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Context. To understand how planets form in protoplanetary disks, it is necessary to characterize their gas and dust distribution and masses. This requires a combination of high-resolution dust continuum and molecular line interferometric observations, coupled with advanced theoretical models of protoplanetary disk physics, chemical composition, and radiative transfer. Aims. We aim to constrain the gas density and temperature distributions as well as gas masses in several T Tauri protoplanetary disks located in Taurus. We use the 12CO, 13CO, and C18O (2–1) isotopologue emission observed at 0.9″ with the IRAM NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA) as part of the MPG-IRAM Observatory Program PRODIGE (PROtostars and DIsks: Global Evolution PIs: P. Caselli & Th. Henning). Our sample consists of Class II disks with no evidence of strong radial substructures. We use these data to constrain the thermal and chemical structure of these disks through theoretical models for gas emission. Methods. To fit the combined optically thick and thin CO line data in Fourier space, we developed the DiskCheF code, which includes the parameterized disk physical structure, machine-learning (ML) accelerated chemistry, and the RADMC-3D line radiative transfer module. A key novelty of DiskCheF is the fast and feasible ML-based chemistry trained on the extended grid of the disk physical-chemical models precomputed with the ANDES2 code. This ML approach allows complex chemical kinetics models to be included in a time-consuming disk fitting without the need to run a chemical code. Results. We present a novel approach to incorporate chemistry into disk modeling without the need to explicitly calculate a chemical network every time. Using this new disk modeling tool, we successfully fit the 12CO, 13CO, and C18O (2-1) data from the CI, CY, DL, DM, DN, and IQ Tau disks. The combination of optically thin and optically thick CO lines allows us to simultaneously constrain the disk temperature and mass distribution, and derive the CO-based gas masses. The best-fit disk gas masses range between 0.005 and 0.04 M⊙. These values are in reasonable agreement with the disk dust masses rescaled by a factor of 100 as well as with other indirect gas measurements via, for example, modeling of the wavelength dependence of the dust continuum emission radii, and HD and CO isotopologue emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The physics and chemistry of planet-forming disks are far from being fully understood. To make further progress, both broad line surveys and observations of individual tracers in a statistically significant number of disks are required. Aims. Our aim is to perform a line survey of eight planet-forming Class II disks in Taurus with the IRAM NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA), as a part of the MPG-IRAM Observatory Program PRODIGE (PROtostars and DIsks: Global Evolution; PIs: P. Caselli and Th. Henning). Methods. Compact and extended disks around T Tauri stars CI, CY, DG, DL, DM, DN, IQ Tau, and UZ Tau E are observed in ~80 lines from > 20 C-, O,- N-, and S-bearing species. The observations in four spectral settings at 210–280 GHz with a 1σ rms sensitivity of ~8–12 mJy beam−1 at a 0.9″ and 0.3 km s−1 resolution will be completed in 2024. The uv visibilities are fitted with the DiskFit model to obtain key stellar and disk properties. Results. In this first paper, the combined 12CO, 13CO, and C18O J = 2–1 data are presented. We find that the CO fluxes and disk masses inferred from dust continuum tentatively correlate with the CO emission sizes. We constrained dynamical stellar masses, geometries, temperatures, the CO column densities, and gas masses for each disk. The best-fit temperatures at 100 au are ~ 17–37 K, and decrease radially with the power-law exponent q ~ 0.05–0.76. The inferred CO column densities decrease radially with the power-law exponent p ~ 0.2–3.1. The gas masses estimated from 13CO (2–1) are ~0.001–0.2 M⊙. Conclusions. Using NOEMA, we confirm the presence of temperature gradients in our disk sample. The best-fit CO column densities point to severe CO freeze-out in these disks. The DL Tau disk is an outlier, and has either stronger CO depletion or lower gas mass than the rest of the sample. The CO isotopologue ratios are roughly consistent with the observed values in disks and the low-mass star-forming regions. The high 13CO/C18O ratio of ~23 in DM Tau could be indicative of strong selective photodissociation of C18O in this disk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. ALMA high angular resolution observations of the dust and CO emission have already revealed signatures of protoplanets embedded in protoplanetary disks. These detections are around single T Tauri stars, while exoplanet surveys reveal that planets can also form in binary (or multiple) systems, either in