A YOUNG PROTOPLANET CANDIDATE EMBEDDED IN THE CIRCUMSTELLAR DISK OF HD 100546
- Institute for Astronomy, ETH Zurich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 27, CH-8093 Zurich (Switzerland)
- Sterrewacht Leiden, P.O. Box 9513, Niels Bohrweg 2, NL-2300 RA Leiden (Netherlands)
- European Southern Observatory, Karl Schwarzschild Strasse, 2, D-85748 Garching bei Muenchen (Germany)
We present high-contrast observations of the circumstellar environment of the Herbig Ae/Be star HD 100546. The final 3.8 {mu}m image reveals an emission source at a projected separation of 0.''48 {+-} 0.''04 (corresponding to {approx}47 {+-} 4 AU) at a position angle of 8. Degree-Sign 9 {+-} 0. Degree-Sign 9. The emission appears slightly extended with a point source component with an apparent magnitude of 13.2 {+-} 0.4 mag. The position of the source coincides with a local deficit in polarization fraction in near-infrared polarimetric imaging data, which probes the surface of the well-studied circumstellar disk of HD 100546. This suggests a possible physical link between the emission source and the disk. Assuming a disk inclination of {approx}47 Degree-Sign , the de-projected separation of the object is {approx}68 AU. Assessing the likelihood of various scenarios, we favor an interpretation of the available high-contrast data with a planet in the process of forming. Follow-up observations in the coming years can easily distinguish between the different possible scenarios empirically. If confirmed, HD 100546 ''b'' would be a unique laboratory to study the formation process of a new planetary system, with one giant planet currently forming in the disk and a second planet possibly orbiting in the disk gap at smaller separations.
- OSTI ID:
- 22130815
- Journal Information:
- Astrophysical Journal Letters, Vol. 766, Issue 1; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2041-8205
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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