| 61. |
- Mesa, D., et al.
(författare)
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Limits on the presence of planets in systems with debris discs : HD92945 and HD107146
- 2021
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Ingår i: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0035-8711 .- 1365-2966. ; 503:1, s. 1276-1289
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Recent observations of resolved cold debris discs at tens of au have revealed that gaps could be a common feature in these Kuiper-belt analogues. Such gaps could be evidence for the presence of planets within the gaps or closer in near the edges of the disc. We present SPHERE observations of HD 92945 and HD 107146, two systems with detected gaps. We constrained the mass of possible companions responsible for the gap to 1–2 MJup for planets located inside the gap and to less than 5 MJup for separations down to 20 au from the host star. These limits allow us to exclude some of the possible configurations of the planetary systems proposed to explain the shape of the discs around these two stars. In order to put tighter limits on the mass at very short separations from the star, where direct-imaging data are less effective, we also combined our data with astrometric measurements from Hipparcos and Gaia and radial-velocity measurements. We were able to limit the separation and the mass of the companion potentially responsible for the proper-motion anomaly of HD 107146 to values of 2–7 au and 2–5 MJup, respectively.
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| 62. |
- Mesa, D., et al.
(författare)
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New spectro-photometric characterization of the substellar object HR2562B using SPHERE
- 2018
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 612
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims. HR2562 is an F5V star located at similar to 33 pc from the Sun hosting a substellar companion that was discovered using the Gemini planet imager (GPI) instrument. The main objective of the present paper is to provide an extensive characterization of the substellar companion, by deriving its fundamental properties. Methods. We observed HR2562 with the near-infrared branch composed by the integral field spectrograph (IFS) and the infrared dual band spectrograph (IRDIS) of the spectro-polarimetric high-contrast exoplanet research (SPHERE) instrument at the very large telescope (VLT). During our observations IFS was operating in the YJ band, while IRDIS was observing with the H broadband filter. The data were reduced with the dedicated SPHERE GTO pipeline, which is custom designed for this instrument. On the reduced images, we then applied the post-processing procedures that are specifically prepared to subtract the speckle noise. Results. The companion is clearly detected in both IRDIS and IFS datasets. We obtained photometry in three different spectral bands. The comparison with template spectra allowed us to derive a spectral type of T2-T3 for the companion. Using both evolutionary and atmospheric models we inferred the main physical parameters of the companion obtaining a mass of 32 +/- 14 M-Jup, T-eff = 1100 +/- 200 K, and log g = 4.75 +/- 0.41.
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| 63. |
- Mesa, D., et al.
(författare)
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Signs of late infall and possible planet formation around DR Tau using VLT/SPHERE and LBTI/LMIRCam
- 2022
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 658
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Protoplanetary disks around young stars often contain substructures like rings, gaps, and spirals that could be caused by interactions between the disk and forming planets.Aims. We aim to study the young (1-3 Myr) star DR Tau in the near-infrared and characterize its disk, which was previously resolved through submillimeter interferometry with ALMA, and to search for possible substellar companions embedded into it.Methods. We observed DR Tau with VLT/SPHERE both in polarized light (H broad band) and total intensity (in Y, J, H, and K spectral bands). We also performed L' band observations with LBTI/LMIRCam on the Large Binocular Telescope (LBT). We applied differential imaging techniques to analyze both the polarized data, using dual beam polarization imaging, and the total intensity data, using angular and spectral differential imaging.Results. We found two previously undetected spirals extending north-east and south of the star, respectively. We further detected an arc-like structure north of the star. Finally a bright, compact and elongated structure was detected at a separation of 303 +/- 10 mas and a position angle 21.2 +/- 3.7 degrees, just at the root of the north-east spiral arm. Since this feature is visible both in polarized light and total intensity and has a blue spectrum, it is likely caused by stellar light scattered by dust.Conclusions. The two spiral arms are at different separations from the star, have very different pitch angles, and are separated by an apparent discontinuity, suggesting they might have a different origin. The very open southern spiral arm might be caused by infalling material from late encounters with cloudlets into the formation environment of the star itself. The compact feature could be caused by interaction with a planet in formation still embedded in its dust envelope and it could be responsible for launching the north-east spiral. We estimate a mass of the putative embedded object of the order of few M-Jup.
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| 64. |
- Mesa, D., et al.
