| Name: Shridharan Baskaran |
| Affiliation: Tata Institute of Fundamental Research |
| Conference ID: ASI2026_553 |
| Title: A Unified JWST/MIRI Perspective on Accretion and Ejection in Class II Protoplanetary Disks |
| Abstract Type: Poster |
| Abstract Category: Stars, Interstellar Medium, and Astrochemistry in Milky Way |
| Author(s) and Co-Author(s) with Affiliation: Shridharan Baskaran(Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai - 400005, India), Manoj Puravankara(Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai - 400005, India), Vinod Pathak and the MINDS collaboration(Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai - 400005, India) |
| Abstract: Understanding the coupled nature of accretion and ejection is fundamental to explaining the dispersal of protoplanetary disks and the subsequent mass budget available for planet formation. However, traditional optical and near-infrared diagnostics are frequently hampered by high extinction in embedded sources and contamination from unrelated emission. To overcome these barriers, we present a comprehensive statistical analysis of over 80 JWST/MIRI archival spectra, providing an unprecedented unified investigation of accretion and outflow processes within the mid-infrared regime. Leveraging MIRI's high sensitivity and spectral resolution, we validate mid-infrared hydrogen recombination lines (spanning upper levels N=6–14) as reliable proxies for accretion. We derive new empirical scaling relations that facilitate accurate accretion-rate estimations even for moderately obscured objects, significantly expanding the parameter space of disk studies. Furthermore, we compile the most extensive mid-infrared census to date of ejection signatures, finding high detection rates for [Ne II] (~80%) and [Ar II] (~40%), while refractory species like [Fe II] and [Ni II] are restricted to high-velocity shocks in strongly jet-driven systems. Crucially, by leveraging MIRI's ability to provide simultaneous measurements of mass accretion and outflow rates, we investigate the fundamental coupling between these two processes and quantify how this relationship evolves over the T Tauri phase. Our results delineate an evolutionary trajectory where younger systems dominated by powerful MHD-driven jets and shocks gradually transition into wind-dominated regimes, eventually giving way to weak photoevaporative flows. This work offers a unified framework connecting accretion-ejection properties in Class II disks and extending them to Class I/0 evolutionary phases. |
