An inner warp in the DoAr 44 T Tauri transition disk

TL;DR

This study reveals a warped inner disk in the DoAr 44 T Tauri transition disk through polarized imaging and radio observations, showing deep shadows and constraining the warp geometry with radiative transfer models.

Contribution

First detection of a warped inner disk in DoAr 44 using combined polarized imaging and radio data, providing detailed warp geometry constraints.

Findings

Deep shadows in polarized light indicate a warped inner disk.

Radio observations show shallower intensity drops compared to polarized light.

Radiative transfer models suggest an inner disk tilt of about 30 degrees.

Abstract

Optical/IR images of transition disks (TDs) have revealed deep intensity decrements in the rings of HAeBes HD142527 and HD100453, that can be interpreted as shadowing from sharply tilted inner disks, such that the outer disks are directly exposed to stellar light. Here we report similar dips in SPHERE+IRDIS differential polarized imaging (DPI) of TTauri DoAr44. With a fairly axially symmetric ring in the submm radio continuum, DoAr44 is likely also a warped system. We constrain the warp geometry by comparing radiative transfer predictions with the DPI data in H band (Q_\phi(H)) and with a re-processing of archival 336GHz ALMA observations. The observed DPI shadows have coincident radio counterparts, but the intensity drops are much deeper in Q_\phi(H) (~88%), compared to the shallow drops at 336GHz (~24%). Radiative transfer predictions with an inner disk tilt of ~30+-5deg approximately account for the observations. ALMA long-baseline observations should allow the observation of the warped gas kinematics inside the cavity of DoAr44.