Search

This work aims at providing fundamental general tools for the analysis of water spectra as observed in protoplanetary disks with JWST-MIRI. We analyze 25 high-quality spectra from the JDISC Survey reduced with asteroid calibrators as presented in Pontoppidan et al. 2024. First, we present a spectral atlas to illustrate the clustering of water transitions from different upper level energies ($E_u$) and identify single (un-blended) lines that provide the most reliable measurements. With the atlas, we demonstrate two important excitation effects: one related to the opacity saturation of ortho-para line pairs that overlap, and the other to the sub-thermal excitation of $v=1-1$ lines scattered across the $v=0-0$ rotational band. Second, from this larger line selection we define a list of fundamental lines spanning $E_u$ from 1500 to 6000 K to develop simple line-ratio diagrams as diagnostics of temperature components and column density. Third, we report the detection of disk-rotation Doppler broadening of molecular lines, which demonstrates the radial distribution of water emission at different $E_u$ and confirms from gas kinematics a radially-extended $\approx 170$--220 K reservoir, close to the ice sublimation front. We also report the detection of narrow blue-shifted absorption from an inner disk wind in ro-vibrational H2O and CO lines, which may be observed in disks at inclinations $> 50$ deg. We summarize these findings and tools into a general recipe that should be beneficial to community efforts to study water in planet-forming regions., Comment: Community input and feedback is very welcome. Referee report received and asking for minor revisions. Some analysis updates are in progress. The rest of the sample in Appendix H will be included later

Detecting planet signatures in protoplanetary disks is fundamental to understanding how and where planets form. In this work, we report dust and gas observational hints of planet formation in the disk around 2MASS-J16120668-301027, as part of the ALMA Large Program "AGE-PRO: ALMA survey of Gas Evolution in Protoplanetary disks". The disk was imaged with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) at Band 6 (1.3 mm) in dust continuum emission and four molecular lines: $^{12}$CO(J=2-1), $^{13}$CO(J=2-1), C$^{18}$O(J=2-1), and H$_2$CO(J=3$_{(3,0)}$-2$_{(2,0)}$). Resolved observations of the dust continuum emission (angular resolution of $\sim 150$ mas, 20 au) show a ring-like structure with a peak at $0.57 ^{\prime \prime}$ (75 au), a deep gap with a minimum at 0.24$^{\prime \prime}$ (31 au), an inner disk, a bridge connecting the inner disk and the outer ring, along with a spiral arm structure, and a tentative detection (to $3\sigma$) of a compact emission at the center of the disk gap, with an estimated dust mass of $\sim 2.7-12.9$ Lunar masses. We also detected a kinematic kink (not coincident with any dust substructure) through several $^{12}$CO channel maps (angular resolution $\sim$ 200 mas, 30 au), located at a radius of $\sim 0.875^{\prime \prime}$ (115.6 au). After modeling the $^{12}$CO velocity rotation around the protostar, we identified a tentative rotating-like structure at the kink location with a geometry similar to that of the disk. We discuss potential explanations for the dust and gas substructures observed in the disk, and their potential connection to signatures of planet formation., Comment: 24 pages, 15 figures

An unbiased spectral survey of V883 Ori, an eruptive young star, was carried out with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in Band 6. The detected line emission from various molecules reveals morphological/kinematical features in both the Keplerian disk and the infalling envelope. A direct infall signature, red-shifted absorption against continuum, has been detected in CO, HCO$^+$, HCN, HNC, and H$_2$CO. HCO$^+$ and SO show large arm-like structures that probably connect from an infalling envelope to the disk. HCN and H$_2$CO reveal a distinct boundary between the inner and outer disk and reveal tentative spiral structures connecting the outer disk to the inner disk. HNC shows a large central emission hole (r $\sim$0.3\arcsec) due to its chemical conversion to HCN at high temperatures. The HDO emission, a direct tracer of the water sublimation region, has been detected in the disk. Molecular emission from complex organic molecules (COMs) is confined within the HDO emission boundary, and HCO$^+$ has an emission hole in its distribution due to its destruction by water. Together, these features suggest that the current episode of eruption in V883 Ori may be triggered by the infall from the envelope to the outer disk, generating a spiral wave, which propagates inward and greatly enhances the accretion onto the central star., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ

High-angular resolution imaging by ALMA has revealed the near-universality and diversity of substructures in protoplanetary disks. However, disks around M-type pre-main-sequence stars are still poorly sampled, despite the prevalence of M-dwarfs in the galaxy. Here we present high-resolution (~50 mas, 8 au) ALMA Band 6 observations of six disks around mid-M stars in Taurus. We detect dust continuum emission in all six disks, 12CO in five disks, and 13CO line in two disks. The size ratios between gas and dust disks range from 1.6 to 5.1. The ratio of about 5 for 2M0436 and 2M0450 indicates efficient dust radial drift. Four disks show rings and cavities and two disks are smooth. The cavity sizes occupy a wide range: 60 au for 2M0412, and ~10 au for 2M0434, 2M0436 and 2M0508. Detailed visibility modeling indicates that small cavities of 1.7 and 5.7 au may hide in the two smooth disks 2M0450 and CIDA 12. We perform radiative transfer fitting of the infrared SEDs to constrain the cavity sizes, finding that micron-sized dust grains may have smaller cavities than millimeter grains. Planet-disk interactions are the preferred explanation to produce the large 60 au cavity, while other physics could be responsible for the three ~10 au cavities under current observations and theories. Currently, disks around mid-to-late M stars in Taurus show a higher detection frequency of cavities than earlier type stars, although a more complete sample is needed to evaluate any dependence of substructure on stellar mass., Comment: 25 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ

Warps have often been used to explain disc properties, but well characterised examples are important due to their role in disc evolution. Scattered light images of discs with central gaps have revealed sharp warps, such that the outer rings are shadowed by tilted inner discs. The near-IR intensity drops along the ring around TTauri star DoAr44 have been interpreted in terms of a central warp. We report new ALMA observations of DoAr44 in the continuum at 230 GHz and 350 GHz (at ~10 au), along with a new epoch of SPHERE/IRDIS differential polarised imaging taken during excellent weather conditions. The ALMA observations resolve the ring and confirm the decrements proposed from deconvolution of coarse 336 GHz data. The scattered light image constrains the dips, which correspond to a misaligned inner disc with a relative inclination $\xi$ = 21.4 $^{+6.7}_{-8.3}$ deg. The SPHERE intensity profile shows a morphological change compared to a previous epoch that may be interpreted as a variable orientation of the inner disc, from $\xi$ ~30 deg to $\xi$ ~20 deg. The intensity dips probably correspond to temperature decrements, as their mm-spectral index, $\alpha^{230 GHz}_{350 GHz}$ ~2.0 $\pm$ 0.1, is indicative of optically thick emission. The azimuth of the two temperature decrements are leading clockwise relative to the IR-dips, by $\eta$ = 14.95 deg and $\eta$ = 7.92 deg. For a retrograde disc, such shifts are expected from a thermal lag and imply gas surface densities of $\Sigma_g$ = 117 $\pm$ 10 g/cm$^2$ and $\Sigma_g$ = 48 $\pm$ 10 g/cm$^2$. A lopsided disc, with contrast ratio $f_r$=2.4 $\pm$ 0.5, is also consistent with the large continuum crescent., Comment: accepted in MNRAS

We report on a search for variability in the young brown dwarf SST1624 (~M7 spectral type, M~0.05Msol), previously found to feature an expanding gaseous shell and to undergo quasi-spherical mass loss. We find no variability on timescales of 1-6hours. Specifically, on these timescales, we rule out the presence of a period with amplitude >1%. A photometric period in that range would have been evidence for either pulsation powered by Deuterium burning or rotation near breakup. However, we see a 3% decrease in the K-band magnitude between two consecutive observing nights (a 10sigma result). There is also clear evidence for variations in the WISE lightcurves at 3.6 and 4.5 microns on timescales of days, with a tentative period of about 6d (with a plausible range between 3 and 7d). The best explanation for the variations over days is rotational modulation due to spots. These results disfavour centrifugal winds driven by fast rotation as mechanism for the mass loss, which, in turn, makes the alternative scenario -- a thermal pulse due to Deuterium burning -- more plausible., Comment: 9 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in OJA

