ALMA 2D Super-Resolution Imaging of Taurus-Auriga Protoplanetary Disks: Identifying a Robust Gap Size Scaling Relation Consistent with the Planet-Disk Interaction Model

ABSTRACT :
Over the past decade, ALMA observations of circumstellar disks have revealed several substructures, including gaps and rings. However, the formation of these gaps remains controversial, leading to the question of whether there are observable features that can be used to link them to specific formation mechanisms. In this talk, we present promising new results on the correlation between substructures and their formation mechanisms (Yamaguchi et al. 2024, PASJ). We used ALMA Band 6 archival continuum data from 43 disks in the Taurus-Auriga region, including 39 Class II disks and four disks around Herbig Ae stars. To improve the fidelity and spatial resolution of the images, we applied a novel 2D super-resolution imaging technique based on sparse modeling. As a result, we obtained unprecedented disk images with high spatial resolution on the scale of a few au, which is two to three times better than conventional methods. All dust disks are successfully spatially resolved, revealing gap structures in 50% of them. Our analysis reveals that gap widths increase with depths, establishing robust scaling relationships in these substructures for the first time. Importantly, these observational correlations align with predictions of the planetary disk interaction model. The inferred planet mass-orbital radius distribution indicates that the planet distribution is analogous to our Solar System.