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THE PDS 66 CIRCUMSTELLAR DISK AS SEEN in POLARIZED LIGHT with the GEMINI PLANET IMAGER

  • Schuyler G. Wolff
  • , Marshall Perrin
  • , Maxwell A. Millar-Blanchaer
  • , Eric L. Nielsen
  • , Jason Wang
  • , Andrew Cardwell
  • , Jeffrey Chilcote
  • , Ruobing Dong
  • , Zachary H. Draper
  • , Gaspard Duchěne
  • , Michael P. Fitzgerald
  • , Stephen J. Goodsell
  • , Carol A. Grady
  • , James R. Graham
  • , Alexandra Z. Greenbaum
  • , Markus Hartung
  • , Pascale Hibon
  • , Dean C. Hines
  • , Li Wei Hung
  • , Paul Kalas
  • Bruce Macintosh, Franck Marchis, Christian Marois, Laurent Pueyo, Fredrik T. Rantakyrö, Glenn Schneider, Anand Sivaramakrishnan, Sloane J. Wiktorowicz

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We present H- and K-band imaging polarimetry for the PDS 66 circumstellar disk obtained during the commissioning of the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI). Polarization images reveal a clear detection of the disk in to the 0.″12 inner working angle (IWA) in the H band, almost three times closer to the star than the previous Hubble Space Telescope (HST) observations with NICMOS and STIS (0.″35 effective IWA). The centro-symmetric polarization vectors confirm that the bright inner disk detection is due to circumstellar scattered light. A more diffuse disk extends to a bright outer ring centered at 80 AU. We discuss several physical mechanisms capable of producing the observed ring + gap structure. GPI data confirm enhanced scattering on the east side of the disk that is inferred to be nearer to us. We also detect a lateral asymmetry in the south possibly due to shadowing from material within the IWA. This likely corresponds to a temporally variable azimuthal asymmetry observed in HST/STIS coronagraphic imaging.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numberL15
JournalAstrophysical Journal Letters
Volume818
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 10 2016

Keywords

  • instrumentation: adaptive optics
  • protoplanetary disks
  • stars: individual (PDS 66)
  • techniques: high angular resolution
  • techniques: polarimetric

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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