circumstellar or circumbinary orbits. Aims. We searched for indirect evidence for planet formation in the multiple system GG Tau A, which harbors the most massive circumbinary disk among T Tauri stars. Methods. We performed CO(2-1) ALMA Cycle 6 observations of GG Tau A at 0.300 resolution. The images confirm the "hot spot" detected at higher frequencies, but also reveal prominent spiral-like features. We modeled these features using the analytic prescription for the linear perturbation regime induced by low-mass planets. Results. The brightest spiral is well reproduced by a density wave excited by a protoplanet (GG Tau Ac) at the hot-spot location (290 au), just outside the dust ring. The absence of a clear gap (in gas or dust) at the planet location implies that its mass is significantly lower than that of Jupiter, i.e., of about the mass of Neptune or lower. Furthermore, other prominent (trailing) spiral patterns can be represented by adding one (or more) planet(s) at larger orbital radii, with the most obvious candidate located near the 2:1 mean-motion resonance with GG Tau Ac. Conclusions. The (proto-)planet GG Tau Ac appears to externally confine the ring in a stable configuration, explaining its high mass. Our results also suggest that planets similar in mass to Neptune may form in dense circumbinary disks orbiting (wide) binary stars. In the GG Tau case, orbital resonances appear to play an important role in shaping this multiple circumbinary planet system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The study of gas-rich debris discs is fundamental to characterising the transition between protoplanetary discs and debris discs. Aims. We determine the physical parameters of the brightest gas-rich debris disc orbiting HD 141569A. Methods. We analyse images from the NOrthern Extended Millimeter Array (NOEMA)1 and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) in 12CO, 13CO J = 2→1, and 13CO J = 1→0 transitions. We incorporate ALMA archival data of the 12CO J = 3→2 transition and present continuum maps at 0.87, 1.3, and 2.8 mm. We use simple parametric laws with the Diskfit code and MCMC exploration to characterise the gas disc parameters and report a first attempt to characterise its chemical content with IRAM-30 m. Results. The continuum emission is equally shared between a compact (≤50 au) and a smooth, extended dust component (~350 au). Large millimetre grains seem to dominate the inner regions, while the dust spectral index is marginally larger in the outer region. The 12CO is optically thick, while 13CO is optically thin with 13CO ~ 0.15 (C18O is not detected). The 13CO surface density is constrained to be one order of magnitude smaller than around younger Herbig Ae stars, and we derive a gas mass M12CO = 10-1M®. We confirm the presence of a small CO cavity (RCO = 17 × 3 au), and find a possibly larger radius for the optically thin 13CO J = 2→1 transition (35 × 5 au). We show that the observed CO brightness asymmetry is coincident with the complex ring structures discovered with VLT/SPHERE in the inner 90 au. The 12CO temperature T0(100 au) ~ 30K is lower than expected for a Herbig A0 star, and could be indicative of subthermal excitation. Conclusions. With the largest amount of dust and gas among hybrid discs, HD 141569A shows coincident characteristics of both protoplanetary discs (central regions), and debris discs at large distance. Together with its morphological characteristics and young age, it appears to be a good candidate to witness the transient phase of gas dissipation, with an apparently large gas-to-dust ratio (G=D > 100) favouring a faster evolution of dust grains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protoplanetary discs are challenging objects for astrochemical models due to strong density and temperature gradients and due to the UV photons 2D propagation. In this paper, we have studied the importance of several model parameters on the predicted column densities of observed species. We considered: (1) two-phase (gas and homogeneous grains) or three-phase (gas, surface, and bulk of grains) models, (2) several initial compositions, (3) grain growth and dust settling, and (4) several cosmic-ray ionization rates. Our main result is that dust settling is the most crucial parameter. Including this effect renders the computed column densities sensitive to all the other model parameters, except cosmic-ray ionization rate. In fact, we found almost no effect of this parameter for radii larger than 10 au (the minimum radius studied here) except for N2H+. We also compared all our models with all the column densities observed in the protoplanetary disc around DM Tau and were not able to reproduce all the observations despite the studied parameters. N2H+ seems to be the most sensitive species. Its observation in protoplanetary discs at large radius could indicate enough N2 in the gas phase (inhibited by the three-phase model, but boosted by the settling) and a low electron abundance (favoured by low C and S elemental abundances). