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Astrophysical disks are rotationally-supported disks of gas and dust. They are found in a range of astrophysical objects, from small protoplanetary systems and accreting X-ray binaries, to massive disks surrounding actively accreting supermassive black holes in the centre of galaxies. They emit electromagnetic radiation at a range of wavelengths depending on their specific interactions with their parent bodies and surroundings.
Numerous eclipses have been observed towards the binary central star of planetary nebula WeSb 1, probably caused by debris from disintegrated rocky bodies. This finding suggests that planetary systems undergo a violent evolution during the planetary nebula stage.
Observations of a 3-million-year-old pre-main-sequence star with a misaligned disk reveal a giant orbiting planet; the system is ideal for studying the early formation and migration of planets.
JWST observations of outflows from four young stars reveal in each case a molecular wind with a central cavity surrounding a fast jet. These results point to disk winds driving accretion, with implications for planet formation and evolution.
The spin of Sagittarius A* from Event Horizon Telescope observations is compatible with a historical merger with a 4:1 mass ratio, according to a model. This finding supports the idea that supermassive black holes grow through hierarchical mergers.
Observations of gravitational instability in the disk around AB Aurigae using deep observations of 13CO and C18O line emission provide evidence that giant protoplanets can be formed from collapsing fragments of vast spiral arms.
Physical origen of accretion states in black hole X-ray binary systems is an open question. Here, the authors perform self-consistent radiative plasma simulations of the corona around the inner accretion flow and demonstrate natural generation of the observed hard and soft state X-ray emission when the plasma is turbulent.
Based on physical modelling and using deep-learning tools, a 3D reconstruction of a flare orbiting the black hole Sagittarius A*, at the centre of the Milky Way, provides observational clues to the formation of high-energy flares and the dynamics of black-hole accretion disks.
