Resolved near-UV hydrogen emission lines at 40-Myr super-Jovian protoplanet Delorme 1 (AB)b: Indications of magnetospheric accretion [EPA]

http://arxiv.org/abs/2212.03207


Context: Accretion at planetary-mass companions (PMCs) suggests the presence of a protoplanetary disc in the system, likely accompanied by a circumplanetary disc. High-resolution spectroscopy of accreting PMCs is very difficult due to their proximity to bright host stars. For well-separated companions however, such spectra are feasible and are unique windows into accretion.
Aims: We have followed up on our observations of the ~40-Myr, and still accreting, circumbinary PMC Delorme 1 (AB)b. We used high-resolution spectroscopy to characterise the accretion process further by accessing the wealth of emission lines in the near-UV.
Methods: We have used the UVES spectrograph on the ESO VLT/UT2 to obtain R_lambda ~ 50000 spectroscopy, at 330-452 nm, of Delorme 1 (AB)b. After separating the emission of the companion from that of the M5 low-mass binary, we performed a detailed emission-line analysis, which included planetary accretion shock modelling.
Results: We reaffirm ongoing accretion in Delorme 1 (AB)b and report the first detections in a (super-Jovian) protoplanet of resolved hydrogen line emission in the near-UV (H-gamma, H-delta, H-epsilon, H8 and H9). We tentatively detect H11, H12, He I and Ca II H/K. The analysis strongly favours a planetary accretion shock with a line-luminosity-based accretion rate dM/dt = 2e-8 MJ/yr. The lines are asymmetric and are well described by sums of narrow and broad components with different velocity shifts. The overall line shapes are best explained by a pre-shock velocity v0=170+-30 km/s, implying a planetary mass M_P=13+-5 MJ, and number densities n0~1e13/cm^3 or n0~1e11/cm^3. The higher density implies a small line-emitting area of ~1 % relative to the planetary surface. This favours magnetospheric accretion, a case potentially strengthened by the presence of blueshifted emission in the asymmetrical profiles.
Conclusions: ABRV.

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S. Ringqvist, G. Viswanath, Y. Aoyama, et. al.
Wed, 7 Dec 22
34/74

Comments: Revised after minor comments from A&A referee, 11 pages, abbreviated abstract