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Context. Spatially resolved continuum observations of planet-forming disks show prominent ring and gap structures in their dust distribution. However, the picture from gas observations is much less clear and constraints on the radial gas density structure (i.e. gas gaps) remain rare and uncertain. Aims. We want to investigate the importance of thermo-chemical processes for the interpretation of high-spatial-resolution gas observations of planet-forming disks and their impact on the derived gas properties. Methods. We applied the radiation thermo-chemical disk code PRODIMO (PROtoplanetary DIsk MOdel) to model the dust and gas disk of HD 163296 self-consistently, using the DSHARP (Disk Substructure at High Angular Resolution) gas and dust observations. With this model we investigated the impact of dust gaps and gas gaps on the observables and the derived gas properties, considering chemistry, and heating and cooling processes. Results. We find distinct peaks in the radial line intensity profiles of the CO line data of HD 163296 at the location of the dust gaps. Our model indicates that those peaks are not only a consequence of a gas temperature increase within the gaps but are mainly caused by the absorption of line emission from the back side of the disk by the dust rings. For two of the three prominent dust gaps in HD 163296, we find that thermo-chemical effects are negligible for deriving density gradients via measurements of the rotation velocity. However, for the gap with the highest dust depletion, the temperature gradient can be dominant and needs to be considered to derive accurate gas density profiles. Conclusions. Self-consistent gas and dust thermo-chemical modelling in combination with high-quality observations of multiple molecules are necessary to accurately derive gas gap depths and shapes. This is crucial to determine the origin of gaps and rings in planet-forming disks and to improve the mass estimates of forming planets if they are the cause of the gap. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Studies of the dust distribution, composition, and evolution of protoplanetary disks provide clues for understanding planet formation. However, little is known about the innermost regions of disks where telluric planets are expected to form. Aims. We aim constrain the geometry of the inner disk of the T Tauri star RY Lup by combining spectro-photometric data and interferometric observations in the near-infrared (NIR) collected at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer. We use PIONIER data from the ESO archive and GRAVITY data that were obtained in June 2017 with the four 8m telescopes. Methods. We use a parametric disk model and the 3D radiative transfer code MCFOST to reproduce the spectral energy distribution (SED) and match the interferometric observations. MCFOST produces synthetic SEDs and intensity maps at different wavelengths from which we compute the modeled interferometric visibilities and closure phases through Fourier transform. Results. To match the SED from the blue to the millimetric range, our model requires a stellar luminosity of 2.5 L⊙, higher than any previously determined values. Such a high value is needed to accommodate the circumstellar extinction caused by the highly inclined disk, which has been neglected in previous studies. While using an effective temperature of 4800 K determined through high-resolution spectroscopy, we derive a stellar radius of 2.29 R⊙. These revised fundamental parameters, when combined with the mass estimates available (in the range 1.3–1.5 M⊙), lead to an age of 0.5–2.0 Ma for RY Lup, in better agreement with the age of the Lupus association than previous determinations. Our disk model (that has a transition disk geometry) nicely reproduces the interferometric GRAVITY data and is in good agreement with the PIONIER ones. We derive an inner rim location at 0.12 au from the central star. This model corresponds to an inclination of the inner disk of 50°, which is in mild tension with previous determinations of a more inclined outer disk from SPHERE (70° in NIR) and ALMA (67 ± 5°) images, but consistent with the inclination determination from the ALMA CO spectra (55 ± 5°). Increasing the inclination of the inner disk to 70° leads to a higher line-of-sight extinction and therefore requires a higher stellar luminosity of 4.65 L⊙ to match the observed flux levels. This luminosity would translate to a stellar radius of 3.13 R⊙, leading to an age of 2–3 Ma, and a stellarmass of about 2 M⊙, in disagreement with the observed dynamical mass estimate of 1.3–1.5 M⊙. Critically, this high-inclination inner disk model also fails to reproduce the visibilities observed with GRAVITY. Conclusions. The inner dust disk, as traced by the GRAVITY data, is located at a radius in agreement with the dust sublimation radius. An ambiguity remains regarding the respective orientations of the inner and outer disk, coplanar and mildly misaligned, respectively.As our datasets are not contemporary and the star is strongly variable, a deeper investigation will require a dedicated multi-technique observing campaign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The origin of the reservoirs of water on Earth