JWST/NIRCam Imaging of Young Stellar Objects. IV. Detailed Imaging of the Protoplanetary Disk around TW Hya

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Abstract
As the nearest protoplanetary disk to Earth ( d = 60.14 pc), TW Hya is one of the most studied protoplanetary disks and a critical benchmark for testing planet formation theories. We present high-contrast coronagraphic imaging of the TW Hya disk from JWST/NIRCam across four filters (F187N, F200W, F356W, and F444W). We detect the disk’s scattered-light emission in F200W, F356W, and F444W. An elliptical fit to the disk image yields an average inclination of i = 8 . ° 74 − 0 . ° 94 + 1 . ° 03 and a position angle of PA = 75 . ° 62 − 6 . ° 56 + 7 . ° 86 . We find tentative evidence for radial variations in these parameters, a trend consistent with a disk warp. Our companion search yields no new detections, placing the lowest mass limits yet on companions that might be responsible for carving out the dust gap. Assuming no local extinction and a system age of 10 Myr, the F444W data are sensitive to masses down to ∼0.4 M Jup at separations of 1″ (∼60 au). Accounting for local disk extinction analogous to the AS 209 system, our limits reach sub-Jupiter masses beyond 2″. Furthermore, our analysis provides a detailed view of a previously detected feature in the outer disk at ∼120 au, confirming its morphology as a distinct bifurcation structure. This feature may indicate the presence of complex substructures arising from dynamical planet–disk interactions. These results demonstrate JWST’s ability to characterize the architecture of protoplanetary disks and constrain the properties of forming worlds.
Funding Information
  • NASA ∣ Science Mission Directorate (NAS5-02105)
  • NASA ∣ Goddard Space Flight Center (80NSSC18K0555)
  • National Research Council Canada (NSERC Discovery Grant)

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