Born-Again Protoplanetary Disk around Mira B

June 2007 • 2007ApJ...662..651I

Authors • Ireland, M. J. • Monnier, J. D. • Tuthill, P. G. • Cohen, R. W. • De Buizer, J. M. • Packham, C. • Ciardi, D. • Hayward, T. • Lloyd, J. P.

Abstract • The Mira AB system is a nearby (~107 pc) example of a wind accreting binary star system. In this class of system, the wind from a mass-losing red giant star (Mira A) is accreted onto a companion (Mira B), as indicated by an accretion shock signature in spectra at ultraviolet and X-ray wavelengths. Using novel imaging techniques, we report the detection of emission at mid-infrared wavelengths between 9.7 and 18.3 μm from the vicinity of Mira B but with a peak at a radial position about 10 AU closer to the primary Mira A. We interpret the mid-infrared emission as the edge of an optically-thick accretion disk heated by Mira A. The discovery of this new class of accretion disk fed by M-giant mass loss implies a potential population of young planetary systems in white dwarf binaries, which has been little explored despite being relatively common in the solar neighborhood.

Links

• SIMBAD http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbo.pl?bibcode=2007ApJ...662..651I
• PDF https://stacks.iop.org/0004-637X/662/651/pdf
• PREPRINT http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0703244
• DATA https://archive.gemini.edu/searchform/publication=2007ApJ...662..651I
• DATA https://archive.stsci.edu/mastbibref.php?bibcode=2007ApJ...662..651I
• DATA https://hst.esac.esa.int/ehst/#/pages/search;bibcode=2007ApJ...662..651I
• ELECTR https://doi.org/10.1086%2F517993
• SPIRES http://inspirehep.net/search?p=find+eprint+astro-ph/0703244