Context. The relationship between outflow launching and the formation of accretion disks around young stellar objects is still not entirely understood, which is why spectrally and spatially resolved ...observations are needed. Recently, the Atacama Large Millimetre/sub-millimetre Array (ALMA) carried out long-baseline observations towards a handful of young sources, revealing connections between outflows and the inner regions of disks. Aims. Here we aim to determine the small-scale kinematical and morphological properties of the outflow from the isolated protostar B335 for which no Keplerian disk has, so far, been observed on scales down to 10 au. Methods. We used ALMA in its longest-baseline configuration to observe emission from CO isotopologues, SiO, SO2, and CH3OH. The proximity of B335 provides a resolution of ~3 au (0.03′′). We also combined our long-baseline data with archival observations to produce a high-fidelity image covering scales up to 700 au (7′′). Results. 12CO has an X-shaped morphology with arms ~50 au in width that we associate with the walls of an outflow cavity, similar to what is observed on larger scales. Long-baseline continuum emission is confined to <7 au from the protostar, while short-baseline continuum emission follows the 12CO outflow and cavity walls. Methanol is detected within ~30 au of the protostar. SiO is also detected in the vicinity of the protostar, but extended along the outflow. Conclusions. The 12CO outflow does not show any clear signs of rotation at distances ≳30 au from the protostar. SiO traces the protostellar jet on small scales, but without obvious rotation. CH3OH and SO2 trace a region <16 au in diameter, centred on the continuum peak, which is clearly rotating. Using episodic, high-velocity, 12CO features, we estimate the launching radius of the outflow to be <0.1 au and dynamical timescales of the order of a few years.
Gap-like structures in protoplanetary disks are likely related to planet formation processes. In this paper, we present and analyze high-resolution (0.17′′× 0.11′′) 1.3 mm ALMA continuum observations ...of the protoplanetary disk around the Herbig Ae star MWC 480. Our observations show for the first time a gap centered at ~74 au with a width of ~23 au, surrounded by a bright ring centered at ~98 au from the central star. Detailed radiative transfer modeling of the ALMA image and the broadband spectral energy distribution is used to constrain the surface density profile and structural parameters of the disk. If the width of the gap corresponds to 4–8 times the Hill radius of a single forming planet, then the putative planet would have a mass of 0.4–3 MJ. We test this prediction by performing global three-dimensional smoothed particle hydrodynamic gas/dust simulations of disks hosting a migrating and accreting planet. We find that the dust emission across the disk is consistent with the presence of an embedded planet with a mass of ~2.3 MJ at an orbital radius of ~78 au. Given the surface density of the best-fit radiative transfer model, the amount of depleted mass in the gap is higher than the mass of the putative planet, which satisfies the basic condition for the formation of such a planet.
Low-mass protostars have been suggested to show highly variable accretion rates throughout their evolution. Such changes in accretion, and related heating of their ambient envelopes, may trigger ...significant chemical variations on different spatial scales and from source-to-source. We present images of emission from C super(17)O, H super(13)CO+, CH sub(3)OH, C super(34)S and C sub(2)H toward the low-mass protostar IRAS 15398-3359 on 0".5 (75 AU diameter) scales with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array at 340 GHz. The resolved images show that the emission from H super(13)CO+ is only present in a ring-like structure with a radius of about 1-1".5 (150-200 AU) whereas the CO and other high dipole moment molecules are centrally condensed toward the location of the central protostar. We propose that HCO+ is destroyed by water vapor present on small scales. The origin of this water vapor is likely an accretion burst during the last 100-1000 yr increasing the luminosity of IRAS 15398-3359 by a factor of 100 above its current luminosity. Such a burst in luminosity can also explain the centrally condensed CH sub(3)OH and extended warm carbon-chain chemistry observed in this source and furthermore be reflected in the relative faintness of its compact continuum emission compared to other protostars.
Abstract
While the most exciting explanation of the observed dust asymmetries in protoplanetary disks is the presence of protoplanets, other mechanisms can also form the dust features. This paper ...presents dual-wavelength Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observations of a large asymmetric dusty ring around the M-type star CIDA 9A. We detect a dust asymmetry in both 1.3 and 3.1 mm data. To characterize the asymmetric structure, a parametric model is used to fit the observed visibilities. We report a tentative azimuthal shift of the dust emission peaks between the observations at the two wavelengths. This shift is consistent with a dust trap caused by a vortex, which may be formed by an embedded protoplanet or other hydrodynamical instabilities, such as a dead zone. Deep high-spatial-resolution observations of dust and molecular gas are needed to constrain the mechanisms that formed the observed millimeter cavity and dust asymmetry in the protoplanetary disk around CIDA 9A.
