Published May 20, 2015 | Version v1
Journal article

Gas inside the 97 AU cavity around the transition disk Sz 91

  • 1. Departamento de Física y Astronomía, Universidad de Valparaíso, Valparaíso (Chile)
  • 2. UMI-FCA, CNRS/INSU, France (UMI 3386), and Dept. de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Santiago (Chile)
  • 3. Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, P.O. Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands)
  • 4. Facultad de Ingeniería, Universidad Diego Portales, Av. Ejercito 441, Santiago (Chile)
  • 5. Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Casilla 36-D, Santiago (Chile)
  • 6. Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array, Joint ALMA Observatory, Alonso de Córdova 3107, Vitacura 763-0355, Santiago (Chile)
  • 7. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)
  • 8. Center of Mathematical Modeling, Universidad de Chile, Beauchef 851, Santiago (Chile)

Description

We present ALMA (Cycle 0) band 6 and band 3 observations of the transition disk Sz 91. The disk inclination and position angle are determined to be i = 49.°5 ± 3.°5°and PA = 18.°2 ± 3.°5 and the dusty and gaseous disk are detected up to ∼220 and ∼400 AU from the star, respectively. Most importantly, our continuum observations indicate that the cavity size in the millimeter-sized dust distribution must be ∼97 AU in radius, the largest cavity observed around a T Tauri star. Our data clearly confirm the presence of 12 C O (2–1) well inside the dust cavity. Based on these observational constraints we developed a disk model that simultaneously accounts for the 12 C O and continuum observations (i.e., gaseous and dusty disk). According to our model, most of the millimeter emission comes from a ring located between 97 and 140 AU. We also find that the dust cavity is divided into an innermost region largely depleted of dust particles ranging from the dust sublimation radius up to 85 AU, and a second, moderately dust-depleted region, extending from 85 to 97 AU. The extremely large size of the dust cavity, the presence of gas and small dust particles within the cavity, and the accretion rate of Sz 91 are consistent with the formation of multiple (giant) planets.

Availability note (English)

Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/805/1/21

Additional details

Identifiers

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Astrophysical Journal
Journal Volume
805
Journal Issue
1
Series
Since 2009, the country of publication for this journal is the UK.
Journal Page Range
[11 p.]
ISSN
0004-637X
CODEN
ASJOAB

INIS

Country of Publication
United Kingdom
Country of Input or Organization
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
INIS RN
51045434
Subject category
S79: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY;
Descriptors DEI
COSMIC DUST; DISTRIBUTION; EMISSION; INCLINATION; PLANETS; PROTOPLANETS; SUBLIMATION; T TAURI STARS
Descriptors DEC
BINARY STARS; DUSTS; ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS; EVAPORATION; PHASE TRANSFORMATIONS; STARS; VARIABLE STARS