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Several sulfur-bearing molecules are observed in the interstellar medium and in comets, in strong contrast to protoplanetary disks where only CS, H2CS, and SO have been detected so far. Aims. We combine observations and chemical models to constrain the sulfur abundances and their sensitivity to physical and chemical conditions in the DM Tau protoplanetary disk. Methods. We obtained 0.5′′ Atacama Large Millimeter Array observations of DM Tau in Bands 4 and 6 in lines of CS, SO, SO2, OCS, CCS, H2CS, and H2S, achieving a ~5 mJy sensitivity. Using the non-Local Thermodynamical Equilibrium radiative transfer code RADEX and the forward-modeling tool DiskFit, disk-averaged CS column densities and upper limits for the other species were derived. Results. Only CS was detected with a derived column density of ~2−6 × 1012 cm−2. We report a first tentative detection of SO2 in DM Tau. The upper limits range between ~1011 and 1014 cm−2 for the other S-bearing species. The best-fit chemical model matching these values requires a gas-phase C/O ratio of ≳1 at r ≳ 50−100 au. With chemical modeling we demonstrate that sulfur-bearing species could be robust tracers of the gas-phase C/O ratio, surface reaction rates, grain size and UV intensities. Conclusions. The lack of detections of a variety of sulfur-bearing molecules in DM Tau other than CS implies a dearth of reactive sulfur in the gas phase, either through efficient freeze-out or because most of the elemental sulfur is in other large species, as found in comets. The inferred high CS/SO and CS/SO2 ratios require a non-solar C/O gas-phase ratio of ≳1, consistent with the recent observations of hydrocarbon rings in DM Tau. The stronger depletion of oxygen-bearing S-species compared to CS is likely linked to the low observed abundances of gaseous water in DM Tau and points to a removal mechanism of oxygen from the gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Accurate temperature calculations for circumstellar disks are particularly important for their chemical evolution. Their temperature distribution is determined by the optical properties of the dust grains, which, among other parameters, depend on their radius. However, in most disk studies, only average optical properties and thus an average temperature is assumed to account for an ensemble of grains with different radii. Aims. We investigate the impact of subdividing the grain radius distribution into multiple sub-intervals on the resulting dust temperature distribution and spectral energy distribution (SED). Methods. The temperature distribution, the relative grain surface below a certain temperature, the freeze-out radius, and the SED were computed for two different scenarios: (1) Radius distribution represented by 16 logarithmically distributed radius intervals, and (2) radius distribution represented by a single grain species with averaged optical properties (reference). Results. Within the considered parameter range, i.e., of grain radii between 5 nm and 1 mm and an optically thin and thick disk with a parameterized density distribution, we obtain the following results: in optically thin disk regions, the temperature spread can be as large as ~63% and the relative grain surface below a certain temperature is lower than in the reference disk. With increasing optical depth, the difference in the midplane temperature and the relative grain surface below a certain temperature decreases. Furthermore, below ~20 K, this fraction is higher for the reference disk than for the case of multiple grain radii, while it shows the opposite behavior for temperatures above this threshold. The thermal emission in the case of multiple grain radii at short wavelengths is stronger than for the reference disk. The freeze-out radius (snowline) is a function of grain radius, spanning a radial range between the coldest and warmest grain species of ~30 AU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The increased sensitivity of millimeter-wave facilities now makes possible the detection of low amounts of gas in debris disks. Some of the gas-rich debris disks harbor peculiar properties, with possible pristine gas and secondary generated dust. The origin of the gas in these hybrid disks is strongly debated and the current sample is too sparse to understand this phenomenon. Aims. More detections are necessary to increase the statistics on this population. Lying at the final stages of evolution of protoplanetary disks and at the beginning of the debris disk phase, these objects could provide new insight into the processes involved in the making of planetary systems. Methods. We carried out a deep survey of the CO J = 2 → 1 and CO J = 3 → 2 lines with the APEX and IRAM radiotelescopes in young debris disks selected according to hybrid disk