2014/06/10 by Stefano Facchini, Luca Ricci, Giuseppe Lodato
Chemistry · Physics and Astronomy · #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Molecular Spectroscopy and Structure #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph.EP #astro-ph.SR
paper · pdf · doi:10.1093/mnras/stu1149
12 pages, 4 figures, 2 tables. Accepted for publication in MNRAS
arxiv created 2014/06/10 · openalex publication_date 2014/07/03 · arxiv updated 2015/06/19 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We are entering the era in which observations of protoplanetary disc's properties can indirectly probe the presence of massive planets or low-mass stellar companions interacting with the disc. In particular, the detection of warped discs can provide important clues to the properties of the star–disc system. In this paper, we show how observations of warped discs can be used to infer the dynamical properties of the systems. We concentrate on circumbinary discs, where the mass of the secondary can be planetary. First, we provide some simple relations that link the amplitude of the warp in the linear regime to the parameters of the system. Secondly, we apply our method to the case of TW Hya, a transition disc for which a warp has been proposed based on spectroscopic observations. Assuming values for the disc and stellar parameters from observations, we conclude that, in order for a warp induced by a planetary companion to be detectable, the planet mass should be large (Mp ≈ 10–14MJ) and the disc should be viscous (α ≈ 0.15–0.25). We also apply our model to LkCa 15 and T Cha, where a substellar companion has been detected within the central cavity of the transition discs.