(författare)
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VLT/SPHERE exploration of the young multiplanetary system PDS70
- 2019
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 632
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. PDS 70 is a young (5.4 Myr), nearby (similar to 113 pc) star hosting a known transition disk with a large gap. Recent observations with SPHERE and NACO in the near-infrared (NIR) allowed us to detect a planetary mass companion, PDS 70 b, within the disk cavity. Moreover, observations in H-alpha with MagAO and MUSE revealed emission associated to PDS 70 b and to another new companion candidate, PDS 70 c, at a larger separation from the star. PDS 70 is the only multiple planetary system at its formation stage detected so far through direct imaging.Aims. Our aim is to confirm the discovery of the second planet PDS 70 c using SPHERE at VLT, to further characterize its physical properties, and search for additional point sources in this young planetary system.Methods. We re-analyzed archival SPHERE NIR observations and obtained new data in Y, J, H and K spectral bands for a total of four different epochs. The data were reduced using the data reduction and handling pipeline and the SPHERE data center. We then applied custom routines (e.g., ANDROMEDA and PACO) to subtract the starlight.Results. We re-detect both PDS 70 b and c and confirm that PDS 70 c is gravitationally bound to the star. We estimate this second planet to be less massive than 5 M-Jup and with a T-eff around 900 K. Also, it has a low gravity with log g between 3.0 and 3.5 dex. In addition, a third object has been identified at short separation (similar to 0.12 '') from the star and gravitationally bound to the star. Its spectrum is however very blue, meaning that we are probably seeing stellar light reflected by dust and our analysis seems to demonstrate that it is a feature of the inner disk. We cannot however completely exclude the possibility that it is a planetary mass object enshrouded by a dust envelope. In this latter case, its mass should be of the order of a few tens of M-circle plus. Moreover, we propose a possible structure for the planetary system based on our data, and find that this structure cannot be stable on a long timescale.
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| 65. |
- Mesal, D., et al.
(författare)
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Exploring the R CrA environment with SPHERE Discovery of a new stellar companion
- 2019
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 624
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aims. R Coronae Australis (R CrA) is the brightest star of the Coronet nebula of the Corona Australis (CrA) star forming region. This star is very red in color, probably due to dust absorption, and is strongly variable. High-contrast instruments allow for an unprecedented direct exploration of the immediate circumstellar environment of this star. Methods. We observed R CrA with the near-infrared (NIR) channels (IFS and IRDIS) of SPHERE at the Very Large Telescope (VET). In this paper, we used four different epochs, three of which are from open time observations while one is from SPHERE guaranteed time. The data were reduced using the data reduction and handling pipeline and the SPHERE Data Center. We implemented custom IDL routines on the reduced data with the aim to subtract the speckle halo. We have also obtained pupil-tracking H-band (1.45-1.85 mu m) observations with the VLT/SINFONI NIR medium-resolution (R similar to 3000) spectrograph. Results. A companion was found at a separation of 0.156 '' from the star in the first epoch and increasing to 0.184 '' in the final epoch. Furthermore, several extended structures were found around the star, the most noteworthy of which is a very bright jet-like structure northeast from the star. The astrometric measurements of the companion in the four epochs confirm that it is gravitationally bound to the star. The SPHERE photometry and SINFONI spectrum, once corrected for extinction, point toward a spectral type object that is early M with a mass between 0.3 and 0.55 M-circle dot. The astrometric analyis provides constraints on the orbit paramenters: e similar to 0.4, semimajor axis at 27-28 au, inclination of similar to 70 degrees, and a period larger than 30 yr. We were also able to put constraints of few M (jup) on the mass of possible other companions down to separations of few tens of au.
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| 66. |
- Milli, J., et al.
(författare)
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Near-infrared scattered light properties of the HR4796A dust ring A measured scattering phase function from 13.6 degrees to 166.6 degrees
- 2017
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 599
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. HR4796A is surrounded by a debris disc, observed in scattered light as an inclined ring with a high surface brightness. Past observations have raised several questions. First, a strong brightness asymmetry detected in polarised reflected light has recently challenged our understanding of scattering by the dust particles in this system. Secondly, the morphology of the ring strongly suggests the presence of planets, although no planets have been detected to date.Aims. We aim here at measuring with high accuracy the morphology and photometry of the ring in scattered light, in order to derive the phase function of the dust and constrain its near-infrared spectral properties. We also want to constrain the presence of planets and set improved constraints on the origin of the observed ring morphology.Methods. We obtained high-angular resolution coronagraphic images of the circumstellar environment around HR4796A with VLT/SPHERE during the commissioning of the instrument in May 2014 and during guaranteed-time observations in February 2015. The observations reveal for the first time the entire ring of dust, including the semi-minor axis that was previously hidden either behind the coronagraphic spot or in the speckle noise.Results. We determine empirically the scattering phase function of the dust in the H band from 13.6 degrees to 166.6 degrees. It shows a prominent peak of forward scattering, never detected before, for scattering angles below 30 degrees. We analyse the reflectance spectra of the disc from the 0.95 mu m to 1.6 mu m, confirming the red colour of the dust, and derive detection limits on the presence of planetary mass objects.Conclusions. We confirm which side of the disc is inclined towards the Earth. The analysis of the phase function, especially below 45 degrees, suggests that the dust population is dominated by particles much larger than the observation wavelength, of about 20 mu m. Compact Mie grains of this size are incompatible with the spectral energy distribution of the disc, however the observed rise in scattering efficiency beyond 50 degrees points towards aggregates which could reconcile both observables. We do not detect companions orbiting the star, but our high-contrast observations provide the most stringent constraints yet on the presence of planets responsible for the morphology of the dust.
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| 67. |
- Mizuki, T., et al.
(författare)
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Orbital Characterization of GJ1108A System, and Comparison of Dynamical Mass with Model-derived Mass for Resolved Binaries
- 2018
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Ingår i: Astrophysical Journal. - : American Astronomical Society. - 0004-637X .- 1538-4357. ; 865:2
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report an orbital characterization of GJ1108Aab that is a low-mass binary system in the pre-main-sequence phase. Via the combination of astrometry using adaptive optics and radial velocity measurements, an eccentric orbital solution of e = 0.63 is obtained, which might be induced by the Kozai-Lidov mechanism with a widely separated GJ1108B system. Combined with several observed properties, we confirm that the system is indeed young. Columba is the most probable moving group, to which the GJ1108A system belongs, although its membership to the group has not been established. If the age of Columba is assumed for GJ1108A, the dynamical masses of both GJ1108Aa and GJ1108Ab (M-dynamical,M-GJ1108Aa= 0.72 +/- 0.04 M-circle dot and M-dynamical,M-GJ1108Ab = 0.30 +/- 0.03 M-circle dot) are more massive than what an evolutionary model predicts based on the age and luminosities. We consider that the discrepancy in mass comparison can be attributed to an age uncertainty; the system is likely older than stars in Columba, and effects that are not implemented in classical models such as accretion history and magnetic activity are not preferred to explain the mass discrepancy. We also discuss the performance of the evolutionary model by compiling similar low-mass objects in the evolutionary state based on the literature. Consequently, it is suggested that the current model on average reproduces the mass of resolved low-mass binaries without any significant offsets.
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| 68. |
- Mueller, A., et al.
(författare)
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Orbital and atmospheric characterization of the planet within the gap of the PDS70 transition disk
- 2018
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 617
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. The observation of planets in their formation stage is a crucial but very challenging step in understanding when, how, and where planets form. PDS 70 is a young pre-main sequence star surrounded by a transition disk, in the gap of which a planetary-mass companion has recently been discovered. This discovery represents the first robust direct detection of such a young planet, possibly still at the stage of formation.Aims. We aim to characterize the orbital and atmospheric properties of PDS 70 b, which was first identified on May 2015 in the course of the SHINE survey with SPHERE, the extreme adaptive-optics instrument at the VLT.Methods. We obtained new deep SPHERE/IRDIS imaging and SPHERE/IFS spectroscopic observations of PDS 70 b. The astrometric baseline now covers 6 yr, which allowed us to perform an orbital analysis. For the first time, we present spectrophotometry of the young planet which covers almost the entire near-infrared range (0.96-3.8 mu m). We use different atmospheric models covering a large parameter space in temperature, log g, chemical composition, and cloud properties to characterize the properties of the atmosphere of PDS 70 b.Results. PDS 70 b is most likely orbiting the star on a circular and disk coplanar orbit at similar to 22 au inside the gap of the disk. We find a range of models that can describe the spectrophotometric data reasonably well in the temperature range 1000-1600 K and log g no larger than 3.5 dex. The planet radius covers a relatively large range between 1.4 and 3.7 R-J with the larger radii being higher than expected from planet evolution models for the age of the planet of 5.4 Myr. Conclusions. This study provides a comprehensive data set on the orbital motion of PDS 70 b, indicating a circular orbit and a motion coplanar with the disk. The first detailed spectral energy distribution of PDS 70 b indicates a temperature typical of young giant planets. The detailed atmospheric analysis indicates that a circumplanetary disk may contribute to the total planetflux.