properties. The survey is complemented with a bibliographic study of the ratio between the emission of the gas and the continuum (SCO/Fcont) in CTTS, Herbig Ae, WTTS, hybrid, and debris disks. Results. Our sub-mm survey comprises 25 stars, including 17 new targets, and we increase the sensitivity limit by a factor 2 on eight sources compared to similar published studies. We report a 4σ tentative detection of a double-peaked CO J = 2 → 1 line around HD 23642; an eclipsing binary located in the Pleiades. We also reveal a correlation between the emission of the CO gas and the dust continuum from CTTS, Herbig Ae and few debris disks. The observed trend of the gas to dust flux ratio suggests a concurrent dissipation of the dust and gas components. Hybrid disks systematically lie above this trend, suggesting that these systems may witness a transient phase, when the dust has evolved more rapidly than the gas, with a flux ratio SCO/Fcont enhanced by a factor of between 10 and 100 compared to standard (proto-)planetary disks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Dust determines the temperature structure of protoplanetary disks, however, dust temperature determinations almost invariably rely on a complex modeling of the Spectral Energy Distribution. Aims. We attempt a direct determination of the temperature of large grains emitting at mm wavelengths. Methods. We observe the edge-on dust disk of the Flying Saucer, which appears in silhouette against the CO J = 2-1 emission from a background molecular cloud in Oph. The combination of velocity gradients due to the Keplerian rotation of the disk and intensity variations in the CO background as a function of velocity allows us to directly measure the dust temperature. The dust opacity can then be derived from the emitted continuum radiation. Results. The dust disk absorbs the radiation from the CO clouds at several velocities. We derive very low dust temperatures, 5 to 7 K at radii around 100 au, which is much lower than most model predictions. The dust optical depth is >0.2 at 230 GHz, and the scale height at 100 au is at least 8 au (best fit 13 au). However, the dust disk is very flat (flaring index -0.35), which is indicative of dust settling in the outer parts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The gas mass of protoplanetary disks and the gas-to-dust ratio are two key elements driving the evolution of these disks and the formation of planetary system. Aims. We explore to what extent CO (or its isotopologues) can be used as a tracer of gas mass. Methods. We use a detailed gas-grain chemical model and study the evolution of the disk composition, starting from a dense prestellar core composition. We explore a range of disk temperature profiles, cosmic-ray ionization rates, and disk ages for a disk model representative of T Tauri stars. Results. At the high densities that prevail in disks, we find that because of fast reactions on grain surfaces, CO can be converted to less volatile forms (principally s-CO2, and to a lesser extent s-CH2) instead of being evaporated over a wide range of temperature. The canonical gas-phase abundance of 10-4 is only reached above about 30-35 K. The dominant carbon bearing entity depends on the temperature structure and age of the disk. The chemical evolution of CO is also sensitive to the cosmic-ray ionization rate. Larger gas phase CO abundances are found in younger disks. Initial conditions, such as parent cloud age and density, have a limited impact. Conclusions. This study reveals that CO gas-phase abundance is heavily dependent on grain surface processes, which remain very incompletely understood so far. The strong dependence on dust temperature profile makes CO a poor tracer of the gas-phase content of disks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We attempt to determine the molecular composition of disks around young low-mass stars in the Oph region and to compare our results with a similar study performed in the Taurus-Auriga region. Methods. We used the IRAM 30 m telescope to perform a sensitive search for CN N = 2-1 in 29 T Tauri stars located in the ρ Oph and upper Scorpius regions. 13CO J = 2-1 is observed simultaneously to provide an indication of the level of confusion with the surrounding molecular cloud. The bandpass also contains two transitions of ortho-H2CO, one of SO, and the C17O J = 2-1 line, which provides complementary information on the nature of the emission. Results. Contamination by molecular cloud in 13CO and even C17O is ubiquitous. The CN detection rate appears to be lower than for the Taurus region, with only four sources being detected (three are attributable to disks). H2CO emission is found more frequently, but appears in general to be due to the surrounding cloud. The weaker emission than in Taurus may suggest that the average disk size in the ρ Oph region is smaller than in the Taurus cloud. Chemical modeling shows that