A Multi-Wavelength Study of the Highly Asymmetrical Debris Disk Around HD 111520

TL;DR

This study uses multi-wavelength near-infrared and HST observations to analyze the highly asymmetrical debris disk around HD 111520, revealing brightness, radial, and color asymmetries, and suggesting possible planetary influence or recent impact events.

Contribution

It provides a detailed empirical analysis of the disk's asymmetries across multiple wavelengths and modes, highlighting potential planetary or impact-related origins.

Findings

Disk shows large brightness and radial asymmetry, especially at shorter wavelengths.

Radial peak polarized intensity differs by 11 AU, indicating possible eccentricity.

Disk halo is warped with bifurcation, hinting at planetary influence.

Abstract

We observed the nearly edge-on debris disk system HD 111520 at $J$, $H$, & $K1$ near infrared (NIR) bands using both the spectral and polarization modes of the Gemini Planet Imager (GPI). With these new observations, we have performed an empirical analysis in order to better understand the disk morphology and its highly asymmetrical nature. We find that the disk features a large brightness and radial asymmetry, most prominent at shorter wavelengths. We also find that the radial location of the peak polarized intensity differs on either side of the star by 11 AU, suggesting that the disk may be eccentric, although, such an eccentricity does not fully explain the large brightness and radial asymmetry observed. Observations of the disk halo with HST also show the disk to be warped at larger separations, with a bifurcation feature in the northwest, further suggesting that there may be a planet in this system creating an asymmetrical disk structure. Measuring the disk color shows that the brighter extension is bluer compared to the dimmer extension, suggesting that the two sides have different dust grain properties. This finding, along with the large brightness asymmetry, are consistent with the hypothesis that a giant impact occurred between two large bodies in the northern extension of the disk, although confirming this based on NIR observations alone is not feasible. Follow-up imaging with ALMA to resolve the asymmetry in the dust mass distribution is essential in order to confirm this scenario.