Discovery of a Debris Disk around TWA 20

Abstract We report the discovery of a debris disk surrounding the M3 star TWA 20, revealed by JWST coronagraphic observations using the Near Infrared Camera. With reference differential imaging (RDI), we resolve the disk in scattered light in the F200W filter at a high signal-to-noise ratio and in the F444W filter at a low signal-to-noise ratio. The disk morphology and orientation are characterized via a forward-modeling approach, where we determine a radius of 64.7 <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>6.5</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>6.2</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> au and an inclination of 70.1 <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>3.3</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>2.5</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> degrees. Utilizing our forward model, we improve the fidelity of the debris disk image using model-constrained RDI. The newly discovered disk is one of only six disks detected in scattered light that orbit M dwarf stars; it is the third largest of the six resolved M dwarf disks and orbits the third faintest host star. The detection of this disk exemplifies the sensitivity of JWST to debris disks around low-luminosity host stars, which have historically been difficult to detect because these disks are cool and dim. We identify a nebulous structure that cannot be explained by an axisymmetric disk. A search for companions in the TWA 20 system yields no candidates.

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Publication Details

Journal
The Astrophysical Journal
Published
2025-12-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ae1963
Primary Topic
Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
Type
article
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article

Discovery of a Debris Disk around TWA 20

Maxwell A. Millar‐Blanchaer, Aniket Sanghi, B. Lewis, Skyler Palatnick et al.
The Astrophysical Journal
Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
article

Discovery of a Debris Disk around TWA 20

Maxwell A. Millar‐Blanchaer, Aniket Sanghi, B. Lewis, Skyler Palatnick, Katie A. Crotts, Isabel Rebollido, William O. Balmer, Mark Booth, Emily Rickman, Rodrigo Ferrer-Chávez, Beth Biller, Sebastián Marino, J. H. Girard, Alexander N. James, Aarynn L. Carter, Kellen Lawson, C. Fontanive, Kielan K. W. Hoch, G. Strampelli, Ben J. Sutlieff, Raphaël Bendahan-West, Jingwen Zhang, Klaus Subbotina Stephenson
article en

Abstract

Abstract We report the discovery of a debris disk surrounding the M3 star TWA 20, revealed by JWST coronagraphic observations using the Near Infrared Camera. With reference differential imaging (RDI), we resolve the disk in scattered light in the F200W filter at a high signal-to-noise ratio and in the F444W filter at a low signal-to-noise ratio. The disk morphology and orientation are characterized via a forward-modeling approach, where we determine a radius of 64.7 <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>6.5</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>6.2</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> au and an inclination of 70.1 <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:msubsup> <mml:mrow/> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>−</mml:mo> <mml:mn>3.3</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> <mml:mrow> <mml:mo>+</mml:mo> <mml:mn>2.5</mml:mn> </mml:mrow> </mml:msubsup> </mml:math> degrees. Utilizing our forward model, we improve the fidelity of the debris disk image using model-constrained RDI. The newly discovered disk is one of only six disks detected in scattered light that orbit M dwarf stars; it is the third largest of the six resolved M dwarf disks and orbits the third faintest host star. The detection of this disk exemplifies the sensitivity of JWST to debris disks around low-luminosity host stars, which have historically been difficult to detect because these disks are cool and dim. We identify a nebulous structure that cannot be explained by an axisymmetric disk. A search for companions in the TWA 20 system yields no candidates.

The Astrophysical JournalVol. 995(2)
Northwestern University (US), California Institute of Technology (US), Space Telescope Science Institute (US), Goddard Space Flight Center (US), Johns Hopkins University (US), University of California, Santa Barbara (US), University of Victoria (CA), University of Exeter (GB), European Space Astronomy Centre (ES), Royal Observatory (GB), Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté (FR), Scottish Universities Physics Alliance (GB), Astrophysics Science Division (US), Montreal Clinical Research Institute (CA), UK Astronomy Technology Centre (GB), University of Maryland, Baltimore County (US), University of Edinburgh (GB)
Openalex Percentile: Top 72%
Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
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