the somewhat higher expected disk temperatures in ρ Oph play a direct role in decreasing the CN abundance. Warmer dust temperatures contribute to convert CN into less volatile forms. Conclusions. In such a young region, CN is no longer a simple, sensitive tracer of disks, and observations with other tracers and at high enough resolution with ALMA are required to probe the gas disk population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We study the deuteration and ionization structure of the DM Tau disk via interferometric observations and modelling of the key molecular ions, HCO+ and DCO+. Methods. The Plateau de Bure Array is used to observe DM Tau in lines of HCO+ (1â'0), (3â'2) and DCO+ (3â'2) with a ~ 1.5" angular and ~0.2 km s-1 spectral resolution. Using a power-law fitting approach the observed column densities profiles are derived and thus the isotopic ratio RD = DCO+/HCO+. Chemical modelling allowed an exploration of the sensitivity of HCO+ and DCO+ abundances to physical parameters out with temperature. A steady state approximation was employed to observationally constrain the ionization fraction x(eâ'). Results. Fitting of radiative transfer models suggests that there is a chemical hole in HCO+ and DCO+, extending up to 50 AU from the star. More work is required to discern the cause of this. The observed column densities of HCO+ and DCO+ at 100 AU were (9.8+0.3-0.7) Ã--1012 and (1.2 ± 0.7) Ã-- 1012 cm-2 respectively. Where both HCO+ and DCO+ were present, RD was found to increase radially from 0.1 at 50 AU to 0.2 at 450 AU. This behaviour was well reproduced by the chemical model. The X-ray luminosity of the central star, the interstellar UV and CO depletion were found to be the most important physical parameters controlling the abundances of HCO+ and DCO+. Differences in the vertical extent of HCO+ and DCO+ molecular layers resulted in different responses to changing physical parameters, manifesting as radial gradients in RD. The ionization fraction was found to be x(eâ) ~ 10-7 in the molecular layer, comparable to the disk averaged value. Modelling shows that while HCO+ is the most dominant charged molecular ion in our disk model, atomic ions, such as C+, S+, H+, Na+ and Mg+, dominate the charge in both the molecular layer and disk atmosphere. Conclusions. A high value of RD is indicative of continued deuterium fractionation in a protoplanetary disk after pre/protostellar phases. Radial properties of RD can be employed to discern the importance of ionization from X-rays and UV, thus necessitating the need for more, high resolution observations of DCO+ and other deuterated species in disks. A steady-state approach commonly adopted for constraining ionization degree in prestellar cores is not applicable for disks where accurate determination of the ionization fraction in the molecular layer requires knowledge of the atomic ions present as molecular ions are relatively sparse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aim at unveiling the observational imprint of physical mechanisms that govern planetary formation in young, multiple systems. In particular, we investigate the impact of tidal truncation on the inner circumstellar disks. We observed the emblematic system GG Tau at high-angular resolution: a hierarchical quadruple system composed of low-mass T Tauri binary stars surrounded by a well studied, massive circumbinary disk in Keplerian rotation. We used the near-IR 4-telescope combiner PIONIER on the VLTI and sparse-aperture-masking techniques on VLT/NaCo to probe this proto-planetary system at sub-au scales. We report the discovery of a significant closure-phase signal in H and Ks bands that can be reproduced with an additional low-mass companion orbiting GG Tau Ab, at a (projected) separation = 31:7 ­ 0:2 mas (4.4 au) and PA = 219:6 ­ 0:3 . This finding offers a simple explanation for several key questions in this system, including the missing-stellar-mass problem and the asymmetry of continuum emission from the inner dust disks observed at millimeter wavelengths. Composed of now five co-eval stars with 0:02 M? 0:7 M, the quintuple system GG Tau has become an ideal test case to constrain stellar evolution models at young ages (few 106 yr). