We present the first high-resolution sub-mm survey of both dust and gas for a large population of protoplanetary disks. Characterizing fundamental properties of protoplanetary disks on a statistical level is critical to understanding how disks evolve into the diverse exoplanet population. We use ALMA to survey 89 protoplanetary disks around stars with M * > 0.1 M in the young (1-3 Myr), nearby (150-200 pc) Lupus complex. Our observations cover the 890 µm continuum and the 13 CO and C 18 O 3-2 lines. We use the sub-mm continuum to constrain M dust to a few Martian masses (0.2-0.4 M ⊕ ) and the CO isotopologue lines to constrain M gas to roughly a Jupiter mass (assuming ISM-like [CO]/[H 2 ] abundance). Of 89 sources, we detect 62 in continuum, 36 in 13 CO, and 11 in C 18 O at > 3σ significance. Stacking individually undetected sources limits their average dust mass to 6 Lunar masses (0.03 M ⊕ ), indicating rapid evolution once disk clearing begins. We find a positive correlation between M dust and M * , and present the first evidence for a positive correlation between M gas and M * , which may explain the dependence of giant planet frequency on host star mass. The mean dust mass in Lupus is 3× higher than in Upper Sco, while the dust mass distributions in Lupus and Taurus are statistically indistinguishable. Most detected disks have M gas 1 M Jup and gas-to-dust ratios < 100, assuming ISM-like [CO]/[H 2 ] abundance; unless CO is very depleted, the inferred gas depletion indicates that planet formation is well underway by a few Myr and may explain the unexpected prevalence of super-Earths in the exoplanet population.
We present ALMA Band 6 observations of a complete sample of protoplanetary disks in the young (∼1-3 Myr) Lupus star-forming region, covering the 1.33 mm continuum and the 12 CO, 13 CO, and C 18 O J = 2-1 lines. The spatial resolution is ∼ 0. 25 with a medium 3σ continuum sensitivity of 0.30 mJy, corresponding to M dust ∼ 0.2 M ⊕ . We apply "Keplerian masking" to enhance the signalto-noise ratios of our 12 CO zero-moment maps, enabling measurements of gas disk radii for 22 Lupus disks; we find that gas disks are universally larger than mm dust disks by a factor of two on average, likely due to a combination of the optically thick gas emission as well as the growth and inward drift of the dust. Using the gas disk radii, we calculate the dimensionless viscosity parameter, α visc , finding a broad distribution and no correlations with other disk or stellar parameters, suggesting that viscous processes have not yet established quasi-steady states in Lupus disks. By combining our 1.33 mm continuum fluxes with our previous 890 µm continuum observations, we also calculate the mm spectral index, α mm , for 70 Lupus disks; we find an anti-correlation between α mm and mm flux for low-mass disks (M dust 5), followed by a flattening as disks approach α mm ≈ 2, which could indicate faster grain growth in higher-mass disks, but may also reflect their larger optically thick components. In sum, this work demonstrates the continuous stream of new insights into disk evolution and planet formation that can be gleaned from unbiased ALMA disk surveys.
The σ Orionis cluster is important for studying protoplanetary disk evolution, as its intermediate age (3)(4)(5) is comparable to the median disk lifetime. We use ALMA to conduct a high-sensitivity survey of dust and gas in 92 protoplanetary disks around σ Orionis members with M * 0.1 M . Our observations cover the 1.33 mm continuum and several CO J = 2-1 lines: out of 92 sources, we detect 37 in the mm continuum and six in 12 CO, three in 13 CO, and none in C 18 O. Using the continuum emission to estimate dust mass, we find only 11 disks with M dust 10 M ⊕ , indicating that after only a few Myr of evolution most disks lack sufficient dust to form giant planet cores. Stacking the individually undetected continuum sources limits their average dust mass to 5× lower than that of the faintest detected disk, supporting theoretical models that indicate rapid dissipation once disk clearing begins. Comparing the protoplanetary disk population in σ Orionis to those of other star-forming regions supports the steady decline in average dust mass and the steepening of the M dust -M * relation with age; studying these evolutionary trends can inform the relative importance of different disk processes during key eras of planet formation. External photoevaporation from the central O9 star is influencing disk evolution throughout the region: dust masses clearly decline with decreasing separation from the photoionizing source, and the handful of CO detections exist at projected separations > 1.5 pc. Collectively, our findings indicate that giant planet formation is inherently rare and/or well underway by a few Myr of age.
