Inner Rim of A Molecular Disk Spatially Resolved in Infrared CO Emission Lines
arXiv:astro-ph/0606362 · doi:10.1086/506582
Abstract
We present high-resolution infrared spectroscopy of the Herbig Ae star HD 141569 A in the CO v=2-1 transition. With the angular resolution attained by the adaptive optics system, the gas disk around HD 141569 A is spatially resolved down to its inner-rim truncation. The size of the inner clearing is 11+-2 AU in radius, close to the gravitational radius of the star. The rough coincidence to the gravitational radius indicates that the viscous accretion working together with the photoevaporation by the stellar radiation has cleared the inner part of the disk.
6 pages, 3 figures, Accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal