Using VLTI/GRAVITY+ to determine the identity of a third planet candidate in the PDS 70 system
Year: 2026
Type: preprint
Abstract: Detections of protoplanets are rare and protoplanetary disk features mischaracterized as planets are common. PDS 70 is one of only two stars known to host multiple confirmed protoplanets, PDS 70 b and c, and repeat detections of a third point-like source in the system suggest the presence of third inner planet. However, previous observations of this third source are insufficient to distinguish whether it is a planet or a concentrated dust clump in Keplerian motion. Our observations with VLTI/GRAVITY+ did not re-detect this point-like source, suggesting that it is, in fact, a dust clump and not a planet. These observations demonstrate how the angular resolving power of VLTI/GRAVITY+ can be used to distinguish between protoplanets and protoplanetary disk features.
Source: arXiv (Cornell University)
Authors: Trevascus, David, Brandner, Wolfgang, Balsalobre-Ruza, Olga, Lacour, Sylvestre, Dayem, Karim Abd El, Aimar, Nicolas, Berdeu, Anthony, Berger, Jean-Philppe, Bourdarot, Guillaume, Christiaens, Valentin, Correia, Carlos, Davies, Richard, Defrère, Denis, Drescher, Antonia, Eckart, Andreas, Eisenhauer, Frank, Fabricius, Maximilian, Feuchtgruber, Helmut, Flesch, Simon, Schreiber, Natascha M. Förster, Foschi, Arianna, Fournier, Quentin, Garcia, Paulo, Lopez, Rebeca Garcia, Genzel, Reinhard, Gillessen, Stefan, Hammond, Iain, Hönig, Sebastian F., Houllé, Mathias, Joharle, Simran, Kervella, Pierre, Kreidberg, Laura, Labadie, Lucas, Lai, Olivier, Laugier, Romain, Bouquin, Jean-Baptiste Le, Leftley, James, Li, Ruancun, Lopez, Bruno, Lutz, Dieter, Marleau, Gabriel-Dominique, Mang, Felix, Mérand, Antoine, Millour, Florentin, Montargès, Miguel, Morujão, Nuno, Nowacki, Hugo, Nowak, Mathias, Osorno, Juan, Ott, Thomas, Pappert, Sarah, Paumard, Thibaut, Perraut, Karine, Perrin, Guy, Petrov, Romain, Petrucci, Pierre-Olivier, Pourré, Nicolas, Rabien, Sebastian, Ribeiro, Diogo C., Robbe-Dubois, Sylvie, Bordoni, Matteo Sadun, Bermúdez, Joel Sánchez, Santos, Daryl, Sauter, Jonas, Scigliuto, Jules, Shangguan, Jinyi, Shimizu, Taro T., Soulez, Ferréol, Straubmeier, Christian, Sturm, Eckhard, Subroweit, Matthias, Sykes, Calvin, Tacconi, Linda, Thévenet, Paloma, Urso, Irene, Vincent, Frédéric, Woillez, Julien, Collaboration, the GRAVITY+
Institutions: École Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Centre de Recherche Astrophysique de Lyon, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Centro de Astrobiología, Université Paris Cité, Université Paris Sciences et Lettres, Observatoire de Paris, Sorbonne Université, University of Lisbon, Universidade do Porto, Centro de Astrofísica e Gravitação, European Southern Observatory, Institut de Planétologie et d'Astrophysique de Grenoble, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, KU Leuven, University of Cologne, Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy, Technical University of Munich, University College Dublin, University of California, Berkeley, University of Southampton, Université Côte d'Azur, Lagrange Laboratory, Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Université de Lyon
Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: Government of the United Kingdom, UK Research and Innovation, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Observatoire de Paris, Université de Recherche Paris Sciences et Lettres, HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia
OpenAlex ID: W7166399706
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