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| 69. |
- Olofsson, J., et al.
(författare)
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Azimuthal asymmetries in the debris disk around HD61005 A massive collision of planetesimals?
- 2016
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 591
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Debris disks off er valuable insights into the latest stages of circumstellar disk evolution, and can possibly help us to trace the outcomes of planetary formation processes. In the age range 10 to 100 Myr, most of the gas is expected to have been removed from the system, giant planets (if any) must have already been formed, and the formation of terrestrial planets may be on-going. Pluto-sized planetesimals, and their debris released in a collisional cascade, are under their mutual gravitational influence, which may result into non-axisymmetric structures in the debris disk. Aims. High angular resolution observations are required to investigate these effects and constrain the dynamical evolution of debris disks. Furthermore, multi-wavelength observations can provide information about the dust dynamics by probing different grain sizes. Methods. Here we present new VLT/SPHERE and ALMA observations of the debris disk around the 40 Myr-old solar-type star HD61005. We resolve the disk at unprecedented resolution both in the near-infrared (in scattered and polarized light) and at millimeter wavelengths. We perform a detailed modeling of these observations, including the spectral energy distribution. Results. Thanks to the new observations, we propose a solution for both the radial and azimuthal distribution of the dust grains in the debris disk. We find that the disk has a moderate eccentricity (e similar to 0.1) and that the dust density is two times larger at the pericenter compared to the apocenter. Conclusions. With no giant planets detected in our observations, we investigate alternative explanations besides planet-disk interactions to interpret the inferred disk morphology. We postulate that the morphology of the disk could be the consequence of a massive collision between similar to 1000 km-sized bodies at similar to 61 au. If this interpretation holds, it would put stringent constraints on the formation of massive planetesimals at large distances from the star.
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| 70. |
- Olofsson, J., et al.
(författare)
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Resolving faint structures in the debris disk around TWA 7 Tentative detections of an outer belt, a spiral arm, and a dusty cloud
- 2018
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 617
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Debris disks are the intrinsic by-products of the star and planet formation processes. Most likely due to instrumental limitations and their natural faintness, little is known about debris disks around low mass stars, especially when it comes to spatially resolved observations. Aims. We present new VLT/SPHERE IRDIS dual-polarization imaging (DPI) observations in which we detect the dust ring around the M2 spectral type star TWA 7. Combined with additional angular differential imaging observations we aim at a fine characterization of the debris disk and setting constraints on the presence of low-mass planets. Methods. We modeled the SPHERE DPI observations and constrain the location of the small dust grains, as well as the spectral energy distribution of the debris disk, using the results inferred from the observations, and performed simple N-body simulations. Results. We find that the dust density distribution peaks at similar to 0.72 '' (25 au), with a very shallow outer power-law slope, and that the disk has an inclination of similar to 13 degrees with a position angle of similar to 91 degrees east of north. We also report low signal-to-noise ratio detections of an outer belt at a distance of similar to 1.5 '' (similar to 52 au) from the star, of a spiral arm in the southern side of the star, and of a possible dusty clump at 0.11 ''. These findings seem to persist over timescales of at least a year. Using the intensity images, we do not detect any planets in the close vicinity of the star, but the sensitivity reaches Jovian planet mass upper limits. We find that the SED is best reproduced with an inner disk at similar to 0.2 '' (similar to 7 au) and another belt at 0.72 '' (25 au). Conclusions. We report the detections of several unexpected features in the disk around TWA 7. A yet undetected 100 M-circle plus planet with a semi-major axis at 20-30 au could possibly explain the outer belt as well as the spiral arm. We conclude that stellar winds are unlikely to be responsible for the spiral arm.
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