Disk Evolution Study Through Imaging of Nearby Young Stars (DESTINYS): V721 CrA and BN CrA have wide and structured disks in polarised IR
Pith reviewed 2026-05-18 01:35 UTC · model grok-4.3
The pith
V721 CrA and BN CrA host resolved extended disks with substructures in near-IR polarized light.
A machine-rendered reading of the paper's core claim, the machinery that carries it, and where it could break.
Core claim
Both stars show resolved and extended disks with substructures in the near-IR. The disk of V721 CrA is vertically thicker, radially smaller (120 au), and brighter than BN CrA (190 au). It also shows spiral arms in the inner regions. The disk of BN CrA shows a dark circular lane, which could be either an intrinsic dust gap or a self-cast shadow. Both disks are compatible with the evolutionary stage of their parent subgroup within the CrA region: V721 CrA belongs to the on-cloud part of CrA, which is dustier, denser and younger, whereas BN CrA is found on the outskirts of the older off-cloud group.
What carries the argument
Analytical axisymmetric disk model fitted to the polarized SPHERE images through RADMC-3D radiative transfer to derive dust mass, height profile and inclination.
If this is right
- Disk size, thickness and brightness differ between the two stars in a manner consistent with their placement in younger versus older subgroups of the CrA region.
- Inner spiral arms in V721 CrA indicate active dynamical processes operating inside 120 au.
- The dark lane in BN CrA can be explained either by a physical dust gap or by geometric shadowing from the disk's own structure.
- The observed morphologies are compatible with the expected evolutionary state of disks in the on-cloud and off-cloud populations of Corona Australis.
Where Pith is reading between the lines
- If the dark lane proves to be a shadow rather than a gap, it would directly constrain the disk's flaring and scale height beyond the current axisymmetric fit.
- Spiral arms seen in V721 CrA could be compared with features in other young systems to test whether they arise from embedded planets or from disk self-gravity.
- Repeating the same SPHERE observations on additional members of the CrA subgroups could reveal whether disk radius and substructure statistics track regional age and density.
Load-bearing premise
The assumption that an analytical axisymmetric disk model with adjustable dust mass, height profile, and inclination, combined with RADMC-3D polarized scattering, is sufficient to extract reliable morphological parameters from the observed near-IR images without significant bias from non-axisymmetric features or unmodeled optical-depth effects.
What would settle it
Higher-resolution ALMA dust continuum imaging that either detects or rules out a millimeter-wavelength gap at the exact radius of the near-IR dark lane in BN CrA would distinguish an intrinsic gap from a scattering shadow.
Figures
read the original abstract
We present near-infrared scattered-light observations of the disks around two stars of the Corona Australis star-forming region, V721 CrA, and BN CrA, obtained with VLT/SPHERE, in the H band, as part of the DESTINYS large programme. Our objective is to analyse the morphology of these disks, and highlight their main properties. We adopt an analytical axisymmetric disk model to fit the observations and perform a regression on key disk parameters, namely the dust mass, the height profile, and the inclination. We use RADMC-3D code to produce synthetic observations of the analytical models, with full polarised scattering treatment. Both stars show resolved and extended disks with substructures in the near-IR. The disk of V721 CrA is vertically thicker, radially smaller (120 au), and brighter than BN CrA (190 au). It also shows spiral arms in the inner regions. The disk of BN CrA shows a dark circular lane, which could be either an intrinsic dust gap or a self-cast shadow. Both disks are compatible with the evolutionary stage of their parent subgroup within the CrA region: V721 CrA belongs to the "on-cloud" part of CrA, which is dustier, denser and younger, whereas BN CrA is found on the outskirts of the older "off-cloud" group.
Editorial analysis
A structured set of objections, weighed in public.
Referee Report
Summary. This manuscript presents near-infrared polarized scattered light observations from VLT/SPHERE of the disks around V721 CrA and BN CrA in the Corona Australis star-forming region as part of the DESTINYS program. The authors employ an analytical axisymmetric disk model, regressing on dust mass, height profile, and inclination, and generate synthetic polarized images using RADMC-3D to compare with the data. Key findings include resolved extended disks with substructures: V721 CrA's disk is vertically thicker, radially smaller at 120 au, brighter, and exhibits inner spiral arms; BN CrA's disk extends to 190 au and features a dark circular lane potentially due to a dust gap or self-shadow. The disks are interpreted as consistent with the evolutionary stages of their parent subgroups in the CrA region.
