Search NASA⌕ Search

Engineering topics

Follette, K.

Publications and source records attributed to Follette, K..

Gemini Planet Imager Spectroscopy of the Dusty Substellar Companion HD 206893 B

We present new near-infrared Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) spectroscopy of HD 206893 B, a substellar companion orbiting within the debris disk of its F5V star. The J, H, K1, and K2 spectra from GPI demonstrate the extraordinarily red colors of the object, confirming it as the reddest substellar object observed to date. The significant flux increase throughout the infrared presents a challenging atmosphere to model with existing grids. Best-fit values vary from 1200 to 1800 K for effective temperature and from 3.0 to 5.0 for log(g), depending on which individual wavelength band is fit and which model suite is applied. The extreme redness of the companion can be partially reconciled by invoking a high-altitude layer of submicron dust particles, similar to dereddening approaches applied to the peculiar red field L dwarf population. However, reconciling the HD 206893 B spectra with even those of the reddest low-gravity L dwarf spectra still requires the contribution of additional atmospheric dust, potentially due to the debris disk environment in which the companion resides. Orbit fitting from 4 yr of astrometric monitoring is consistent with a ∼30 yr period, an orbital inclination of 147°, and a semimajor axis of 10 au, well within the estimated disk inner radius of ∼50 au. As one of a very few substellar companions imaged interior to a circumstellar disk, the properties of this system offer important dynamical constraints on companion–disk interaction and provide a benchmark for substellar and planetary atmospheric study.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Transitional Disks Associated With Intermediate-mass Stars: Results of the SEEDS YSO survey

As part of the Strategic Exploration of Exoplanets and Disks with Subaru YSO survey, we have surveyed a number of Herbig B-F stars at H-band using Polarimetric Differential Imaging+Angular differential imaging. Historically, Herbig stars have been sorted based on their IR SEDs into those with SEDS which can be fit by powerlaws over 1-200 μm (Meeus et al. 2001, group II), and those which can be interpreted as a powerlaw + a blackbody component (Meeus group I) or powerlaw+missing warm thermal emission, which is one of the criteria for identification of gapped or transitional disks. Meeus group II disks, when imaged with HiCIAO show featureless disks with depolarization along the projection of the disk semi-minor axis (Kusakabe et al. 2012). This is what we had expected to see for the Meeus group I disks, except for the addition of wide gaps or central cavities. Instead we find wild diversity, suggesting that transitional disks are highly perturbed compared to Meeus group II disks.

Herbig B-F stars↗

Transitional Disks Associated with Intermediate-Mass Stars: Results of the SEEDS YSO Survey

Protoplanetary disks are where planets form, grow, and migrate to produce the diversity of exoplanet systems we observe in mature systems. Disks where this process has advanced to the stage of gap opening, and in some cases central cavity formation, have been termed pre-transitional and transitional disks in the hope that they represent intermediate steps toward planetary system formation. Recent reviews have focussed on disks where the star is of solar or sub-solar mass. In contrast to the sub-millimeter where cleared central cavities predominate, at H-band some T Tauri star transitional disks resemble primordial disks in having no indication of clearing, some show a break in the radial surface brightness profile at the inner edge of the outer disk, while others have partially to fully cleared gaps or central cavities. Recently, the Meeus Group I Herbig stars, intermediate-mass PMS stars with IR spectral energy distributions often interpreted as flared disks, have been proposed to have transitional and pre-transitional disks similar to those associated with solar-mass PMS stars, based on thermal-IR imaging, and sub-millimeter interferometry. We have investigated their appearance in scattered light as part of the Strategic Exploration of Exoplanets and Disks with Subaru (SEEDS), obtaining H-band polarimetric imagery of 10 intermediate-mass stars with Meeus Group I disks. Augmented by other disks with imagery in the literature, the sample is now sufficiently large to explore how these disks are similar to and differ from T Tauri star disks. The disk morphologies seen in the Tauri disks are also found for the intermediate-mass star disks, but additional phenomena are found; a hallmark of these disks is remarkable individuality and diversity which does not simply correlate with disk mass or stellar properties, including age, including spiral arms in remnant envelopes, arms in the disk, asymmetrically and potentially variably shadowed outer disks, gaps, and one disk where only half of the disk is seen in scattered light at H. We will discuss our survey results in terms of spiral arm theory, dust trapping vortices, and systematic differences in the relative scale height of these disks compared to those around Solar-mass stars. For the disks with spiral arms we discuss the planet-hosting potential, and limits on where giant planets can be located. We also discuss the implications for imaging with extreme adaptive optics instruments. Grady is supported under NSF AST 1008440 and through the NASA Origins of Solar Systems program on NNG13PB64P. JPW is supported NSF AST 100314. 0) in marked contrast to protoplanetary disks, transitional disks exhibit wide range of structural features1) arm visibility correlated with relative scale height in disk2) asymmetric and possibly variable shadowing of outer portions some transitional disks3) confirm pre-transitional disk nature of Oph IRS 48, MWC 758, HD 169142, etc.

Protoplanetary disks↗

Subaru Imaging of Asymmetric Features in a Transitional Disk in Upper Scorpius

We report high-resolution (0.07 arcsec) near-infrared polarized intensity images of the circumstellar disk around the star 2MASS J16042165.2130284 obtained with HiCIAO mounted on the Subaru 8.2 m telescope. We present our H-band data, which clearly exhibit a resolved, face-on disk with a large inner hole for the first time at infrared wavelengths. We detect the centrosymmetric polarization pattern in the circumstellar material as has been observed in other disks. Elliptical fitting gives the semi-major axis, semi-minor axis, and position angle (P.A.) of the disk as 63 AU, 62 AU, and -14deg, respectively. The disk is asymmetric, with one dip located at P.A.s of approx. 85deg. Our observed disk size agrees well with a previous study of dust and CO emission at submillimeter wavelength with Submillimeter Array. Hence, the near-infrared light is interpreted as scattered light reflected from the inner edge of the disk. Our observations also detect an elongated arc (50 AU) extending over the disk inner hole. It emanates at the inner edge of the western side of the disk, extending inward first, then curving to the northeast. We discuss the possibility that the inner hole, the dip, and the arc that we have observed may be related to the existence of unseen bodies within the disk.

Mayama, S.↗

Subaru Imaging of Asymmetric Features in a Transitional Disk in a Transitional Disk in Upper Scorpius

We report high-resolution (0.07 arcsec) near-infrared polarized intensity images of the circumstellar disk around the star 2MASS J16042165−2130284 obtained with HiCIAO mounted on the Subaru 8.2 m telescope. We present our H-band data, which clearly exhibit a resolved, face-on disk with a large inner hole for the first time at infrared wavelengths.We detect the centrosymmetric polarization pattern in the circumstellar material as has been observed in other disks. Elliptical fitting gives the semimajor axis, semiminor axis, and position angle (P.A.) of the disk as 63 AU, 62 AU, and −14◦, respectively. The disk is asymmetric, with one dip located at P.A.s of ∼85◦. Our observed disk size agrees well with a previous study of dust and CO emission at submillimeter wavelength with Submillimeter Array. Hence, the near-infrared light is interpreted as scattered light reflected from the inner edge of the disk. Our observations also detect an elongated arc (50 AU) extending over the disk inner hole. It emanates at the inner edge of the western side of the disk, extending inward first, then curving to the northeast. We discuss the possibility that the inner hole, the dip, and the arc that we have observed may be related to the existence of unseen bodies within the disk

protoplanetary disks↗