External or internal companion exciting the spiral arms in CQ Tau?
Abstract
We present new high-contrast images in near-infrared wavelengths (λc = 1.04, 1.24, 1.62, 2.18, and 3.78 μm) of the young variable star CQ Tau, aiming to constrain the presence of companions in the protoplanetary disc. We reached a Ks-band contrast of 14 mag with SPHERE/IRDIS at separations greater than 0${_{.}^{\prime\prime}}$4 from the star. Our mass sensitivity curve rules out giant planets above 4 MJup immediately outside the spiral arms at ~60 au and above 2-3 MJup beyond 100 au to 5σ confidence assuming hot-start models. We do, however, detect four spiral arms, a double-arc and evidence for shadows in scattered light cast by a misaligned inner disc. Our observations may be explained by an unseen close-in companion on an inclined and eccentric orbit. Such a hypothesis would also account for the disc CO cavity and disturbed kinematics.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- October 2022
- DOI:
- 10.1093/mnras/stac2119
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2207.08587
- Bibcode:
- 2022MNRAS.515.6109H
- Keywords:
-
- techniques: image processing;
- planet-disc interactions;
- protoplanetary discs;
- Astrophysics - Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 10 figures, 14 pages. Accepted for publication in MNRAS on 25 July 2022