Aims. The composition of planetary solids and gases is largely rooted in the processing of volatile elements in protoplanetary disks. To shed light on the key processes, we carry out a comparative analysis of the gas-phase carbon abundance in two systems with a similar age and disk mass, but different central stars: HD 100546 and TW Hya. Methods. We combine our recent detections of C 0 in these disks with observations of other carbon reservoirs (CO, C + , C 2 H) and gas-mass and warm-gas tracers (HD, O 0 ), as well as spatially resolved ALMA observations and the spectral energy distribution. The disks are modelled with the DALI 2D physical-chemical code. Stellar abundances for HD 100546 are derived from archival spectra. Results. Upper limits on HD emission from HD 100546 place an upper limit on the total disk mass of ≤0.1 M . The gas-phase carbon abundance in the atmosphere of this warm Herbig disk is, at most, moderately depleted compared to the interstellar medium, with [C]/[H] gas = (0.1−1.5) × 10 −4 . HD 100546 itself is a λ Boötis star, with solar abundances of C and O but a strong depletion of rockforming elements. In the gas of the T Tauri disk TW Hya, both C and O are strongly underabundant, with [C]/[H] gas = (0.2−5.0)×10 −6 and C/O > 1. We discuss evidence that the gas-phase C and O abundances are high in the warm inner regions of both disks. Our analytical model, including vertical mixing and a grain size distribution, reproduces the observed [C]/[H] gas in the outer disk of TW Hya and allows to make predictions for other systems.
Context. An era has started in which gas and dust can be observed independently in protoplanetary disks, thanks to the recent surveys with the Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA). The first near-complete high-resolution disk survey in both dust and gas in a single star-forming region has been carried out in Lupus, finding surprisingly low gas-to-dust ratios. Aims. The goal of this work is to fully exploit CO isotopologue observations in Lupus, comparing them with physical-chemical model results, in order to obtain gas masses for a large number of disks and compare gas and dust properties. Methods. We have employed the grid of physical-chemical models presented previously to analyze continuum and CO isotopologue ( 13 CO J = 3−2 and C 18 O J = 3−2) observations of Lupus disks, including isotope-selective processes and freeze-out. We also employed the ALMA 13 CO-only detections to calculate disk gas masses for a total of 34 sources, which expands the sample of 10 disks reported earlier, where C 18 O was also detected. Results. We confirm that overall gas-masses are very low, often lower than 1M J , when volatile carbon is not depleted. Accordingly, global gas-to-dust ratios are much lower than the expected interstellar-medium value of 100, which is predominantly between 1 and 10. Low CO-based gas masses and gas-to-dust ratios may indicate rapid loss of gas, or alternatively chemical evolution, for example, through sequestering of carbon from CO to more complex molecules, or carbon locked up in larger bodies. Conclusions. Current ALMA observations of 13 CO and continuum emission cannot distinguish between these two hypotheses. We have simulated both scenarios, but chemical model results do not allow us to rule out one of the two, pointing to the need to calibrate CO-based masses with other tracers. Assuming that all Lupus disks have evolved mainly as a result of viscous processes over the past few Myr, the previously observed correlation between the current mass accretion rate and dust mass implies a constant gas-to-dust ratio, which is close to 100 based on the observed M disk /Ṁ acc ratio. This in turn points to a scenario in which carbon depletion is responsible for the low luminosities of the CO isotopologue line.