Significance. Should the morphological parameters hold under scrutiny, this study contributes new observational data on disk substructures in a young star-forming environment, aiding in the understanding of how environmental factors influence disk evolution. The use of full polarized scattering treatment in RADMC-3D is a methodological strength for interpreting the scattered light images.
major comments (2)
- [Disk modeling and regression procedure] The central quantitative claims regarding disk radii (120 au for V721 CrA, 190 au for BN CrA), vertical thickness, and brightness are derived from fits to an analytical axisymmetric model (free parameters: dust mass, height profile, inclination). However, the observations show non-axisymmetric substructures, including spiral arms in the inner disk of V721 CrA and a dark circular lane in BN CrA. These features violate the axisymmetry assumption and may bias the extracted parameters through localized scattering and optical-depth effects not captured by the model.
- [Results and modeling sections] No quantitative fit statistics (e.g., chi-squared or residual metrics), error bars on derived parameters, or discussion of degeneracies (such as gap versus shadow interpretations for the dark lane in BN CrA) are provided in the results or modeling sections. This limits verification of the reliability of the morphological claims.
minor comments (1)
- [Abstract] The abstract would benefit from briefly noting the specific observational setup (VLT/SPHERE, H band) and the regression method for improved standalone readability.
Simulated Author's Rebuttal
We thank the referee for their constructive and detailed review of our manuscript. We address each major comment below and have revised the paper accordingly to improve the clarity and robustness of our analysis.
read point-by-point responses
-
Referee: [Disk modeling and regression procedure] The central quantitative claims regarding disk radii (120 au for V721 CrA, 190 au for BN CrA), vertical thickness, and brightness are derived from fits to an analytical axisymmetric model (free parameters: dust mass, height profile, inclination). However, the observations show non-axisymmetric substructures, including spiral arms in the inner disk of V721 CrA and a dark circular lane in BN CrA. These features violate the axisymmetry assumption and may bias the extracted parameters through localized scattering and optical-depth effects not captured by the model.
Authors: We agree that the non-axisymmetric substructures (inner spirals in V721 CrA and the dark lane in BN CrA) represent a limitation of the strictly axisymmetric model. The model was adopted to extract representative global parameters (radius, vertical thickness, and relative brightness) for comparison with the broader DESTINYS sample and with evolutionary expectations in the CrA region. In the revised manuscript we will add an explicit discussion of this assumption, including a qualitative assessment of how localized scattering and optical-depth variations could affect the fitted values. We will also note that the reported radii and heights should be viewed as azimuthally averaged quantities. A full non-axisymmetric modeling effort lies beyond the scope of the present work but is flagged for future analysis. revision: partial
-
Referee: [Results and modeling sections] No quantitative fit statistics (e.g., chi-squared or residual metrics), error bars on derived parameters, or discussion of degeneracies (such as gap versus shadow interpretations for the dark lane in BN CrA) are provided in the results or modeling sections. This limits verification of the reliability of the morphological claims.
Authors: We acknowledge that the current version lacks quantitative goodness-of-fit metrics, parameter uncertainties, and a dedicated discussion of degeneracies. In the revised manuscript we will expand the modeling section to report the chi-squared values of the best-fit models, show residual maps between the observed and synthetic polarized images, and provide formal uncertainties on the fitted parameters (dust mass, scale-height profile, inclination) derived from the regression. We will also add a paragraph addressing the gap-versus-shadow degeneracy for the dark lane in BN CrA, drawing on the disk’s inclination, the radial brightness profile, and analogies with similar features reported in the literature. revision: yes
Circularity Check
No significant circularity; parameters derived from direct fit to new observations
full rationale
The paper's central claims (radial extents of 120 au and 190 au, relative thickness and brightness, presence of spiral arms and dark lane) are obtained by regressing an analytical axisymmetric disk model against the new VLT/SPHERE H-band polarized images, with synthetic images generated via RADMC-3D. These quantities are therefore outputs of the fit to external data rather than reductions of prior self-citations or redefinitions of inputs. The statement that both disks are compatible with the evolutionary stage of their CrA subgroups is an external contextual comparison drawn from known properties of the region, not a model-derived prediction. No self-definitional loops, fitted inputs renamed as predictions, or load-bearing self-citations appear in the derivation chain. While the axisymmetry assumption may introduce modeling bias given the reported non-axisymmetric features, this is a limitation of applicability rather than circularity.
