Accreting Circumplanetary Disks: Observational Signatures


Abstract in English

I calculate the spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of accreting circumplanetary disks using atmospheric radiative transfer models. Circumplanetary disks only accreting at $10^{-10} M_{odot} yr^{-1}$ around a 1 M$_{J}$ planet can be brighter than the planet itself. A moderately accreting circumplanetary disk ($dot{M}sim 10^{-8}M_{odot} yr^{-1}$; enough to form a 10 M$_{J}$ planet within 1 Myr) around a 1 M$_{J}$ planet has a maximum temperature of $sim$2000 K, and at near-infrared wavelengths ($J$, $H$, $K$ bands), this disk is as bright as a late M-type brown dwarf or a 10 M$_{J}$ planet with a hot start. To use direct imaging to find the accretion disks around low mass planets (e.g., 1 M$_{J}$) and distinguish them from brown dwarfs or hot high mass planets, it is crucial to obtain photometry at mid-infrared bands ($L$, $M$, $N$ bands) because the emission from circumplanetary disks falls off more slowly towards longer wavelengths than those of brown dwarfs or planets. If young planets have strong magnetic fields ($gtrsim$100 G), fields may truncate slowly accreting circumplanetary disks ($dot{M}lesssim10^{-9} M_{odot} yr^{-1}$) and lead to magnetospheric accretion, which can provide additional accretion signatures, such as UV/optical excess from the accretion shock and line emission.

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