Axisymmetric Modeling of DSHARP Dusty Disks: Asymmetric Structures and Inner-Disk Dispersal

TL;DR

This study models 16 DSHARP protoplanetary disks to identify asymmetric structures and analyze inner-disk dispersal, finding no strong evidence for circumplanetary emission but revealing potential spiral features and dust dispersal trends.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed modeling of asymmetries and inner-disk dispersal in a sample of DSHARP disks, constraining properties of embedded planets and disk evolution.

Findings

No compelling evidence for circumplanetary emission.

Possible one-armed spiral in Elias 27.

Inner disk brightness temperature declines with age.

Abstract

High-resolution observations of Class II protoplanetary disks frequently reveal annular structures that may indicate the presence of embedded planets. In this study, we model brightness profiles and geometries for 16 dusty disks in the DSHARP observations to identify asymmetric substructures, including possible planet-induced signatures. We find no compelling evidence for circumplanetary emission in these systems. We identify a possible one-armed spiral in Elias 27; while previous studies report an $m=2$ spiral, the morphology of the newly identified spiral agrees with a spiral for a possible protoplanet. Although non-detection of circumplanetary emission is consistent with low expected luminosities, the absence of additional dust spirals except for Elias 27 may constrain properties of potential embedded planets given their theoretical detectability. The analyses further suggest that spiral amplitudes and phases correlated with gap and ring locations in WaOph 6 and IM Lup, appearing as deflections of spirals in images. Five disks exhibit strong residual asymmetries attributable to the vertical extent of their dust layers. We find that the brightness temperature of inner disks ($1$-$5$ au) declines with stellar age on a $\sim 3$ Myr timescale, while the total flux shows no clear decreasing trend. This trend is consistent with the presence of pressure bumps that retain large dust grains at outer radii, while allowing the inner disks to disperse. The universality of disk dispersal timescale at millimeter wavelengths, observed in both the extended DSHARP disks and the compact disks from previous demographic surveys, may constrain timing of planet formation, including habitable planets.