Environmental effects, such as stellar fly-bys and external irradiation, are thought to affect the evolution of protoplanetary disks in clustered star formation. Previous ALMA images at 225 GHz of the ISO-Oph 2 binary revealed a peculiar morphology in the disk of the primary, perhaps due to a possible fly-by with the secondary. Here we report on new ALMA continuum observations of this system at 97.5 GHz, 145 GHz and 405 GHz, which reveal strong morphological variations. Multi-frequency positional alignment allows to interpret these spectral variations in terms of underlying physical conditions. ISO-Oph 2A is remarkably offset from the centroid of its ring, at all frequencies, and the disk is lopsided, pointing at gravitational interactions. However, the dust temperature also varies in azimuth, with two peaks whose direction connects with HD 147889, the earliest-type star in the Ophiuchus complex, suggesting that it is the dominant heat source. The stellar environment of ISO-Oph 2 appears to drive both its density structure and its thermal balance.Simon Casassus, Lucas Cieza, Miguel C\'arcamo, \'Alvaro Ribas, Valentin Christiaens, Abigali Rodr\'iguez-Jim\'enez, Carla Arce-Tord, Trisha Bhowmik, Prachi Chavan, Camilo Gonz\'alez-Ruilova, Rafael Mart\'inez-Brunner, Valeria Guidotti, Mauricio Leiva, Comment: accepted in MNRAS

Using the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGT), we have obtained multi-epoch photometry of the young cluster Mon R2. We have monitored over 6000 sources with $i$-band between 13 and 23 mag within a $ 26'x26'$ field of view. For each star, we collected $\sim1500$ photometric points covering a temporal window of 23 days. Based on these data, we have measured rotation-modulated of 136 stars and identified around 90 additional variables, including 14 eclipsing binary candidates. Moreover, we found 298 other variables with photometric high-scatter. In addition, we have obtained $r$-band and H${\alpha}$ narrow-band photometry of the cluster with LCOGT and low-resolution optical spectroscopy of 229 stars with GMOS-Gemini. We used the \textit{Gaia} data from the periodic stars and objects with H$\alpha$ or IR-excesses, which are mostly low-mass pre-main sequence stars ($<1$M$_{sun}$) in the cluster to estimate the distance ($825 \pm 51$ pc) and the mean proper motions ($\mu_{\alpha}cos(\delta)=-2.75$mas yr$^{-1}$ and $\mu_{\delta}=1.15$mas yr$^{-1}$) of its members. This allows us to use the \textit{Gaia} data to identify additional Mon R2 member candidates. We also used Pan-STARRS photometry from our LCOGT sources to construct a more precise H-R diagram, from which we estimate the mean age of the cluster and identify other possible members including eleven spectroscopy brown dwarf with M7 to M9 GMOS spectral types. Finally, we combined our membership lists with \textit{Spitzer} infrared photometry to investigate the incidence of stars with discs and the effect these have on stellar rotation., Comment: 28 pages, 36 figures, will be published in MNRAS: MN-21-3195-MJ

Episodic accretion is a low-mass pre-main sequence phenomenon characterized by sudden outbursts of enhanced accretion. These objects are classified into two: protostars with elevated levels of accretion that lasts for decades or more, called FUors, and protostars with shorter and repetitive bursts, called EXors. HBC 494 is a FUor object embedded in the Orion Molecular Cloud. Earlier Atacama Large (sub-)Millimeter Array (ALMA) continuum observations showed an asymmetry in the disk at 0.''2 resolution. Here, we present follow-up observations at ~0.''03, resolving the system into two components: HBC 494 N (primary) and HBC 494 S (secondary). No circumbinary disk was detected. Both disks are resolved with a projected separation of ~0.''18 (75 au). Their projected dimensions are 84+/-1.8 x 66.9+/-1.5 mas for HBC 494 N and 64.6+/-2.5 x 46.0+/-1.9 mas for HBC 494 S. The disks are almost aligned and with similar inclinations. The observations show that the primary is ~5 times brighter/more massive and ~2 times bigger than the secondary. We notice that the northern component has a similar mass to the FUors, while the southern has to EXors. The HBC 494 disks show individual sizes that are smaller than single eruptive YSOs. In this work, we also report 12CO, 13CO, and C18O molecular line observations. At large scale, the 12CO emission shows bipolar outflows, while the 13CO and C18O maps show a rotating and infalling envelope around the system. At a smaller scale, the 12CO and 13CO moment zero maps show cavities within the continuum disks' area, which may indicate continuum over-subtraction or slow-moving jets and chemical destruction along the line-of-sight., Comment: Published in MNRAS. Main text (11 pages, 8 figures). Appendix (11 pages, 9 figures). Total (22 pages, 17 figures)

The $^{12}$CO rotational lines in protoplanetary discs are good tracers of the total spatial extension of the gas component, and potentially planet-disc interactions. We present ALMA long baseline observations of the $^{12}$CO(2-1) line of ten protoplanetary discs from the Ophiuchus DIsc Survey Employing ALMA (ODISEA) project, aiming to set constraints on the gas distribution of these sources. The position angle of the gaseous disc can be inferred for five sources using high-velocity channels, which trace the gas in the inner part of the disc. We compare the high-velocity PAs to the orientations inferred from the continuum, representative of the orientation over $\sim$ 53 to 256 au in these resolved discs. We find a significant difference in orientation for DoAr 44, which is evidence of a tilted inner disc. Eight discs show evidence of gas inside inner dust cavities or gaps, and the disc of ISO-Oph 196 is not detected in $^{12}$CO(2-1), except for the compact signal located inside its dust cavity. Our observations also point out a possible outflow in WLY 2-63.

The demographic of circumstellar disks, the birthplaces of planets, is diverse and rich in disks featuring rings, gaps, spirals, filaments, and arcs. Many studies revealing these disk structures have focused on objects around single stars and disks in isolation. The scenario is more complex if binarity or multiplicity is involved; most stars are part of multiple systems in crowded star-forming regions. How does the presence of one or more stellar companions affect the shape and size of the circumstellar disks? Here we review the landscape of results from optical, infrared, and (sub-) millimeter observations of the effects of multiplicity on protoplanetary disks, emphasizing the demographic studies of nearby molecular clouds and the high-resolution studies of multiple disk systems., Comment: Invited review accepted in EPJ+

Planet formation imprints signatures on the physical structures of disks. In this paper, we present high-resolution ($\sim$50 mas, 8 au) Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of 1.3 mm dust continuum and CO line emission toward the disk around the M3.5 star 2MASS J04124068+2438157. The dust disk consists only of two narrow rings at radial distances of 0.47 and 0.78 arcsec ($\sim$70 and 116 au), with Gaussian $\sigma$ widths of 5.6 and 8.5 au, respectively. The width of the outer ring is smaller than the estimated pressure scale height by $\sim25\%$, suggesting dust trapping in a radial pressure bump. The dust disk size, set by the location of the outermost ring, is significantly larger (by $3\sigma$) than other disks with similar millimeter luminosity, which can be explained by an early formation of local pressure bump to stop radial drift of millimeter dust grains. After considering the disk's physical structure and accretion properties, we prefer planet--disk interaction over dead zone or photoevaporation models to explain the observed dust disk morphology. We carry out high-contrast imaging at $L'$ band using Keck/NIRC2 to search for potential young planets, but do not identify any source above $5\sigma$. Within the dust gap between the two rings, we reach a contrast level of $\sim$7 mag, constraining the possible planet below $\sim$2--4 $M_{\rm Jup}$. Analyses of the gap/ring properties suggest a $\sim$Saturn mass planet at $\sim$90 au is likely responsible for the formation of the outer ring, which can be potentially revealed with JWST., Comment: 15 pages, 5 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ

Dense stellar environments as hosts of ongoing star formation increase the probability of gravitational encounters among stellar systems during the early stages of evolution. Stellar interaction may occur through non-recurring, hyperbolic or parabolic passages (a so-called 'fly-by'), through secular binary evolution, or through binary capture. In all three scenarios, the strong gravitational perturbation is expected to manifest itself in the disc structures around the individual stars. Here, we present near-infrared polarised light observations that were taken with the SPHERE/IRDIS instrument of three known interacting twin-disc systems: AS 205, EM* SR 24, and FU Orionis. The scattered light exposes spirals likely caused by the gravitational interaction. On a larger scale, we observe connecting filaments between the stars. We analyse their very complex polarised intensity and put particular attention to the presence of multiple light sources in these systems. The local angle of linear polarisation indicates the source whose light dominates the scattering process from the bridging region between the two stars. Further, we show that the polarised intensity from scattering with multiple relevant light sources results from an incoherent summation of the individuals' contribution. This can produce nulls of polarised intensity in an image, as potentially observed in AS 205. We discuss the geometry and content of the systems by comparing the polarised light observations with other data at similar resolution, namely with ALMA continuum and gas emission. Collective observational data can constrain the systems' geometry and stellar trajectories, with the important potential to differentiate between dynamical scenarios of stellar interaction., Comment: 23 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

We report the serendipitous discovery of an elliptical shell of CO associated with the faint stellar object SSTc2d J163134.1-24006 as part of the "Ophiuchus Disk Survey Employing ALMA" (ODISEA), a project aiming to study the entire population of protoplanetary disks in the Ophiuchus Molecular Cloud from 230 GHz continuum emission and $^{12}$CO (J=2-1), $^{13}$CO (J=2-1) and C$^{18}$CO (J=2-1) lines readable in Band-6. Remarkably, we detect a bright $^{12}$CO elliptical shape emission of $\sim$ 3$^{"}$ $\times$ 4$^{"}$ towards SSTc2d J163134.1-24006 without a 230 GHz continuum detection. Based on the observed near-IR spectrum taken with the Very Large Telescope (KMOS), the brightness of the source, its 3-dimensional motion, and Galactic dynamic arguments, we conclude that the source is not a giant star in the distant background ($>$5 - 10 kpc) and is most likely to be a young brown dwarf in the Ophiuchus cloud, at a distance of just $\sim$139 pc. This is the first report of quasi-spherical mass loss in a young brown dwarf. We suggest that the observed shell could be associated with a thermal pulse produced by the fusion of deuterium, which is not yet well understood, but for a sub-stellar object is expected to occur during a short period of time at an age of a few Myr, in agreement with the ages of the objects in the region. Other more exotic scenarios, such as a merger with planetary companions, cannot be ruled out from the current observations., Comment: 27 pages, 20 Figures. Accepted ApJ

The nearby V4046 Sgr spectroscopic binary hosts a gas-rich disc known for its wide cavity and dusty ring. We present high resolution ($\sim$20 mas or 1.4 au) ALMA observations of the 1.3mm continuum of V4046 Sgr which, combined with SPHERE--IRDIS polarised images and a well-sampled spectral energy distribution (SED), allow us to propose a physical model using radiative transfer (RT) predictions. The ALMA data reveal a thin ring at a radius of 13.15$\pm$0.42 au (Ring13), with a radial width of 2.46$\pm$0.56 au. Ring13 is surrounded by a $\sim$10 au-wide gap, and it is flanked by a mm-bright outer ring (Ring24) with a sharp inner edge at 24 au. Between 25 and $\sim$35 au the brightness of Ring24 is relatively flat and then breaks into a steep tail that reaches out to $\sim$60 au. In addition, central emission is detected close to the star which we interpret as a tight circumbinary ring made of dust grains with a lower size limit of 0.8 mm at 1.1 au. In order to reproduce the SED, the model also requires an inner ring at $\sim$5 au (Ring5) composed mainly of small dust grains, hiding under the IRDIS coronagraph, and surrounding the inner circumbinary disc. The surprisingly thin Ring13 is nonetheless roughly 10 times wider than its expected vertical extent. The strong near-far disc asymmetry at 1.65 $\mu$m points at a very forward-scattering phase function and requires grain radii of no less than 0.4 $\mu$m., Comment: 11 pages, 7 figures

Planet-disc interactions build up local pressure maxima that may halt the radial drift of protoplanetary dust, and pile it up in rings and crescents. ALMA observations of the HD135344B disc revealed two rings in the thermal continuum stemming from ~mm-sized dust. At higher frequencies the inner ring is brighter relative to the outer ring, which is also shaped as a crescent rather than a full ring. In near-IR scattered light images, the disc is modulated by a 2-armed grand-design spiral originating inside the ALMA inner ring. Such structures may be induced by a massive companion evacuating the central cavity, and by a giant planet in the gap separating both rings, that channels the accretion of small dust and gas through its filamentary wakes while stopping the larger dust from crossing the gap. Here we present ALMA observations in the J=(2-1)CO isotopologue lines and in the adjacent continuum, with up to 12km baselines. Angular resolutions of 0.03" reveal the tentative detection of a filament connecting both rings, and which coincides with a local discontinuity in the pitch angle of the IR spiral, proposed previously as the location of the protoplanet driving this spiral. Line diagnostics suggest that turbulence, or superposed velocity components, is particularly strong in the spirals. The 12CO(2-1) 3-D rotation curve points at stellocentric accretion at radii within the inner dust ring, with a radial velocity of up to ~6%+-0.5% Keplerian, which corresponds to an excessively large accretion rate of ~2E-6M_sun/yr if all of the CO layer follows the 12CO(2-1) kinematics. This suggests that only the surface layers of the disc are undergoing accretion, and that the line broadening is due to superposed laminar flows., Comment: accepted to MNRAS

We present 1.3 mm continuum ALMA long-baseline observations at 3-5 au resolution of 10 of the brightest discs from the Ophiuchus DIsc Survey Employing ALMA (ODISEA) project. We identify a total of 26 narrow rings and gaps distributed in 8 sources and 3 discs with small dust cavities (r $<$10 au). We find that two discs around embedded protostars lack the clear gaps and rings that are ubiquitous in more evolved sources with Class II SEDs. Our sample includes 5 objects with previously known large dust cavities (r $>$20 au). We find that the 1.3 mm radial profiles of these objects are in good agreement with those produced by numerical simulations of dust evolution and planet-disc interactions, which predict the accumulation of mm-sized grains at the edges of planet-induced cavities. Our long-baseline observations resulted in the largest sample of discs observed at $\sim$3-5 au resolution in any given star-forming region (15 objects when combined with Ophiuchus objects in the DSHARP Large Program) and allow for a demographic study of the brightest $\sim5\%$ of the discs in Ophiuchus (i.e. the most likely formation sites of giant planets in the cloud). We use this unique sample to propose an evolutionary sequence and discuss a scenario in which the substructures observed in massive protoplanetary discs are mainly the result of planet formation and dust evolution. If this scenario is correct, the detailed study of disc substructures might provide a window to investigate a population of planets that remains mostly undetectable by other techniques., Comment: 21 pages, 10 figures. Appendix with 3 additional figures. Version 2, identical to previous one, but now accepted for publication (in MNRAS)

