Context. The key question about early protostellar evolution is how matter is accreted from the large-scale molecular cloud, through the circumstellar disk onto the central star. Aims. We constrain the masses of the envelopes, disks, and central stars of a sample of low-mass protostars and compare the results to theoretical models for the evolution of young stellar objects through the early protostellar stages. Methods. A sample of 20 Class 0 and I protostars has been observed in continuum at (sub)millimeter wavelengths at high angular resolution (typically 2 ) with the submillimeter array. Using detailed dust radiative transfer models of the interferometric data, as well as single-dish continuum observations, we have developed a framework for disentangling the continuum emission from the envelopes and disks, and from that estimated their masses. For the Class I sources in the sample HCO + 3-2 line emission was furthermore observed with the submillimeter array. Four of these sources show signs of Keplerian rotation, making it possible to determine the masses of the central stars. In the other sources the disks are masked by optically thick envelope and outflow emission. Results. Both Class 0 and I protostars are surrounded by disks with typical masses of about 0.05 M , although significant scatter is seen in the derived disk masses for objects within both evolutionary stages. No evidence is found for a correlation between the disk mass and evolutionary stage of the young stellar objects. This contrasts the envelope mass, which decreases sharply from ∼1 M in the Class 0 stage to < ∼ 0.1 M in the Class I stage. Typically, the disks have masses that are 1-10% of the corresponding envelope masses in the Class 0 stage and 20-60% in the Class I stage. For the Class I sources for which Keplerian rotation is seen, the central stars contain 70-98% of the total mass in the star-disk-envelope system, confirming that these objects are late in their evolution through the embedded protostellar stages, with most of the material from the ambient envelope accreted onto the central star. Theoretical models tend to overestimate the disk masses relative to the stellar masses in the late Class I stage. Conclusions. The results argue in favor of a picture in which circumstellar disks are formed early during the protostellar evolution (although these disks are not necessarily rotationally supported) and rapidly process material accreted from the larger scale envelope onto the central star.

Aims. We present a panchromatic study, involving a multiple technique approach, of the circumstellar disc surrounding the T Tauri star IM Lupi (Sz 82). Methods. We have undertaken a comprehensive observational study of IM Lupi using photometry, spectroscopy, millimetre interferometry and multi-wavelength imaging. For the first time, the disc is resolved from optical and near-infrared wavelengths in scattered light, to the millimetre regime in thermal emission. Our data-set, in conjunction with existing photometric data, provides an extensive coverage of the spectral energy distribution, including a detailed spectrum of the silicate emission bands. We have performed a simultaneous modelling of the various observations, using the radiative transfer code MCFOST, and analysed a grid of models over a large fraction of the parameter space via Bayesian inference. Results. We have constructed a model that can reproduce all of the observations of the disc. Our analysis illustrates the importance of combining a wide range of observations in order to fully constrain the disc model, with each observation providing a strong constraint only on some aspects of the disc structure and dust content. Quantitative evidence of dust evolution in the disc is obtained: grain growth up to millimetre-sized particles, vertical stratification of dust grains with micrometric grains close to the disc surface and larger grains which have settled towards the disc midplane, and possibly the formation of fluffy aggregates and/or ice mantles around grains.

Context. Young stars are born with envelopes, which in the early stages obscure the central (proto)star and circumstellar disk. In the Class I stage, the disks are still young, but the envelopes are largely dispersed. This makes the Class I sources ideal targets for studies of the early stages of disks. Aims. We aim to determine the masses of the envelopes, disks, and central stars of young stellar objects (YSOs) in the Class I stage. Methods. We observed the embedded Class I objects IRS 63 and Elias 29 in the ρ Ophiuchi star-forming region with the Submillimeter Array (SMA) at 1.1 mm. Results. IRS 63 and Elias 29 are both clearly detected in the continuum, with peak fluxes of 459 and 47 mJy/beam, respectively. The continuum emission toward Elias 29 is clearly resolved, whereas IRS 63 is consistent with a point source down to a scale of 3 (400 AU). The SMA data are combined with single-dish data, and both disk masses of 0.055 and ≤0.007 M and envelope masses of 0.058 and ≤0.058 M are empirically determined for IRS 63 and Elias 29, respectively. The disk+envelope systems are modelled with the axisymmetric radiative-transfer code RADMC, yielding disk and envelope masses that differ from the empirical results by factors of a few. HCO + J = 3-2 is detected toward both sources, HCN J = 3-2 is not. The HCO + position-velocity diagrams are indicative of Keplerian rotation and allow an estimate of the mass of the central stars. For a fiducial inclination of 30• , we find stellar masses of 0.37 ± 0.13 for IRS 63 and 2.5 ± 0.6 M for Elias 29. Conclusions. The sensitivity and spatial resolution of the SMA at 1.1 mm allow a good separation of the disks around Class I YSOs from their circumstellar envelopes and environments, and the spectral resolution makes it possible to resolve their dynamical structure and estimate the masses of the central stars. The ratios of the envelope and disk masses M env /M disk are found to be 0.2 for IRS 63 and 6 for Elias 29. This is lower than the values for Class 0 sources, which have M env /M disk ≥ 10, suggesting that this ratio is a tracer of the evolutionary stage of a YSO.

