An optical/near-infrared investigation of HD 100546 b with the gemini planet imager and MagAO

J Rameau, KB Follette, L Pueyo, C Marois… - The Astronomical …, 2017 - iopscience.iop.org
J Rameau, KB Follette, L Pueyo, C Marois, B Macintosh, M Millar-Blanchaer, JJ Wang
The Astronomical Journal, 2017iopscience.iop.org
We present H band spectroscopic and Hα photometric observations of HD 100546 obtained
with the Gemini Planet Imager and the Magellan Visible AO camera. We detect H band
emission at the location of the protoplanet HD 100546 b, but show that the choice of data
processing parameters strongly affects the morphology of this source. It appears point-like in
some aggressive reductions, but rejoins an extended disk structure in the majority of the
others. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this emission appears stationary on a timescale of …
Abstract
We present H band spectroscopic and Hα photometric observations of HD 100546 obtained with the Gemini Planet Imager and the Magellan Visible AO camera. We detect H band emission at the location of the protoplanet HD 100546 b, but show that the choice of data processing parameters strongly affects the morphology of this source. It appears point-like in some aggressive reductions, but rejoins an extended disk structure in the majority of the others. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this emission appears stationary on a timescale of 4.6 years, inconsistent at the 2σ level with a Keplerian clockwise orbit at 59 au in the disk plane. The H band spectrum of the emission is inconsistent with any type of low effective temperature object or accreting protoplanetary disk. It strongly suggests a scattered-light origin, as this is consistent with the spectrum of the star and the spectra extracted at other locations in the disk. A non-detection at the 5σ level of HD 100546 b in differential Hα imaging places an upper limit, assuming the protoplanet lies in a gap free of extinction, on the accretion luminosity of 1.7× 10− 4 L⊙ and
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