JWST MIRI MRS Observations of T Cha: Discovery of a Spatially Resolved Disk Wind
Understanding when and how circumstellar disks disperse is crucial to constrain planet formation and migration. Thermal winds powered by high-energy stellar photons have long been theorized to drive disk dispersal. However, evidence for these winds is currently based only on small (∼3–6 km s ^−1 ) b...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2024-01-01
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| Series: | The Astronomical Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ad22e1 |
| _version_ | 1797278855069696000 |
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| author | Naman S. Bajaj Ilaria Pascucci Uma Gorti Richard Alexander Andrew Sellek Jane Morrison Andras Gaspar Cathie Clarke Chengyan Xie Giulia Ballabio Dingshan Deng |
| author_facet | Naman S. Bajaj Ilaria Pascucci Uma Gorti Richard Alexander Andrew Sellek Jane Morrison Andras Gaspar Cathie Clarke Chengyan Xie Giulia Ballabio Dingshan Deng |
| author_sort | Naman S. Bajaj |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Understanding when and how circumstellar disks disperse is crucial to constrain planet formation and migration. Thermal winds powered by high-energy stellar photons have long been theorized to drive disk dispersal. However, evidence for these winds is currently based only on small (∼3–6 km s ^−1 ) blueshifts in [Ne ii ] 12.81 μ m lines, which does not exclude MHD winds. We report JWST MIRI MRS spectro-imaging of T Cha, a disk with a large dust gap (∼30 au in radius) and blueshifted [Ne ii ] emission. We detect four forbidden noble gas lines, [Ar ii ], [Ar iii ], [Ne ii ], and [Ne iii ], of which [Ar iii ] is the first detection in any protoplanetary disk. We use line flux ratios to constrain the energy of the ionizing photons and find that argon is ionized by extreme ultraviolet, whereas neon is most likely ionized by X-rays. After performing continuum and point-spread function subtraction on the integral field unit cube, we discover a spatial extension in the [Ne ii ] emission off the disk continuum emission. This is the first spatially resolved [Ne ii ] disk wind emission. The mostly ionic spectrum of T Cha, in combination with the extended [Ne ii ] emission, points to an evolved stage for any inner MHD wind and is consistent with the existence of an outer thermal wind ionized and driven by high-energy stellar photons. This work acts as a pathfinder for future observations aiming at investigating disk dispersal using JWST. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T16:14:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a641173ed6de46859866a0608868dfa7 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1538-3881 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T16:14:10Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astronomical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-a641173ed6de46859866a0608868dfa72024-03-04T14:54:16ZengIOP PublishingThe Astronomical Journal1538-38812024-01-01167312710.3847/1538-3881/ad22e1JWST MIRI MRS Observations of T Cha: Discovery of a Spatially Resolved Disk WindNaman S. Bajaj0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3401-1704Ilaria Pascucci1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7962-1683Uma Gorti2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3311-5918Richard Alexander3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6410-2899Andrew Sellek4https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0330-1506Jane Morrison5Andras Gaspar6https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8612-3236Cathie Clarke7https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4288-0248Chengyan Xie8https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8184-5547Giulia Ballabio9https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4687-2133Dingshan Deng10https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0777-7392Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, The University of Arizona , Tucson, AZ 85721, USA ; namanbajaj@arizona.eduLunar and Planetary Laboratory, The University of Arizona , Tucson, AZ 85721, USA ; namanbajaj@arizona.eduNASA Ames Research Center , Moffett Field, CA 94035, USA; Carl Sagan Center, SETI Institute , Mountain View, CA 94043, USASchool of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leicester , University Road, Leicester LEI 7RH, UKInstitute of Astronomy , Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UK; Leiden Observatory, Leiden University , 2300 RA Leiden, The NetherlandsSteward Observatory, The University of Arizona , Tucson, AZ 85721, USASteward Observatory, The University of Arizona , Tucson, AZ 85721, USAInstitute of Astronomy , Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UKLunar and Planetary Laboratory, The University of Arizona , Tucson, AZ 85721, USA ; namanbajaj@arizona.eduAstronomy Unit, School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London , London E1 4NS, UK; Astrophysics Group, Imperial College London , Blackett Laboratory, Prince Consort Road, London SW7 2AZ, UKLunar and Planetary Laboratory, The University of Arizona , Tucson, AZ 85721, USA ; namanbajaj@arizona.eduUnderstanding when and how circumstellar disks disperse is crucial to constrain planet formation and migration. Thermal winds powered by high-energy stellar photons have long been theorized to drive disk dispersal. However, evidence for these winds is currently based only on small (∼3–6 km s ^−1 ) blueshifts in [Ne ii ] 12.81 μ m lines, which does not exclude MHD winds. We report JWST MIRI MRS spectro-imaging of T Cha, a disk with a large dust gap (∼30 au in radius) and blueshifted [Ne ii ] emission. We detect four forbidden noble gas lines, [Ar ii ], [Ar iii ], [Ne ii ], and [Ne iii ], of which [Ar iii ] is the first detection in any protoplanetary disk. We use line flux ratios to constrain the energy of the ionizing photons and find that argon is ionized by extreme ultraviolet, whereas neon is most likely ionized by X-rays. After performing continuum and point-spread function subtraction on the integral field unit cube, we discover a spatial extension in the [Ne ii ] emission off the disk continuum emission. This is the first spatially resolved [Ne ii ] disk wind emission. The mostly ionic spectrum of T Cha, in combination with the extended [Ne ii ] emission, points to an evolved stage for any inner MHD wind and is consistent with the existence of an outer thermal wind ionized and driven by high-energy stellar photons. This work acts as a pathfinder for future observations aiming at investigating disk dispersal using JWST.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ad22e1Planet formationProtoplanetary disksT Tauri starsInfrared spectroscopy |
| spellingShingle | Naman S. Bajaj Ilaria Pascucci Uma Gorti Richard Alexander Andrew Sellek Jane Morrison Andras Gaspar Cathie Clarke Chengyan Xie Giulia Ballabio Dingshan Deng JWST MIRI MRS Observations of T Cha: Discovery of a Spatially Resolved Disk Wind The Astronomical Journal Planet formation Protoplanetary disks T Tauri stars Infrared spectroscopy |
| title | JWST MIRI MRS Observations of T Cha: Discovery of a Spatially Resolved Disk Wind |
| title_full | JWST MIRI MRS Observations of T Cha: Discovery of a Spatially Resolved Disk Wind |
| title_fullStr | JWST MIRI MRS Observations of T Cha: Discovery of a Spatially Resolved Disk Wind |
| title_full_unstemmed | JWST MIRI MRS Observations of T Cha: Discovery of a Spatially Resolved Disk Wind |
| title_short | JWST MIRI MRS Observations of T Cha: Discovery of a Spatially Resolved Disk Wind |
| title_sort | jwst miri mrs observations of t cha discovery of a spatially resolved disk wind |
| topic | Planet formation Protoplanetary disks T Tauri stars Infrared spectroscopy |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-3881/ad22e1 |
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