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grain-surface reactions play an essential role in interstellar chemistry, since dust grain catalyzes reactions at its surface allowing for the formation of molecules. We used a chemical model in which both gas-phase and grain-surface reactions occur and studied particularly the diffusion mechanisms on the surface of the grains. Surface reactions can occur via thermal hopping when species cross over a potential barrier or via quantum tunnelling when species cross through this barrier. We show that the thermal diffusion (hopping) can be much more efficient after a cosmic ray particle collides with a dust grain, heating it to a peak temperature of 70K. We present here the results of numerical simulations after including the quantum tunnelling mechanism for species H, H2, and O and considering the effect of cosmic ray particle collision on the surface reactions. As a consequence, the gas-phase and grain-surface abundances are affected and we show that more complex molecules can be formed in molecular clouds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Most Class II sources (of nearby star-forming regions) are surrounded by disks with weak millimeter continuum emission. These "faint" disks may hold clues to the disk dissipation mechanism. However, the physical properties of protoplanetary disks have been directly constrained by imaging only the brightest sources. Aims. We attempt to determine the characteristics of such faint disks around classical T Tauri stars and to explore the link between disk faintness and the proposed disk dispersal mechanisms (accretion, viscous spreading, photo-evaporation, planetary system formation). Methods. We performed high angular resolution (0.3") imaging of a small sample of disks (9 sources) with low 1.3 mm continuum flux (mostly <30 mJy) with the IRAM Plateau de Bure interferometer and simultaneously searched for 13CO (or CO) J = 2-1 line emission. Using a simple parametric disk model, we determined characteristic sizes for the disks in dust and gas, and we constrained surface densities in the central 50 AU. Results. All disks are much smaller than the bright disks imaged so far, both in continuum and 13CO lines (5 detections). In continuum, half of the disks are very small, with characteristic radii less than 10AU, but still have high surface density values. Small sizes appear to be the main cause of the low disk luminosity. Direct evidence for grain growth is found for the three disks that are sufficiently resolved. Low continuum opacity is attested in only two systems, but we cannot firmly distinguish between a low gas surface density and a lower dust emissivity resulting from grain growth. Finally, we report a tentative discovery of a ∼20AU radius cavity in DS Tau, which with the (unresolved) "transition" disk of CX Tau, brings the proportion of "transitional" disks to a similar value to that of brighter sources. The existence of cavities cannot by itself explain their observed low mm flux. Conclusions. This study highlights a category of very compact dust disks that still exhibit high surface densities, which may represent up to 25% of the whole disk population. While its origin is unclear with the current data alone, it may be related to the compact planetary systems found by the Kepler mission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Investigating the dynamical evolution of dust grains in proto-planetary discs is a key issue to understand how planets should form. We identify under which conditions dust settling can be constrained by high angular resolution observations at mm wavelengths, and which observational strategies are suited for such studies. Exploring a large range of models, we generate synthetic images of discs with different degrees of dust settling, and simulate high angular resolution (∼0.05–0.3 arcsec) Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of these synthetic discs. The resulting data sets are then analysed blindly with homogeneous disc models (where dust and gas are totally mixed) and the derived disc parameters are used as tracers of the settling factor. Our dust discs are partially resolved by ALMA and present some specific behaviours on radial and mainly vertical directions, which can be used to quantify the level of settling. We find out that an angular resolution better than or equal to ∼0.1 arcsec (using 2.3 km baselines at 0.8mm) allows us to constrain the dust scale height and flaring index with sufficient precision to unambiguously distinguish between settled and non-settled discs, provided the inclination is close enough to edge-on (i ≥ 75°). Ignoring dust settling and assuming hydrostatic equilibrium when analysing such discs affect the derived dust temperature and the radial dependency of the dust emissivity index. The surface density distribution can also be severely biased at the highest inclinations. However, the derived dust properties remain largely unaffected if the disc scale height is fitted separately. ALMA has the potential to test some of the dust settling mechanisms, but for real discs, deviations from ideal geometry (warps, spiral waves) may provide an ultimate limit on the dust settling detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. We investigate the suitability of several molecular tracers, in particular CN N = 2-1 line emission, as a confusion-free probe of the kinematics of circumstellar disks. Methods. We use the IRAM30-m telescope to perform a sensitive search for CN N = 2-1 in 42 T Tauri or Herbig Ae systems located principally in the Taurus-Auriga region. 