Millimeter observations of the disk around GW Ori

Abstract

The GW Ori system is a pre-main sequence triple system (GW Ori A/B/C) with companions (GW Ori B/C) at ∼1 AU and ∼8 AU, respectively, from the primary (GW Ori A). The primary of the system has a mass of 3.9 M⊙, but shows a spectral type of G8. Thus, GW Ori A could be a precursor of a B star, but it is still at an earlier evolutionary stage than Herbig Be stars. GW Ori provides us an ideal target for experiments and observations (being a "blown-up" upscaled Solar System with a very massive "sun" and at least two "upscaled planets"). We present the first spatially-resolved millimeter interferometric observations of the disk around the triple pre-main-sequence system GW Ori, obtained with the the Submillimeter Array, both in continuum and in the 12COJ=2−1, 13COJ=2−1, and C18OJ=2−1 lines. These new data reveal a huge, massive, and bright disk in the GW Ori system. The dust continuum emission suggests a disk radius around 400 AU. But, the 12COJ=2−1 emission shows much more extended disk with a size around 1300 AU. Due to the spatial resolution (∼1"), we cannot detect the gap in the disk which is inferred from spectral energy distribution (SED) modeling. We characterize the dust and gas properties in the disk by comparing the observations with the predictions from the disk models with various parameters calculated with a Monte Carlo radiative transfer code RADMC-3D. The disk mass is around 0.12 M⊙, and the disk inclination with respect to the line of sight is around ∼ 35∘. The kinematics in the disk traced by the CO line emission strongly suggest that the circumstellar material in the disk is in Keplerian rotation around GW Ori. Tentatively substantial C18O depletion in gas phase is required to explain the characteristics of the line emission from the disk.