is debated. The Earth's crust may contain at least three times more water than the oceans. This crust water is found in the form of phyllosilicates, whose origin probably differs from that of the oceans. Aims. We test the possibility to form phyllosilicates in protoplanetary disks, which can be the building blocks of terrestrial planets. Methods. We developed an exploratory rate-based warm surface chemistry model where water from the gas-phase can chemisorb on dust grain surfaces and subsequently diffuse into the silicate cores. We applied the phyllosilicate formation to a zero-dimensional chemical model and to a 2D protoplanetary disk model (PRODIMO). The disk model includes in addition to the cold and warm surface chemistry continuum and line radiative transfer, photoprocesses (photodissociation, photoionisation, and photodesorption), gas-phase cold and warm chemistry including three-body reactions, and detailed thermal balance. Results. Despite the high energy barrier for water chemisorption on silicate grain surfaces and for diffusion into the core, the chemisorption sites at the surfaces can be occupied by a hydroxyl bond (-OH) at all gas and dust temperatures from 80 to 700 K for a gas density of 2 × 104 cm-3. The chemisorption sites in the silicate cores are occupied at temperatures between 250 and 700 K. At higher temperatures thermal desorption of chemisorbed water occurs. The occupation efficiency is only limited by the maximum water uptake of the silicate. The timescales for complete hydration are at most 105 yr for 1 mm radius grains at a gas density of 108 cm-3. Conclusions. Phyllosilicates can be formed on dust grains at the dust coagulation stage in protoplanetary disks within 1 Myr. It is however not clear whether the amount of phyllosilicate formed by warm surface chemistry is sufficient compared to that found in Solar System objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mid-infrared molecular line emission detected with the Spitzer Space Telescope is often interpreted using slab models. However, we need to understand the mid-infrared line emission in 2D disk models, such that we gain information about from where the lines are being emitted and under which conditions, such that we gain information about number densities, temperatures, and optical depths in both the radial and vertical directions. In this paper, we introduce a series of 2D thermochemical models of a prototypical T Tauri protoplanetary disk, in order to examine how sensitive the line-emitting regions are to changes in the UV and X-ray fluxes, the disk flaring angle, dust settling, and the dust-to-gas ratio. These all affect the heating of the inner disk, and thus can affect the mid-infrared spectral lines. Using the ProDiMo and FLiTs codes, we produce a series of 2D thermochemical disk models. We find that there is often a significant difference between the gas and dust temperatures in the line emitting regions, and we illustrate that the size of the line emitting regions is relatively robust against changes in the stellar and disk parameters (namely, the UV and X-ray fluxes, the flaring angle, and dust settling). These results demonstrate the potential for localized variations in the line-emitting region to greatly affect the resulting spectra and line fluxes, and the necessity of allowing for such variations in our models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Chemical Gas-phase reactions of simple molecules have been recently revised to include atom tunneling at very low temperatures. This paper investigates the impact of the increased reaction rate constant due to tunneling effects on planet-forming disks. Aims. Our aim is to quantify the astrophysical implications of atom tunneling for simple molecules that are frequently used to infer disk structure information or to define the initial conditions for planet (atmosphere) formation. Methods. We quantify the tunneling effect on reaction rate constants by using H2 + OH → H2O + H as a scholarly example in comparison to previous UMIST2012 rate constants. In a chemical network with 1299 reactions, we identify all chemical reactions that could show tunneling effects. We devise a simple formulation of reaction rate constants that overestimates tunneling and screen a standard T Tauri disk model for changes in species abundances. For those reactions found to be relevant, we find values of the most recent literature for the rate constants including tunneling and compare the resulting disk chemistry to the standard disk model(s), a T Tauri and a Herbig disk. Results. The rate constants in the UMIST2012 database in many cases already capture tunneling effects implicitly, as seen in the curvature of the Arrhenius plots of some reactions at low temperature. A rigorous screening procedure identified three neutral-neutral reactions where atom tunneling could change simple molecule abundances. However, by adopting recent values of the rate constants of these reactions and due to the layered structure of planet-forming disks, the effects are limited to a small region between the ion-molecule dominated regime and the ice reservoirs where cold (<250 K) neutral-neutral chemistry dominates. Abundances of water close to the midplane snowline can increase by a factor of two