Abstract
Most stars form in multiple-star systems. For a better understanding of their formation processes, it is important to resolve the individual protostellar components and the surrounding ...envelope and disk material at the earliest possible formation epoch, because the formation history can be lost in a few orbital timescales. Here we present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array observational results of a young multiple protostellar system, IRAS 04239+2436, where three well-developed large spiral arms were detected in the shocked SO emission. Along the most conspicuous arm, the accretion streamer was also detected in the SO
2
emission. The observational results are complemented by numerical magnetohydrodynamic simulations, where those large arms only appear in magnetically weakened clouds. Numerical simulations also suggest that the large triple spiral arms are the result of gravitational interactions between compact triple protostars and the turbulent infalling envelope.
ABSTRACT Solving the mystery of the origin of chondrules is one of the most elusive goals in the field of meteoritics. Recently, the idea of planet(esimal) collisions releasing splashes of lava ...droplets, long considered out of favor, has been reconsidered as a possible origin of chondrules by several papers. One of the main problems with this idea is the lack of quantitative and simple models that can be used to test this scenario by directly comparing to the many known observables of chondrules. In Paper I of this series, we presented a simple thermal evolution model of a spherically symmetric expanding cloud of molten lava droplets that is assumed to emerge from a collision between two planetesimals. The production of lava could be either because the two planetesimals were already in a largely molten (or almost molten) state due to heating by 26Al, or due to impact jetting at higher impact velocities. In the present paper, number II of this series, we use this model to calculate whether or not volatile elements such as Na and K will remain abundant in these droplets or whether they will get depleted due to evaporation. The high density of the droplet cloud (e.g., small distance between adjacent droplets) causes the vapor to quickly reach saturation pressure and thus shuts down further evaporation. We show to what extent, and under which conditions, this keeps the abundances of these elements high, as is seen in chondrules. We find that for most parameters of our model (cloud mass, expansion velocity, initial temperature) the volatile elements Mg, Si, and Fe remain entirely in the chondrules. The Na and K abundances inside the droplets will initially stay mostly at their initial values due to the saturation of the vapor pressure, but at some point start to drop due to the cloud expansion. However, as soon as the temperature starts to decrease, most or all of the vapor recondenses again. At the end, the Na and K elements retain most of their initial abundances, albeit occasionally somewhat reduced, depending on the parameters of the expanding cloud model. These findings appear to be qualitatively consistent with the analysis of Semarkona Type II chondrules by Hewins et al. who found evidence for sodium evaporation followed by recondensation.
Context. Astronomers recently started discovering exoplanets around binary systems. Therefore, understanding the formation and evolution of circumbinary disks and their environment is crucial for a ...complete scenario of planet formation. Aims. The purpose of this paper is to present the detection of a circumbinary disk around the system Oph-IRS67 and analyse its chemical and physical structure. Methods. We present high-angular-resolution (0.′′4, ~60 AU) observations of C17O, H13CO+, C34S, SO2, C2H and c−C3H2 molecular transitions with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) at wavelengths of 0.8 mm. The spectrally and spatially resolved maps reveal the kinematics of the circumbinary disk as well as its chemistry. Molecular abundances are estimated using the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) radiative-transfer tool RADEX. Results. The continuum emission agrees with the position of Oph-IRS67 A and B, and reveals the presence of a circumbinary disk around the two sources. The circumbinary disk has a diameter of ~620 AU and is well traced by C17O and H13CO+ emission. Two further molecular species, C2H and c−C3H2, trace a higher-density region which is spatially offset from the sources (~430 AU). Finally, SO2 shows compact and broad emission around only one of the sources, Oph-IRS67 B. The molecular transitions which trace the circumbinary disk are consistent with a Keplerian profile on smaller disk scales (≲200 AU) and an infalling profile for larger envelope scales (≳200 AU). The Keplerian fit leads to an enclosed mass of 2.2 M⊙. Inferred CO abundances with respect to H2 are comparable to the canonical ISM value of 2.7 × 10−4, reflecting that freeze-out of CO in the disk midplane is not significant. Conclusions. Molecular emission and kinematic studies prove the existence and first detection of the circumbinary disk associated with the system Oph-IRS67. The high-density region shows a different chemistry than the disk, being enriched in carbon chain molecules. The lack of methanol emission agrees with the scenario where the extended disk dominates the mass budget in the innermost regions of the protostellar envelope, generating a flat density profile where less material is exposed to high temperatures, and thus, complex organic molecules would be associated with lower column densities. Finally, Oph-IRS67 is a promising candidate for proper motion studies and the detection of both circumstellar disks with higher-angular-resolution observations.
