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Spitzer/MIPS 24 micron Detection of Photoevaporating Protoplanetary Disks

Z. Balog, G. H. Rieke, K. Y. L. Su, J. Muzerolle, E. T. Young

astro-pharXiv:astro-ph/0608630

Abstract

We present 24 micron images of three protoplanetary disks being photoevaporated around high mass O type stars. These objects have ``cometary'' structure where the dust pulled away from the disk by the photoevaporating flow is forced away from the O star by photon pressure on the dust and heating and ionization of the gas. Models of the 24 micron and 8 micron brightness profiles agree with this hypothesis. These models show that the mass-loss rate needed to sustain such a configuration is in agreement with or somewhat less than the theoretical predictions for the photoevaporation process.

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