than 10 Myr) L-T-type planet bound to a star, meaning that it appears bluer than expected as a result of a decreasing cloud opacity at low effective temperatures. Only a planetary spectral model is consistent with the spectroscopy, and we deduce a best-fit mass of 4-5 Jupiter masses (total range 0.6-10.2 Jupiter masses). This means that CVSO 30 is the first system in which both a close-in and a wide planet candidate are found to have a common host star. The orbits of the two possible planets could not be more different: they have orbital periods of 10.76 hours and about 27000 years. The two orbits may have formed during a mutual catastrophic event of planet-planet scattering.

Circumplanetary disk or circumplanetary envelope?

Circumplanetary disk or circumplanetary envelope?

Authors:

Szulágyi et al

Abstract:

We present three-dimensional simulations with nested meshes of the dynamics of the gas around a Jupiter mass planet with the JUPITER and FARGOCA codes. We implemented a radiative transfer module into the JUPITER code to account for realistic heating and cooling of the gas. We focus on the circumplanetary gas flow, determining its characteristics at very high resolution (80% of Jupiter's diameter). In our nominal simulation where the temperature evolves freely by the radiative module and reaches 13000 K at the planet, a circumplanetary envelope was formed filling the entire Roche-lobe. Because of our equation of state is simplified and probably overestimates the temperature, we also performed simulations with limited maximal temperatures in the planet region (1000 K, 1500 K, and 2000 K). In these fixed temperature cases circumplanetary disks (CPDs) were formed. This suggests that the capability to form a circumplanetary disk is not simply linked to the mass of the planet and its ability to open a gap. Instead, the gas temperature at the planet's location, which depends on its accretion history, plays also fundamental role. The CPDs in the simulations are hot and cooling very slowly, they have very steep temperature and density profiles, and are strongly sub-Keplerian. Moreover, the CPDs are fed by a strong vertical influx, which shocks on the CPD surfaces creating a hot and luminous shock-front. In contrast, the pressure supported circumplanetary envelope is characterized by internal convection and almost stalled rotation.

CVSO 30b: Potentially the Youngest Giant Planet Ever Directly Imaged

YETI observations of the young transiting planet candidate CVSO 30 b

Authors:

Raetz et al

Abstract:

CVSO 30 is a unique young low-mass system, because, for the first time, a close-in transiting and a wide directly imaged planet candidates are found around a common host star. The inner companion, CVSO 30 b, is the first possible young transiting planet orbiting a previously known weak-lined T-Tauri star. With five telescopes of the ‘Young Exoplanet Transit Initiative’ (YETI) located in Asia, Europe and South America we monitored CVSO 30 over three years in a total of 144 nights and detected 33 fading events. In two more seasons we carried out follow-up observations with three telescopes. We can confirm that there is a change in the shape of the fading event between different observations and that the fading event even disappears and reappears. A total of 38 fading event light curves were simultaneously modelled. We derived the planetary, stellar, and geometrical properties of the system and found them slightly smaller but in agreement with the values from the discovery paper. The period of the fading event was found to be 1.36 s shorter and 100 times more precise than the previous published value. If CVSO 30 b would be a giant planet on a precessing orbit, which we cannot confirm, yet, the precession period may be shorter than previously thought. But if confirmed as a planet it would be the youngest transiting planet ever detected and will provide important constraints on planet formation and migration time-scales.

Long-term and large-scale hydrodynamical simulations of migrating planets

Long-term and large-scale hydrodynamical simulations of migrating planets

Authors:

Benítez-Llambay et al

Abstract:

We present a new method that allows long-term and large-scale hydrodynamical simulations of migrating planets over a grid-based Eulerian code. This technique, which consists in a remapping of the disk by tracking the planetary migration, enables runs of migrating planets over a time comparable to the age of protoplanetary disks. This method also has the potential to address efficiently problems related with migration of multi-planet systems in gaseous disks, and to improve current results of migration of massive planets by including global viscous evolution as well as detailed studies of the co-orbital region during migration. We perform different tests using the public code FARGO3D to validate this method and compare its results with those obtained using a classical fixed grid.

