2016/02/29 by S. Pacheco-Vázquez, A. Fuente, Clément Baruteau +8 · 2 citations
Chemistry · Physics and Astronomy · #Astro and Planetary Science #Astrochemistry #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Star Formation Studies #Chemistry #Interstellar medium #Millimeter #Physics #Planet #Planetesimal #Plateau de Bure Interferometer #Star formation #Stars #astro-ph.SR
paper · pdf · doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201527089
published as A&A 589, A60 (2016)
arxiv created 2016/03/14 · openalex publication_date 2016/03/15 · arxiv updated 2016/04/13 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
CONTEXT: Transitional disks are structures of dust and gas around young stars with large inner cavities in which planet formation may occur. Lopsided dust distributions are observed in the dust continuum emission at millimeter wavelengths. These asymmetrical structures can be explained as being the result of an enhanced gas density vortex where the dust is trapped, potentially promoting the rapid growth to the planetesimal scale. AIMS: AB Aur hosts a transitional disk with a clear horseshoe morphology which strongly suggests the presence of a dust trap. Our goal is to investigate its formation and the possible effects on the gas chemistry. METHODS: rotational lines. RESULTS: and then frozen out) in less than 0.1 Myr. The lower SO abundance towards the dust trap could indicate that a larger fraction of the gas is in a high density environment. CONCLUSIONS: Gas dynamics, grain growth and gas chemistry are coupled in the planet formation process. We detect a chemical signature of the presence of a dust trap in a transitional disk. Because of the strong dependence of SO abundance on the gas density, the sulfur chemistry can be used as a chemical diagnostic to detect the birthsites of future planets. However, the large uncertainties inherent to chemical models and the limited knowledge of the disk's physical structure and initial conditions are important drawbacks.