Gap, shadows, spirals, and streamers: SPHERE observations of binary-disk interactions in GG Tauri A

Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology)

Abstract

Context. A large portion of stars is found to be part of binary or higher-order multiple systems. The ubiquity of planets found around single stars raises the question of whether and how planets in binary systems form. Protoplanetary disks are the birthplaces of planets, and characterizing them is crucial in order to understand the planet formation process. Aims. Our goal is to characterize the morphology of the GG Tau A disk, one of the largest and most massive circumbinary disks. We also aim to trace evidence for binary-disk interactions. Methods. We obtained observations in polarized scattered light of GG Tau A using the SPHERE/IRDIS instrument in the H-band filter. We analyzed the observed disk morphology and substructures. We ran 2D hydrodynamical models to simulate the evolution of the circumbinary ring over the lifetime of the disk. Results. The disk and also the cavity and the inner region are highly structured, with several shadowed regions, spiral structures, and streamer-like filaments. Some of these are detected here for the first time. The streamer-like filaments appear to connect the outer ring with the northern arc. Their azimuthal spacing suggests that they may be generated through periodic perturbations by the binary, which tear off material from the inner edge of the outer disk once during each orbit. By comparing observations to hydrodynamical simulations, we find that the main features, in particular, the gap size, but also the spiral and streamer filaments, can be qualitatively explained by the gravitational interactions of a binary with a semimajor axis of ~35 au on an orbit coplanar with the circumbinary ring.

Authors 33

1. M. Keppler

   Max Planck Institute for Astronomy

   Affiliation as printed

   Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany

2. Anna B. T. Penzlin

   University of Tübingen

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Astronomie und Astrophysik, Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany

3. M. Benisty

   Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble · University of Chile · Université Grenoble Alpes

   Affiliation as printed

   Unidad Mixta Internacional Franco-Chilena de Astronomía (CNRS, UMI 3386), Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Camino El Observatorio 1515, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile

   Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, 38000 Grenoble, France

4. Roy van Boekel

   Max Planck Institute for Astronomy

   Affiliation as printed

   Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany

5. Thomas K. Henning

   Max Planck Institute for Astronomy

   Affiliation as printed

   Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany

6. R. G. van Holstein Aachen Leiden Observatory

   Leiden University · European Southern Observatory · Leiden Observatory

   Affiliation as printed

   European Southern Observatory, Alonso de Córdova 3107, Casilla 19001, Vitacura, Santiago, Chile

   Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, PO Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands

7. W. Kley

   University of Tübingen

   Affiliation as printed

   Institut für Astronomie und Astrophysik, Universität Tübingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 10, 72076 Tübingen, Germany

8. A. Garufi

   Arcetri Astrophysical Observatory

   Affiliation as printed

   INAF, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo Enrico Fermi 5, 50125 Firenze, Italy

9. C. Ginski Aachen Leiden Observatory

   Leiden University · Leiden Observatory · University of Amsterdam

   Affiliation as printed

   Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands

   Leiden Observatory, Leiden University, PO Box 9513, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands

10. W. Brandner

    Max Planck Institute for Astronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany

11. Gesa H.-M. Bertrang

    Max Planck Institute for Astronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany

12. Anthony Boccaletti

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Observatoire de Paris · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique · Université Paris Diderot

    Affiliation as printed

    LESIA, CNRS, Observatoire de Paris, Université Paris Diderot, UPMC, 5 place J. Janssen, 92190 Meudon, France

13. M. Bonavita

    University of Edinburgh

    Affiliation as printed

    Centre for Exoplanet Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ, UK

    SUPA, Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ, UK

14. S. Brown Sevilla

    Max Planck Institute for Astronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany

15. G. Chauvin

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble · University of Chile · Université Grenoble Alpes

    Affiliation as printed

    Unidad Mixta Internacional Franco-Chilena de Astronomía (CNRS, UMI 3386), Departamento de Astronomía, Universidad de Chile, Camino El Observatorio 1515, Las Condes, Santiago, Chile

    Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, 38000 Grenoble, France

16. Carsten Dominik

    University of Amsterdam

    Affiliation as printed

    Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands

17. M. Janson

    Stockholm University · AlbaNova

    Affiliation as printed

    Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, AlbaNova University Center, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden

18. M. Langlois

    École Normale Supérieure de Lyon · Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Aix-Marseille Université · Centre de Recherche Astrophysique de Lyon

    Affiliation as printed

    Aix Marseille Univ., CNRS, CNES, LAM, Marseille, France

    CRAL, UMR 5574, CNRS, Université de Lyon, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, 46 allée d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France

19. Giuseppe Lodato

    University of Milan

    Affiliation as printed

    Dipartimento di Fisica, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Giovanni Celoria 16, 20133 Milano, Italy

20. A.-L. Maire

    University of Liège · Max Planck Institute for Astronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany

    STAR Institute, Université de Liège, Allée du Six Août 19c, 4000 Liège, Belgium

21. F. Ménard

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble · Université Grenoble Alpes

    Affiliation as printed

    Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, 38000 Grenoble, France

22. Eric J. Pantin

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives · Université Paris-Saclay · Astrophysique, Instrumentation et Modélisation · Université Paris Diderot

    Affiliation as printed

    AIM, CEA, CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Gif-sur-Yvette, France

23. C. Pinte

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble · Monash University · Université Grenoble Alpes

    Affiliation as printed

    School of Physics and Astronomy, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3168, Australia

    Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, 38000 Grenoble, France

24. T. Stolker

    ETH Zurich · Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute for Particle Physics and Astrophysics, ETH Zurich, Wolfgang-Pauli-Strasse 27, 8093 Zurich, Switzerland

25. J. Szulágyi

    University of Zurich

    Affiliation as printed

    Institute for Theoretical Astrophysics and Cosmology, Institute for Computational Science, University of Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland

26. P. Thébault

    Observatoire de Paris · Laboratoire d’études spatiales et d’instrumentation en astrophysique · Université Paris Diderot · Université Pierre-et-Marie-Curie

    Affiliation as printed

    LESIA-Observatoire de Paris, UPMC Univ. Paris 06, Univ. Paris-Diderot, France

27. M. Villenave

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble · Université Grenoble Alpes

    Affiliation as printed

    Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, 38000 Grenoble, France

28. A. Zurlo

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Aix-Marseille Université · Universidad Diego Portales

    Affiliation as printed

    Aix Marseille Univ., CNRS, CNES, LAM, Marseille, France

    Escuela de Ingeniería Industrial, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad Diego Portales, Av. Ejercito 441, Santiago, Chile

    Nùcleo de Astronomía, Facultad de Ingeniería y Ciencias, Universidad Diego Portales, Av. Ejercito 441, Santiago, Chile

29. Patrick Rabou

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble · Université Grenoble Alpes

    Affiliation as printed

    Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, 38000 Grenoble, France

30. P. Feautrier

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble · Université Grenoble Alpes

    Affiliation as printed

    Univ. Grenoble Alpes, CNRS, IPAG, 38000 Grenoble, France

31. M. Feldt

    Max Planck Institute for Astronomy

    Affiliation as printed

    Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany

32. Fabrice Madec

    Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Aix-Marseille Université

    Affiliation as printed

    Aix Marseille Univ., CNRS, CNES, LAM, Marseille, France

33. François P. Wildi

    University of Geneva

    Affiliation as printed

    Geneva Observatory, University of Geneva, Chemin des Mailettes 51, 1290 Versoix, Switzerland