Planet formation in action: resolved gas and dust images of a transitional disk and its cavity. Issue Volume 8:Issue S299(2013) (6th January 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: van der Marel, Nienke; van Dishoeck, Ewine F.; Bruderer, Simon; Birnstiel, Til; Pinilla, Paola; Dullemond, Cornelis P.; van Kempen, Tim A.; Schmalzl, Markus; Brown, Joanna M.; Herczeg, Gregory J.; Mathews, Geoffrey S.; Geers, Vincent
• Is Part Of: Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union. Volume 8:Issue S299(2013)
• Page Start: 90
• Page End: 93
• Publication Date: 2014-01-06
• Subjects: planetary systems: formation, -- planetary systems: protoplanetary disks; Astronomy -- Congresses; Astronomy -- Periodicals; 520
• DOI: 10.1017/S1743921313007989
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1743-9213

Abstract

Abstract: Planet formation and clearing of protoplanetary disks is one of the long standing problems in disk evolution theory. The best test of clearing scenarios is observing systems that are most likely to be actively forming planets: the transitional disks with large inner dust cavities. We present the first results of our ALMA (Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array) Cycle 0 program using Band 9, imaging the Herbig Ae star Oph IRS 48 in CO 6−5 and the submillimeter continuum in the extended configuration. The resulting ~0.2″ spatial resolution completely resolves the cavity of this disk in the gas and the dust. The gas cavity of IRS 48 is half as large as the dust cavity, ruling out grain growth and photoevaporation as the primary cause of the truncation. On the other hand, the continuum emission reveals an unexpected large azimuthal asymmetry and steep edges in the dust distribution along the ring, suggestive of dust trapping. We will discuss the implications of the combined gas and dust distribution for planet formation at a very early stage. This is one of the first transition disks with spatially resolved gas inside the cavity, demonstrating the superb capabilities of the Band 9 receivers.