Images of Embedded Jovian Planet Formation at a Wide Separation around AB Aurigae

Authors

• Thayne Currie, National Institutes of Natural Sciences - National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
• Kellen Lawson, University of Oklahoma
• Glenn Schneider, The University of Arizona
• Wladimir Lyra, New Mexico State University
• John Wisniewski, University of Oklahoma
• Carol Grady, Eureka Scientific, Inc.
• Olivier Guyon, National Institutes of Natural Sciences - National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
• Motohide Tamura, Astrobiology Center
• Takayuki Kotani, Astrobiology Center
• Hajime Kawahara, The University of Tokyo
• Timothy Brandt, University of California, Santa Barbara
• Taichi Uyama, Infrared Processing & Analysis Center
• Takayuki Muto, Kogakuin University
• Ruobing Dong, University of Victoria
• Tomoyuki Kudo, National Institutes of Natural Sciences - National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
• Jun Hashimoto, National Institutes of Natural Sciences - National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
• Misato Fukagawa, National Institutes of Natural Sciences - National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
• Kevin Wagner, The University of Arizona
• Julien Lozi, National Institutes of Natural Sciences - National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
• Jeffrey Chilcote, University of Notre Dame
• Taylor Tobin, University of Notre Dame
• Tyler Groff, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
• Kimberly Ward-Duong, Space Telescope Science InstituteFollow
• William Januszewski, Space Telescope Science Institute
• Barnaby Norris, The University of Sydney
• Peter Tuthill, The University of Sydney
• Nienke van der Marel, Sterrewacht Leiden
• Michael Sitko, Space Science Institute
• Vincent Deo, National Institutes of Natural Sciences - National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
• Sebastien Vievard, National Institutes of Natural Sciences - National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
• Nemanja Jovanovic, California Institute of Technology
• Frantz Martinache, Observatoire de la Côte d'Azur

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-1-2022

Publication Title

Nature Astronomy

Abstract

Direct images of protoplanets embedded in disks around infant stars provide the key to understanding the formation of gas giant planets such as Jupiter. Using the Subaru Telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope, we find evidence for a Jovian protoplanet around AB Aurigae orbiting at a wide projected separation (~93 au), probably responsible for multiple planet-induced features in the disk. Its emission is reproducible as reprocessed radiation from an embedded protoplanet. We also identify two structures located at 430–580 au that are candidate sites of planet formation. These data reveal planet formation in the embedded phase and a protoplanet discovery at wide, >50 au separations characteristic of most imaged exoplanets. With at least one clump-like protoplanet and multiple spiral arms, the AB Aur system may also provide the evidence for a long-considered alternative to the canonical model for Jupiter’s formation, namely disk (gravitational) instability.

Volume

6

Issue

6

First Page

751

Last Page

759

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41550-022-01634-x

Version

Author's Accepted Manuscript

Recommended Citation

Currie, Thayne; Lawson, Kellen; Schneider, Glenn; Lyra, Wladimir; Wisniewski, John; Grady, Carol; Guyon, Olivier; Tamura, Motohide; Kotani, Takayuki; Kawahara, Hajime; Brandt, Timothy; Uyama, Taichi; Muto, Takayuki; Dong, Ruobing; Kudo, Tomoyuki; Hashimoto, Jun; Fukagawa, Misato; Wagner, Kevin; Lozi, Julien; Chilcote, Jeffrey; Tobin, Taylor; Groff, Tyler; Ward-Duong, Kimberly; Januszewski, William; Norris, Barnaby; Tuthill, Peter; van der Marel, Nienke; Sitko, Michael; Deo, Vincent; Vievard, Sebastien; Jovanovic, Nemanja; and Martinache, Frantz, "Images of Embedded Jovian Planet Formation at a Wide Separation around AB Aurigae" (2022). Astronomy: Faculty Publications, Smith College, Northampton, MA.
https://scholarworks.smith.edu/ast_facpubs/96