13CO J = 2-1 is observed simultaneously to provide an indication of the level of confusion with the surrounding molecular cloud. The bandpass also contains two transitions of ortho-H2CO, one of SO and the C17O J = 2-1 line which provide complementary information on the nature of the emission. Results. While 13CO is in general dominated by residual emission from the cloud, CN exhibits a high disk detection rate >50% in our sample. We even report CN detection in stars for which interferometric searches failed to detect 12CO, presumably because of obscuration by a foreground, optically thick, cloud. Comparison between CN and o-H2CO or SO line profiles and intensities divide the sample in two main categories. Sources with SO emission are bright and have strong H2CO emission, leading in general to [H2CO/CN] > 0.5. Furthermore, their line profiles, combined with a priori information on the objects, suggest that the emission is coming from outflows or envelopes rather than from a circumstellar disk. On the other hand, most sources have [H2CO/CN] < 0.3, no SO emission, and some of them exhibit clear double-peaked profiles characteristics of rotating disks. In this second category, CN is likely tracing the proto-planetary disks. From the line flux and opacity derived from the hyperfine ratios, we constrain the outer radii of the disks, which range from 300 to 600 AU. The overall gas disk detection rate (including all molecular tracers) is ∼68%, and decreases for fainter continuum sources. Conclusions. The current study demonstrates that gas disks, like dust disks, are ubiquitous around young PMS stars in regions of isolated star formation, and that a large fraction of them have Rout ≳ 300 AU. It also shows the potential of the CN N = 2-1 transition to probe the kinematics of these disks, thereby measuring the stellar mass, using high resolution observations with ALMA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Turbulence is thought to be a key driver of the evolution of protoplanetary disks, regulating the mass accretion process, the transport of angular momentum, and the growth of dust particles. Aims. We intend to determine the magnitude of the turbulent motions in the outer parts (>100 AU) of the disk surrounding DM Tau. Methods. Turbulent motions can be constrained by measuring the nonthermal broadening of line emission from heavy molecules. We used the IRAM Plateau de Bure interferometer to study emission from the CS molecule in the disk of DM Tau. High spatial (1.4 × 1...) and spectral resolution (0.126 km?s-1) CS J = 3-2 images provide constraints on the molecule distribution and velocity structure of the disk. A low sensitivity CS J = 5-4 image was used in conjunction to evaluate the excitation conditions. We analyzed the data in terms of two parametric disk models, and compared the results with detailed time-dependent chemical simulations. Results. The CS data confirm the relatively low temperature suggested by observations of other simple molecules. The intrinsic linewidth derived from the CS J = 3-2 data is much larger than expected from pure thermal broadening. The magnitude of the derived nonthermal component depends only weakly on assumptions about the location of the CS molecules with respect to the disk plane. Our results indicate turbulence with a Mach number around 0.4-0.5 in the molecular layer. Geometrical constraints suggest that this layer is located near one scale height, in reasonable agreement with chemical model predictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Circumstellar disks are characteristic for star formation and vanish during the first few Myr of stellar evolution. During this time planets are believed to form in the dense midplane by growth, sedimentation and aggregation of dust. Indicators of disk evolution, such as holes and gaps, can be traced in the spectral energy distribution (SED) and spatially resolved images. Aims. We aim to construct a self-consistent model of HH 30 by fitting all available continuum observations simultaneously. New data sets not available in previous studies, such as high-resolution interferometric imaging with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer (PdBI) at λ = 1.3 mm and SED measured with IRS on the Spitzer Space Telescope in the mid-infrared, put strong constraints on predictions and are likely to provide new insights into the evolutionary state of this object. Methods. A parameter study based on simulated annealing was performed to find unbiased best-fit models for independent observations made in the wavelength domain λ ~ 1 μm...4 mm. The method essentially creates a Markov chain through parameter space by comparing predictions generated by our self-consistent continuum radiation transfer code MC3D with observations. Results. We present models of the edge-on circumstellar disk of HH 30 based on observations from the near-infrared to mm-wavelengths that suggest the presence of an inner depletion zone