False positive probabilties for all Kepler Objects of Interest: 1284 newly validated planets and 428 likely false positives

False positive probabilties for all Kepler Objects of Interest: 1284 newly validated planets and 428 likely false positives

Authors:

Morton et al

Abstract:

We present astrophysical false positive probability calculations for every Kepler Object of Interest (KOI)---the first large-scale demonstration of a fully automated transiting planet validation procedure. Out of 7056 KOIs, we determine that 1935 have probabilities less than 1% to be astrophysical false positives, and thus may be considered validated planets. 1284 of these have not yet been validated or confirmed by other methods. In addition, we identify 428 KOIs likely to be false positives that have not yet been identified as such, though some of these may be a result of unidentified transit timing variations. A side product of these calculations is full stellar property posterior samplings for every host star, modeled as single, binary, and triple systems. These calculations use 'vespa', a publicly available Python package able to be easily applied to any transiting exoplanet candidate.

Kepler exoplanets: a new method of population analysis

Kepler exoplanets: a new method of population analysis

Author:

Traub

Abstract:

This paper introduces a new method of inferring the intrinsic exoplanet population from Kepler data, based on the assumption that the frequency of exoplanets can be represented by a smooth function of planet radius and period. The method is applied to the two most recent data releases from the Kepler project, q1-16 and q1-17, over the range of periods 0.5 to 512 days, and radii 0.5 to 16 Earth radii. Both of these releases have known biases, with the first believed to contain excess false positives, and the second excess false negatives, so any analysis of them should be viewed with caution. We apply the new method of population estimation to these releases, treating them like practice data sets. With this method, we tentatively find that the average number of planets per star would be about 5.7±0.8 for F stars, 5.0±0.2 for G stars, 4.0±0.3 for K stars, and 6.5±1.7 for M stars, indicating a decreasing trend with FGK spectral type, but an upward jump for M stars. A second conclusion is that the number of planets per G star, per natural log unit of period (days) and radii (Earths) at the period and radius of the Earth around the Sun, is about Γ⊕(G)=1.1±0.1. A related parameter, η⊕, which in addition depends on the range of period and radius considered, is found to be η⊕(G)≃1.0±0.1. More definitive conclusions, and validation of these preliminary values, await the final release of Kepler's transiting exoplanet list.

What's the Probability of Coronal Mass Ejections Impacting Exoplanets Around Different Types of Stars?

Probability of CME Impact on Exoplanets Orbiting M Dwarfs and Solar-Like Stars

Authors:

Kay et al

Abstract:

Solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) produce adverse space weather effects at Earth. Planets in the close habitable zone of magnetically active M dwarfs may experience more extreme space weather than at Earth, including frequent CME impacts leading to atmospheric erosion and leaving the surface exposed to extreme flare activity. Similar erosion may occur for hot Jupiters with close orbits around solar-like stars. We have developed a model, Forecasting a CME's Altered Trajectory (ForeCAT), which predicts a CME's deflection. We adapt ForeCAT to simulate CME deflections for the mid-type M dwarf V374 Peg and hot Jupiters with solar-type hosts. V374 Peg's strong magnetic fields can trap CMEs at the M dwarfs's Astrospheric Current Sheet, the location of the minimum in the background magnetic field. Solar-type CMEs behave similarly, but have much smaller deflections and do not get trapped at the Astrospheric Current Sheet. The probability of planetary impact decreases with increasing inclination of the planetary orbit with respect to the Astrospheric Current Sheet - 0.5 to 5 CME impacts per day for M dwarf exoplanets, 0.05 to 0.5 CME impacts per day for solar-type hot Jupiters. We determine the minimum planetary magnetic field necessary to shield a planet's atmosphere from the CME impacts. M dwarf exoplanets require values between tens and hundreds of Gauss. Hot Jupiters around a solar-type star, however, require a more reasonable <30 a="" atmospheric="" be="" blockquote="" cmes="" driver="" exceed="" from="" g.="" key="" losses.="" magnitude="" may="" of="" planet="" required="" shield="" stellar="" suggesting="" the="" these="" to="" values="" wind="">

Can Habitable Worlds Survive in Unstable Exoplanetary Systems?