at most compared to previous results with UMIST2012 rates. Observables from the disk surface, such as high excitation (>500 K) water line fluxes, decrease by 60% at most when tunneling effects are explicitly excluded. On the other hand, disk midplane quantities relevant for planet formation such as the C-to-O ratio and also the ice-to-rock ratio are clearly affected by these gas-phase tunneling effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we couple the dust evolution code two-pop-py with the thermochemical disk modelling code ProDiMo. We create a series of thermochemical disk models that simulate the evolution of dust over time from 0.018 to 10 Myr, including the radial drift, growth, and settling of dust grains. We examine the effects of this dust evolution on mid-infrared gas emission, focusing on the mid-infrared spectral lines of C2H2, CO2, HCN, NH3, OH, and H2O, which are readily observable with Spitzer and the upcoming E-ELT and JWST. The addition of dust evolution acts to increase line fluxes by reducing the population of small dust grains. We find that the spectral lines of all species except C2H2 respond strongly to dust evolution; line fluxes increase by more than an order of magnitude across the model series as the density of small dust grains decreases over time. The C2H2 line fluxes are extremely low because of a low abundance in the infrared line-emitting regions, even though C2H2 is commonly detected with Spitzer, suggesting that warm chemistry in the inner disk may need further investigation. Finally, we find that the CO2 flux densities increase more rapidly than the other species as the dust disk evolves. This suggests that the flux ratios of CO2 to other species may be lower in disks with less-evolved dust populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate measurements of the physical structure of protoplanetary discs are critical inputs for planet formation models. These constraints are traditionally established via complex modelling of continuum and line observations. Instead, we present an empirical framework to locate the CO isotopologue emitting surfaces from high spectral and spatial resolution ALMA observations. We apply this framework to the disc surrounding IM Lupi, where we report the first direct, i.e. model independent, measurements of the radial and vertical gradients of temperature and velocity in a protoplanetary disc. The measured disc structure is consistent with an irradiated self-similar disc structure, where the temperature increases and the velocity decreases towards the disc surface. We also directly map the vertical CO snow line, which is located at about one gas scale height at radii between 150 and 300 au, with a CO freeze-out temperature of 21 ± 2 K. In the outer disc (>300 au), where the gas surface density transitions from a power law to an exponential taper, the velocity rotation field becomes significantly sub-Keplerian, in agreement with the expected steeper pressure gradient. The sub-Keplerian velocities should result in a very efficient inward migration of large dust grains, explaining the lack of millimetre continuum emission outside of 300 au. The sub-Keplerian motions may also be the signature of the base of an externally irradiated photo-evaporative wind. In the same outer region, the measured CO temperature above the snow line decreases to ≈15 K because of the reduced gas density, which can result in a lower CO freeze-out temperature, photo-desorption, or deviations from local thermodynamic equilibrium. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical properties of brown dwarf discs, in terms of their shapes and sizes, are still largely unexplored by observations. ALMA has by far the best capabilities to observe these discs in sub-mm CO lines and dust continuum, while also spatially resolving some discs. To what extent brown dwarf discs are similar to scaled-down T Tauri discs is currently unknown, and this work is a step towards establishing a relationship through the eventual modelling of future observations. We use observations of the brown dwarf disc p Oph 102 to infer a fiducial model around which we build a small grid of brown dwarf disc models, in order to model the CO, HCN, and HCO+ line fluxes and the chemistry which drives their abundances. These are the first brown dwarf models to be published which relate detailed, 2D radiation thermochemical disc models to observational data. We predict that moderately extended ALMA antenna configurations will spatially resolve CO line emission around brown dwarf discs, and that HCN and HCO+ will be detectable in integrated flux, following our conclusion that the flux ratios of these molecules to CO emission are comparable to that of T Tauri discs. These molecules have not yet been observed in sub-mm wavelengths in a brown dwarf disc, yet they are crucial tracers of the warm surface-layer gas and of ionization in the outer parts of the disc. We present the prediction that if the physical and chemical processes in brown dwarf discs are similar to those that occur in T Tauri discs - as our models suggest - then the same diagnostics that are used for T Tauri discs can be used for brown dwarf discs (such as HCN and HCO+ lines that have not yet been observed in the sub-mm), and that