J/A+A/710/A38ivo://CDS.VizieR/J/A+A/710/A38CDSByrne J.Ginski C.van Capelleveen R.F.Fitzgerald N.Garufi A.,Coyne C.Lawlor C.McLachlan D.2026-05-28T07:36:25Z2026-05-28T08:34:17ZCDS support team

CDS, Observatoire de Strasbourg, 11 rue de l'Universite, F-67000 Strasbourg, France

cds-question@unistra.fryoung-stellar-objectsgalaxy-classification-systemsvisible-astronomyHigh-resolution imaging in scattered light has revealed complex morphologies in protoplanetary/circumstellar disks. Measuring their vertical height is key to understanding disk structure, evolution, and the properties of embedded dust. This work aims to develop a robust methodology for fitting elliptical shapes to scattered light images of protoplanetary disks in order to extract vertical height profiles of the dust scattering surface (tau=1) across a large and morphologically diverse disk sample. The dataset comprises 92 unique near-infrared polarimetric images of individual systems obtained with VLT/SPHERE. The goal is to identify trends in vertical structure across morphologies and test for correlations with stellar mass, age, and disk dust mass. Using the height profiles, this work also investigates the implications of the constrained height for the masses of potential embedded planets. A structure extraction and ellipse fitting (SEEF) algorithm, is implemented using edge detection and Gaussian fitting to locate the structure within protoplanetary disks. Fitting ellipses to the structure reveals spatial offsets from the centre of the ellipse and the star, interpreted as vertical height assuming circular ring geometry. Disk inclination, position angle (PA), and aspect ratio (h_tau_=1/r) are also derived. The SEEF algorithm obtained successful vertical height measurements for 92 unique disks, revealing variations in height profiles consistent with flared disk geometries. Analysis of the full sample shows that the vertical height profile cannot be confidently described by a single power-law relation. Subdivision of the sample by disk morphology revealed no strong correlations within most categories, with the exception of extended disks (r_outer_>=150au), which exhibited a strong correlation with a single power-law trend. Investigation into underlying disk properties revealed no correlation for its affect to the vertical height structure. This work presents a consistent methodology for measuring the vertical structure of circumstellar disks using ellipse fitting on scattered light images. While trends in height structure remain weakly correlated for the full sample and many disk morphologies, extended disks (r_outer_>=150au) stand out as the only subgroup showing a clear power-law flaring trend. The lack of a strong correlation across other morphologies and with system properties like stellar or dust mass suggests that either differing disk morphologies exhibit different vertical height profiles or that another, unidentified factor is influencing the disk flaring.2026A&A...710A..38Bhttps://cdsarc.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/cat/J/A+A/710/A38CatalogResearchIsServedByTAP VizieR generic serviceIsServedByConesearch servicehttps://cds.unistra.fr/vizier-org/licences_vizier.htmlhttps://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/A+A/710/A38https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/A+A/710/A38http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/VizieR-2?-source=J/A+A/710/A38https://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/votable?-source=J/A+A/710/A38https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/votable?-source=J/A+A/710/A38http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/votable?