JWST-TSTHigh Contrast: Asymmetries, Dust Populations, and Hints of a Collision in the β Pictoris Disk with NIRCam and MIRI

Authors

Isabel Rebollido, CSIC-INTA - Centro de Astrobiología (CAB)
Christopher C. Stark, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Jens Kammerer, Space Telescope Science Institute
Marshall D. Perrin, Space Telescope Science Institute
Kellen Lawson, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
Laurent Pueyo, Space Telescope Science Institute
Christine Chen, Space Telescope Science Institute
Dean Hines, Space Telescope Science Institute
Julien H. Girard, Space Telescope Science Institute
Kadin Worthen, Johns Hopkins University
Carl Ingerbretsen, Johns Hopkins University
Sarah Betti, Space Telescope Science Institute
Mark Clampin, National Aeronautics and Space Administration
David Golimowski, Space Telescope Science Institute
Kielan Hoch, Space Telescope Science Institute
Nikole K. Lewis, Cornell University
Cicero X. Lu, Gemini Observatory
Roeland P. van der Marel, Space Telescope Science Institute
Emily Rickman, European Space Agency - ESA
Sara Seager, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Rémi Soummer, Space Telescope Science Institute
Jeff A. Valenti, Space Telescope Science Institute
Kimberly Ward-Duong, Smith CollegeFollow
C. Matt Mountain, Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy

Author ORCID Identifier

Kimberly Ward-Duong: 0000-0002-4479-8291

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2-1-2024

Publication Title

Astronomical Journal

Abstract

We present the first JWST Mid-Infrared Instrument (MIRI) and Near Infrared Camera (NIRCam) observations of the prominent debris disk around β Pictoris. Coronagraphic observations in eight filters spanning from 1.8 to 23 μm provide an unprecedentedly clear view of the disk at these wavelengths. The objectives of the observing program were to investigate the dust composition and distribution and to investigate the presence of planets in the system. In this paper, we focus on the disk components, providing surface brightness measurements for all images and a detailed investigation of the asymmetries observed. A companion paper by Kammerer et al. will focus on the planets in this system using the same data. We report for the first time the presence of an extended secondary disk in thermal emission, with a curved extension bent away from the plane of the disk. This feature, which we refer to as the “cat’s tail,” seems to be connected with the previously reported CO clump, mid-infrared asymmetry detected on the southwest side of the disk, and the warp observed in scattered light. We present a model of this secondary disk sporadically producing dust that broadly reproduces the morphology, flux, and color of the cat’s tail, as well as other features observed in the disk, and which suggests the secondary disk is composed largely of porous, organic refractory dust grains.

Volume

167

Issue

2

DOI

10.3847/1538-3881/ad1759

ISSN

00046256

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Rights

© 2024 The Authors

Comments

Archived as published.

Recommended Citation

Rebollido, Isabel; Stark, Christopher C.; Kammerer, Jens; Perrin, Marshall D.; Lawson, Kellen; Pueyo, Laurent; Chen, Christine; Hines, Dean; Girard, Julien H.; Worthen, Kadin; Ingerbretsen, Carl; Betti, Sarah; Clampin, Mark; Golimowski, David; Hoch, Kielan; Lewis, Nikole K.; Lu, Cicero X.; van der Marel, Roeland P.; Rickman, Emily; Seager, Sara; Soummer, Rémi; Valenti, Jeff A.; Ward-Duong, Kimberly; and Mountain, C. Matt, "JWST-TSTHigh Contrast: Asymmetries, Dust Populations, and Hints of a Collision in the β Pictoris Disk with NIRCam and MIRI" (2024). Astronomy: Faculty Publications, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/ast_facpubs/142