An Enigmatic Pointlike Feature within the HD 169142 Transitional Disk

Abstract

We report the detection of a faint pointlike feature possibly related to ongoing planet-formation in the disk of the transition disk star HD 169142. The pointlike feature has a $\Delta$mag(L)$\sim$6.4, at a separation of $\sim$0.11" and PA$\sim$0${}^{\circ }$. Given its lack of an H or K${}_S$ counterpart despite its relative brightness, this candidate cannot be explained by purely photospheric emission and must be a disk feature heated by an as yet unknown source. Its extremely red colors make it highly unlikely to be a background object, but future multi-wavelength followup is necessary for confirmation and characterization of this feature.

Accepted to ApJ Letters, see also Reggiani et al. 2014

References in corpus (4)

• Direct Imaging of Multiple Planets Orbiting the Star HR 8799
• Demographics of Transition Objects
• Discovery of a Companion Candidate in the HD169142 Transition Disk and the Possibility of Multiple Planet Formation
• Magellan Adaptive Optics first-light observations of the exoplanet $\beta$ Pic b. I. Direct imaging in the far-red optical with MagAO+VisAO and in the near-IR with NICI

Cited by in corpus (10)

• Accreting Circumplanetary Disks: Observational Signatures
• Discovery of a Companion Candidate in the HD169142 Transition Disk and the Possibility of Multiple Planet Formation
• Recovery of the Candidate Protoplanet HD 100546 b with Gemini/NICI and Detection of Additional (Planet-Induced?) Disk Structure at Small Separations
• Five steps in the evolution from protoplanetary to debris disk
• Variability of Disk Emission in Pre-Main Sequence and Related Stars. III. Exploring Structural Changes in the Pre-transitional Disk in HD 169142
• Spectral Energy Distributions of Accreting Protoplanets
• Searching for Planets in Holey Debris Disks with the Apodizing Phase Plate
• The Transitional Disk around IRAS 04125+2902
• Herbig AeBe stars: Multiplicity and consequences
• High-contrast imaging constraints on gas giant planet formation - The Herbig Ae/Be star opportunity