PF-02-0015

Exclusive Dust Ring Morphology in 3D Protoplanetary Disk Models with Embedded Planets

Jiaqing Bi, Min-Kai Lin, Ruobing Dong

Gap-opening planets in protoplanetary disks can form annular dust rings. But planets are not the only explanation for the dust rings. With so many dust rings in disk observations, finding ways to distinguish the planet-origin dust rings from the others is critical to the current campaign of hunting embedded planets in the disk. Here we introduce a possible entry point -- the three-dimensional morphology of dust rings. Using three-dimensional, dust-and-gas hydrodynamic disk models with embedded planets, we found that the complex planet-disk interactions tend to shape dust rings differently from other dust ring formation mechanisms. In the vertical direction, the planet-driven meridional gas circulations tend to "puff up" dust rings at the gap edges. In the radial direction, the planet-driven non-axisymmetric perturbations tend to drive the dust rings more radially extended. These morphological features of dust rings have successfully bridged the correlation between the detected planets and the accompanying wide dust rings in PDS 70 and AB Aur. They may also explain the observed feature of the dust ring in GM Aur using a gap-opening planet. Overall, we would expect our findings to help target disks of high suspicion for hosting embedded planets and promote further investigations on these targets to search planets.