The JWST-MIRI View of a Gas-Rich Disk with a Large Dust Cavity

Kamber Schwarz

Tuesday, Dec. 3rd, 12:30CET

SY Cha is a T Tauri star surrounded by a protoplanetary disk with a large cavity seen in the millimeter continuum but with the spectral energy distribution of a full disk. Here we report the first results from JWST-MIRI Medium Resolution Spectrometer (MRS) observations taken as part of the MIRI mid-INfrared Disk Survey (MINDS) GTO Program. The derived molecular column densities reveal the inner disk of SY Cha to be rich in both oxygen and carbon bearing molecules. Additionally, we detect spatially extended H2 emission seen in five transitions as well as a jet traced by [Ne II]. Analysis of the extended H2 points to a molecular disk wind with a low mass loss rate. All of these results are in contrast to PDS 70, another protoplanetary disk with a large cavity observed with JWST, which displays much weaker line emission and no strong outflow. I will discuss how these results inform our understanding of gap opening mechanisms and mass loss in protoplanetary disks.