The Shadow Knows: Using Shadows to Investigate the Structure of the Pretransitional Disk of HD 100453

We present Gemini Planet Imager polarized intensity imagery of HD 100453 in Y, J, and K1 bands that reveals an inner gap (9-18 au), an outer disk (18-39 au) with two prominent spiral arms, and two azimuthally localized dark features that are also present in Spectro-Polarimetric High-contrast Exoplanet REsearch (SPHERE) total intensity images. Spectral energy distribution fitting further suggests that the radial gap extends to 1 au. The narrow, wedge-like shape of the dark features appears similar to predictions of shadows cast by an inner disk that is misaligned with respect to the outer disk. Using the Monte Carlo radiative transfer code HOCHUNCK3D, we construct a model of the disk that allows us to determine its physical properties in more detail. From the angular separation of the features, we measure the difference in inclination between the disks (45 degrees) and their major axes, PA = 140 degrees east of north for the outer disk, and 100 degrees for the inner disk. We find an outer-disk inclination of 25 degrees +/- 10 degrees from face-on, in broad agreement with the Wagner et al. measurement of 34 degrees. SPHERE data in J and H bands indicate a reddish disk, which indicates that HD 100453 is evolving into a young debris disk.Subaru Telescope [GS-2015A-C-1]; Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under a cooperative agreement with the NSF; National Science Foundation (United States); National Research Council (Canada); CONICYT (Chile); Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnologia e Innovacion Productiva (Argentina); Ministerio da Ciencia, Tecnologia e Inovacao (Brazil); JSPS KAKENHI [2680016]; NASA Origins of Solar Systems Funding [NNG16PX39P]; Jet Propulsion Laboratory; California Institute of Technology under a contract from NASA; NASA Exoplanet Research Program [NNX16AJ75G]; Philip Leverhulme Prize [PLP-2013-110]; ERC Starting Grant [639889]This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu