Direct imaging of bridged twin protoplanetary disks in a young multiple star.
Studies of the structure and evolution of protoplanetary disks are important for understanding star and planet formation. Here we present the direct image of an interacting binary protoplanetary system. Both circumprimary and circumsecondary disks are resolved in the near-infrared. There is a bridge of infrared emission connecting the two disks and a long spiral arm extending from the circumprimary disk. Numerical simulations show that the bridge corresponds to gas flow and a shock wave caused by the collision of gas rotating around the primary and secondary stars. Fresh material streams along the spiral arm, consistent with the theoretical scenarios in which gas is replenished from a circummultiple reservoir.
Mayama
Satoshi
S
The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Shonan International Village, Hayama-cho, Miura-gun, Kanagawa 240-0193, Japan. mayama_satoshi@soken.ac.jp
Tamura
Motohide
M
Hanawa
Tomoyuki
T
Matsumoto
Tomoaki
T
Ishii
Miki
M
Pyo
Tae-Soo
TS
Suto
Hiroshi
H
Naoi
Takahiro
T
Kudo
Tomoyuki
T
Hashimoto
Jun
J
Nishiyama
Shogo
S
Kuzuhara
Masayuki
M
Hayashi
Masahiko
M