Interferometric Observations of Formaldehyde in the Protoplanetary Disk around LkCa15

Abstract

Emission from the $2_{12}-1_{11}$ line of H${}_2$CO has been detected and marginally resolved toward LkCa15 by the Nobeyama Millimeter Array. The column density of H${}_2$CO is higher than that observed in DM Tau and than predicted by theoretical models of disk chemistry; also the line-intensity profile is less centrally peaked than that for CO. A similar behavior is observed in other organic gaseous molecules in the LkCa 15 disk.

5 pages, 4 figures. accepted to PASJ (Publication of Astronomical Society of Japan)