VLTI/PIONIER imaging of post-AGB binaries. An INSPIRING hunt for inner rim substructures in circumbinary discs
Abstract
We image the detailed inner rim morphology for a sample of post-AGB circumbinary discs observed using NIR interferometry. At resolutions down to ~1-2 mas (corresponding to ~1-10 AU), we aim to reveal potential substructures that may trace perturbations from the binary or embedded substellar companions, or that arise from hydrodynamical instabilities. We developed an image reconstruction workflow using the SPARCO approach together with the ORGANIC reconstruction algorithm. This was applied to VLTI/PIONIER data of eight diverse post-AGB binaries, providing high-fidelity images of dust continuum emission at the inner rim. Extensive tests were applied to assess the robustness of the recovered image features. The dusty disc rim is well-resolved for all targets. Only one of the images can be fully accounted for by simple radiative transfer effects due to disc inclination, while in several others indications of potential substructures are detected. Strikingly, four exhibit robust azimuthal brightness enhancements at locations not expected from inclination effects alone. These can indicate strong radiative or dynamical responses to the binary, or vortices formed via hydrodynamical instabilities. One target displays an even more puzzling morphology, showing a single large-scale outer flux arc and several small-scale arcs closer to the binary, possibly revealing accretion streams onto the binary, a misaligned innermost disc, or a spiral feature located in the disc or in an outflow. This work presents the first homogeneous interferometric imaging survey of the inner regions of post-AGB circumbinary discs, enabling direct comparison of inner rim morphologies across a representative sample. The inner disc regions are highly diverse and dynamic, harbouring a significant amount of substructure candidates. Multi-wavelength and time-series imaging will be essential in uncovering their physical origins.
Versions
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BibTeX
@misc{prins2026vltipionier,
title = {{VLTI/PIONIER imaging of post-AGB binaries. An INSPIRING hunt for inner rim substructures in circumbinary discs}},
author = {Toon De Prins and Akke Corporaal and Jacques Kluska and Devika Kamath and Hans Van Winckel and Kateryna Andrych and Javier Alcolea and Narsireddy Anugu and Jean-Philippe Berger and Valentin Bujarrabal and Ivan Gallardo Cava and Stefan Kraus and Hans Olofsson},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2605.13445},
eprint = {2605.13445},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.13445},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - VLTI/PIONIER imaging of post-AGB binaries. An INSPIRING hunt for inner rim substructures in circumbinary discs
AU - Toon De Prins
AU - Akke Corporaal
AU - Jacques Kluska
AU - Devika Kamath
AU - Hans Van Winckel
AU - Kateryna Andrych
AU - Javier Alcolea
AU - Narsireddy Anugu
AU - Jean-Philippe Berger
AU - Valentin Bujarrabal
AU - Ivan Gallardo Cava
AU - Stefan Kraus
AU - Hans Olofsson
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/22
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2605.13445
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2605.13445
AB - We image the detailed inner rim morphology for a sample of post-AGB circumbinary discs observed using NIR interferometry. At resolutions down to ~1-2 mas (corresponding to ~1-10 AU), we aim to reveal potential substructures that may trace perturbations from the binary or embedded substellar companions, or that arise from hydrodynamical instabilities. We developed an image reconstruction workflow using the SPARCO approach together with the ORGANIC reconstruction algorithm. This was applied to VLTI/PIONIER data of eight diverse post-AGB binaries, providing high-fidelity images of dust continuum emission at the inner rim. Extensive tests were applied to assess the robustness of the recovered image features. The dusty disc rim is well-resolved for all targets. Only one of the images can be fully accounted for by simple radiative transfer effects due to disc inclination, while in several others indications of potential substructures are detected. Strikingly, four exhibit robust azimuthal brightness enhancements at locations not expected from inclination effects alone. These can indicate strong radiative or dynamical responses to the binary, or vortices formed via hydrodynamical instabilities. One target displays an even more puzzling morphology, showing a single large-scale outer flux arc and several small-scale arcs closer to the binary, possibly revealing accretion streams onto the binary, a misaligned innermost disc, or a spiral feature located in the disc or in an outflow. This work presents the first homogeneous interferometric imaging survey of the inner regions of post-AGB circumbinary discs, enabling direct comparison of inner rim morphologies across a representative sample. The inner disc regions are highly diverse and dynamic, harbouring a significant amount of substructure candidates. Multi-wavelength and time-series imaging will be essential in uncovering their physical origins.
ER -