ALMA detection of a tentative nearly edge-on rotating disk around the nearby AGB star R~Doradus

TL;DR

This study reports ALMA observations of a nearly edge-on rotating disk around the AGB star R Doradus, revealing a potential wind-companion interaction and a possible planetary companion within the disk.

Contribution

First detection and modeling of a differentially rotating disk around R Doradus, suggesting wind-companion interactions and potential planetary companions in the system.

Findings

Detection of a compact rotating disk nearly edge-on.

Estimation of disk mass and angular momentum.

Identification of a possible planetary companion.

Abstract

A spectral scan of the circumstellar environment of the asymptotic giant branch (AGB) star R~Doradus was taken with ALMA in cycle 2 at frequencies between 335 and 362 GHz and with a spatial resolution of $\sim$150 milliarcseconds. Many molecular lines show a spatial offset between the blue and red shifted emission in the innermost regions of the wind. The position-velocity diagrams of this feature, in combination with previous SPHERE data and theoretical work point towards the presence of a compact differentially rotating disk, orientated nearly edge-on. We model the $^{\rm 28}$SiO ($v=1,~J=8\to7$) emission with a disk model. We estimate the disk mass and angular momentum to be $3 \times 10^{-6}$ Solar masses and $5 \times 10^{40}\ {\rm m^2 kg/s}$. The latter presents an `angular momentum problem' that may be solved by assuming that the disk is the result of wind-companion interactions with a companion of at least 2.5 earth masses, located at 6 AU, the tentatively determined location of the disk's inner rim. An isolated clump of emission is detected to the south-east with a velocity that is high compared to the previously determined terminal velocity of the wind. Its position and mean velocity suggest that it may be associated with a companion planet, located at the disk's inner rim.