Analysis of the young disk around WRAY 15-1880: does it contain a primitive planetary system?
Elisabetta Rigliaco, Raffaele Gratton, Silvano Desidera, Gabriele Columba, Enrico Grippi
astro-ph.SR, astro-ph.EP
Submitted: 2026-06-09
Comments: Accepted for publication by A&A on June 8th 2026, 15 pages, 13 figures
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
The gist: Observations of (giant) planets accreting material within their natal environment are crucial to constrain models for their formation.
Terminology
Abstract
Observations of (giant) planets accreting material within their natal environment are crucial to constrain models for their formation. WRAY 15-1880 (aka RX J1842.9-3532) in the Corona Australis (CrA) complex has a prominent pre-transitional disk, and an age of 2.8+-0.7 Myr, computed by comparison with isochrones using the accurate dynamical mass derived from disk kinematics. Hence, this star is in the late phases of disk evolution and might host accreting planets. We acquire new polarimetric imaging data with VLT-SPHERE and analyze archive observations taken with VLT-SPHERE, VLT-MUSE, and ALMA, finding a candidate Jupiter-like companion within the disk gap from high-contrast imaging. The mass estimates of the candidate companion, derived from various methods, are consistent with an object in the range of 0.3-7.6 MJup. The spectrum of the candidate companion is consistent with a T3 spectral type, in agreement with expectations of an object of a few Jupiter masses. We find an emission blob North-West of the star in the ALMA data rotating solidly with the candidate companion, that can be interpreted as a vortex/dust trap at the m=1 Lindblad resonance of the planet. Accretion on the candidate planet is not detected from the VLT-MUSE archival data. This may be due to insufficient contrast, an observational geometry that is unfavorable for viewing the planet's surface, or it could indicate that we are merely observing irregularities within the disk. Finally, we identify a microjet extending from the star perpendicular to the disk in these data.
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