Science Highlights

Unveiling the gas and dust disk structure in HD163296 using ALMA observations

The CO J=3-2 channel map unveils for the first time at sub-millimeter frequencies the vertical structure details of a protoplanetary disks, showing the back and front side of the flared disk of HD163296

An international team led by Itziar de Gregorio-Montsalvo (JAO/ESO) and including Satoko Takahashi and Edwige Chapillon from ASIAA analysed the CO (3-2) science verification data taken toward HD163296. HD163296 is an Herbig Ae star surrounding by a large and massive protoplanetary disks. For the first time , the details of the vertical structure of the disk is directly imaged at millimeter wavelength. The channel map clearly shows two layers corresponding the the back and the front side of the disk. Comparison with model confirms that a vertical temperature gradient and a lack of CO near the mid plane is required to reproduce the observations. This study is presented in an article accepted in A&A (De Gregorio-Montsalvo et al 2013 2013arXiv1307.1357D)