Spectro-interferometric imaging of protoplanetary disks

Lead Research Organisation: University of Exeter

Abstract

Star and planet formation is one of the most active and exciting research areas of modern astrophysics. Many of the fundamental open questions in this field are related to the structure and physics of the innermost regions of protoplanetary disks, where material is transported onto the forming star, ejected in powerful jets & outflows, or accreted onto newly-formed planets. However, most of the aforementioned processes take place in the inner few astronomical units around the star, eluding a direct investigation with conventional imaging techniques. In this research project, we will employ the new opportunities provided by infrared interferometry to obtain model-independent images of the terrestrial planet-forming zone of protoplanetary disks. Providing the angular resolution of a diffraction-limited 200 m optical telescope, these images will yield unique constraints on disk+accretion physics and allow us to search for planet-related disk surface structures, such as tidally cleared gaps or hot accretion spots around embedded protoplanets. Using existing and upcoming infrared & sub-mm instrumentation at the VLTI, CHARA and ALMA interferometers, we will spatially resolve the inner disk regions over a wide wavelength range. In order to derive the 3-D density & temperature distribution and dust composition, we will employ the TORUS gas+dust radiative transfer code. Employing high spectral dispersion (up to R=12000), our interferometric observations will spatially and spectrally resolve the origin of spectral line emission, providing direct information about the gas velocity field on sub-AU scales. The spectro-interferometric and spectroscopic data will be modelled using a large TORUS line radiative transfer grid, providing fundamental new constraints on the mass accretion and outflow launching mechanism in YSOs.

Publications

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Aarnio A (2017) High-cadence, High-resolution Spectroscopic Observations of Herbig Stars HD 98922 and V1295 Aquila in The Astrophysical Journal

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Boley P (2016) A multi-wavelength interferometric study of the massive young stellar object IRAS 13481-6124 in Astronomy & Astrophysics

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Davies C (2018) Simultaneous Spectral Energy Distribution and Near-infrared Interferometry Modeling of HD 142666 in The Astrophysical Journal

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Davies C (2018) Probing the origin of UX Ori-type variability in the YSO binary CO Ori with VLTI/GRAVITY in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Fedriani R (2018) Parsec-scale jets driven by high-mass young stellar objects Connecting the au- and the parsec-scale jet in IRAS 13481-6124 in Astronomy & Astrophysics

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Garatti A (2015) INVESTIGATING 2MASS J06593158-0405277: AN FUor BURST IN A TRIPLE SYSTEM? in The Astrophysical Journal

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Gardner T (2018) Precision Orbit of d Delphini and Prospects for Astrometric Detection of Exoplanets in The Astrophysical Journal

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Hinkley S (2015) EARLY RESULTS FROM VLT SPHERE: LONG-SLIT SPECTROSCOPY OF 2MASS 0122-2439 B, A YOUNG COMPANION NEAR THE DEUTERIUM BURNING LIMIT in The Astrophysical Journal

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Hone E (2017) Gas dynamics in the inner few AU around the Herbig B[e] star MWC297 Indications of a disk wind from kinematic modeling and velocity-resolved interferometric imaging? in Astronomy & Astrophysics

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Hummel C (2017) Orbital Elements and Stellar Parameters of the Active Binary UX Arietis in The Astrophysical Journal

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Kluska J (2014) First images from the PIONIER/VLTI optical interferometry imaging survey of Herbig Ae/Be stars in Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union

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Kluska J (2018) A Multi-instrument and Multi-wavelength High Angular Resolution Study of MWC 614: Quantum Heated Particles Inside the Disk Cavity in The Astrophysical Journal

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Kraus S (2017) A High-mass Protobinary System with Spatially Resolved Circumstellar Accretion Disks and Circumbinary Disk in The Astrophysical Journal

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Kraus S (2013) RESOLVING THE GAP AND AU-SCALE ASYMMETRIES IN THE PRE-TRANSITIONAL DISK OF V1247 ORIONIS in The Astrophysical Journal

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Kraus S (2016) V346 Normae: first post-outburst observations of an FU Orionis star in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters

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Kraus S (2014) Combining optical spectroscopy and interferometry Combining optical spectroscopy and interferometry in Astronomische Nachrichten

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Kraus S (2015) The interferometric view of Herbig Ae/Be stars in Astrophysics and Space Science

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Kraus S (2017) Dust-trapping Vortices and a Potentially Planet-triggered Spiral Wake in the Pre-transitional Disk of V1247 Orionis in The Astrophysical Journal

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Kraus S (2018) Maximizing the community exploitation of the VLTI 2nd-generation instruments in Experimental Astronomy

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Kreplin A (2018) On the Br? line emission of the Herbig Ae/Be star MWC 120 in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Kreplin A (2020) First NIR interferometrically resolved high-order Brackett and forbidden Fe lines of a B[e] star: V921 Sco in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

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Kurosawa Ryuichi (2016) Probing the wind launching regions of the Herbig Be star HD 58647 with high spectral resolution interferometry in ArXiv e-prints

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Lazareff B (2017) Structure of Herbig AeBe disks at the milliarcsecond scale A statistical survey in the H band using PIONIER-VLTI in Astronomy & Astrophysics

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Long Z (2018) Differences in the Gas and Dust Distribution in the Transitional Disk of a Sun-like Young Star, PDS 70 in The Astrophysical Journal

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Monnier J (2017) Polarized Disk Emission from Herbig Ae/Be Stars Observed Using Gemini Planet Imager: HD 144432, HD 150193, HD 163296, and HD 169142 in The Astrophysical Journal

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Ohta Y (2016) Extreme asymmetry in the polarized disk of V1247 Orionis in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan

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Reiter M (2017) Linking Signatures of Accretion with Magnetic Field Measurements-Line Profiles are not Significantly Different in Magnetic and Non-magnetic Herbig Ae/Be Stars in The Astrophysical Journal

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Richardson N (2013) THE H -BAND EMITTING REGION OF THE LUMINOUS BLUE VARIABLE P CYGNI: SPECTROPHOTOMETRY AND INTERFEROMETRY OF THE WIND in The Astrophysical Journal

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Roettenbacher R (2015) DETECTING THE COMPANIONS AND ELLIPSOIDAL VARIATIONS OF RS CVn PRIMARIES. I. s GEMINORUM in The Astrophysical Journal

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Setterholm B (2018) Probing the Inner Disk Emission of the Herbig Ae Stars HD 163296 and HD 190073 in The Astrophysical Journal

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Stolker T (2017) Variable Dynamics in the Inner Disk of HD 135344B Revealed with Multi-epoch Scattered Light Imaging in The Astrophysical Journal

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Weigelt G (2016) VLTI-AMBER velocity-resolved aperture-synthesis imaging of ? Carinae with a spectral resolution of 12 000 Studies of the primary star wind and innermost wind-wind collision zone??? in Astronomy & Astrophysics

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Willson M (2018) Imaging the disc rim and a moving close-in companion candidate in the pre-transitional disc of V1247 Orionis in Astronomy & Astrophysics

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{Che}, X. And {Monnier}, J.~D. And {Ten Brummelaar}, T. And {Sturmann}, L. And {Millan-Gabet}, R. And {Baron}, F. And {Kraus}, S. And {Zhao}, M. And {CHARA} (2014) Imaging and Modeling Nearby Stellar Systems through Infrared Interferometers

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{Kraus}, S. And {Ireland}, M. And {Sitko}, M. And {Monnier}, J. And {Calvet}, N. And {Espaillat}, C. And {Grady}, C. And {Harries}, T. And {Hoenig}, S. And {Russell}, R. And {Kim}, D. And {Swearing}, J. And {Werren}, C. And {Wilner}, D. (2013) Resolving the gap and AU-scale asymmetries in pre-transitional disks with multi-wavelength interferometry

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{Kreplin}, A. And {Weigelt}, G. And {Kraus}, S. And {Grinin}, V. And {Hofmann}, K.-H. And {Kishimoto}, M. And {Schertl}, D. And {Tambovtseva}, L. And {Clausse}, J.-M. And {Massi}, F. And {Perraut}, K. And {Stee}, P. (2013) Revealing the inclined circumstellar disk in the UX Ori system KK Ophiuchi

 
Description The goal of the project was to to study protoplanetary disc structure in low- and high-mass young stellar objects and to better understand the accretion and outflow-launching processes that take place in these objects. A major finding from the fellowship was the discovery of the first FU Orionis star that showed a dramatic drop in accretion rate, marking the first time that a member of the FUor class has been observed to switch to a low accretion phase (Kraus et al. 2016). On high-mass star formation, we resolved the star IRAS17216-3801 into a binary system that is 3-times more massive and 5-times more compact than other high-mass multiplies imaged at infrared wavelength (Kraus et al. 2017). During the fellowship, I took up various leadership roles on an European level, including two 2-year terms as President of the Science Coucil of the European Interferometry Initiative (EII; http://www.european-interferometry.eu). I was also elected as Project Scientist of the "Planet Formation Imager" (PFI; http://www.planetformationimager.org) project. The aims of PFI is to offer an ambitious vision for the future of ground-based infrared astronomy and I was instrumental in defining the PFI science objectives and and in pushing the project ahead.
Exploitation Route Our concept studies on the Planet Formation Imager (PFI) might be taken forward with a Phase A study that should aim to construct this next-generation facility and to make it operational by the early 2030s. PFI fits in perfectly in the STFC Science Roadmap scheme, where "Science missions to understand the processes of planetary formation" are listed as future opportunity. Supporting technology developments for PFI was also one of the recommendation of the 2015 "Exoplanets UK Research Review".
Sectors Other
URL http://www.skraus.eu
 
Description The research resulted in societal impact through various five Press Releases, a Radio interview, a YouTube video that was viewed more than 3 million times, and an activity that aimed a widening participation. The details are described in the "Engagement Activities" section.
First Year Of Impact 2016
Impact Types Societal
 
Description Big Bang SW 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact I interacted with about 40-50 pupils that visited the University of Exeter for the Big Bang Fair SW and presented Exoplanet-related material at the booth of the Astrophysics group. This activity aimed to influence the decision of the students whether or not they would go to university and to encourage them to study STEM subjects.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2013
URL http://nearme.thebigbangfair.co.uk/South_west/
 
Description ESO Press release on Eta Carinae imaging 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact On October 19, 2016, an ESO press release on our VLTI imaging of the wind-wind collision zone of Eta Carinae was released
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL https://www.eso.org/public/news/eso1637/
 
Description Interview BBC Radio Cornwall 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact On May 11, 2016, I gave an interview to BBC Radio Cornwall concerning our Nature paper on surface imaging of Zeta Andromedae
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description Press Release on Nature paper on Zeta Andromedae imaging 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact On May 4, 2016 we released a press release on our Nature paper on surface imaging of Zeta Andromedae
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
URL http://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/featurednews/title_509221_en.html
 
Description Press release on ALMA results 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact Press release
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL https://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/featurednews/title_615036_en.html
 
Description Virtual Reality video on YouTube 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact YouTube video "Take a Virtual Reality tour of six REAL exoplanets (4K, 360° VR experience) ", was viewed 914,000 times between September 22, 2017 and March 10, 2018. It received 5200 likes so far.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhLExhpXX0E