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Laboratory Drop Towers for the Experimental Simulation of Dust-aggregate Collisions in the Early Solar System
Published on: June 5, 2014
An old disk still capable of forming a planetary system
Edwin A Bergin1, L Ilsedore Cleeves, Uma Gorti
1Department of Astronomy, University of Michigan, 500 Church Street, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA. ebergin@umich.edu
Nature
|February 1, 2013
Summary
Astronomers detected hydrogen deuteride in the TW Hydrae disk, revealing a gas mass exceeding 0.05 solar masses. This finding suggests the disk has sufficient material to form planets like those in our solar system.
Area of Science:
- Planetary Science
- Astrophysics
- Astrochemistry
Background:
- Estimating the mass of protoplanetary disks is crucial for understanding planet formation.
- Current methods using dust thermal emission and carbon monoxide lines provide uncertain gas mass estimates due to unknown dust properties and gas-to-dust ratios.
- Previous mass estimates for the TW Hydrae disk varied significantly, ranging from 0.0005 to 0.06 solar masses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To accurately determine the gas mass of the protoplanetary disk around the star TW Hydrae.
- To utilize hydrogen deuteride as a reliable tracer for disk gas mass estimation.
- To assess if the disk mass is sufficient for forming a planetary system comparable to our own.
Main Methods:
- Detection of the fundamental rotational transition of hydrogen deuteride (HD) in the TW Hydrae disk.
- Combining observational data with detailed modeling of disk properties.
- Utilizing HD's sensitivity to total gas mass and its distribution mirroring molecular hydrogen.
Main Results:
- Successful detection of hydrogen deuteride emission from the TW Hydrae disk.
- The derived disk mass is estimated to be greater than 0.05 solar masses.
- This mass indicates a substantial reservoir of gas available for planet formation.
Conclusions:
- Hydrogen deuteride is an effective tracer for determining protoplanetary disk gas masses.
- The TW Hydrae disk possesses a mass sufficient for the formation of a solar system-like planetary system.
- This study refines mass estimation techniques for protoplanetary disks and provides insights into planet formation potential.
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