Paper: astro-ph/0507355
Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2005 17:33:25 GMT (479kb)

Title: Discovery of a Nearly Edge-On Disk Around HD 32297

Authors: Glenn Schneider, Murray D. Silverstone and Dean C. Hines
Comments: 12 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in ApJL
\\
We report the discovery of a nearly edge-on disk about the A0 star HD 32297
seen in light scattered by the disk grains revealed in NICMOS PSF-subtracted
coronagraphic images. The disk extends to a distance of at least 400 AU (3.3")
along its major axis with a 1.1 micron flux density of 4.81 +/-0.57 mJy beyond
a radius of 0.3" from the coronagraphically occulted star. The fraction of 1.1
micron starlight scattered by the disk, 0.0033 +/- 0.0004, is comparable to its
fractional excess emission at 25 + 60 micron of ~ 0.0027 as measured from IRAS
data. The disk appears to be inclined 10.5 degrees +/- 2.5 degrees from an
edge-on viewing geometry, with its major axis oriented 236.5 degrees +/- 1
degree eastward of north. The disk exhibits unequal brightness in opposing
sides and a break in the surface brightness profile along NE-side disk major
axis. Such asymmetries might implicate the existence of one or more (unseen)
planetary mass companions.

\\ ( http://arXiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0507355 , 479kb)