The Circumstellar Disk Mass Distribution in the Orion Trapezium Cluster

TL;DR

This study uses submillimeter observations to analyze the mass distribution of circumstellar disks in the Orion Trapezium Cluster, revealing similarities to other regions but with truncation likely due to photoevaporation, and assessing planet formation potential.

Contribution

First detailed submillimeter survey of disks in the Trapezium Cluster, providing insights into disk mass distribution and effects of UV radiation on disk evolution.

Findings

Disk mass distribution similar to Taurus-Auriga and rho Ophiuchus but truncated at 0.04 solar masses.

Disk mass and radius distributions consistent with formation ~1 Myr ago and subsequent photoevaporation.

11-13% of disks contain enough mass within 60 AU to form Solar Systems.

Abstract

We present the results of a submillimeter interferometric survey of circumstellar disks in the Trapezium Cluster of Orion. We observed the 880 micron continuum emission from 55 disks using the Submillimeter Array, and detected 28 disks above 3sigma significance with fluxes between 6-70 mJy and rms noise between 0.7-5.3 mJy. Dust masses and upper limits are derived from the submillimeter excess above free-free emission extrapolated from longer wavelength observations. Above our completeness limit of 0.0084 solar masses, the disk mass distribution is similar to that of Class II disks in Taurus-Auriga and rho Ophiuchus but is truncated at 0.04 solar masses. We show that the disk mass and radius distributions are consistent with the formation of the Trapezium Cluster disks ~1 Myr ago and subsequent photoevaporation by the ultraviolet radiation field from Theta-1 Ori C. The fraction of disks which contain a minimum mass solar nebula within 60 AU radius is estimated to be 11-13% in both Taurus and the Trapezium Cluster, which suggests the potential for forming Solar Systems is not compromised in this massive star forming region.