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Title: A LARGE, MASSIVE, ROTATING DISK AROUND AN ISOLATED YOUNG STELLAR OBJECT

Abstract

We present multi-wavelength observations and a radiative transfer model of a newly discovered massive circumstellar disk of gas and dust which is one of the largest disks known today. Seen almost edge-on, the disk is resolved in high-resolution near-infrared (NIR) images and appears as a dark lane of high opacity intersecting a bipolar reflection nebula. Based on molecular line observations, we estimate the distance to the object to be 3.5 kpc. This leads to a size for the dark lane of {approx}10,500 AU but due to shadowing effects the true disk size could be smaller. In Spitzer/IRAC 3.6 {mu}m images, the elongated shape of the bipolar reflection nebula is still preserved and the bulk of the flux seems to come from disk regions that can be detected due to the slight inclination of the disk. At longer IRAC wavelengths, the flux is mainly coming from the central regions penetrating directly through the dust lane. Interferometric observations of the dust continuum emission at millimeter wavelengths with the Submillimeter Array confirm this finding as the peak of the unresolved millimeter-emission coincides perfectly with the peak of the Spitzer/IRAC 5.8 {mu}m flux and the center of the dark lane seen in the NIRmore » images. Simultaneously acquired CO data reveal a molecular outflow along the northern part of the reflection nebula which seems to be the outflow cavity. An elongated gaseous disk component is also detected and shows signs of rotation. The emission is perpendicular to the molecular outflow and thus parallel to but even more extended than the dark lane in the NIR images. Based on the dust continuum and the CO observations, we estimate a disk mass of up to a few solar masses depending on the underlying assumptions. Whether the disk-like structure is an actual accretion disk or rather a larger-scale flattened envelope or pseudodisk is difficult to discriminate with the current data set. The existence of HCO{sup +}/H{sup 13}CO{sup +} emission proves the presence of dense gas in the disk and the molecules' abundances are similar to those found in other circumstellar disks. We furthermore detected C{sub 2}H toward the objects and discuss this finding in the context of star formation. Finally, we have performed radiative transfer modeling of the K-band scattered light image varying a disk plus outflow two-dimensional density profile and the stellar properties. The model approximately reproduces extent and location of the dark lane, and the basic appearance of the outflow. We discuss our findings in the context of circumstellar disks across all mass regimes and conclude that our discovery is an ideal laboratory to study the early phases in the evolution of massive circumstellar disks surrounding young stellar objects.« less

Authors:
 [1]; ; ; ; ;  [2];  [3]
  1. Institute for Astronomy, ETH Zurich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 27, 8093 Zurich (Switzerland)
  2. Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Koenigstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg (Germany)
  3. ESA/ESTEC, Keplerlaan 1, Postbus 299, 2200 AG Noordwijk (Netherlands)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
21455219
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 717; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: DOI: 10.1088/0004-637X/717/2/693; Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ABUNDANCE; ACCRETION DISKS; ASTROPHYSICS; CARBON MONOXIDE; DUSTS; EMISSION; INCLINATION; NEBULAE; PROTOPLANETS; RADIANT HEAT TRANSFER; STAR EVOLUTION; STARS; TWO-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS; CARBON COMPOUNDS; CARBON OXIDES; CHALCOGENIDES; ENERGY TRANSFER; EVOLUTION; HEAT TRANSFER; OXIDES; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS; PHYSICS

Citation Formats

Quanz, Sascha P, Beuther, Henrik, Steinacker, Juergen, Linz, Hendrik, Krause, Oliver, Henning, Thomas, Birkmann, Stephan M, and Zhang Qizhou, E-mail: quanz@astro.phys.ethz.c. A LARGE, MASSIVE, ROTATING DISK AROUND AN ISOLATED YOUNG STELLAR OBJECT. United States: N. p., 2010. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/717/2/693.
Quanz, Sascha P, Beuther, Henrik, Steinacker, Juergen, Linz, Hendrik, Krause, Oliver, Henning, Thomas, Birkmann, Stephan M, & Zhang Qizhou, E-mail: quanz@astro.phys.ethz.c. A LARGE, MASSIVE, ROTATING DISK AROUND AN ISOLATED YOUNG STELLAR OBJECT. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/717/2/693
Quanz, Sascha P, Beuther, Henrik, Steinacker, Juergen, Linz, Hendrik, Krause, Oliver, Henning, Thomas, Birkmann, Stephan M, and Zhang Qizhou, E-mail: quanz@astro.phys.ethz.c. 2010. "A LARGE, MASSIVE, ROTATING DISK AROUND AN ISOLATED YOUNG STELLAR OBJECT". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/717/2/693.
@article{osti_21455219,
title = {A LARGE, MASSIVE, ROTATING DISK AROUND AN ISOLATED YOUNG STELLAR OBJECT},
author = {Quanz, Sascha P and Beuther, Henrik and Steinacker, Juergen and Linz, Hendrik and Krause, Oliver and Henning, Thomas and Birkmann, Stephan M and Zhang Qizhou, E-mail: quanz@astro.phys.ethz.c},
abstractNote = {We present multi-wavelength observations and a radiative transfer model of a newly discovered massive circumstellar disk of gas and dust which is one of the largest disks known today. Seen almost edge-on, the disk is resolved in high-resolution near-infrared (NIR) images and appears as a dark lane of high opacity intersecting a bipolar reflection nebula. Based on molecular line observations, we estimate the distance to the object to be 3.5 kpc. This leads to a size for the dark lane of {approx}10,500 AU but due to shadowing effects the true disk size could be smaller. In Spitzer/IRAC 3.6 {mu}m images, the elongated shape of the bipolar reflection nebula is still preserved and the bulk of the flux seems to come from disk regions that can be detected due to the slight inclination of the disk. At longer IRAC wavelengths, the flux is mainly coming from the central regions penetrating directly through the dust lane. Interferometric observations of the dust continuum emission at millimeter wavelengths with the Submillimeter Array confirm this finding as the peak of the unresolved millimeter-emission coincides perfectly with the peak of the Spitzer/IRAC 5.8 {mu}m flux and the center of the dark lane seen in the NIR images. Simultaneously acquired CO data reveal a molecular outflow along the northern part of the reflection nebula which seems to be the outflow cavity. An elongated gaseous disk component is also detected and shows signs of rotation. The emission is perpendicular to the molecular outflow and thus parallel to but even more extended than the dark lane in the NIR images. Based on the dust continuum and the CO observations, we estimate a disk mass of up to a few solar masses depending on the underlying assumptions. Whether the disk-like structure is an actual accretion disk or rather a larger-scale flattened envelope or pseudodisk is difficult to discriminate with the current data set. The existence of HCO{sup +}/H{sup 13}CO{sup +} emission proves the presence of dense gas in the disk and the molecules' abundances are similar to those found in other circumstellar disks. We furthermore detected C{sub 2}H toward the objects and discuss this finding in the context of star formation. Finally, we have performed radiative transfer modeling of the K-band scattered light image varying a disk plus outflow two-dimensional density profile and the stellar properties. The model approximately reproduces extent and location of the dark lane, and the basic appearance of the outflow. We discuss our findings in the context of circumstellar disks across all mass regimes and conclude that our discovery is an ideal laboratory to study the early phases in the evolution of massive circumstellar disks surrounding young stellar objects.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/717/2/693},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/21455219}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 2,
volume = 717,
place = {United States},
year = {Sat Jul 10 00:00:00 EDT 2010},
month = {Sat Jul 10 00:00:00 EDT 2010}
}