these lines should be observable with ALMA. Through future observations, either confirmation (or refutation) of these ideas about brown dwarf disc chemistry will have strong implications for our understanding of disc chemistry, structure, and subsequent planet formation in brown dwarf discs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatially resolving the inner dust cavity (or gap) of the so-called (pre-)transitional disks is a key to understanding the connection between the processes of planetary formation and disk dispersal. The disk around the Herbig star HD139614 is of particular interest since it presents a pretransitional nature with an au-sized gap structure that is spatially resolved by mid-infrared interferometry in the dust distribution. With the aid of new near-infrared interferometric observations, we aim to characterize the 0.1-10 au region of the HD 139614 disk further and then identify viable mechanisms for the inner disk clearing. We report the first multiwavelength modeling of the interferometric data acquired on HD 139614 with the VLTI instruments PIONIER, AMBER, and MIDI, complemented by Herschel/PACS photometric measurements. We first performed a geometrical modeling of the new near-infrared interferometric data, followed by radiative transfer modeling of the complete dataset using the code RADMC3D. We confirm the presence of a gap structure in the warm µm-sized dust distribution, extending from about 2.5 au to 6 au, and constrained the properties of the inner dust component: e.g., a radially increasing dust surface density profile, and a depletion in dust of ~10³ relative to the outer disk. Since selfshadowing and photoevaporation appears unlikely to be responsible for the au-sized gap of HD 139614, we thus tested if dynamical clearing could be a viable mechanism using hydrodynamical simulations to predict the structure of the gaseous disk. Indeed, a narrow au-sized gap is consistent with the expected effect of the interaction between a single giant planet and the disk. Assuming that small dust grains are well coupled to the gas, we found that an approximately 3 Mjup planet located at ~4.5 au from the star could, in less than 1 Myr, reproduce most of the aspects of the dust surface density profile, while no significant depletion (in gas) occurred in the inner disk, in contrast to the dust. However, this "dust-depleted" inner disk could be explained by the expected dust filtration by the gap and the efficient dust growth/fragmentation occurring in the inner disk regions. Our results support the hypothesis of a giant planet opening a gap and shaping the inner region of the HD 139614 disk. This makes HD 139614 an exciting candidate specifically for witnessing planet-disk interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular gas constitutes the dominant mass component of protoplanetary discs. To date, these sources have not been studied comprehensively at the longest far-infrared and shortest submillimetre wavelengths. This paper presents Herschel SPIRE FTS spectroscopic observations towards 18 protoplanetary discs, covering the entire 450–1540 GHz (666–195 μm) range at ν/Δν ≈ 400–1300. The spectra reveal clear detections of the dust continuum and, in six targets, a significant amount of spectral line emission primarily attributable to 12CO rotational lines. Other targets exhibit little to no detectable spectral lines. Low signal-to-noise detections also include signatures from 13CO, [C i] and HCN. For completeness, we present upper limits of non-detected lines in all targets, including low-energy transitions of H2O and CH+ molecules. The 10 12CO lines that fall within the SPIRE FTS bands trace energy levels of ∼50–500 K. Combined with lower and higher energy lines from the literature, we compare the CO rotational line energy distribution with detailed physical–chemical models, for sources where these are available and published. Our 13CO line detections in the disc around Herbig Be star HD 100546 exceed, by factors of ∼10–30, the values predicted by a model that matches a wealth of other observational constraints, including the SPIRE 12CO ladder. To explain the observed 12CO/13CO ratio, it may be necessary to consider the combined effects of optical depth and isotope selective (photo)chemical processes. Considering the full sample of 18 objects, we find that the strongest line emission is observed in discs around Herbig Ae/Be stars, although not all show line emission. In addition, two of the six T Tauri objects exhibit detectable 12CO lines in the SPIRE range. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Constraining the gas and dust disk structure of transition disks, particularly in the inner dust cavity, is a crucial step toward understanding the link between them and planet formation. HD 135344B is an accreting (pre-)transition disk that displays the CO 4.7 μm emission extending tens of AU inside its 30 AU dust cavity. Aims. We constrain HD 135344B's disk structure from multi-instrument gas and dust observations. Methods.We used the dust radiative transfer code MCFOST and the thermochemical code ProDiMo to derive the disk structure from the simultaneous modeling of the spectral energy distribution (SED), VLT/CRIRES CO P(10) 4.75 μm, Herschel/PACS [O I] 63 μm, Spitzer/IRS, and JCMT 12CO J = 3-2 spectra, VLTI/PIONIER H-band visibilities, and constraints from (sub-)mm continuum interferometry and near-IR imaging. Results. We found a disk model able to describe the current gas and dust observations simultaneously. This disk has the following structure. (1) To simultaneously reproduce the SED, the near-IR interferometry data, and the CO ro-vibrational emission, refractory grains (we suggest carbon) are present inside the silicate sublimation radius (0:08 < R < 0:2 AU). (2) The dust cavity (R < 30 AU) is filled with gas, the surface density of the gas inside the cavity must increase with radius to fit the CO ro-vibrational line profile, a small gap of a few AU in the gas distribution is compatible with current data, and a large gap of tens of AU in the gas does not appear likely. (4) The gas-to-dust ratio inside the cavity is >100 to account for the 870 μm continuum upper limit and the CO P(10) line flux. (5) The gas-to-dust ratio in the outer disk (30 < R < 200 AU) is <10 to simultaneously describe the [O I] 63 μm line flux and the CO P(10) line profile. (6) In the outer disk, most of the gas and dust mass should be located in the midplane, and a significant fraction of the dust should be in large grains. Conclusions. Simultaneous modeling of the gas and dust is required to break the model degeneracies and constrain the disk structure. An increasing gas surface density with radius in the inner cavity echoes the effect of a migrating jovian planet in the disk structure. The low gas mass (a few Jupiter masses) throughout the HD 135344B disk supports the idea that it is an evolved disk that has already lost a large portion of its mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The structure of protoplanetary disks is thought to be linked to the temperature and chemistry of their dust and gas. Whether the disk is flat or flaring depends on the amount of radiation that it absorbs at a given radius and on the efficiency with which this is converted into thermal energy. The understanding of these heating and cooling processes is crucial for providing a reliable disk structure for interpreting dust continuum emission and gas line fluxes. Especially in the upper layers of the disk, where gas and dust are thermally decoupled, the infrared line emission is strictly related to the gas heating/cooling processes. Aims. We aim to study the thermal properties of the disk in the oxygen line emission region and to investigate the relative importance of X-ray (1–120 Å) and far-UV radiation (FUV, 912–2070 Å) for the heating balance there. Methods. We use [O I] 63 μm line fluxes observed in a sample of protoplanetary disks of the Taurus/Auriga star-forming region and compare it to the model predictions presented in our previous work. The data were obtained with the PACS instrument on board the Herschel Space Observatory as part of the Herschel open time key program GAS in Protoplanetary diskS (GASPS). Results. Our theoretical grid of disk models can reproduce the [O I] absolute fluxes and predict a correlation between [O I] and the sum LX + LFUV. The data show no correlation between the [O I] line flux and the X-ray luminosity, the FUV luminosity or their sum. Conclusions. The data show that the FUV or X-ray radiation has no notable impact on the region where the [O I] line is formed. This contrasts with what is predicted from our models. Possible explanations are that the disks in Taurus are less flaring than the hydrostatic models predict and/or that other disk structure aspects that were left unchanged in our models are important. Disk models should include flat geometries, varying parameters such as outer radius, dust settling, and the dust-to-gas mass ratio, which might play an equally important role for the [O I] emission. To improve statistics and draw more robust conclusions on the thermal processes that dominate the atmosphere of protoplanetary disks surrounding T Tauri stars, more LFUV and LX measurements are needed. High spatial and spectra resolution data is required to disentangle the fraction of [O I] flux emitted by the disk in outflow sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We have studied the emission of CO ro-vibrational lines in the disc around the Herbig Be star HD100546 to determine physical properties, disc asymmetries, the CO excitation mechanism, and the spatial extent of the emission, with the final goal of using the CO ro-vibrational lines as a diagnostic to understand inner disc structure in the context of planet formation. Methods. High-spectral-resolution infrared spectra of CO ro-vibrational emission at eight different position angles were taken with the CRyogenic high-resolution InfraRed Echelle Spectrograph (CRIRES) at the Very Large Telescope (VLT). From these spectra flux tables, line profiles for individual CO ro-vibrational transitions, co-added line profiles, and population diagrams were produced. We have investigated variations in the line profile shapes and line strengths as a function of slit position angle. We used the thermochemical disc modelling code ProDiMo based on the chemistry, radiation field, and temperature structure of a previously published model for HD100546. We calculated line fluxes and profiles for the whole set of