with ~45 AU radius and a steep decline of mm opacity beyond ≳ 140 AU. Our modeling indicates that several modes of dust evolution such as growth, settling, and radial migration are taking place in this object. Conclusions. High-resolution observations of HH 30 at different wavelengths with next-generation observatories such as ALMA and JWST will enable the modeling of inhomogeneous dust properties and significantly expand our understanding of circumstellar disk evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. The chemistry of protoplanetary disks is thought to be dominated by two major processes: photodissociation near the disk surface and depletion on dust grains in the disk midplane, resulting in a layered structure with molecules located in a warm layer above the disk midplane. Aims. We attempt here to confront this warm molecular layer model prediction with the distribution of two key molecules for dissociation processes: CN and HCN Methods. Using the IRAMPlateau de Bure interferometer, we obtained high spatial and spectral resolution images of the CN J = 2-1 and HCN J = 1-0 lines in the disks surrounding the two T Tauri DMTau and LkCa 15 and the Herbig AeMWC480. We have derived disk properties by assuming power-law distributions. The hyperfine structure of the observed transitions allowed us to constrain the line opacities and excitation temperatures. We compare the observational results with predictions from existing chemical models, and used a simple PDR model (without freeze-out of molecules on grains and surface chemistry) to illustrate dependencies on UV field strength, grain size, and gas-to-dust ratio. We also evaluated the impact of Ly α radiation. Results. The temperature ordering follows the trend found from CO lines, with DM Tau the coldest object and MWC 480 the warmest. Although CN indicates somewhat higher excitation temperatures than HCN, the derived values in the T Tauri disks are very low (8-10 K). They agree with results obtained from C2H, and contradict thermal and chemical model predictions. These very low temperatures, as well as geometrical constraints, suggest that substantial amounts of CN and HCN remain in the gas phase close to the disk midplane and that this midplane is quite cold. The observed CN/HCN ratio (≈5-10) is in better agreement with the existence of large grains and possibly also with a substantial contribution of Ly α radiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present high spatial resolution maps, obtained with the Plateau de Bure Interferometer, of the blue lobe of the L1157 outflow. We observed four lines at 3 mm, namely CH3OH (2K–1K), HC3N (11–10), HCN (1–0) and OCS (7–6). Moreover, the bright B1 clump has also been observed at better spatial resolution in CS (2–1), CH3OH (21–11)A− and 34SO (32–21). These high spatial resolution observations show a very rich structure in all the tracers, revealing a clumpy structure of the gas superimposed to an extended emission. In fact, the three clumps detected by previous IRAM 30-m single-dish observations have been resolved into several subclumps and new clumps have been detected in the outflow. The clumps are associated with the two cavities created by two shock episodes driven by the precessing jet. In particular, the clumps nearest the protostar are located at the wall of the younger cavity with a clear arch shape form while the farthest clumps have slightly different observational characteristics indicating that they are associated with the older shock episode. The emission of the observed species peaks in different part of the lobe: the eastern clumps are brighter in HC3N (11–10), HCN (1–0) and CS (2–1) while the western clumps are brighter in CH3OH (2K–1K), OCS (7–6) and 34SO (32–21). This peak displacement in the line emission suggests a variation of the physical conditions and/or the chemical composition along the lobe of the outflow at small scale, likely related to the shock activity and the precession of the outflow. In particular, we observe the decoupling of the silicon monoxide and methanol emission, common shock tracers, in the B1 clump located at the apex of the bow shock produced by the second shock episode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debris disks are usually thought to be gas-poor, the gas being dissipated by accretion or evaporation during the protoplanetary phase. HD141569A is a 5 Myr old star harboring a famous debris disk, with multiple rings and spiral features. I present here the first PdBI maps of the 12 CO(2-1), 13 CO(2-1) gas and dust emission at 1.3 mm in this disk. The analysis reveals there is still a large amount of (primordial) gas extending out to 250 AU, i.e. inside the rings observed in scattered light. HD141569A is thus a hybrid disk with a huge debris component, where dust has evolved and is produced by collisions, with a large remnant reservoir of gas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]