Resolved near-UV hydrogen emission lines at 40-Myr super-Jovian protoplanet Delorme 1 (AB)b: Indications of magnetospheric accretion

TL;DR

This study uses high-resolution near-UV spectroscopy to detect and analyze hydrogen emission lines from the 40-million-year-old super-Jovian protoplanet Delorme 1 (AB)b, providing evidence for magnetospheric accretion.

Contribution

It presents the first resolved near-UV hydrogen emission lines in a super-Jovian protoplanet and models the accretion shock, advancing understanding of planetary accretion processes.

Findings

Detected multiple hydrogen emission lines indicating ongoing accretion.

Estimated planetary mass of approximately 13 Jupiter masses.

Evidence supporting magnetospheric accretion mechanism.

Abstract

We have followed up on our observations of the ~ 40-Myr, and still accreting, PMC Delorme 1 (AB)b. We used high-resolution spectroscopy to characterise the accretion process further by accessing the wealth of emission lines in the near-UV. With VLT/UVES, we obtained R ~ 50000 spectroscopy at 330--452 nm. After separating the emission of the companion from that of the M5 low-mass binary, we performed a detailed emission-line analysis, which included planetary accretion shock modelling. We reaffirm ongoing accretion in Delorme 1 (AB)b and report the first detections in a (super-Jovian) protoplanet of resolved hydrogen line emission in the near-UV (H-gamma, H-delta, H-epsilon, H8 and H9). We tentatively detect H11, H12, He I and Ca II H/K. The analysis strongly favours a planetary accretion shock with a line-luminosity-based accretion rate dMp/dt = 2e-8 MJ/yr. The lines are asymmetric and well described by sums of narrow and broad components with different velocity shifts. Overall line shapes are best explained by a pre-shock velocity v0 = 170+-30 km/s, implying a planetary mass Mp = 13+-5 MJ, and number densities n0 ~ 1e13/cc or n0 ~ 1e11/cc. The higher density implies a small line-emitting area of ~ 1% relative to the planetary surface. This favours magnetospheric accretion, a case potentially strengthened by the presence of blueshifted emission in the asymmetrical profiles.High-resolution spectroscopy offers the opportunity to resolve line profiles, crucial for studying the accretion process in depth. The super-Jovian protoplanet Delorme 1 (AB)b is still accreting at ~ 40 Myr. Thus, Delorme 1 belongs to the growing family of Peter Pan disc systems with protoplanetary and/or circumplanetary disc(s) far beyond the typically assumed disc lifetimes. Further observations of this benchmark companion, and its presumed disc(s), will help answer key questions about the accretion geometry in PMCs.