We present results from a near-infrared (NIR) adaptive optics (AO) survey of pre-main-sequence stars in the Lupus Molecular Cloud with VLT/NACO to identify (sub)stellar companions down to $\sim$20 au separation and investigate the effects of multiplicity on circumstellar disc properties. We observe for the first time in the NIR with AO a total of 47 targets and complement our observations with archival data for another 58 objects previously observed with the same instrument. All 105 targets have millimetre ALMA data available, which provide constraints on disc masses and sizes. We identify a total of 13 multiple systems, including 11 doubles and 2 triples. In agreement with previous studies, we find that the most massive (M$_{\rm dust}$ $>$ 50 M$_{\oplus}$) and largest ($R_{\rm dust}>$ 70 au) discs are only seen around stars lacking visual companions (with separations of 20-4800 au) and that primaries tend to host more massive discs than secondaries. However, as recently shown in a very similar study of $>$200 PMS stars in the Ophiuchus Molecular Cloud, the distribution of disc masses and sizes are similar for single and multiple systems for M$_{\rm dust} < 50$ M$_{\oplus}$ and radii $R_{\rm dust}<$ 70 au. Such discs correspond to $\sim $80-90\% of the sample. This result can be seen in the combined sample of Lupus and Ophiuchus objects, which now includes more than 300 targets with ALMA imaging and NIR AO data, and implies that stellar companions with separations $>$20 au mostly affect discs in the upper 10$\%$ of the disc mass and size distributions., Comment: 11 pages, 15 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

ISO-Oph 2 is a wide-separation (240 au) binary system where the primary star harbors a massive (M$_{dust}$ $\sim$40 M$_{\oplus}$) ring-like disk with a dust cavity $\sim$50 au in radius and the secondary hosts a much lighter (M$_{dust}$ $\sim$0.8 M$_{\oplus}$) disk. As part of the high-resolution follow-up of the "Ophiuchus Disk Survey Employing ALMA" (ODISEA) project, we present 1.3 mm continuum and $^{12}$CO molecular line observations of the system at 0''02 (3 au) resolution. We resolve the disk around the primary into two non-axisymmetric rings and find that the disk around the secondary is only $\sim$7 au across and also has a dust cavity (r $\sim$2.2 au). Based on the infrared flux ratio of the system and the M0 spectral type of the primary, we estimate the mass of the companion to be close to the brown dwarf limit. Hence, we conclude that the ISO-Oph 2 system contains the largest and smallest cavities, the smallest measured disk size, and the resolved cavity around the lowest mass object (M$_{\star}$ $\sim$0.08 M$_\odot$) in Ophiuchus. From the $^{12}$CO data, we find a bridge of gas connecting both disks. While the morphology of the rings around the primary might be due to an unseen disturber within the cavity, we speculate that the bridge might indicate an alternative scenario in which the secondary has recently flown by the primary star causing the azimuthal asymmetries in its disk. The ISO-Oph 2 system is therefore a remarkable laboratory to study disk evolution, planet formation, and companion-disk interactions., Comment: 10 pages, 4 figures, 1 table

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) 1.3 mm observations of four young, eruptive star-disk systems at 0.4" resolution: two FUors (V582 Aur and V900 Mon), one EXor (UZ Tau E) and one source with an ambiguous FU/EXor classification (GM Cha). The disks around GM Cha, V900 Mon and UZ Tau E are resolved. These observations increase the sample of FU/EXors observed at sub-arcsecond resolution by 15%. The disk sizes and masses of FU/EXors objects observed by ALMA so far suggest that FUor disks are more massive than Class 0/I disks in Orion and Class II disks in Lupus of similar size. EXor disks in contrast do not seem to be distinguishable from these two populations. We reach similar conclusions when comparing the FU/EXor sample to the Class I and Class II disks in Ophiuchus. FUor disks around binaries are host to more compact disks than those in single-star systems, similar to non-eruptive young disks. We detect a wide-angle outflow around GM Cha in $^{12}$CO emission, wider than typical Class I objects and more similar to those found around some FUor objects. We use radiative transfer models to fit the continuum and line data of the well-studied disk around UZ Tau E. The line data is well described by a keplerian disk, with no evidence of outflow activity (similar to other EXors). The detection of wide-angle outflows in FUors and not in EXors support to the current picture in which FUors are more likely to represent an accretion burst in the protostellar phase (Class I), while EXors are smaller accretion events in the protoplanetary (Class II) phase., Comment: 22 pages, 14 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ

We present Adaptive Optics (AO) near infrared (NIR) observations using VLT/NACO and Keck/NIRC2 of ODISEA targets. ODISEA is an ALMA survey of the entire population of circumstellar discs in the Ophiuchus molecular cloud. From the whole sample of ODISEA we select all the discs that are not already observed in the NIR with AO and that are observable with NACO or NIRC2. The NIR-ODISEA survey consists of 147 stars observed in NIR AO imaging for the first time, as well as revisiting almost all the binary systems of Ophiuchus present in the literature (20 out of 21). In total, we detect 20 new binary systems and one triple system. For each of them we calculate the projected separation and position angle of the companion, as well as their NIR and millimeter flux ratios. From the NIR contrast we derived the masses of the secondaries, finding that 9 of them are in the sub-stellar regime (30-50 \MJup). Discs in multiple systems reach a maximum total dust mass of $\sim$ 50 M$_{\oplus}$, while discs in single stars can reach a dust mass of 200 M$_{\oplus}$. Discs with masses above 10 M$_{\oplus}$ are found only around binaries with projected separations larger than $\sim$ 110 au. The maximum disc size is also larger around single star than binaries. However, since most discs in Ophiuchus are very small and low-mass, the effect of visual binaries is relatively weak in the general disc population., Comment: 13 pages, 13 figures, 4 tables. Published in MNRAS

We present polarized light observations of the transitional disk around Sz 91 acquired with VLT/NaCo at $H$ (1.7$\mu$m) and $K_s$ (2.2$\mu$m) bands. We resolve the disk and detect polarized emission up to $\sim$0."5 ($\sim$80 au) along with a central cavity at both bands. We computed a radiative transfer model that accounts for the main characteristics of the polarized observations. We found that the emission is best explained by small, porous grains distributed in a disk with a $\sim$45 au cavity. Previous ALMA observations have revealed a large sub-mm cavity ($\sim$83 au) and extended gas emission from the innermost (<16 au) regions up to almost 400 au from the star. Dynamical clearing by multiple low-mass planets arises as the most probable mechanism for the origin of Sz 91's peculiar structure. Using new $L'$ band ADI observations we can rule out companions more massive than $M_p$ $\geq$ 8 $M_\mathrm{Jup}$ beyond 45 au assuming hot-start models. The disk is clearly asymmetric in polarized light along the minor axis, with the north side brighter than the south side. Differences in position angle between the disk observed at sub-mm wavelengths with ALMA and our NaCo observations were found. This suggests that the disk around Sz 91 could be highly structured. Higher signal-to-noise near-IR and sub-mm observations are needed to confirm the existence of such structures and to improve the current understanding in the origin of transitional disks., Comment: 14 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

FU Orionis objects are low-mass pre-main sequence stars characterized by dramatic outbursts of several magnitudes in brightness. These outbursts are linked to episodic accretion events in which stars gain a significant portion of their mass. The physical processes behind these accretion events are not yet well understood. The archetypical FU Ori system, FU Orionis, is composed of two young stars with detected gas and dust emission. The continuum emitting regions have not been resolved until now. Here, we present 1.3 mm observations of the FU Ori binary system with ALMA. The disks are resolved at 40 mas resolution. Radiative transfer modeling shows that the emission from FU Ori north (primary) is consistent with a dust disk with a characteristic radius of $\sim$11 au. The ratio between major and minor axes shows that the inclination of the disk is $\sim$37 deg. FU Ori south is consistent with a dust disk of similar inclination and size. Assuming the binary orbit shares the same inclination angle as the disks, the deprojected distance between north and south components is 0.6'', i.e. $\sim$250 au. Maps of $^{12}$CO emission show a complex kinematic environment with signatures disk rotation at the location of the northern component, and also (to a lesser extent) for FU Ori south. The revised disk geometry allows us to update FU Ori accretion models (Zhu et al.), yielding a stellar mass and mass accretion rate of FU Ori north of 0.6 M$_{\odot}$ and 3.8$\times10^{-5}$ M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$, respectively., Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in ApJ