Axiom & Free-Parameter Ledger
free parameters (3)
- dust mass
- height profile
- inclination
axioms (2)
- domain assumption Disks can be adequately described by an axisymmetric analytical model with a prescribed height profile
- domain assumption RADMC-3D with full polarized scattering treatment produces synthetic images that can be directly compared to observations
Lean theorems connected to this paper
-
IndisputableMonolith/Foundation/RealityFromDistinction.leanreality_from_one_distinction unclear?
unclearRelation between the paper passage and the cited Recognition theorem.
We adopt an analytical axisymmetric disk model to fit the observations and perform a regression on key disk parameters, namely the dust mass, the height profile, and the inclination. We use RADMC-3D code to produce synthetic observations of the analytical models, with full polarised scattering treatment.
-
IndisputableMonolith/Cost/FunctionalEquation.leanwashburn_uniqueness_aczel unclear?
unclearRelation between the paper passage and the cited Recognition theorem.
The disk of V721 CrA is vertically thicker, radially smaller (∼120 au), and brighter than BN CrA (∼190 au).
What do these tags mean?
- matches
- The paper's claim is directly supported by a theorem in the formal canon.
- supports
- The theorem supports part of the paper's argument, but the paper may add assumptions or extra steps.
- extends
- The paper goes beyond the formal theorem; the theorem is a base layer rather than the whole result.
- uses
- The paper appears to rely on the theorem as machinery.
- contradicts
- The paper's claim conflicts with a theorem or certificate in the canon.
- unclear
- Pith found a possible connection, but the passage is too broad, indirect, or ambiguous to say the theorem truly supports the claim.
Reference graph
Works this paper leans on
-
[1]
Andrews , S. M. 2015, , 127, 961
work page 2015
-
[2]
Aru , M. L., Mauc \'o , K., Manara , C. F., et al. 2024, , 687, A93
work page 2024
-
[3]
Avenhaus , H., Quanz , S. P., Garufi , A., et al. 2018, , 863, 44
work page 2018
-
[4]
2023, in Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series, Vol
Bae , J., Isella , A., Zhu , Z., et al. 2023, in Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series, Vol. 534, Protostars and Planets VII, ed. S. Inutsuka , Y. Aikawa , T. Muto , K. Tomida , & M. Tamura , 423
work page 2023
-
[5]
Baraffe , I., Homeier , D., Allard , F., & Chabrier , G. 2015, , 577, A42
work page 2015
-
[6]
L., Vigan , A., Mouillet , D., et al
Beuzit , J. L., Vigan , A., Mouillet , D., et al. 2019, , 631, A155
work page 2019
- [7]
- [8]
-
[9]
K., Soares-Furtado , M., Vanderburg , A., et al
Capistrant , B. K., Soares-Furtado , M., Vanderburg , A., et al. 2022, , 263, 14
work page 2022
- [10]
- [11]
-
[12]
Cieslinski , D., Steiner , J. E., & Jablonski , F. J. 1998, , 131, 119
work page 1998
- [13]
-
[14]
2008, in Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Conference Series, Vol
Dohlen , K., Langlois , M., Saisse , M., et al. 2008, in Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Conference Series, Vol. 7014, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy II, ed. I. S. McLean & M. M. Casali , 70143L
work page 2008
-
[15]
Dominik , C., Min , M., & Tazaki , R. 2021, OpTool: Command-line driven tool for creating complex dust opacities , Astrophysics Source Code Library, record ascl:2104.010
work page 2021
-
[16]
Dorschner , J., Begemann , B., Henning , T., Jaeger , C., & Mutschke , H. 1995, , 300, 503
work page 1995
-
[17]
P., Juhasz , A., Pohl , A., et al
Dullemond , C. P., Juhasz , A., Pohl , A., et al. 2012, RADMC-3D: A multi-purpose radiative transfer tool , Astrophysics Source Code Library, record ascl:1202.015
work page 2012
-
[18]
Fitton , S., Tofflemire , B. M., & Kraus , A. L. 2022, Research Notes of the American Astronomical Society, 6, 18
work page 2022
-
[19]
Foreman-Mackey , D., Hogg , D. W., Lang , D., & Goodman , J. 2013, , 125, 306
