Protoplanetary Disk Science with the Orbiting Astronomical Satellite Investigating Stellar Systems (OASIS) Observatory

TL;DR

OASIS is a proposed NASA mission that will use high-resolution spectroscopy to map water vapor and measure disk gas mass in protoplanetary disks, advancing understanding of planet formation.

Contribution

This paper introduces the OASIS mission concept and details its capabilities for studying water distribution and disk mass in protoplanetary systems.

Findings

Mapping water vapor distribution across disk evolution stages.

Most accurate measurement of protoplanetary disk gas mass to date.

Tracing water vapor evolution during planetary system formation.

Abstract

The Orbiting Astronomical Satellite for Investigating Stellar Systems (OASIS) is a NASA Astrophysics MIDEX-class mission concept, with the stated goal of following water from galaxies, through protostellar systems, to Earth's oceans. This paper details the protoplanetary disk science achievable with OASIS. OASIS's suite of heterodyne receivers allow for simultaneous, high spectral resolution observations of water emission lines spanning a large range of physical conditions within protoplanetary disks. These observations will allow us to map the spatial distribution of water vapor in disks across evolutionary stages and assess the importance of water, particularly the location of the midplane water snowline, to planet formation. OASIS will also detect the H2 isotopologue HD in 100+ disks, allowing for the most accurate determination of total protoplanetary disk gas mass to date. When combined with the contemporaneous water observations, the HD detection will also allow us to trace the evolution of water vapor across evolutionary stages. These observations will enable OASIS to characterize the time development of the water distribution and the role water plays in the process of planetary system formation.