Survival of habitable planets in unstable planetary systems

Authors:

Carrera et al

Abstract:

Many observed giant planets lie on eccentric orbits. Such orbits could be the result of strong scatterings with other giant planets. The same dynamical instability that produces giant planet scatterings can also alter the orbits of terrestrial planets. For example, a habitable rocky planet in the system can be ejected or transported to an orbit outside the habitable zone. Therefore, there is a link between observed giant planets and the habitability of smaller planets in the system. We say that a habitable planet has resilient habitability if it is able to avoid ejections and collisions and its orbit remains inside the habitable zone. Here we model the orbital evolution of rocky planets in planetary systems where giant planets become dynamically unstable. We measure the resilience of habitable planets as a function of the observed, present-day masses and orbits of the giant planets. We find that the survival rate of habitable planets depends strongly on the giant planet architecture. Systems with three Jupiters (3J) are far more destructive than systems with four giant planets of unequal masses (4G), akin to the architecture of the solar system. In terms of observables, we find that giant planets with eccentricity above 0.4 originate only in 3J systems and very rarely have habitable interior planets. For a giant planet with an present-day eccentricity of 0.2 and semimajor axis of 5 AU orbiting a Sun-like star, 50% of the orbits in the habitable zone are resilient to the instability. As semimajor axis increases and eccentricity decreases, a higher fraction of habitable planets survive and remain habitable. However, if the habitable planet has rocky siblings, there is a significant risk of rocky planet collisions that would sterilize the planet.

Temperature Constraints for Known Complex Life

From climate models to planetary habitability: temperature constraints for complex life

Authors:

Silva et al

Abstract:

In an effort to derive temperature based criteria of habitability for multicellular life, we investigated the thermal limits of terrestrial poikilotherms, i.e. organisms whose body temperature and the functioning of all vital processes is directly affected by the ambient temperature. Multicellular poikilotherms are the most common and evolutionarily ancient form of complex life on earth. The thermal limits for their active metabolism and reproduction are bracketed by the temperature interval 0C less than T less than 50C. The same interval applies to the photosynthetic production of oxygen, an essential ingredient of complex life, and for the generation of atmospheric biosignatures. Analysis of the main mechanisms responsible for the thermal thresholds of terrestrial life suggests that the same mechanisms would apply to other forms of chemical life. We propose a habitability index for complex life, h050, representing the mean orbital fraction of planetary surface that satisfies the temperature limits 0C less than T less than 50C. With the aid of a climate model tailored for the calculation of the surface temperature of Earth-like planets, we calculated h050 as a function of planet insolation S, and atmospheric columnar mass Natm, for a few earth-like atmospheric compositions. By displaying h050 as a function of S and Natm, we built up an atmospheric mass habitable zone (AMHZ) for complex life. At variance with the classic habitable zone, the inner edge of the complex life HZ is not affected by the uncertainties inherent to the calculation of the runaway greenhouse limit. The complex life HZ is significantly narrower than the HZ of dry planets. Our calculations illustrate how changes in ambient conditions dependent on S and Natm, such as temperature excursions and surface dose of secondary particles of cosmic rays, may influence the type of life potentially present at different epochs of planetary evolution inside the AMHZ.

Stability and Occurrence Rate Constraints on the Planetary Sculpting Hypothesis for "Transitional" Disks

Stability and Occurrence Rate Constraints on the Planetary Sculpting Hypothesis for "Transitional" Disks

Authors:

Dong et al

Abstract:

Transitional disks, protoplanetary disks with deep and wide central gaps, may be the result of planetary sculpting. By comparing numerical planet-opening-gap models with observed gaps, we find systems of 3-6 giant planets are needed in order to open gaps with the observed depths and widths. We explore the dynamical stability of such multi-planet systems using N-body simulations that incorporate prescriptions for gas effects. We find they can be stable over a typical disk lifetime, with the help of eccentricity damping from the residual gap gas that facilitates planets locking into mean motion resonances. However, in order to account for the occurrence rate of transitional disks, the planet sculpting scenario demands gap-opening-friendly disk conditions, in particular, a disk viscosity α≲0.001. In addition, the demography of giant planets at ∼3−30 AU separations, poorly constrained by current data, has to largely follow occurrence rates extrapolated outward from radial velocity surveys, not the lower occurrence rates extrapolated inward from direct imaging surveys. Even with the most optimistic occurrence rates, transitional disks cannot be a common phase that most gas disks experience at the end of their life, as popularly assumed, simply because there are not enough planets to open these gaps. Finally, as consequences of demanding almost all giant planets at large separations participate in transitional disk sculpting, the majority of such planets must form early and end up in a chain of mean motion resonances at the end of disk lifetime.

