The First Census of Accreting Proto-Planets inside the Gaps of Transitional Dust Disks

现在已知了数以千计的富含气体的系外行星。这些都不是真正的原行星，它们在形成时会迅速从周围区域添加气体。研究人员已经开发出一种检测氢气添加到正在形成的行星中的方法。这种方法可以用来搜索恒星周围尘埃盘中的空白区或空隙，这些尘埃盘预计将形成行星。该团队拥有一个独特的仪器系统，他们设计并测试了这个系统，现在与智利的一个6.5米望远镜一起使用。他们首次探测到在尘埃盘的空隙中，氢气被吸入一颗大约两倍于木星大小的正在形成的行星。这个项目的中心是应用他们的技术在25个圆盘中搜索原行星，这些圆盘离我们很近，很年轻，而且有已知的缺口。他们计划了解气态巨行星是如何形成、生长和影响它们正在形成的尘埃盘的。这个项目通过增加我们对行星形成的理解来服务于国家利益。研究人员将在这个研究项目中培训并包括本科生和研究生，以及博士后科学家。首席研究人员将在图森地区的中小学以及10个图森地区的退休社区就原行星调查结果进行公开演讲。虽然目前已知数千颗富含气体的系外行星，但没有一颗是真正的正在快速吸积气体的原行星。智利6.5米麦哲伦望远镜上的首席研究员的Magao系统是唯一一个在最强可见气体吸积发射线(H-α)上发布了0.03角秒分辨率图像的自适应光学系统。过渡磁盘是具有灰尘较少间隙的磁盘。一种流行的假设是，这些缺口可以通过多个(2-3)个巨大的行星在缺口中吸积而被清除。该团队首次在LkCa15过渡盘的空隙中明确探测到一颗质量约为木星质量2倍的原行星在H-Alpha处吸积。该团队将扩大他们的观测研究，利用他们在原行星直接成像方面学到的所有经验教训，对附近吸积的原行星进行首次普查。他们期望了解低质量气体巨行星在哪里形成、生长，以及它们如何影响它们的宿主盘/缝隙。该团队将利用Magao的独特能力，同时拍摄H-α(波长=656 nm)、连续谱(642 Nm)和Ks(2147 Nm)图像，利用新的同步差分成像光学系统GAPPlanetS+对原行星进行调查。他们将调查所有25个最近(~150pC)、最年轻(~1Myr)、最亮(R12Mag)的大间隙(130 Ma)过渡盘，以进行第一次原行星普查。研究人员将在这个研究项目中培训并包括本科生和研究生，以及博士后科学家。首席调查员将在图森地区中小学以及10个图森地区退休社区就GAPPlanetS+调查结果进行公开演讲。

Thousands of gas-rich exoplanets are now known. None of these are true protoplanets that are rapidly adding gas from the areas surrounding them as they form. The investigators have developed a method of detecting the addition of hydrogen gas into a forming planet. This method can be used to search the empty regions or gaps in dust disks located around stars where planets are expected to be forming. The team has a unique instrumental system that they designed, tested, and now use with a 6.5-m telescope in Chile. They have made the first detection of hydrogen gas being drawn into a forming planet about twice the size of Jupiter in the gap of a dust disk. This project centers on applying their technique to search for protoplanets in 25 disks that are nearby, young, and have known gaps. They plan to learn how gas giant planets form, grow, and affect the dust disks in which they are forming. This project serves the national interest by increasing our understanding of how planets form. The investigators will train and include undergraduate and graduate students, and post-doctoral scientists, in this research project. The principal investigator will give public lectures on results from the protoplanet survey at Tucson area elementary and middle schools, as well as 10 Tucson area retirement communities.While thousands of gas-rich exoplanets are now known, none are true protoplanets that are rapidly accreting gas. The principal investigator's MagAO system on the 6.5-m Magellan Telescope in Chile is the only adaptive optics system that has published 0.03 arcsec resolution images at the strongest visible gas accretion emission line (H-alpha). Transitional disks are disks that have dust-poor gaps. One popular hypothesis is that these gaps could be cleared by multiple (2-3) massive accreting planets in the gap. This team has made the first definite detection of an approximately 2x Jupiter mass accreting protoplanet at H-alpha in the gap of the LkCa 15 transitional disk. The team will expand their observational studies by leveraging all the lessons they have learned about direct imaging of protoplanets to make the first census of nearby accreting protoplanets. They anticipate understanding where low mass gas giant planets form, grow, and how they affect their host disks/gaps. The team will utilize MagAO's unique ability to take simultaneous H-alpha (wavelength = 656nm), continuum (642nm), and Ks (2147nm) images to carry out a survey for protoplanets with the new simultaneous differential imaging optics, named the GAPplanetS+. They will survey all 25 nearest (~150 pc), youngest (~1 Myr), brightest (R12 mag) large gap (130mas) transitional disks for the first census of protoplanets. The investigators will train and include undergraduate and graduate students, and post-doctoral scientists, in this research project. The principal investigator will give public lectures on results from the GAPplanetS+ survey at Tucson area elementary and middle schools, as well as 10 Tucson area retirement communities.