The Asymmetric Thermal Emission of the Protoplanetary Disk Surrounding HD 142527 Seen by Subaru/COMICS

Mid-infrared (MIR) images of the Herbig Ae star HD 142527 were obtained at 18.8 and 24.5 μm with the Subaru/COMICS. Bright extended arclike emission (outer disk) is recognized at r=0.85" together with a strong central source (inner disk) and a gap around r=0.6" in both images. The thermal emission on the eastern side is much brighter than that on the western side in the MIR. We estimate the dust size to be a few microns from the observed color of the extended emission and the distance from the star. The dust temperature T and the optical depth τ of the MIR-emitting dust are also derived from the two images as T=82+/-1 K, τ=0.052+/-0.001 for the eastern side and T=85+/-3 K, τ=0.018+/-0.001 for the western side. The observed asymmetry in the brightness can be attributed to the difference in the optical depth of the MIR-emitting dust. To account for the present observations, we propose an inclined disk model, in which the outer disk is inclined along the east-west direction with the eastern side being on the far side while the inner rim of the outer disk on the eastern side is directly exposed to us. The proposed model can successfully account for the MIR observations as well as the near-infrared images of the scattering light, in which the asymmetry is seen in the opposite sense and in which the forward scattering light (near side-western side) is brighter.

Based on data collected at Subaru Telescope, which is operated by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.