How bright are planet-induced spiral arms in scattered light?

Journal Article · Fri Jan 20 04:00:00 EST 2017 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/835/1/38· OSTI ID:22869101

Ruobing, Dong

Recently, high angular resolution imaging instruments such as SPHERE and GPI have discovered many spiral-arm-like features in near-infrared scattered-light images of protoplanetary disks. Theory and simulations have suggested that these arms are most likely excited by planets forming in the disks; however, a quantitative relation between the arm-to-disk brightness contrast and planet mass is still missing. Using 3D hydrodynamics and radiative transfer simulations, we examine the morphology and contrast of planet-induced arms in disks. We find a power-law relation for the face-on arm contrast (δ{sub max}) as a function of planet mass (M{sub p}) and disk aspect ratio (h/r): δ{sub max}≈((M{sub p}/M{sub J})/(h/r){sup 1.38}){sup 0.22}. With current observational capabilities, at a 30 au separation, the minimum planet mass for driving detectable arms in a disk around a 1 Myr, 1 M{sub ⊙} star at 140 pc at low inclinations is around Saturn mass. For planets more massive than Neptune masses, they typically drive multiple arms. Therefore, in observed disks with spirals, it is unlikely that each spiral arm originates from a different planet. We also find that only massive perturbers with at least multi-Jupiter masses are capable of driving bright arms with δ{sub max}≳2 as found in SAO 206462, MWC 758, and LkHα 330, and these arms do not follow linear wave propagation theory. Additionally, we find that the morphology and contrast of the primary and secondary arms are largely unaffected by a modest level of viscosity with α≲0.01. Finally, the contrast of the arms in the SAO 206462 disk suggests that the perturber SAO 206462 b at ∼100 au is about 5--10 M{sub J} in mass.

• OSTI ID: 22869101
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 835; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ASPECT RATIO
BRIGHTNESS
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
HYDRODYNAMICS
INCLINATION
INTERACTIONS
MAIN SEQUENCE STARS
MASS
PROTOPLANETS
RADIANT HEAT TRANSFER
RESOLUTION
SATELLITES
VARIABLE STARS
VISCOSITY
WAVE PROPAGATION