-source=J/A+A/710/A38GETtext/xml+votablehttps://tapvizier.cds.unistra.fr/TAPVizieR/tapCone search capability for table J/A+A/710/A38/tablea1 (Geometrical parameters of disk rings)https://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/conesearch/J/A+A/710/A38/tablea1?https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/conesearch/J/A+A/710/A38/tablea1?http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/conesearch/J/A+A/710/A38/tablea1?GETtext/xml+votable180.050000true203.6025569-65.29647060.005555555555555556Cone search capability for table J/A+A/710/A38/list (List of fits datacubes)https://vizier.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/conesearch/J/A+A/710/A38/list?https://vizier.iucaa.in/viz-bin/conesearch/J/A+A/710/A38/list?http://vizieridia.saao.ac.za/viz-bin/conesearch/J/A+A/710/A38/list?GETtext/xml+votable180.050000true203.60255-65.296470.0055555555555555566/1029 1051 1054 1068 1073-1075 1081 1109 1113-1114 1169 1539 21418 21422 21430 22800 22848 22854 22861 22873 22882 23003 23548-23549 23551 24203 24277 24279 24300 28746 28762 28921 29192-29194 29896 30741 32065 36948 36956-36957 37186 37237 37978 38382 39365 39389 41135 41526 41601 41664 42429 42595 42598 42605 42611 42614 42644 42704 42707 42736 42885 42906 42970 42977 42981 42989 43415 44049 44317 44361 44365 44377-44378 47739 47741 47818 47826 47828 47845https://cdsarc.cds.unistra.fr/viz-bin/moc/J/A+A/710/A38?format=asciiOpticaldefaultJ/A+A/710/A38/tablea1Geometrical parameters of disk ringsrecnoRecord number assigned by the VizieR team. Should Not be used for identification.meta.recordintNameTarget namemeta.id;meta.maincharprimaryRegionDisk region (Inner, Middle, Outer)meta.notecharHeightDisk heightauphys.sizefloate_HeightUncertainty on Heightaustat.error;pos.cartesian.zfloatInclDisk inclinationdegsrc.orbital.inclinationfloate_InclUncertainty on Incldegstat.errorfloatSepRing separationaupos.angDistancefloatSimbadNameSimbad column added by the CDSmeta.idcharnullablee_SepUncertainty on Sepaustat.errorfloath/rAspect ratio (h/r)phys.size.axisRatiofloate_h/rUncertainty on h/rstat.errorfloatPAPosition angle of disk major axis (1)degpos.posAngfloate_PAUncertainty on PAdegstat.errorfloatPAref[Y/N] Position-angle reference flag (2)meta.codecharConstr[Y/N] Parameter constraint flag (3)meta.codecharImagesindicates datacubemeta.ref.urlchar_RARight Ascension (J2000) from SIMBAD (not part of the original data)degpos.eq.ra;meta.main_DEDeclination (J2000) from SIMBAD (not part of the original data)degpos.eq.dec;meta.mainJ/A+A/710/A38/tableh1Estimated planet masses derived from measured gap widths using the analytical model of Kanagawa et al. (2016PASJ...68...43K)recnoRecord number assigned by the VizieR team. Should Not be used for identification.meta.recordintSystemTarget system namemeta.id;meta.maincharGapWidthMeasured gap widthausrc.morph.scLengthfloate_GapWidthUncertainty on GapWidthaustat.errorfloatRpPlanet semi-major axisauphys.angSize;srcfloate_RpUncertainty on Rpaustat.errorfloath/rDisk aspect ratio (h/r) at Rpphys.size.axisRatiofloatMpa1e2Planet mass for alpha_visc_=10^-2^ (1)(1.898187x10+27kg)phys.massfloate_Mpa1e2Uncertainty on Mpa1e2(1.898187x10+27kg)stat.errorfloatMpa1e3Planet mass for alpha_visc_=10^-3^ (1)(1.898187x10+27kg)phys.massfloate_Mpa1e3Uncertainty on Mpa1e3(1.898187x10+27kg)stat.errorfloatMpa1e4Planet mass for alpha_visc_=10^-4^ (1)(1.898187x10+27kg)phys.massfloate_Mpa1e4Uncertainty on Mpa1e4(1.898187x10+27kg)stat.errorfloatJ/A+A/710/A38/listList of fits datacubesrecnoRecord number assigned by the VizieR team. Should Not be used for identification.meta.recordintNameStar namemeta.id;meta.maincharRAJ2000Right Ascension of center (J2000)degpos.eq.ra;meta.mainDEJ2000Declination of center (J2000)degpos.eq.dec;meta.mainNxNumber of pixels along X-axismeta.numberintNyNumber of pixels along Y-axismeta.numberintNzNumber of pixels along Z-axismeta.numberintsizeSize of FITS fileKibytephys.size;meta.fitsintFileNameName of FITS file, in subdirectory fitsmeta.id;meta.fitscharTitleTitle of the FITS filemeta.title;meta.fitschar