Near-IR polarimetric images of protoplanetary disks enable us to characterize substructures that might be due to the interaction with (forming) planets. The available census is strongly biased toward massive disks around old stars, however. The DARTTS program aims at alleviating this bias by imaging a large number of T Tauri stars with diverse properties. In this work, we present new SPHERE images of 21 circumstellar disks, which is the largest sample released to date. The targets of this work are significantly younger than those published thus far with polarimetric near-IR (NIR) imaging. Scattered light is unambiguously resolved in 11 targets, and some polarized unresolved signal is detected in 3 additional sources. Some disk substructures are detected. However, the paucity of spirals and shadows from this sample reinforces the trend according to which these NIR features are associated with Herbig stars, either because they are older or more massive. Furthermore, disk rings that are apparent in ALMA observations of some targets do not appear to have corresponding detections with SPHERE. Inner cavities larger than 15 au are also absent from our images, even though they are expected from the spectral energy distribution. On the other hand, 3 objects show extended filaments at larger scale that are indicative of strong interaction with the surrounding medium. All but one of the undetected disks are best explained by their limited size (less than 20 au), and the high occurrence of stellar companions in these sources suggests an important role in limiting the disk size. One undetected disk is massive and very large at millimeter wavelengths, implying that it is self-shadowed in the NIR. This work paves the way toward a more complete and less biased sample of scattered-light observations, which is required to interpret how disk features evolve throughout the disk lifetime., Comment: Accepted for publication by A&A. 14 pages, 7 figures

Tidal encounters in star clusters perturb discs around young protostars. In Cuello et al. (2019a, Paper I) we detailed the dynamical signatures of a stellar flyby in both gas and dust. Flybys produce warped discs, spirals with evolving pitch angles, increasing accretion rates, and disc truncation. Here we present the corresponding observational signatures of these features in optical/near-infrared scattered light and (sub-) millimeter continuum and CO line emission. Using representative prograde and retrograde encounters for direct comparison, we post-process hydrodynamical simulations with radiative transfer methods to generate a catalogue of multi-wavelength observations. This provides a reference to identify flybys in recent near-infrared and sub-millimetre observations (e.g., RW Aur, AS 205, HV Tau & DO Tau, FU Ori, V2775 Ori, and Z CMa)., Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS

As part of the ongoing effort to characterize the low-mass (sub)stellar population in a sample of massive young clusters, we have targeted the ~2 Myr old cluster NGC 2244. The distance to NGC 2244 from Gaia DR2 parallaxes is 1.59 kpc, with errors of 1% (statistical) and 11% (systematic). We used the Flamingos-2 near-infrared camera at the Gemini-South telescope for deep multi-band imaging of the central portion of the cluster (~2.4pc^2). We determined membership in a statistical manner, through a comparison of the cluster's color-magnitude diagram to that of a control field. Masses and extinctions of the candidate members are then calculated with the help of evolutionary models, leading to the first initial mass function (IMF) of the cluster extending into the substellar regime, with the 90\% completeness limit around 0.02 Msun. The IMF is well represented by a broken power law (dN/dM \propto M^{-alpha}), with a break at ~0.4 Msun. The slope on the high mass side (0.4 - 7 Msun) is alpha=2.12+-0.08, close to the standard Salpeter slope. In the low-mass range (0.02 - 0.4 Msun), we find a slope alpha=1.03+-0.02, which is at the high end of the typical values obtained in nearby star-forming regions (alpha=0.5-1.0), but still in agreement within the uncertainties. Our results reveal no clear evidence for variations in the formation efficiency of brown dwarfs and very low-mass stars due to the presence of OB stars, or for a change in stellar densities. Our finding rules out photoevaporation and fragmentation of infalling filaments as substantial pathways for brown dwarf formation., Comment: Accepted for publication by Astrophysical Journal. Second version after proof corrections were received

Using the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), we observed the young Herbig star HD 100546, host to a prominent disk with a deep, wide gap in the dust. The high-resolution 1.3 mm continuum observation reveals fine radial and azimuthal substructures in the form of a complex maze of ridges and trenches sculpting a dust ring. The $^{12}$CO(2-1) channel maps are modulated by wiggles or kinks that deviate from Keplerian kinematics particularly over the continuum ring, where deviations span 90$^\circ$ in azimuth, covering 5 km s$^{-1}$. The most pronounced wiggle resembles the imprint of an embedded massive planet of at least 5 M$_{\rm Jup}$ predicted from previous hydrodynamical simulations (Perez, Casassus, & Benitez-Llambay 2018). Such planet is expected to open a deep gap in both gas and dust density fields within a few orbital timescales, yet the kinematic wiggles lie near ridges in the continuum. The lesser strength of the wiggles in the $^{13}$CO and C$^{18}$O isotopologues show that the kinematic signature weakens at lower disk heights, and suggests qualitatively that it is due to vertical flows in the disk surface. Within the gap, the velocity field transitions from Keplerian to strongly non-Keplerian via a twist in position angle, suggesting the presence of another perturber and/or an inner warp. We also present VLT/SPHERE sparse aperture masking data which recovers scattered light emission from the gap's edges but shows no evidence for signal within the gap, discarding a stellar binary origin for its opening., Comment: 10 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters

In the pre-main-sequence stage, star-disc interactions have been shown to remove stellar angular momentum and regulate the rotation periods of stars with M2 and earlier spectral types. Whether disc regulation also extends to stars with later spectral types still remains a matter of debate. Here we present a star-disc interaction study in a sample of over 180 stars with spectral types M3 and later (corresponding to stellar masses $\leq 0.3 M_\odot$) in young stellar cluster NGC 2264. Combining rotation periods from the literature, new and literature spectral types, and newly presented deep Spitzer observations, we show that stars with masses below 0.3 $M_\odot$ with discs also rotate slower than stars without a disc in the same mass regime. Our results demonstrate that disc-regulation still operates in these low-mass stars, although the efficiency of this process might be lower than in higher-mass objects. We confirm that stars with spectral types earlier and later than M2 have distinct period distributions and that stars with spectral types M5 and later rotate even faster M3 and M4-type stars., Comment: 11 pages, 14 figures, accepted by Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

Two studies utilizing sparse aperture masking (SAM) interferometry and $H_{\rm \alpha}$ differential imaging have reported multiple jovian companions around the young solar-mass star, LkCa 15 (LkCa 15 bcd): the first claimed direct detection of infant, newly-formed planets ("protoplanets"). We present new near-infrared direct imaging/spectroscopy from the SCExAO system coupled with the CHARIS integral field spectrograph and multi-epoch thermal infrared imaging from Keck/NIRC2 of LkCa 15 at high Strehl ratios. These data provide the first direct imaging look at the same wavelengths and in the same locations where previous studies identified the LkCa 15 protoplanets and thus offer the first decisive test of their existence. The data do not reveal these planets. Instead, we resolve extended emission tracing a dust disk with a brightness and location comparable to that claimed for LkCa 15 bcd. Forward-models attributing this signal to orbiting planets are inconsistent with the combined SCExAO/CHARIS and Keck/NIRC2 data. An inner disk provides a more compelling explanation for the SAM detections and perhaps also the claimed $H_{\alpha}$ detection of LkCa 15 b. We conclude that there is currently no clear, direct evidence for multiple protoplanets orbiting LkCa 15, although the system likely contains at least one unseen jovian companion. To identify jovian companions around LkCa 15 from future observations, the inner disk should be detected and its effect modeled, removed, and shown to be distinguishable from planets. Protoplanet candidates identified from similar systems should likewise be clearly distinguished from disk emission through modeling., Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures, 1 table; Astrophysical Journal Letters in press

