Work

JWST Imaging of Edge-on Protoplanetary Disks. V. Flux Ratio Reversal and Disk-edge Structure in the Flying Saucer

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: We present near- and mid-infrared broadband imaging observations of the edge-on protoplanetary disk 2MASS J16281370-2431391, a.k.a. the “Flying Saucer,” obtained with NIRCam and MIRI on board JWST. These data are combined with archival optical and near-IR broadband imaging from Hubble Space Telescope (HST), millimeter dust continuum emission from Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array, and optical lightcurves from the K2 and TESS for a comprehensive multiwavelength study. The JWST observations reveal a reversal of the flux ratio between the two reflection nebulae at near-infrared wavelengths (2–3 μ m), which can be explained by a misaligned inner disk. For the first time, JWST reveals the bright lining along the disk edge at 2 and 3 μ m, arising from forward-scattering of background photons by dust grains near the τ ≈ 1 layer. By combining the dust lane thickness measured with HST and JWST, we find the dust grains up to at least ∼3 μ m are vertically mixed throughout the disk and have undergone significant growth. In addition, a comparison of earlier HST/NICMOS J - and K -band images with those from JWST/NIRCam reveals variability in the scattered-light morphology, as well as measurable proper motion of the system with respect to the background stars, confirming that the Flying Saucer is comoving with the young star population of ρ Ophiuchus.

Source: The Astrophysical Journal

DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ae994f