Orbital companion dynamics influence the dust disk structure around CQ Tauri

Star system: CQ Tauri | Distance from the Sun: 487 light years

The star CQ Tauri shows indirect signs of a companion affecting its surrounding environment. Observations reveal a large cavity in the disk of material around the star, measuring approximately 25 astronomical units across, with a prominent ring of dust peaking at a distance of 53 astronomical units. An astronomical unit is the average distance from the Earth to the Sun.

To understand this structure, researchers simulated how gas and dust behave when a companion orbits the star with a 10-year period. These models show that a Red dwarf star in a highly stretched, elongated orbit can create a low-density region of the size observed in the CQ Tauri system.

However, this scenario places the resulting dust ring closer to the central star than what current observations show. Further analysis suggests that a massive planet in a wider, more distant orbit may better explain the observed location of the outer dust ring structure.

Key findings
- CQ Tauri exhibits brightness variations occurring every 10 years.
- The disk contains a large 25-astronomical-unit cavity and a dust ring at 53 astronomical units.
- A Red dwarf companion in an elongated orbit creates a central density gap similar to observations.
- Simulations indicate a massive outer planet is a more likely cause for the specific position of the outer dust ring.

Scientific study

Structure of the Stellar Neighborhood of CQ Tau in the Presence of a Companion in an Elongated Orbit (external link)