As protostars evolve from optically faint / infrared bright (Class I) sources to optically bright / infrared faint (Class II) the solid material in their surrounding disks accumulates into planetesimals and protoplanets. The nearby, young Ophiuchus star-forming region contains hundreds of protostars in a range of evolutionary states. Using the Atacama Large Millimeter Array to observe their millimeter continuum emission, we have measured masses of, or placed strong upper limits on, the dust content of 279 disks. The masses follow a log-normal distribution with a clear trend of decreasing mass from less to more evolved protostellar infrared class. The (logarithmic) mean Class I disk mass, M = 3.8 M_Earth, is about 5 times greater than the mean Class II disk mass, but the dispersion in each class is so high, sigma(logM) ~ 0.8-1, that there is a large overlap between the two distributions. The disk mass distribution of flat-spectrum protostars lies in between Classes I and II. In addition, three Class III sources with little to no infrared excess are detected with low disk masses, M ~ 0.3 M_Earth. Despite the clear trend of decreasing disk mass with protostellar evolutionary state in this region, a comparison with surveys of Class II disks in other regions shows that masses do not decrease monotonically with age. This suggests that the cloud-scale environment may determine the initial disk mass scale or that there is substantial dust regeneration after 1 Myr., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters

Rings and radial gaps are ubiquitous in protoplanetary disks, yet their possible connection to planet formation is currently subject to intense debates. In principle, giant planet formation leads to wide gaps which separate the gas and dust mass reservoir in the outer disk, while lower mass planets lead to shallow gaps which are manifested mainly on the dust component. We used the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) to observe the star HD169142, host to a prominent disk with deep wide gaps that sever the disk into inner and outer regions. The new ALMA high resolution images allow for the outer ring to be resolved as three narrow rings. The HD169142 disk thus hosts both the wide gaps trait of transition disks and a narrow ring system similar to those observed in the TW Hya and HL Tau systems. The mass reservoir beyond a deep gap can thus host ring systems. The observed rings are narrow in radial extent (width/radius of 1.5/57.3, 1.8/64.2 and 3.4/76.0, in au) and have asymmetric mutual separations: the first and middle ring are separated by 7 au while the middle and outermost ring are distanced by ~12 au. Using hydrodynamical modeling we found that a simple explanation, involving a single migrating low mass planet (10 M$_\oplus$), entirely accounts for such an apparently complex phenomenon. Inward migration of the planet naturally explains the ring's asymmetric mutual separation. The isolation of HD169142's outer rings thus allows a proof of concept to interpret the detailed architecture of the outer region of protoplanetary disks with low mass planet formation of mini-Neptune's size, i.e. as in the protosolar nebula., Comment: 13 pages. 4 figures in main text plus 4 in appendix. Accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journal

Episodic accretion may be a common occurrence in the evolution of young pre-main sequence stars and has important implications for our understanding of star and planet formation. Many fundamental aspects of what drives the accretion physics, however, are still unknown. The ngVLA will be a key tool in understanding the nature of these events. The high spatial resolution, broad spectral coverage, and unprecedented sensitivity will allow for the detailed analysis of outburst systems. The proposed frequency range of the ngVLA allows for observations of the gas, dust, and non-thermal emission from the star and disk., Comment: 8 pages, 1 figure, To be published in the ASP Monograph Series, "Science with a Next-Generation VLA", ed. E. J. Murphy (ASP, San Francisco, CA)

We introduce the Ophiuchus DIsc Survey Employing ALMA (ODISEA), a project aiming to study the entire population of Spitzer-selected protoplanetary discs in the Ophiuchus Molecular Cloud (~300 objects) from both millimeter continuum and CO isotopologues data. Here we present 1.3 mm/230 GHz continuum images of 147 targets at 0.2" (28 au) resolution and a typical rms of 0.15 mJy. We detect a total of 133 discs, including the individual components of 11 binary systems and 1 triple system. Fifty-three of these discs are spatially resolved. We find clear substructures (inner cavities, rings, gaps, and/or spiral arms) in 8 of the sources and hints of such structures in another 4 discs. We construct the disc luminosity function for our targets and perform comparisons to other regions. A simple conversion between flux and dust mass (adopting standard assumptions) indicates that all discs detected at 1.3 mm are massive enough to form one or more rocky planets. In contrast, only ~50 discs (~1/3 of the sample) have enough mass in the form of dust to form the canonical 10 M_Earth core needed to trigger runaway gas accretion and the formation of gas giant planets, although the total mass of solids already incorporated into bodies larger than cm scales is mostly unconstrained. The distribution in continuum disc sizes in our sample is heavily weighted towards compact discs: most detected discs have radii < 15 au, while only 23 discs (~15% of the targets) have radii > 30 au., Comment: 19 pages, 13 figures. Accepted for publication by MNRAS

Complex organic molecules (COMs), which are the seeds of prebiotic material and precursors of amino acids and sugars, form in the icy mantles of circumstellar dust grains but cannot be detected remotely unless they are heated and released to the gas phase. Around solar-mass stars, water and COMs only sublimate in the inner few au of the disk, making them extremely difficult to spatially resolve and study. Sudden increases in the luminosity of the central star will quickly expand the sublimation front (so-called snow line) to larger radii, as seen previously in the FU Ori outburst of the young star V883 Ori. In this paper, we take advantage of the rapid increase in disk temperature of V883 Ori to detect and analyze five different COMs, methanol, acetone, acetonitrile, acetaldehyde, and methyl formate, in spatially-resolved submillimeter observations. The COMs abundances in V883 Ori is in reasonable agreement with cometary values. This result suggests that outbursting young stars can provide a special opportunity to study the ice composition of material directly related to planet formation., Comment: Published in Nature Astronomy

The large crescents imaged by ALMA in transition disks suggest that azimuthal dust trapping concentrates the larger grains, but centimetre-wavelengths continuum observations are required to map the distribution of the largest observable grains. A previous detection at ~1cm of an unresolved clump along the outer ring of MWC758 (Clump1), and buried inside more extended sub-mm continuum, motivates followup VLA observations. Deep multiconfiguration integrations reveal the morphology of Clump 1 and additional cm-wave components which we characterize via comparison with a deconvolution of recent 342GHz data (~1mm). Clump1, which concentrates ~1/3 of the whole disk flux density at ~1cm, is resolved as a narrow arc with a deprojected aspect ratio Chi>5.6, and with half the azimuthal width than at 342 GHz. The spectral trends in the morphology of Clump1 are quantitatively consistent with the Lyra-Lin prescriptions for dust trapping in an anticyclonic vortex, provided with porous grains (f~0.2+-0.2) in a very elongated (Chi~14+-3) and cold (T~23+-2K) vortex. The same prescriptions constrain the turbulence parameter alpha and the gas surface density Sigma_g through log10( alpha x Sigma_g /g/cm2)~-2.3+-0.4, thus requiring values for Sigma_g larger than a factor of a few compared to that reported in the literature from the CO isotopologues, if alpha <~ 1E-3. Such physical conditions imply an appreciably optically thick continuum even at cm-wavelengths (tau(33GHz)~0.2). A secondary and shallower peak at 342GHz is about twice fainter relative to Clump1 at 33GHz. Clump2 appears to be less efficient at trapping large grains., Comment: accepted to MNRAS

Optical/IR images of transition disks (TDs) have revealed deep intensity decrements in the rings of HAeBes HD142527 and HD100453, that can be interpreted as shadowing from sharply tilted inner disks, such that the outer disks are directly exposed to stellar light. Here we report similar dips in SPHERE+IRDIS differential polarized imaging (DPI) of TTauri DoAr44. With a fairly axially symmetric ring in the submm radio continuum, DoAr44 is likely also a warped system. We constrain the warp geometry by comparing radiative transfer predictions with the DPI data in H band (Q_\phi(H)) and with a re-processing of archival 336GHz ALMA observations. The observed DPI shadows have coincident radio counterparts, but the intensity drops are much deeper in Q_\phi(H) (~88%), compared to the shallow drops at 336GHz (~24%). Radiative transfer predictions with an inner disk tilt of ~30+-5deg approximately account for the observations. ALMA long-baseline observations should allow the observation of the warped gas kinematics inside the cavity of DoAr44., Comment: 11 pages, 10 figures, 3 tables, accepted for publication in MNRAS