observed CO ro-vibrational transitions using a large CO model molecule that includes the lowest two electronic states, each with 7 vibrational levels and within them 60 rotational levels. Comparing observations and the model, we investigated the possibility of disc asymmetries, the excitation mechanism (UV fluorescence), the geometry, and physical conditions of the inner disc. Results. The observed CO ro-vibrational lines are largely emitted from the inner rim of the outer disc at 10-13 AU. The line shapes are similar for all v levels and line fluxes from all vibrational levels vary only within one order of magnitude. All line profile asymmetries and variations can be explained with a symmetric disc model to which a slit correction and pointing offset is applied. Because the angular size of the CO emitting region (10-13 AU) and the slit width are comparable the line profiles are very sensitive to the placing of the slit. The model reproduces the line shapes and the fluxes of the v = 1-0 lines as well as the spatial extent of the CO rovibrational emission. It does not reproduce the observed band ratios of 0.5-0.2 with higher vibrational bands. We find that lower gas volume densities at the surface of the inner rim of the outer disc can make the fluorescence pumping more efficient and reproduce the observed band ratios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present far-IR/sub-mm imaging and spectroscopy of 49 Ceti, an unusual circumstellar disk around a nearby young A1V star. The system is famous for showing the dust properties of a debris disk, but the gas properties of a low-mass protoplanetary disk. The data were acquired with the Herschel Space Observatory PACS and SPIRE instruments, largely as part of the "Gas in Protoplanetary Systems" (GASPS) Open Time Key Programme. Disk dust emission is detected in images at 70, 160, 250, 350, and 500μm; 49 Cet is significantly extended in the 70μm image, spatially resolving the outer dust disk for the first time. Spectra covering small wavelength ranges centered on eight atomic and molecular emission lines were obtained, including [O i] 63μm and [C ii] 158μm. The C ii line was detected at the 5σ level-the first detection of atomic emission from the disk. No other emission lines were seen, despite the fact that the Oi line is the brightest one observed in Herschel protoplanetary disk spectra. We present an estimate of the amount of circumstellar atomic gas implied by the C ii emission. The new far-IR/sub-mm data fills in a large gap in the previous spectral energy distribution (SED) of 49 Cet. A simple model of the new SED confirms the two-component structure of the disk: warm inner dust and cold outer dust that produces most of the observed excess. Finally, we discuss preliminary thermochemical modeling of the 49 Cet gas/dust disk and our attempts to match several observational results simultaneously. Although we are not yet successful in doing so, our investigations shed light on the evolutionary status of the 49 Cet gas, which might not be primordial gas but rather secondary gas coming from comets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The carbon monoxide (CO) ro-vibrational emission from discs around Herbig Ae stars and T kauri stars with strong ultraviolet emissions suggests that fluorescence pumping from the ground XiΣ+ to the electronic A1π state of CO should be taken into account in disc models. Aims. We wish to understand the excitation mechanism of CO ro-vibrational emission seen in Herbig Ae discs, in particular in transitions involving highly excited rotational and vibrational levels. Methods. We implemented a CO model molecule that includes up to 50 rotational levels within nine vibrational levels for the ground and A-excited states in the radiative-photochemical code ProDiMo.We took CO collisions with hydrogen molecules (H2), hydrogen atoms (H), helium (He), and electrons into account.We estimated the missing collision rates using standard scaling laws and discussed their limitations. We tested the effectiveness of ultraviolet (UV) fluorescence pumping for the population of high-vibrational levels (v = 1-9, J = 1-50) for four Herbig Ae disc models (disc mass Mdisc = 10-2, 10-4 and inner radius Rdisc = 1, 20 AU). We tested the effect of infrared (IR) pumping on the CO vibrational temperature and the rotational population in the ground vibrational level. Results. UV fluorescence and IR pumping impact on the population of ro-vibrational v > 1 levels. The v = 1 rotational levels are populated at rotational temperatures between the radiation temperature around 4.6 μm and the gas kinetic temperature. The UV pumping efficiency increases with decreasing disc mass. The consequence is that the vibrational temperatures Tvib, which measure the relative populations between the vibrational levels, are higher than the disc gas kinetic temperatures (suprathermal population of the vibrational levels). The effect is more important for low-density gases because of lower collisional de-excitations.The UV pumping is more efficient for low-mass (Mdisc < 10-3 M☉) than high-mass (Mdisc > 10-3 M☉) discs. Rotational temperatures from fundamental transitions derived using optically thick 12CO v = 1-0 lines do not reflect the gas kinetic temperature. Uncertainties