A bright inner disk and structures in the transition disk around the very low-mass star CIDA 1

TL;DR

This study uses ALMA and VLT observations to analyze the structure of the protoplanetary disk around the very low-mass star CIDA 1, revealing a bright inner disk, a large cavity, and complex dust morphology, challenging existing models of disk evolution and planet formation.

Contribution

First detailed high-resolution observations of a transition disk around a very low-mass star, providing new insights into disk structure and planet-disk interactions.

Findings

Bright unresolved inner disk detected

Large 20au cavity confirmed

Low spectral index challenges dust evolution models

Abstract

Observations of protoplanetary disks around very low-mass stars and brown dwarfs remain challenging and little is known about their properties. The disk around CIDA1 ($\sim$0.1-0.2$M_\odot$) is one of the very few known disks that host a large cavity (20au radius in size) around a very low-mass star. We present new ALMA observations at Band7 (0.9mm) and Band4 (2.1mm) of CIDA1 with a resolution of $\sim 0.05''\times 0.034''$. These new ALMA observations reveal a very bright and unresolved inner disk, a shallow spectral index of the dust emission ($\sim2$), and a complex morphology of a ring located at 20au. We also present X-Shooter (VLT) observations that confirm the high accretion rate of CIDA1 of $\dot{M}_{\rm acc}$=1.4 $\times~10^{-8}M_\odot$/yr. This high value of $\dot{M}_{\rm acc}$, the observed inner disk, and the large cavity of 20au exclude models of photo-evaporation to explain the observed cavity. When comparing these observations with models that combine planet-disk interaction, dust evolution, and radiative transfer, we exclude planets more massive than 0.5$M_{\rm{Jup}}$ as the potential origin of the large cavity because with these it is difficult to maintain a long-lived and bright inner disk. Even in this planet mass regime, an additional physical process may be needed to stop the particles from migrating inwards and to maintain a bright inner disk on timescales of millions of years. Such mechanisms include a trap formed by a very close-in extra planet or the inner edge of a dead zone. The low spectral index of the disk around CIDA1 is difficult to explain and challenges our current dust evolution models, in particular processes like fragmentation, growth, and diffusion of particles inside pressure bumps.