Dust masses of young disks: constraining the initial solid reservoir for planet formation

TL;DR

This study measures dust masses in young star disks using ALMA and VLA data, showing they contain enough material to form massive exoplanets, supporting early planet formation theories.

Contribution

It provides the first robust estimates of dust masses in embedded disks, demonstrating they are sufficient for forming observed giant exoplanets and constraining the timing of planet formation.

Findings

Median dust masses are 158 M⊕ (Class 0) and 52 M⊕ (Class I) from VLA data.

Young disks have at least 10 times more dust than Class II disks.

Solid content in young disks can explain giant exoplanets with 15-30% formation efficiency.

Abstract

In recent years evidence has been building that planet formation starts early, in the first $\sim$ 0.5 Myr. Studying the dust masses available in young disks enables understanding the origin of planetary systems since mature disks are lacking the solid material necessary to reproduce the observed exoplanetary systems, especially the massive ones. We aim to determine if disks in the embedded stage of star formation contain enough dust to explain the solid content of the most massive exoplanets. We use Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) Band 6 observations of embedded disks in the Perseus star-forming region together with Very Large Array (VLA) Ka-band (9 mm) data to provide a robust estimate of dust disk masses from the flux densities. Using the DIANA opacity model including large grains, with a dust opacity value of $\kappa_{\rm 9\ mm}$ = 0.28 cm$^{2}$ g$^{-1}$, the median dust masses of the embedded disks in Perseus are 158 M$_\oplus$ for Class 0 and 52 M$_\oplus$ for Class I from the VLA fluxes. The lower limits on the median masses from ALMA fluxes are 47 M$_\oplus$ and 12 M$_\oplus$ for Class 0 and Class I, respectively, obtained using the maximum dust opacity value $\kappa_{\rm 1.3mm}$ = 2.3 cm$^{2}$ g$^{-1}$. The dust masses of young Class 0 and I disks are larger by at least a factor of 10 and 3, respectively, compared with dust masses inferred for Class II disks in Lupus and other regions. The dust masses of Class 0 and I disks in Perseus derived from the VLA data are high enough to produce the observed exoplanet systems with efficiencies acceptable by planet formation models: the solid content in observed giant exoplanets can be explained if planet formation starts in Class 0 phase with an efficiency of $\sim$ 15%. Higher efficiency of $\sim$ 30% is necessary if the planet formation is set to start in Class I disks.