The physical properties of brown dwarf companions found to orbit nearby, solar-type stars can be benchmarked against independent measures of their mass, age, chemical composition, and other parameters, offering insights into the evolution of substellar objects. The TRENDS high-contrast imaging survey has recently discovered a (mass/age/metallicity) benchmark brown dwarf orbiting the nearby (d=18.69+/-0.19 pc), G8V/K0V star HD 4747. We have acquired follow-up spectroscopic measurements of HD 4747 B using the Gemini Planet Imager to study its spectral type, effective temperature, surface gravity, and cloud properties. Observations obtained in the H-band and K1-band recover the companion and reveal that it is near the L/T transition (T1+/-2). Fitting atmospheric models to the companion spectrum, we find strong evidence for the presence of clouds. However, spectral models cannot satisfactorily fit the complete data set: while the shape of the spectrum can be well-matched in individual filters, a joint fit across the full passband results in discrepancies that are a consequence of the inherent color of the brown dwarf. We also find a $2\sigma$ tension in the companion mass, age, and surface gravity when comparing to evolutionary models. These results highlight the importance of using benchmark objects to study "secondary effects" such as metallicity, non-equilibrium chemistry, cloud parameters, electron conduction, non-adiabatic cooling, and other subtleties affecting emergent spectra. As a new L/T transition benchmark, HD 4747 B warrants further investigation into the modeling of cloud physics using higher resolution spectroscopy across a broader range of wavelengths, polarimetric observations, and continued Doppler radial velocity and astrometric monitoring., Comment: Accepted to ApJ

Low-mass stars build a significant fraction of their total mass during short outbursts of enhanced accretion known as FUor and EXor outbursts. FUor objects are characterized by a sudden brightening of ~5 magnitudes at visible wavelengths within one year and remain bright for decades. EXor objects have lower amplitude outbursts on shorter timescales. Here we discuss a 1.3 mm ALMA mini-survey of eight outbursting sources (three FUor, four EXor, and the borderline object V1647 Ori) in the Orion Molecular Cloud. While previous papers in this series discuss the remarkable molecular outflows observed in the three FUor objects and V1647 Ori, here we focus on the continuum data and the differences and similarities between the FUor and EXor populations. We find that FUor discs are significantly more massive (~80-600 M_JUP) than the EXor objects (~0.5-40 M_JUP ). We also report that the EXor sources lack the prominent outflows seen in the FUor population. Even though our sample is small, the large differences in disc masses and outflow activity suggest that the two types of objects represent different evolutionary stages. The FUor sources seem to be rather compact (Rc < 20-40 au) and to have a smaller characteristic radius for a given disc mass when compared to T Tauri stars. V1118 Ori, the only known close binary systemin our sample, is shown to host a disc around each one of the stellar components. The disc around HBC 494 is asymmetric, hinting at a structure in the outer disc or the presence of a second disc., Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures. Accepted for publication at MNRAS

We present ALMA 1.3 mm continuum observations at 0.2" (25 au) resolution of Elias 2-24, one of the largest and brightest protoplanetary disks in the Ophiuchus Molecular Cloud, and report the presence of three partially resolved concentric gaps located at ~20, 52, and 87 au from the star. We perform radiative transfer modeling of the disk to constrain its surface density and temperature radial profile and place the disk structure in the context of mechanisms capable of forming narrow gaps such as condensation fronts and dynamical clearing by actively forming planets. In particular, we estimate the disk temperature at the locations of the gaps to be 23, 15, and 12 K (at 20, 52, and 87 au respectively), very close to the expected snow-lines of CO (23-28 K) and N2 (12-15 K). Similarly, by assuming that the widths of the gaps correspond to 4-8 x the Hill radii of forming planets (as suggested by numerical simulations), we estimate planet masses in the range of 0.2-1.5 M_Jup, 1.0-8.0 M_Jup, and 0.02-0.15 M_Jup for the inner, middle, and outer gap, respectively. Given the surface density profile of the disk, the amount of "missing mass" at the location of each one of these gaps (between 4 and 20 M_Jup) is more than sufficient to account for the formation of such planets., Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters

We present Atacama Large Millimeter/sub-millimeter Array (ALMA) observations of the star-forming environment surrounding V1647 Ori, an outbursting FUor/EXor pre-MS star. Dust continuum and the (J = 2 - 1) $^{12}$CO, $^{13}$CO, C$^{18}$O molecular emission lines were observed to characterize the V1647 Ori circumstellar disc and any large scale molecular features present. We detect continuum emission from the circumstellar disc and determine a radius r = 40 au, inclination i = 17$^{\circ}$$^{+6}_{-9}$ and total disc mass of M$_{\mathrm{disk}}$ of ~0.1 M$_{\odot}$. We do not identify any disc structures associated with nearby companions, massive planets or fragmentation. The molecular cloud environment surrounding V1647 Ori is both structured and complex. We confirm the presence of an excavated cavity north of V1647 Ori and have identified dense material at the base of the optical reflection nebula (McNeil's Nebula) that is actively shaping its surrounding environment. Two distinct outflows have been detected with dynamical ages of ~11,700 and 17,200 years. These outflows are misaligned suggesting disc precession over ~5500 years as a result of anisotropic accretion events is responsible. The collimated outflows exhibit velocities of ~2 km s$^{-1}$, similar in velocity to that of other FUor objects presented in this series but significantly slower than previous observations and model predictions. The V1647 Ori system is seemingly connected by an "arm" of material to a large unresolved structure located ~20$"$ to the west. The complex environment surrounding V1647 Ori suggests it is in the early stages of star formation which may relate to its classification as both an FUor and EXor type object., Comment: 18 pages, 14 figures, 4 tables; accepted for publication in MNRAS

ROXs 12 (2MASS J16262803-2526477) is a young star hosting a directly imaged companion near the deuterium-burning limit. We present a suite of spectroscopic, imaging, and time-series observations to characterize the physical and environmental properties of this system. Moderate-resolution near-infrared spectroscopy of ROXs 12 B from Gemini-North/NIFS and Keck/OSIRIS reveals signatures of low surface gravity including weak alkali absorption lines and a triangular $H$-band pseudo-continuum shape. No signs of Pa$\beta$ emission are evident. As a population, however, we find that about half (46 $\pm$ 14\%) of young ($\lesssim$15 Myr) companions with masses $\lesssim$20 $M_\mathrm{Jup}$ possess actively accreting subdisks detected via Pa$\beta$ line emission, which represents a lower limit on the prevalence of circumplanetary disks in general as some are expected to be in a quiescent phase of accretion. The bolometric luminosity of the companion and age of the host star (6$^{+4}_{-2}$ Myr) imply a mass of 17.5 $\pm$ 1.5 $M_\mathrm{Jup}$ for ROXs 12 B based on hot-start evolutionary models. We identify a wide (5100 AU) tertiary companion to this system, 2MASS J16262774-2527247, which is heavily accreting and exhibits stochastic variability in its $K2$ light curve. By combining $v$sin$i_*$ measurements with rotation periods from $K2$, we constrain the line-of-sight inclinations of ROXs 12 A and 2MASS J16262774-2527247 and find that they are misaligned by 60$^{+7}_{-11}$$^{\circ}$. In addition, the orbital axis of ROXs 12 B is likely misaligned from the spin axis of its host star ROXs 12 A, suggesting that ROXs 12 B formed akin to fragmenting binary stars or in an equatorial disk that was torqued by the wide stellar tertiary., Comment: AJ, accepted

