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Main Authors: Kozdon, Janus, Fung, Jeffrey, Brittain, Sean D., Jensen, Stanley, Kern, Josh, Padgett, Cory, Hasegawa, Yasuhiro
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.00250
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author Kozdon, Janus
Fung, Jeffrey
Brittain, Sean D.
Jensen, Stanley
Kern, Josh
Padgett, Cory
Hasegawa, Yasuhiro
author_facet Kozdon, Janus
Fung, Jeffrey
Brittain, Sean D.
Jensen, Stanley
Kern, Josh
Padgett, Cory
Hasegawa, Yasuhiro
contents The Herbig Ae star AB Aurigae hosts a vast, low-inclination protoplanetary disk that exhibits a plethora of substructures, including the protoplanet candidate AB Aur b. We present M-band spectroscopic data taken with NASA IRTF from Feb 2024 covering multiple position angles that captured emission from an off-centered, low temperature, and compact source. Analysis of the ${}^{12}$CO $ν=$1-0 low-J ro-vibrational emission line profiles and spectroastrometric signals localizes the source at around an orbital radius of 65 au and a position angle of 143$^\circ$. These coordinates are distinctly different from those of AB Aur b, which was not detected. Although there is no obvious explanation for the detected source, if we assume it was a circumplanetary disk, then its maximum temperature would be about 550 K and its maximum radius would be about 5 au. Our results alludes to a previously unknown companion that may be residing in the AB Aurigae system.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2603_00250
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle ${}^{12}$CO Ro-vibrational Spectroscopy of AB Aurigae -- A Potential Point Source is Present
Kozdon, Janus
Fung, Jeffrey
Brittain, Sean D.
Jensen, Stanley
Kern, Josh
Padgett, Cory
Hasegawa, Yasuhiro
Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
The Herbig Ae star AB Aurigae hosts a vast, low-inclination protoplanetary disk that exhibits a plethora of substructures, including the protoplanet candidate AB Aur b. We present M-band spectroscopic data taken with NASA IRTF from Feb 2024 covering multiple position angles that captured emission from an off-centered, low temperature, and compact source. Analysis of the ${}^{12}$CO $ν=$1-0 low-J ro-vibrational emission line profiles and spectroastrometric signals localizes the source at around an orbital radius of 65 au and a position angle of 143$^\circ$. These coordinates are distinctly different from those of AB Aur b, which was not detected. Although there is no obvious explanation for the detected source, if we assume it was a circumplanetary disk, then its maximum temperature would be about 550 K and its maximum radius would be about 5 au. Our results alludes to a previously unknown companion that may be residing in the AB Aurigae system.
title ${}^{12}$CO Ro-vibrational Spectroscopy of AB Aurigae -- A Potential Point Source is Present
topic Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.00250