JWST Imaging of Edge-on Protoplanetary Disks. V. Flux Ratio Reversal and Disk-edge Structure in the Flying Saucer
Abstract
We present near- and mid-infrared broadband imaging observations of the edge-on protoplanetary disk 2MASS J16281370-2431391, a.k.a. the 'Flying Saucer', obtained with NIRCam and MIRI on board JWST. These data are combined with archival optical and near-IR broadband imaging from HST, millimeter dust continuum emission from ALMA, and optical lightcurves from the K2 and TESS for a comprehensive multi-wavelength study. The JWST observations reveal a reversal of the flux ratio between the two reflection nebulae at near-infrared wavelengths (2-3 μm), which can be explained by a misaligned inner disk. For the first time, JWST reveals the bright lining along the disk edge at 2 and 3 μm, arising from forward scattering of background photons by dust grains near the τ≈ 1 layer. By combining the dust lane thickness measured with HST and JWST, we find the dust grains up to at least ∼3μm are vertically mixed throughout the disk and have undergone significant growth. In addition, comparison of earlier HST/NICMOS J and K band images with those from JWST/NIRCam reveals variability in the scattered-light morphology, as well as measurable proper motion of the system with respect to the background stars, confirming that the Flying Saucer is co-moving with the young star population of ρ Ophiuchi.
Versions
Related
- JWST/MIRI Imaging Search for Kinematically Detected Protoplanetary Candidates
- No Significant Rotation of the Spiral Structure in the IM Lup Protoplanetary Disk
- JWST/MIRI Imaging Search for Kinematically Detected Protoplanetary Candidates
- Using Structure Functions to Characterize Protoplanetary Disk Velocity Residuals
- Radiation Hydrodynamics of Self-gravitating Protoplanetary Disks II. Accretion, Migration, Spin, and Internal Structure of GI Fragments
BibTeX
@misc{ma2026jwst,
title = {{JWST Imaging of Edge-on Protoplanetary Disks. V. Flux Ratio Reversal and Disk-edge Structure in the Flying Saucer}},
author = {Jie Ma and Karl R. Stapelfeldt and Marion Villenave and Gaspard Duchêne and François Ménard and Ryo Tazaki and Youcef I. Bouarour and Greta Guidi and Laurine Martinien and Maxime Roumesy and Christophe Pinte},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.17136},
eprint = {2610.17136},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.17136},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - JWST Imaging of Edge-on Protoplanetary Disks. V. Flux Ratio Reversal and Disk-edge Structure in the Flying Saucer
AU - Jie Ma
AU - Karl R. Stapelfeldt
AU - Marion Villenave
AU - Gaspard Duchêne
AU - François Ménard
AU - Ryo Tazaki
AU - Youcef I. Bouarour
AU - Greta Guidi
AU - Laurine Martinien
AU - Maxime Roumesy
AU - Christophe Pinte
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/12
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.17136
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.17136
AB - We present near- and mid-infrared broadband imaging observations of the edge-on protoplanetary disk 2MASS J16281370-2431391, a.k.a. the 'Flying Saucer', obtained with NIRCam and MIRI on board JWST. These data are combined with archival optical and near-IR broadband imaging from HST, millimeter dust continuum emission from ALMA, and optical lightcurves from the K2 and TESS for a comprehensive multi-wavelength study. The JWST observations reveal a reversal of the flux ratio between the two reflection nebulae at near-infrared wavelengths (2-3 μm), which can be explained by a misaligned inner disk. For the first time, JWST reveals the bright lining along the disk edge at 2 and 3 μm, arising from forward scattering of background photons by dust grains near the τ≈ 1 layer. By combining the dust lane thickness measured with HST and JWST, we find the dust grains up to at least ∼3μm are vertically mixed throughout the disk and have undergone significant growth. In addition, comparison of earlier HST/NICMOS J and K band images with those from JWST/NIRCam reveals variability in the scattered-light morphology, as well as measurable proper motion of the system with respect to the background stars, confirming that the Flying Saucer is co-moving with the young star population of ρ Ophiuchi.
ER -