The protoplanetary system HD 169142 is one of the few cases where a potential candidate protoplanet has recently been detected by direct imaging in the near-infrared. To study the interaction between the protoplanet and the disk itself, observations of the gas and dust surface density structure are needed. This paper reports new ALMA observations of the dust continuum at 1.3 mm, 12 CO, 13 CO, and C 18 O J = 2−1 emission from the system HD 169142 (which is observed almost face-on) at an angular resolution of ∼0 . 3 × 0 . 2 (∼35 × 20 au). The dust continuum emission reveals a double-ring structure with an inner ring between 0 . 17−0 . 28 (∼20−35 au) and an outer ring between 0 . 48−0 . 64 (∼56−83 au). The size and position of the inner ring is in good agreement with previous polarimetric observations in the near-infrared and is consistent with dust trapping by a massive planet. No dust emission is detected inside the inner dust cavity (R 20 au) or within the dust gap (∼35−56 au) down to the noise level. In contrast, the channel maps of the J = 2−1 line of the three CO isotopologs reveal gas inside the dust cavity and dust gap. The gaseous disk is also much larger than the compact dust emission; it extends to ∼1 . 5 (∼180 au) in radius. This difference and the sharp drop of the continuum emission at large radii point to radial drift of large dust grains (>µm size). Using the thermo-chemical disk code dali, we modeled the continuum and the CO isotopolog emission to quantitatively measure the gas and dust surface densities. The resulting gas surface density is reduced by a factor of ∼30−40 inward of the dust gap. The gas and dust distribution indicate that two giant planets shape the disk structure through dynamical clearing (dust cavity and gap) and dust trapping (double-ring dust distribution).
Context. One of the methods for deriving disk masses relies on direct observations of the gas, whose bulk mass is in the outer cold regions (T 30 K). This zone can be well traced by rotational lines of less abundant CO isotopologues such as 13 CO, C 18 O, and C 17 O, which probe the gas down to the midplane. The total CO gas mass is then obtained with the isotopologue ratios taken to be constant at the elemental isotope values found in the local interstellar medium. This approach is imprecise, however, because isotope-selective processes are ignored. Aims. The aim of this work is an isotopologue-selective treatment of CO isotopologues, to obtain a more accurate determination of disk masses. Methods. The isotope-selective photodissociation, the main process controlling the abundances of CO isotopologues in the CO-emissive layer, is properly treated for the first time in a full-disk model. The chemistry, thermal balance, line, and continuum radiative transfer are all considered together with a chemical network that treats 13 The results of this work show that considering CO isotopologue ratios as constants can lead to underestimating disk masses by up to an order of magnitude or more if grains have grown to larger sizes. This may explain observed discrepancies in mass determinations from different tracers. The dependence of the various isotopologue emission on stellar and disk parameters is investigated to set the framework for the analysis of ALMA data. Conclusions. Including CO isotope selective processes is crucial for determining the gas mass of the disk accurately (through ALMA observations) and thus for providing the amount of gas that may eventually form planets or change the dynamics of forming planetary systems.
A relation between the mass accretion rate onto the central young star and the mass of the surrounding protoplanetary disk has long been theoretically predicted and observationally sought. For the first time, we have accurately and homogeneously determined the photospheric parameters, mass accretion rate, and disk mass for an essentially complete sample of young stars with disks in the Lupus clouds. Our work combines the results of surveys conducted with VLT/X-Shooter and ALMA. With this dataset we are able to test a basic prediction of viscous accretion theory, the existence of a linear relation between the mass accretion rate onto the central star and the total disk mass. We find a correlation between the mass accretion rate and the disk dust mass, with a ratio that is roughly consistent with the expected viscous timescale when assuming an interstellar medium gas-to-dust ratio. This confirms that mass accretion rates are related to the properties of the outer disk. We find no correlation between mass accretion rates and the disk mass measured by CO isotopologues emission lines, possibly owing to the small number of measured disk gas masses. This suggests that the mm-sized dust mass better traces the total disk mass and that masses derived from CO may be underestimated, at least in some cases.
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