Context. Low-mass stars form with disks in which the coagulation of grains may eventually lead to the formation of planets. It is not known when and where grain growth occurs, as models that explain the observations are often degenerate. A way to break this degeneracy is to resolve the sources under study. Aims. Our aim is to find evidence for the existence of grains of millimetre sizes in disks around T Tauri stars, implying grain growth. Methods. The Australia Telescope Compact Array (ATCA) was used to observe 15 southern T Tauri stars, five in the constellation Lupus and ten in Chamaeleon, at 3.3 mm. The five Lupus sources were also observed with the SubMillimeter Array (SMA) at 1.4 mm. Our new data are complemented with data from the literature to determine the slopes of the spectral energy distributions in the millimetre regime. Results. Ten sources were detected at better than 3σ with the ATCA, with σ ≈ 1-2 mJy, and all sources that were observed with the SMA were detected at better than 15σ, with σ ≈ 4 mJy. Six of the sources in our sample are resolved to physical radii of ∼100 AU. Assuming that the emission from such large disks is predominantly optically thin, the millimetre slope can be related directly to the opacity index. For the other sources, the opacity indices are lower limits. Four out of six resolved sources have opacity indices < ∼ 1, indicating grain growth to millimetre sizes and larger. The masses of the disks range from <0.01 to 0.08 M , which is comparable to the minimum mass solar nebula. A tentative correlation is found between the millimetre slope and the strength and shape of the 10-µm silicate feature, indicating that grain growth occurs on similar (short) timescales in both the inner and outer disk.

Astrophysics ABSTRACTContext. Young stars are formed with dusty discs around them. The dust grains in the disc are originally of the same size as interstellar dust, i.e., of the order of 0.1 μm. Models predict that these grains will grow in size through coagulation. Observations of the silicate features around 10 and 20 μm are consistent with growth from submicron to micron sizes in selected sources whereas the slope of the spectral energy distribution (SED) at mm and cm wavelengths traces growth up to mm sizes and larger. Aims. We here look for a correlation between these two grain growth indicators. Methods. A large sample of T-Tauri and Herbig-Ae/Be stars, spread over the star-forming regions in Chamaeleon, Lupus, Serpens, Corona Australis, and the Gum nebula in Vela, was observed with the Spitzer Space Telescope at 5−13 μm, and a subsample was observed with the SMA, ATCA, CARMA, and VLA at mm wavelengths. We complement this subsample with data from the literature to maximise the overlap between μm and mm observations and search for correlations in the grain-growth signatures. Synthetic spectra are produced to determine which processes may produce the dust evolution observed in protoplanetary discs. Results. Dust disc masses in the range <1 to 7 × 10 −4 M are obtained. The majority of the sources have a mm spectral slope consistent with grain growth. There is a tentative correlation between the strength and the shape of the 10-μm silicate feature and the slope of the SED between 1 and 3 mm. The observed sources seem to be grouped per star-forming region in the 10-μm-feature vs. mmslope diagram. The modelling results show that, if only the maximum grain size is increased, first the 10-μm feature becomes flatter and subsequently the mm slope becomes shallower. To explain the sources with the shallowest mm slopes, a grain size distribution shallower than that of the interstellar medium is required. Furthermore, the strongest 10-μm features can only be explained with bright (L ∼ 6 L ), hot (T eff = 4000 K) central stars. Settling of larger grains towards the disc midplane results in a stronger 10-μm feature, but has a very limited effect on the mm slope. Conclusions. A tentative correlation between the strength of the 10-μm feature and the mm slope is found, which would imply that the inner and outer disc evolve simultaneously. Dust with a mass dominated by large, ∼mm-sized, grains is required to explain the shallowest mm slopes. Other processes besides grain growth, such as the clearing of an inner disc by binary interaction, may also be responsible for the removal of small grains. Observations with future telescopes with larger bandwidths or collecting areas are required to provide the necessary statistics to study these processes of disc and dust evolution.