How Observations of Circumstellar Disk Asymmetries Can Reveal Hidden Planets: Pericenter Glow and its Application to the HR 4796 Disk

Details How Observations of Circumstellar Disk Asymmetries Can Reveal Hidden Planets: Pericenter Glow and its Application to the HR 4796 Disk How Observations of Circumstellar Disk Asymmetries Can Reveal Hidden Planets: Pericenter Glow and its Application to the HR 4796 Disk

1999-08-24

arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/9908267v1

Astrophys.J.527:918-944,1999

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astrophysics

61 pages, 10 figures, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal (scheduled for January 10, 2000)

Scientific paper

10.1086/308093

Recent images of the disks of dust around the young stars HR 4796A and Fomalhaut show, in each case, a double-lobed feature that may be asymmetric (one lobe may be brighter than the other). A symmetric double-lobed structure is that expected from a disk of dust with a central hole that is observed nearly edge-on (i.e., close to the plane of the disk). This paper shows how the gravitational influence of a second body in the system with an eccentric orbit would cause a brightness asymmetry in such a disk by imposing a "forced eccentricity" on the orbits of the constituent dust particles, thus shifting the center of symmetry of the disk away from the star and causing the dust near the forced pericenter of the perturbed disk to glow. Dynamic modeling of the HR 4796 disk shows that its 5% brightness asymmetry could be the result of a forced eccentricity as small as 0.02 imposed on the disk by either the binary companion HR 4796B, or by an unseen planet close to the inner edge of the disk. Since it is likely that a forced eccentricity of 0.01 or higher would be imposed on a disk in a system in which there are planets, but no binary companion, the corresponding asymmetry in the disk's structure could serve as a sensitive indicator of these planets that might otherwise remain undetected.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

How Observations of Circumstellar Disk Asymmetries Can Reveal Hidden Planets: Pericenter Glow and its Application to the HR 4796 Disk does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with How Observations of Circumstellar Disk Asymmetries Can Reveal Hidden Planets: Pericenter Glow and its Application to the HR 4796 Disk, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and How Observations of Circumstellar Disk Asymmetries Can Reveal Hidden Planets: Pericenter Glow and its Application to the HR 4796 Disk will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-677336