Discovery of an Edge-on Circumstellar Debris Disk Around BD+45$^{\circ}$598: a Newly Identifed Member of the $β$ Pictoris Moving Group

Abstract

We report the discovery of a circumstellar debris disk viewed nearly edge-on and associated with the young, K1 star BD+45 • 598 using high-contrast imaging at 2.2 µm obtained at the W.M. Keck Observatory. We detect the disk in scattered light with a peak significance of ∼5σ over three epochs, and our best-fit model of the disk is an almost edge-on ∼70 AU ring, with inclination angle ∼87 • . Using the NOEMA interferometer at the Plateau de Bure Observatory operating at 1.3 mm, we find resolved continuum emission aligned with the ring structure seen in the 2.2 µm images. We estimate a fractional infrared luminosity of L IR /L tot 6 +2 −1 × 10 −4 , higher than that of the debris disk around AU Mic. Several characteristics of BD+45 • 598, such as its galactic space motion, placement in a colormagnitude diagram, and strong presence of Lithium, are all consistent with its membership in the β Pictoris Moving Group with an age of 23 ± 3 Myr. However, the galactic position for BD+45 • 598 is slightly discrepant from previously-known members of the β Pictoris Moving Group, possibly indicating an extension of members of this moving group to distances of at least 70 pc. BD+45 • 598 appears to be an example from a population of young circumstellar debris systems associated with newly identified members of young moving groups that can be imaged in scattered light, key objects for mapping out the early evolution of planetary systems from ∼10-100 Myr. This target will also be ideal for northern-hemisphere, high-contrast imaging platforms to search for self-luminous, planetary mass companions residing in this system.

Disks in Nearby Young Stellar Associations Found Via Virtual Reality

“…We found it to be a bit of an outlier based on its position, but a good match to β Pictoris based on its velocity. Overall, the quality of the match looks acceptable, so we support the conclusion ofMoór et al (2011) andHinkley et al (2021).…”

A Dual-Wavelength Study Of The Vertical Structure Of The AU Microscopii Debris Disk

“…Other debris disk candidates which are bright and close to edge-on include the disk around β Pictoris (e.g. Smith & Terrile 1984;Matrà et al 2019;Janson et al 2021) and the recently discovered disk around BD+45 • 598 (Hinkley et al 2021). If these candidates could be observed at both high resolution, necessary to resolve their vertical structures, and at multiple wavelengths such that the relationship between observed wavelengths and disk aspect ratio is significant, then their collisional cascades could be parametrized in a similar fashion to the work described in this thesis.…”