JWST/NIRSpec Reveals the Nested Morphology of Disk Winds from Young Stars

TL;DR

This study uses JWST/NIRSpec spectro-imaging to reveal the nested structure of disk winds in young stars, supporting theories of wind-driven accretion and planetary system formation.

Contribution

First direct imaging evidence of nested disk wind morphology in young stars, combining JWST and ALMA data to confirm theoretical models.

Findings

Nested wind structures are common in young star disks.

Fast jets are embedded within wider, slower wind components.

The wind morphology extends beyond previous observational limits.

Abstract

Radially extended disk winds could be the key to unlocking how protoplanetary disks accrete and how planets form and migrate. A distinctive characteristic is their nested morphology of velocity and chemistry. Here we report JWST/NIRSpec spectro-imaging of four young stars with edge-on disks in the Taurus star-forming region that demonstrate the ubiquity of this structure. In each source, a fast collimated jet traced by [Fe II] is nested inside a hollow cavity within wider lower-velocity H2 and, in one case, also CO ro-vibrational (v=1-0) emission. Furthermore, in one of our sources, ALMA CO(2-1) emission, paired with our NIRSpec images, reveals the nested wind structure extends further outward. This nested wind morphology strongly supports theoretical predictions for wind-driven accretion and underscores the need for theoretical work to assess the role of winds in the formation and evolution of planetary systems