The Origin of the Doppler-flip in HD 100546: a large scale spiral arm generated by an inner binary companion

TL;DR

This paper proposes that a large-scale spiral arm caused by an inner binary companion explains the Doppler-flip observed in HD 100546, challenging the previous protoplanet hypothesis.

Contribution

It introduces a new interpretation linking the Doppler-flip to a binary companion-induced spiral, supported by hydrodynamical models and observations.

Findings

Doppler-flip coincides with a spiral arm in the disk.

Hydrodynamical models support the binary companion hypothesis.

The spiral is likely generated by an inner binary, not a protoplanet.

Abstract

Companions at sub-arcsecond separation from young stars are difficult to image. However their presence can be inferred from the perturbations they create in the dust and gas of protoplanetary disks. Here we present a new interpretation of SPHERE polarised observations that reveal the previously detected inner spiral in the disk of HD 100546. The spiral coincides with a newly detected 12CO inner spiral and the previously reported CO emission Doppler-flip, which has been interpreted as the signature of an embedded protoplanet. Comparisons with hydrodynamical models indicate that this Doppler-flip is instead the kinematic counterpart of the spiral, which is likely generated by an inner companion inside the disk cavity.