HD 100546 is a well-studied Herbig Be star-disk system that likely hosts a close-in companion with compelling observational evidence for an embedded protoplanet at 68 AU. We present Atacama Large ...Millimeter/Submillimeter Array observations of the HD 100546 disk which resolve the gas and dust structure at (sub)millimeter wavelengths. The CO emission (at 345.795 GHz) originates from an extensive molecular disk (390 + or - 20 AU in radius) whereas the continuum emission is more compact (230 + or - 20 AU in radius ), suggesting radial drift of the millimeter-sized grains. The CO emission is similar in extent to scattered light images indicating well-mixed gas and micrometer-sized grains in the disk atmosphere. Assuming azimuthal symmetry, a single-component power-law model cannot reproduce the continuum visibilities. The visibilities and images are better reproduced by a double-component model: a compact ring with a width of 21 AU centered at 26 AU and an outer ring with a width of 75 + or - 3 AU centered at 190 + or - 3 AU. The influence of a companion and protoplanet on the dust evolution is investigated. The companion at 10 AU facilitates the accumulation of millimeter-sized grains within a compact ring, asymptotically =20-30 AU, by asymptotically = 10 Myr. The injection of a protoplanet at 1 Myr hastens the ring formation (asymptotically =1.2 Myr) and also triggers the development of an outer ring (asymptotically =100-200 AU). These observations provide additional evidence for the presence of a close-in companion and hint at dynamical clearing by a protoplanet in the outer disk.
Abstract High angular resolution imaging by Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) has revealed the near universality and diversity of substructures in protoplanetary disks. However, ...disks around M-type pre-main-sequence stars are still poorly sampled, despite the prevalence of M dwarfs in the Galaxy. Here we present high-resolution (∼50 mas, 8 au) ALMA Band 6 observations of six disks around mid-M stars in Taurus. We detect dust continuum emission in all six disks, 12 CO in five disks, and 13 CO line in two disks. The size ratios between gas and dust disks range from 1.6 to 5.1. The ratio of about 5 for 2M0436 and 2M0450 indicates efficient dust radial drift. Four disks show rings and cavities, and two disks are smooth. The cavity sizes occupy a wide range: 60 au for 2M0412, and ∼10 au for 2M0434, 2M0436, and 2M0508. Detailed visibility modeling indicates that small cavities of 1.7 and 5.7 au may hide in the two smooth disks 2M0450 and CIDA 12. We perform radiative transfer fitting of the infrared spectral energy distributions to constrain the cavity sizes, finding that micron-sized dust grains may have smaller cavities than millimeter grains. Planet–disk interactions are the preferred explanation to produce the large 60 au cavity, while other physics could be responsible for the three ∼10 au cavities under current observations and theories. Currently, disks around mid- to late M stars in Taurus show a higher detection frequency of cavities than earlier-type stars, although a more complete sample is needed to evaluate any dependence of substructure on stellar mass.
We report the detection of methanol in the disk around the young outbursting star V883 Ori with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array. Four transitions are observed with upper-level ...energies ranging between 115 and 459 K. The emission is spatially resolved with the 0 14 beam and follows the Keplerian rotation previously observed for C18O. Using a rotational diagram analysis, we find a disk-averaged column density of ∼1017 cm−2 and a rotational temperature of ∼90-100 K, suggesting that the methanol has thermally desorbed from the dust grains. We derive outer radii between 120 and 140 au for the different transitions, compared to the 360 au outer radius for C18O. Depending on the exact physical structure of the disk, the methanol emission could originate in the surface layers beyond the water snowline. Alternatively, the bulk of the methanol emission originates inside the water snowline, which can then be as far out as ∼100 au, instead of 42 au as was previously inferred from the continuum opacity. In addition, these results show that outbursting young stars like V883 Ori are good sources to study the ice composition of planet-forming material through thermally desorbed complex molecules, which have proven to be hard to observe in more evolved protoplanetary disks.
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