in the rate coefficients within an order of magnitude result in variations in the CO line fluxes up to 20%. CO pure rotational levels with energies lower than 1000 K are populated in local thermodynamic equilibrium but are sensitive to a number of vibrational levels included in the model. The 12CO pure rotational lines are highly optically thick for transition from levels up to Eupper = 2000 K. The model line fluxes are comparable with the observed line fluxes from typical Herbig Ae low- and high-mass discs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. HD 172555 is a young A7 star belonging to the β Pictoris moving group that harbours a debris disc. The Spitzer/IRS spectrum of the source showed mid-IR features such as silicates and glassy silica species, indicating the presence of a warm dust component with small grains, which places HD 172555 among the small group of debris discs with such properties. The IRS spectrum also shows a possible emission of SiO gas. Aims. We aim to study the dust distribution in the circumstellar disc of HD 172555 and to asses the presence of gas in the debris disc. Methods. As part of the GASPS open time key programme, we obtained Herschel/PACS photometric and spectroscopic observations of the source.We analysed PACS observations of HD 172555 and modelled the spectral energy distribution with a modified blackbody and the gas emission with a two-level population model with no collisional de-excitation. Results. We report for the first time the detection of [OI] atomic gas emission at 63.18 μm in the HD 172555 circumstellar disc. We detect excesses due to circumstellar dust toward HD 172555 in the three photometric bands of PACS (70, 100, and 160 μm).We derive a large dust particle mass of (4.8 ± 0.6) × 10-4 Mʘ and an atomic oxygen mass of 2.5 × 10-2R2 Mʘ, where R in AU is the separation between the star and the inner disc. Thus, most of the detected mass of the disc is in the gaseous phase [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We observed a sample of 20 representative Herbig Ae/Be stars and 5 A-type debris discs with PACS onboard Herschel, as part of the GAS in Protoplanetary Systems (GASPS) project. The observations were done in spectroscopic mode, and cover the far-infrared lines of [O I], [C II], CO, CH+, H2O, and OH. We have a [Oi] 63 μm detection rate of 100% for the Herbig Ae/Be and 0% for the debris discs. The [OI] 145 μm line is only detected in 25% and CO J = 18-17 in 45% (and fewer cases for higher J transitions) of the Herbig Ae/Be stars, while for [CII] 157 μm, we often find spatially variable background contamination. We show the first detection of water in a Herbig Ae disc, HD 163296, which has a settled disc. Hydroxyl is detected as well in this disc. First seen in HD 100546, CH+ emission is now detected for the second time in a Herbig Ae star, HD 97048. We report fluxes for each line and use the observations as line diagnostics of the gas properties. Furthermore, we look for correlations between the strength of the emission lines and either the stellar or disc parameters, such as stellar luminosity, ultraviolet and X-ray flux, accretion rate, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) band strength, and flaring. We find that the stellar ultraviolet flux is the dominant excitation mechanism of [OI] 63 μm, with the highest line fluxes being found in objects with a large amount of flaring and among the largest PAH strengths. Neither the amount of accretion nor the X-ray luminosity has an influence on the line strength. We find correlations between the line flux of [OI] 63 μm and [OI] 145 μm, CO J = 18-17 and [OI] 6300 Å, and between the continuum flux at 63 μm and at 1.3 mm, while we find weak correlations between the line flux of [O I] 63 μm and the PAH luminosity, the line flux of CO J = 3-2, the continuum flux at 63 μm, the stellar effective temperature, and the Brγ luminosity. Finally, we use a combination of the [O I] 63 μm and 12CO J = 2-1 line fluxes to obtain order of magnitude estimates of the disc gas masses, in agreement with the values that we find from detailed modelling of two Herbig Ae/Be stars, HD 163296 and HD 169142. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Line spectra of 68 Taurus T Tauri stars were obtained with the Herschel-PACS (Photodetector Array Camera and Spectrometer) instrument as part of the GASPS (GAS evolution in Protoplanetary Systems) survey of protoplanetary discs. A careful examination of the linescans centred on the [OI] 63.18 μm fine-structure line unveiled a line at 63.32 μm in some of these spectra. We identify this line with the 818 → 707 transition of ortho-water. It is detected confidently (i.e., >3σ) in eight sources, i.e., ∼24% of the sub-sample with gas-rich discs. Several statistical tests were used to search for correlations with other disc and stellar parameters such as line fluxes of [Oi] 6300 Å and 63.18 μm; X-ray luminosity and continuum levels at 63 μm and 850 μm. Correlations are found between the water line fluxes and the [O i] 63.18 μm line luminosity, the dust continuum, and possibly with the stellar X-ray luminosity. This is the first time that this line of warm water vapour has been detected in protoplanetary discs. We discuss its origins, in particular whether