Evidence for a correlation between mass accretion rates onto young stars and the mass of their protoplanetary disks

Evidence for a correlation between mass accretion rates onto young stars and the mass of their protoplanetary disks

Authors:

Manara et al

Abstract:

A relation between the mass accretion rate onto the central young star and the mass of the surrounding protoplanetary disk has long been theoretically predicted and observationally sought. For the first time, we have accurately and homogeneously determined the photospheric parameters, the mass accretion rate, and the disk mass for an essentially complete sample of young stars with disks in the Lupus clouds. Our work combines the results of surveys conducted with VLT/X-Shooter and ALMA. With this dataset we are able to test a basic prediction of viscous accretion theory, the existence of a linear relation between the mass accretion rate onto the central star and the total disk mass. We find a correlation between the mass accretion rate and the disk dust mass, with a ratio that is roughly consistent with the expected viscous timescale when assuming an ISM gas-to-dust ratio. This confirms that mass accretion rates are related to the properties of the outer disk. We find no correlation between mass accretion rates and the disk mass measured by CO isotopologues emission lines, possibly due to the small number of measured disk gas masses. This suggests that the mm-sized dust mass better traces the total disk mass and that masses derived from CO may be underestimated, at least in some cases.

Nitrogen abundances in stars with planets

CNO behaviour in planet-harbouring stars. I Nitrogen abundances in stars with planets

Authors:

Suárez-Andrés et al

Abstract:

Carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen (CNO) are key elements in stellar formation and evolution, and their abundances should also have a significant impact on planetary formation and evolution. We present a detailed spectroscopic analysis of 74 solar-type stars, 42 of which are known to harbour planets. We determine the nitrogen abundances of these stars and investigate a possible connection between N and the presence of planetary companions. We used VLT/UVES to obtain high-resolution near-UV spectra of our targets. Spectral synthesis of the NH band at 3360A was performed with the spectral synthesis codes MOOG and FITTING. We identify several spectral windows from which accurate N abundance can be obtained. Nitrogen distributions for stars with and without planets show that planet hosts are nitrogen-rich when compared to single stars. However, given the linear trend between [N/Fe] vs [Fe/H], this fact can be explained as being due to the metal-rich nature of planet hosts. We conclude that reliable N abundances can be derived for metal-rich solar type stars from the near UV molecular band at 3360A. We confirm a linear trend between [N/Fe] and metallicity expected from standard models of Galactic chemical evolution.

Report: Exoplanet Orbiting in Habitable Zone of Proxima Centauri Detected

he ante for hyping a new exoplanet discovery is a little higher these days, but if rumors are true, this one makes the grade: astrophysicists from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) plan to announce they’ve spotted an Earth-like exoplanet orbiting the nearest star, Proxima Centauri, in its habitable zone. This, according to an anonymous source quoted in a report that appeared Friday in Der Spiegel.

“The still nameless planet is believed to be Earth-like and orbits at a distance to Proxima Centauri that could allow it to have liquid water on its surface—an important requirement for the emergence of life,” the source said.

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The Peculiar Debris Disk of HD 111520 as Resolved by the Gemini Planet Imager

The Peculiar Debris Disk of HD 111520 as Resolved by the Gemini Planet Imager

Authors:

Draper et al

Abstract:

Using the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI), we have resolved the circumstellar debris disk around HD 111520 at a projected range of ~30-100 AU in both total and polarized H-band intensity. The disk is seen edge-on at a position angle of ~165∘ along the spine of emission. A slight inclination or asymmetric warping are covariant and alters the interpretation of the observed disk emission. We employ 3 point spread function (PSF) subtraction methods to reduce the stellar glare and instrumental artifacts to confirm that there is a roughly 2:1 brightness asymmetry between the NW and SE extension. This specific feature makes HD 111520 the most extreme examples of asymmetric debris disks observed in scattered light among similar highly inclined systems, such as HD 15115 and HD 106906. We further identify a tentative localized brightness enhancement and scale height enhancement associated with the disk at ~40 AU away from the star on the SE extension. We also find that the fractional polarization rises from 10 to 40% from 0.5" to 0.8" from the star. The combination of large brightness asymmetry and symmetric polarization fraction leads us to believe that an azimuthal dust density variation is causing the observed asymmetry.