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arXiv · 2005.01652

Tidal Interaction between the UX Tauri Disk A/C System Revealed by ALMA

Luis A. Zapata·Luis F. Rodrí guez·Manuel Fernández-López·Aina Palau·Robert Estalella·Mayra Osorio·Guillem Anglada·Nuria Huelamo
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Abstract

We present sensitive and high angular resolution ($\sim$0.2-0.3$''$) (sub)millimeter (230 and 345 GHz) continuum and CO(2$-$1)/CO(3$-$2) line archive observations of the disk star system in UX Tauri carried out with ALMA (The Atacama Large Millimeter/Submillimeter Array). These observations reveal the gas and dusty disk surrounding the young star UX Tauri A with a large signal-to-noise ratio ($>$400 in the continuum and $>$50 in the line), and for the first time is detected the molecular gas emission associated with the disk of UX Tauri C (with a size for the disk of $<$56 au). No (sub)millimeter continuum emission is detected at 5$σ$-level (0.2 mJy at 0.85 mm) associated with UX Tauri C. For the component UX Tauri C, we estimate a dust disk mass of $\leq$ 0.05 M$_\oplus$. Additionally, we report a strong tidal disk interaction between both disks UX Tauri A/C, separated 360 au in projected distance. The CO line observations reveal marked spiral arms in the disk of UX Tauri A and an extended redshifted stream of gas associated with the UX Tauri C disk. No spiral arms are observed in the dust continuum emission of UX Tauri A. Assuming a Keplerian rotation we estimate the enclosed masses (disk$+$star) from their radial velocities in 1.4 $\pm$ 0.6 M$_\odot$ for UX Tauri A, and 70 $\pm$ 30 / $\sin i$ Jupiter masses for UX Tauri C (the latter coincides with the mass upper limit value for a brown dwarf). The observational evidence presented here lead us to propose that UX Tauri C is having a close approach of a possible wide, evolving and eccentric orbit around the disk of UX Tauri A causing the formation of spiral arms and the stream of molecular gas falling towards UX Tauri C.

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Luis A. Zapata, Luis F. Rodrí guez, Manuel Fernández-López, Aina Palau, Robert Estalella, Mayra Osorio, Guillem Anglada, Nuria Huelamo. 2020-05-04. Tidal Interaction between the UX Tauri Disk A/C System Revealed by ALMA. https://arxiv.org/abs/2005.01652

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