it comes from the inner disc and/or disc surface or from shocks in outflows and jets. Our analysis favours a disc origin, with the observed water vapour line produced within 2-3 AU from the central stars, where the gas temperature is of the order of 500-600 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present detailed model fits to observations of the disc around the Herbig Ae star HD 163296. This well-studied object has an age of ∼4Myr, with evidence of a circumstellar disc extending out to ∼540AU. We use the radiation thermo-chemical disc code ProDiMo to model the gas and dust in the circumstellar disc of HD 163296, and attempt to determine the disc properties by fitting to observational line and continuum data. These include new Herschel/PACS observations obtained as part of the open-time key program GASPS (GAS in Protoplanetary Systems), consisting of a detection of the [Oi] 63 μm line and upper limits for several other far infrared lines. We complement this with continuum data and ground-based observations of the 12CO 3-2, 2-1 and 13CO J = 1-0 line transitions, as well as an upper limit for the H2 0-0 S(1) transition. We explore the effects of stellar ultraviolet variability and dust settling on the line emission, and on the derived disc properties. Our fitting efforts lead to derived gas/dust ratios in the range 9-100, depending on the assumptions made. We note that the line fluxes are sensitive in general to the degree of dust settling in the disc, with an increase in line flux for settled models. This is most pronounced in lines which are formed in the warm gas in the inner disc, but the low excitation molecular lines are also affected. This has serious implications for attempts to derive the disc gas mass from line observations. We derive fractional PAH abundances between 0.007 and 0.04 relative to ISM levels. Using a stellar and UV excess input spectrum based on a detailed analysis of observations, we find that the all observations are consistent with the previously assumed disc geometry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the hydrostatic density structure of the inner disc rim around Herbig Ae stars using the thermo-chemical hydrostatic code . We compare the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) and images from our hydrostatic disc models to that from prescribed density structure discs. The 2D continuum radiative transfer in includes isotropic scattering. The dust temperature is set by the condition of radiative equilibrium. In the thermal-decoupled case, the gas temperature is governed by the balance between various heating and cooling processes. The gas and dust interact thermally via photoelectrons, radiatively, and via gas accommodation on grain surfaces. As a result, the gas is much hotter than in the thermo-coupled case, where the gas and dust temperatures are equal, reaching a few thousands K in the upper disc layers and making the inner rim higher. A physically motivated density drop at the inner radius ('soft-edge') results in rounded inner rims, which appear ring-like in near-infrared images. The combination of lower gravity pull and hot gas beyond ∼1 au results in a disc atmosphere that reaches a height over radius ratio z/ r of 0.2, while this ratio is 0.1 only in the thermo-coupled case. This puffed-up disc atmosphere intercepts larger amount of stellar radiation, which translates into enhanced continuum emission in the 3-30 μm wavelength region from hotter grains at ∼500 K. We also consider the effect of disc mass and grain size distribution on the SEDs self-consistently feeding those quantities back into the gas temperature, chemistry and hydrostatic equilibrium computation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transitional disks are protoplanetary disks characterized by reduced near- and mid-infrared emission, with respect to full disks. This characteristic spectral energy distribution indicates the presence of an optically thin inner cavity within the dust disk believed to mark the disappearance of the primordial massive disk. We present new Herschel Space Observatory PACS spectra of [O I] 63.18 μm for 21 transitional disks. Our survey complements the larger Herschel GASPS program (“Gas in Protoplanetary Systems”) by quadrupling the number of transitional disks observed with PACS in this wavelength. [O I] 63.18 μm traces material in the outer regions of the disk, beyond the inner cavity of most transitional disks. We find that transitional disks have [O I] 63.18 μm line luminosities ∼2 times fainter than their full disk counterparts. We self-consistently determine various stellar properties (e.g., bolometric luminosity, FUV excess, etc.) and disk properties (e.g., disk dust mass, etc.) that could influence the [O I] 63.18 μm line luminosity, and we find no correlations that can explain the lower [O I] 63.18 μm line luminosities in transitional disks. Using a grid of thermo-chemical protoplanetary disk models, we conclude that either transitional disks are less flared than full disks or they possess lower gas-to-dust ratios due to a depletion of gas mass. This result suggests that transitional disks are more evolved than their full disk counterparts, possibly even at large radii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]