RCW 38 is a deeply embedded young (~1 Myr), massive star cluster located at a distance of 1.7 kpc. Twice as dense as the Orion Nebula Cluster, orders of magnitude denser than other nearby star forming regions, and rich in massive stars, RCW 38 is an ideal place to look for potential differences in brown dwarf formation efficiency as a function of environment. We present deep, high resolution adaptive optics data of the central ~0.5x0.5 pc^2 obtained with NACO at the Very Large Telescope. Through comparison with evolutionary models we determine masses and extinction for ~480 candidate members, and derive the first Initial Mass Function (IMF) of the cluster extending into the substellar regime. Representing the IMF as a set of power laws in the form dN/dM~M^(-alpha), we derive the slope alpha = 1.60+-0.13 for the mass range 0.5 - 20 MSun which is shallower than the Salpeter slope, but in agreement with results in several other young massive clusters. At the low-mass side, we find alpha = 0.71+-0.11 for masses between 0.02 and 0.5 MSun, or alpha = 0.81+-0.08 for masses between 0.02 and 1 MSun. Our result is in agreement with the values found in other young star-forming regions, revealing no evidence that a combination of high stellar densities and the presence of numerous massive stars affect the formation efficiency of brown dwarfs and very-low mass stars. We estimate that the Milky Way galaxy contains between 25 and 100 billion brown dwarfs (with masses > 0.03 MSun)., Comment: Paper submitted to MNRAS, version after the first referee report

We image 104 newly identified low-mass (mostly M-dwarf) pre-main sequence members of nearby young moving groups with Magellan Adaptive Optics (MagAO) and identify 27 binaries with instantaneous projected separation as small as 40 mas. 15 were previously unknown. The total number of multiple systems in this sample including spectroscopic and visual binaries from the literature is 36, giving a raw multiplicity rate of at least $35^{+5}_{-4}\%$ for this population. In the separation range of roughly 1 - 300 AU in which infrared AO imaging is most sensitive, the raw multiplicity rate is at least $24^{+5}_{-4}\%$ for binaries resolved by the MagAO infrared camera (Clio). The M-star sub-sample of 87 stars yields a raw multiplicity of at least $30^{+5}_{-4}\%$ over all separations, $21^{+5}_{-4}\%$ for secondary companions resolved by Clio from 1 to 300 AU ($23^{+5}_{-4}\%$ for all known binaries in this separation range). A combined analysis with binaries discovered by the Search for Associations Containing Young stars shows that multiplicity fraction as a function of mass and age over the range of 0.2 to 1.2 $M_\odot$ and 10 - 200 Myr appears to be linearly flat in both parameters and across YMGs. This suggests that multiplicity rates are largely set by 100 Myr without appreciable evolution thereafter. After bias corrections are applied, the multiplicity fraction of low-mass YMG members ($< 0.6 M_\odot$) is in excess of the field., Comment: 25 pages

As part of an ALMA survey to study the origin of episodic accretion in young eruptive variables, we have observed the circumstellar environment of the star V2775 Ori. This object is a very young, pre-main sequence object which displays a large amplitude outburst characteristic of the FUor class. We present Cycle-2 band 6 observations of V2775 Ori with a continuum and CO (2-1) isotopologue resolution of 0.25\as (103 au). We report the detection of a marginally resolved circumstellar disc in the ALMA continuum with an integrated flux of $106 \pm 2$ mJy, characteristic radius of $\sim$ 30 au, inclination of $14.0^{+7.8}_{-14.5}$ deg, and is oriented nearly face-on with respect to the plane of the sky. The \co~emission is separated into distinct blue and red-shifted regions that appear to be rings or shells of expanding material from quasi-episodic outbursts. The system is oriented in such a way that the disc is seen through the outflow remnant of V2775 Ori, which has an axis along our line-of-sight. The $^{13}$CO emission displays similar structure to that of the \co, while the C$^{18}$O line emission is very weak. We calculated the expansion velocities of the low- and medium-density material with respect to the disc to be of -2.85 km s$^{-1}$ (blue), 4.4 km s$^{-1}$ (red) and -1.35 and 1.15 km s$^{-1}$ (for blue and red) and we derived the mass, momentum and kinetic energy of the expanding gas. The outflow has an hourglass shape where the cavities are not seen. We interpret the shapes that the gas traces as cavities excavated by an ancient outflow. We report a detection of line emission from the circumstellar disc and derive a lower limit of the gas mass of 3 \MJup., Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, 2 tables. Published in MNRAS

A snow-line is the region of a protoplanetary disk at which a major volatile, such as water or carbon monoxide, reaches its condensation temperature. Snow-lines play a crucial role in disk evolution by promoting the rapid growth of ice-covered grains. Signatures of the carbon monoxide snow-line (at temperatures of around 20 kelvin) have recently been imaged in the disks surrounding the pre-main-sequence stars TW Hydra and HD163296, at distances of about 30 astronomical units (au) from the star. But the water snow-line of a protoplanetary disk (at temperatures of more than 100 kelvin) has not hitherto been seen, as it generally lies very close to the star (less than 5 au away for solar-type stars). Water-ice is important because it regulates the efficiency of dust and planetesimal coagulation, and the formation of comets, ice giants and the cores of gas giants. Here we report ALMA images at 0.03-arcsec resolution (12 au) of the protoplanetary disk around V883 Ori, a protostar of 1.3 solar masses that is undergoing an outburst in luminosity arising from a temporary increase in the accretion rate. We find an intensity break corresponding to an abrupt change in the optical depth at about 42 au, where the elevated disk temperature approaches the condensation point of water, from which we conclude that the outburst has moved the water snow-line. The spectral behaviour across the snow-line confirms recent model predictions: dust fragmentation and the inhibition of grain growth at higher temperatures results in soaring grain number densities and optical depths. As most planetary systems are expected to experience outbursts caused by accretion during their formation our results imply that highly dynamical water snow-lines must be considered when developing models of disk evolution and planet formation., Comment: Published in the July 14th, 2016 issue of Nature. Version 2 includes a minor word change in the abstract

Eclipse timing variations observed from the post common-envelope binary (PCEB) NN Ser offer strong evidence in favour of circumbinary planets existing around PCEBs. If real, these planets may be accompanied by a disc of dust. We here present the ALMA detection of flux at 1.3 mm from NN Ser, which is likely due to thermal emission from a dust disc of mass $\sim0.8\pm0.2\,M_{\oplus}$. We performed simulations of the history of NN Ser to determine possible origins of this dust, and conclude that the most likely origin is, in fact, common-envelope material which was not expelled from the system and instead formed a circumbinary disc. These discs have been predicted by theory but previously remained undetected. While the presence of this dust does not prove the existence of planets around NN Ser, it adds credibility to the possibility of planets forming from common-envelope material in a 'second-generation' scenario., Comment: resubmitted after minor revision to MNRAS

Circumstellar disks are the sites of planet formation, and the very high incidence of extrasolar planets implies that most of them actually form planetary systems. Studying the structure and evolution of protoplanetary disks can thus place important constraints on the conditions, timescales, and mechanisms associated with the planet formation process. In this review, we discuss observational results from infrared and submillimeter wavelength studies. We review disk lifetimes, transition objects, disk demographics, and highlight a few remarkable results from ALMA Early Science observations. We finish with a brief discussion of ALMA's potential to transform the field in near future., Comment: Invited Review. 7 Pages. To appear in "Young Stars and Planets Near the Sun", Proceedings of IAU Symposium No. 314 (Cambridge University Press), J.H. Kastner, B. Stelzer, S.A. Metchev, eds

We conduct a multiplicity survey of members of the rho Ophiuchus cloud complex with high resolution imaging to characterize the multiple star population of this nearby star forming region and investigate the relation between stellar multiplicity and star and planet formation. Our aperture masking survey reveals the presence of 5 new stellar companions beyond the reach of previous studies, but does not result in the detection of any new substellar companions. We find that 43+/-6% of the 114 stars in our survey have stellar mass companions between 1.3-780AU, while 7 (+8 -5)% host brown dwarf companions in the same interval. By combining this information with knowledge of disk-hosting stars, we show that the presence of a close binary companion (separation < 40 AU) significantly influences the lifetime of protoplanetary disks, a phenomenon previously seen in older star forming regions. At the ~1-2Myr age of our Ophiuchus members ~2/3 of close binary systems have lost their disks, compared to only ~30% of single stars and wide binaries. This has significant impact on the formation of giant planets, which are expected to require much longer than 1 Myr to form via core accretion and thus planets formed via this pathway should be rare in close binary systems., Comment: 17 pages, 8 figures, 4 tables. Accepted for publication in ApJ