Two accreting protoplanets around the young star PDS 70

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2019

Authors

Haffert, SY (Author) Other; Bohn, AJ (Author) Other; de Boer, J (Author) Other; Snellen, IAG (Author) Other; J. Brinchmann (Author) Other; Girard, JH (Author) Other; Keller, CU (Author) Other; Bacon, R (Author) Other

Journal

Title: Nature Astronomy

Vol. 3

Pages: 749-754

Publisher: Springer Nature

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 267 Citations

Scopus - 279 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00Q-PXS

DOI: 10.1038/s41550-019-0780-5

Abstract (EN): Newly forming protoplanets are expected to create cavities and substructures in young, gas-rich protoplanetary disks(1-3), but they are difficult to detect as they could be confused with disk features affected by advanced image analysis techniques(4,5). Recently, a planet was discovered inside the gap of the transitional disk of the T Tauri star PDS 70(6,7). Here, we report on the detection of strong Ha emission from two distinct locations in the PDS 70 system, one corresponding to the previously discovered planet PDS 70 b, which confirms the earlier Ha detection(8), and another located close to the outer edge of the gap, coinciding with a previously identified bright dust spot in the disk and with a small opening in a ring of molecular emission(6,7,9). We identify this second Ha peak as a second protoplanet in the PDS 70 system. The Ha emission spectra of both protoplanets indicate ongoing accretion onto the protoplanets(10,11), which appear to be near a 2: 1 mean motion resonance. Our observations show that adaptive-optics-assisted, medium-resolution integral field spectroscopy with MUSE12 targeting accretion signatures will be a powerful way to trace ongoing planet formation in transitional disks at different stages of their evolution. Finding more young planetary systems in mean motion resonance would give credibility to the Grand Tack hypothesis in which Jupiter and Saturn migrated in a resonance orbit during the early formation period of our Solar System(13).

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 6