NIRCams coronagraph, which blocked the intense light of the central star, enabled the group to study the area extremely close to the star. The team discovered that the disk was brighter at the much shorter or “bluer” wavelength, most likely significance that it consists of a lot of fine dust that is more efficient at scattering much shorter wavelengths of light.The NIRCam images allowed the scientists to trace the disk, which spans a diameter of 60 astronomical units (5.6 billion miles), as close to the star as 5 astronomical systems (460 million miles)– the equivalent of Jupiters orbit in our solar system. The images were more comprehensive and brighter than the team anticipated, and researchers were able to image the disk better to the star than expected.Credit: Science: NASA, ESA, CSA, Kellen Lawson (NASA-GSFC), Joshua E. Schlieder (NASA-GSFC), Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI).
Outcomes will aid in future look for huge worlds in wide orbits.
Now, Webb is providing researchers with detailed, never-before-seen views of AU Mics dirty disk in infrared light, including the area very close to the star. These images offer clues to the makeup of the debris disk and the history of the star system.
Imaging the disk is significant, the teams ultimate objective is to browse for giant planets in wide orbits, similar to the gas and ice giants of our solar system. By diving into brand-new, uncharted area in direct imaging around low-mass stars, this work brings them one, big step closer to achieving that goal.
These coronagraphic images of a disk around the star AU Microscopii, captured by Webbs Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), reveal compass arrows, scale bar, and color secret for reference.The north and east compass arrows reveal the orientation of the image on the sky. The field of view revealed in this image is roughly 100 A.U. across.This image reveals unnoticeable near-infrared and mid-infrared wavelengths of light that have been translated into visible-light colors. The color of each filter name is the noticeable light color utilized to represent the infrared light that passes through that filter.Credit: Science: NASA, ESA, CSA, Kellen Lawson (NASA-GSFC), Joshua E. Schlieder (NASA-GSFC), Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI).
NASAs James Webb Space Telescope has imaged the inner operations of a dirty disk surrounding a nearby red dwarf star. These observations represent the first time the previously understood disk has actually been imaged at these infrared wavelengths of light. They also offer hints to the structure of the disk.
NIRCams coronagraph, which blocked the extreme light of the main star, enabled the team to study the area extremely close to the star. The group discovered that the disk was brighter at the shorter or “bluer” wavelength, likely meaning that it contains a lot of great dust that is more effective at spreading much shorter wavelengths of light.The NIRCam images allowed the scientists to trace the disk, which covers a diameter of 60 astronomical units (5.6 billion miles), as close to the star as 5 huge systems (460 million miles)– the equivalent of Jupiters orbit in our solar system. The images were more comprehensive and brighter than the team anticipated, and scientists were able to image the disk more detailed to the star than expected.Credit: Science: NASA, ESA, CSA, Kellen Lawson (NASA-GSFC), Joshua E. Schlieder (NASA-GSFC), Image Processing: Alyssa Pagan (STScI).
These coronagraphic images of a disk around the star AU Microscopii, captured by Webbs Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam), reveal compass arrows, scale bar, and color key for reference.The north and east compass arrows show the orientation of the image on the sky. With the aid of NIRCams coronagraph, which obstructs the extreme light of the main star, they were able to study the area very close to the star.
The star system in question, AU Microscopii or AU Mic, is situated 32 light-years away in the southern constellation Microscopium. The star has two known planets, discovered by other telescopes.
” A debris disk is continuously renewed by crashes of planetesimals. By studying it, we get a special window into the current dynamical history of this system,” said Kellen Lawson of NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center, lead author on the study and a member of the research team that studied AU Mic.
” This system is among the very few examples of a young star, with known exoplanets, and a particles disk that is near bright and enough to study holistically using Webbs uniquely effective instruments,” stated Josh Schlieder of NASAs Goddard Space Flight Center, primary detective for the observing program and a study co-author.
The group used Webbs Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) to study AU Mic. With the assistance of NIRCams coronagraph, which obstructs the intense light of the main star, they were able to study the area extremely near the star. The NIRCam images enabled the scientists to trace the disk as close to the star as 5 astronomical systems (460 million miles)– the equivalent of Jupiters orbit in our solar system.
It was brighter than we anticipated. We detected the disk more detailed in than we anticipated.
The observing program obtained images at wavelengths of 3.56 and 4.44 microns. The group discovered that the disk was brighter at the much shorter wavelength, or “bluer,” likely meaning that it contains a lot of great dust that is more effective at scattering shorter wavelengths of light. This finding follows the outcomes of prior research studies, which found that the radiation pressure from AU Mic– unlike that of more enormous stars– would not be strong enough to eject fine dust from the disk.
While spotting the disk is significant, the groups supreme goal is to look for huge worlds in broad orbits, similar to Jupiter, Saturn, or the ice giants of our planetary system. Such worlds are very challenging to discover around far-off stars utilizing either the transit or radial velocity methods.
” This is the first time that we really have level of sensitivity to straight observe worlds with broad orbits that are substantially lower in mass than Jupiter and Saturn. This really is new, uncharted area in terms of direct imaging around low-mass stars,” explained Lawson.
These outcomes are existing today in a press conference at the 241st conference of the American Astronomical Society. The observations were obtained as part of Webbs Guaranteed Time program 1184.
The James Webb Space Telescope is the worlds premier space science observatory. Webb will fix secrets in our planetary system, look beyond to far-off worlds around other stars, and probe the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our location in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).