![Zoomed-in 12CO J = 3 − 2 channel maps. Contours are 3, 6 and 10σ. The isovelocity contours are calculated with a flat surface. The planet locations are marked with white dots. The beam is given in the bottom right corner while the velocity of the channel is provided in the bottom left corner. Fig. F.5 shows the channel maps over the full extent of the disk.-- [astro-ph.EP]](https://i0.wp.com/astrobiology.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/Mapping.png?fit=1200%2C673&ssl=1)
[astro-ph.EP] We present new deep, very high angular resolution observations of the sub-mm continuum (19×13 mas) and 12CO (67×52 mas) emission from the disk surrounding the planet host WISPIT2. Our analysis reveals a clear gas gap carved by WISPIT 2b and an empty cavity within the orbit of WISPIT 2c.
We also find a gaseous and optically thin dusty ring located between the orbits of the two planets. Channel maps show a pronounced change in the emission surface height of the disk, which transitions from flat within the cavity to strongly flared beyond the orbit of planet b, producing clear breaks in the velocity channels.
A pronounced thunderbolt-shaped feature, identified as a kinematic planetary signature (KPS), is detected at the location of WISPIT 2b, in agreement with predictions from planet-disk interaction simulations. This constitutes the first system with a confirmed kinematic signature associated with a directly imaged planet.
By mirroring opposite velocity-channel maps about the systemic velocity, we further investigate the KPS and identify spatially resolved excess emission in the vicinity of WISPIT 2b. We find that this emission is resolved across the full Hill sphere of the planet, significantly exceeding the expected extent of a circumplanetary disk.
We therefore suggest that the observed emission arises from a combination of processes, including prominent planet-driven spiral wakes, localized heating induced by the planet and a circumplanetary disk.
Although higher spectral resolution is required to disentangle these contributions, our observations demonstrate the potential to directly characterize the birth environment of forming massive planets at scales down to sub-Hill radius.
Myriam Benisty, Stefano Facchini, Richard Teague, Francesco Zagaria, Pietro Curone, Viviana Pezzotta, Jaehan Bae, Gabriele Cugno, Daniel J. Price
Comments: Accepted for publication in ApJ Letters
Subjects: Earth and Planetary Astrophysics (astro-ph.EP)
Cite as: arXiv:2609.04946 [astro-ph.EP] (or arXiv:2609.04946v1 [astro-ph.EP] for this version)
https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2609.04946
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Submission history
From: Myriam Benisty
[v1] Fri, 4 Sep 2026 09:54:11 UTC (19,438 KB)
https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.04946
Astrobiology
