Detailed observational study on temporal variation of protoplanetary disks

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 23740151
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Astronomy
• Research Institution: Osaka University
• Principal Investigator: FUKAGAWA Misato 大阪大学, 理学(系)研究科(研究院), 助教 (40509840)
• Project Period (FY): 2011-04-28 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: 惑星形成 / 原始惑星系円盤 / 変光 / 赤外線観測

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Observations of birthplaces of planets, 'protoplanetary disks' around young stars, are central to understand how planets form. Temporal variation of the disk structure is one of the key properties to know what is happening there. In this study, quasi-simultaneous observations of protoplanetary disks were conducted in direct imaging, spectroscopy, and photometry at optical and near-infrared wavelengths. In direct imaging combined with photometry, the anti-correlation was found between thermal emission from the innermost region of the disk and the light scattered by the solid grains in the outer disk. This suggests variable illumination, and hence temporal change of the inner disk structure as well as grain sedimentation toward the disk mid-plane. The more frequent monitoring has been performed for the optical and near-infrared photometry over 3 years using the 1.3m telescope, yielding the discovery of a large extinction event for AA Tauri.

Free Research Field

赤外線天文学