Constraining the turbulence and the dust disk in IM Lup: onset of planetesimal formation

TL;DR

This study models dust distribution in the IM Lup protoplanetary disk, revealing size segregation and conditions conducive to planetesimal formation through sedimentation and coagulation processes.

Contribution

It combines multi-wavelength observations with radiative transfer modeling and MCMC analysis to constrain dust size and vertical distribution in IM Lup, advancing understanding of early planet formation.

Findings

Millimeter-sized grains are concentrated in the disk midplane.

Dust coagulation and sedimentation are efficient in IM Lup.

Conditions favor streaming instabilities and planetesimal formation.

Abstract

Observations of protoplanetary disks provide information on planet formation and the reasons for the diversity of planetary systems. The key to understanding planet formation is the study of dust evolution from small grains to pebbles. Smaller grains are well-coupled to the gas dynamics, and their distribution is significantly extended above the disk midplane. Larger grains settle much faster and are efficiently formed only in the midplane. By combining near-infrared polarized light and millimeter observations, it is possible to constrain the spatial distribution of both the small and large grains. We aim to construct detailed models of the size distribution and vertical/radial structure of the dust particles in protoplanetary disks based on observational data. In particular, we are interested in recovering the dust distribution in the IM Lup protoplanetary disk. We create a physical model for the dust distribution of protoplanetary disks and simulate the radiative transfer of the millimeter continuum and the near-infrared polarized radiation. Using a Markov chain Monte Carlo method, we compare the derived images to the observations available for the IM Lup disk to constrain the best physical model for IM Lup and to recover the vertical grain size distribution. The millimeter and near-infrared emission tightly constrain the dust mass and grain size distribution of our model. We find size segregation in the dust distribution, with millimeter-sized grains in the disk midplane. These grains are efficiently formed in the disk, possibly by sedimentation-driven coagulation, in accord with the short settling timescales predicted by our model. This also suggests a high dust-to-gas ratio at smaller radii in the midplane, possibly triggering streaming instabilities and planetesimal formation in the inner disk.