HD100546 Multi-Epoch Scattered-Light Observations

TL;DR

This study presents multi-epoch polarimetric imaging of the HD100546 disk, revealing new structures, constraining disk geometry, and detecting the disk in L-band for the first time, advancing understanding of planet-forming environments.

Contribution

First detection of the disk in L-band polarimetric imaging and detailed analysis of its structure and scattering properties across multiple wavelengths.

Findings

Detected the disk in L-band PDI for the first time.

Constrained the inner hole radius to 14±2 AU and its eccentricity to <0.133.

Identified a spiral arm and brightness asymmetries related to potential planetary companions.

Abstract

We present H, Ks and L filter polarimetric differential imaging (PDI) data for the transitional disk around HD100546 obtained in 2013, together with an improved re-reduction of previously published 2006 data. We reveal the disk in polarized scattered light in all three filters, achieving an inner working angle of 0.1 arcsec. Additional, short-exposure observations in the H and Ks filter probe the surrounding of the star down to about 0.03 (about 3 AU). HD100546 is fascinating because of its variety of sub-structures possibly related to forming planets in the disk, and PDI is currently the best technique to image them in the near-IR. Our key results are: (1) For the first time ever, we detect a disk in L-band PDI data. (2) We constrain the outer radius of the inner hole to 14pm2 AU and its eccentricity to < 0.133. (3) We detect a dark lane in the front side of the disk, which is likely an effect of the scattering angle and the scattering function of the grains. (4) We find a spiral arm in the northeast which has no obvious connection to spiral arms seen before by other authors further out in the disk, but winds in the same direction (clockwise). (5) The two bright scattering peaks along the semi-major axis are asymmetric, with the southeastern one being significantly brighter. This could be related to the inner companion candidate that is close to the brighter side of the disk at the time of the observations. (6) The scattering color is close to grey between H and Ks filter, but the scattering in L filter is significantly weaker. (7) We measure the position angle of the disk to be 138pm3 deg, consistent with previous observations. (8) We derive the dust scattering function in the H and Ks filter between 35 and 130 deg at two different radii (30-50 and 80-110 AU) and show that our results are consistent with a disk that is more strongly flared in the outer regions.