work page 2013
- [20]
-
[21]
Gaia Collaboration , Brown , A. G. A., Vallenari , A., et al. 2018, , 616, A1
work page 2018
-
[22]
Gaia Collaboration , Brown , A. G. A., Vallenari , A., et al. 2021, , 649, A1
work page 2021
-
[23]
Gaia Collaboration , Vallenari, A. , Brown, A. G. A. , et al. 2023, A&A, 674, A1
work page 2023
-
[24]
Galli , P. A. B., Bouy , H., Olivares , J., et al. 2022, in The 21st Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems, and the Sun, Cambridge Workshop on Cool Stars, Stellar Systems, and the Sun, 113
work page 2022
-
[25]
Galli, P. A. B., Bouy, H., Olivares, J. , et al. 2020, A&A, 634, A98
work page 2020
- [26]
- [27]
- [28]
- [29]
-
[30]
Ginski , C., Tazaki , R., Dominik , C., & Stolker , T. 2023, , 953, 92
work page 2023
-
[31]
Hammel, B. & Sullivan-Molina, N. 2020, bdhammel/least-squares-ellipse-fitting: v2.0.0
work page 2020
-
[32]
Haubois , X., van Holstein , R. G., Milli , J., et al. 2023, , 679, A8
work page 2023
-
[33]
Hauschildt , P. H., Allard , F., & Baron , E. 1999, , 512, 377
work page 1999
-
[34]
Jaeger , C., Mutschke , H., Begemann , B., Dorschner , J., & Henning , T. 1994, , 292, 641
work page 1994
-
[35]
Kenyon , S. J. & Hartmann , L. 1987, , 323, 714
work page 1987
-
[36]
Kuhn , J. R., Potter , D., & Parise , B. 2001, , 553, L189
work page 2001
-
[37]
2016, in Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Conference Series, Vol
Maire , A.-L., Langlois , M., Dohlen , K., et al. 2016, in Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Conference Series, Vol. 9908, Ground-based and Airborne Instrumentation for Astronomy VI, ed. C. J. Evans , L. Simard , & H. Takami , 990834
work page 2016
-
[38]
Manara , C. F., Ansdell , M., Rosotti , G. P., et al. 2023, in Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series, Vol. 534, Protostars and Planets VII, ed. S. Inutsuka , Y. Aikawa , T. Muto , K. Tomida , & M. Tamura , 539
work page 2023
- [39]
-
[40]
Min , M., Rab , C., Woitke , P., Dominik , C., & M \'e nard , F. 2016, , 585, A13
work page 2016
- [41]
-
[42]
Morbidelli, Alessandro , Marrocchi, Yves , Ali Ahmad, Adnan , et al. 2024, A&A, 691, A147
work page 2024
- [43]
- [44]
-
[45]
Ratzenb \"o ck , S., Gro schedl , J. E., Alves , J., et al. 2023 a , , 678, A71
work page 2023
-
[46]
o ck , S., Gro schedl , J. E., M \
Ratzenb \"o ck , S., Gro schedl , J. E., M \"o ller , T., et al. 2023 b , , 677, A59
work page 2023
- [47]
- [48]
- [49]
- [50]
- [51]
- [52]
-
[53]
2023, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 944, L43
Tazaki, R., Ginski, C., & Dominik, C. 2023, The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 944, L43
work page 2023
- [54]
-
[55]
2014, in Protostars and Planets VI, ed
Testi , L., Birnstiel , T., Ricci , L., et al. 2014, in Protostars and Planets VI, ed. H. Beuther , R. S. Klessen , C. P. Dullemond , & T. Henning , 339--361
work page 2014
-
[56]
Torres , C. A. O., Quast , G. R., da Silva , L., et al. 2006, , 460, 695
work page 2006
-
[57]
G., Ginski , C., Derkink , A., et al
Valeg a rd , P. G., Ginski , C., Derkink , A., et al. 2024, , 685, A54
work page 2024
-
[58]
van der Marel , N. & Pinilla , P. 2023, arXiv e-prints, arXiv:2310.09077
-
[59]
van Holstein , R. G., Girard , J. H., de Boer , J., et al. 2020, , 633, A64
work page 2020
-
[60]
van Holstein , R. G., Snik , F., Girard , J. H., et al. 2017, in Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Conference Series, Vol. 10400, Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) Conference Series, 1040015
work page 2017
- [61]
- [62]
-
[63]
Whitney , B. A., Wood , K., Bjorkman , J. E., & Cohen , M. 2003 a , , 598, 1079
work page 2003
-
[64]
Whitney , B. A., Wood , K., Bjorkman , J. E., & Wolff , M. J. 2003 b , , 591, 1049
work page 2003
-
[65]
Wilking , B. A., Greene , T. P., Lada , C. J., Meyer , M. R., & Young , E. T. 1992, , 397, 520
work page 1992
-
[66]
Wilking , B. A., Harvey , P. M., Joy , M., Hyland , A. R., & Jones , T. J. 1985, , 293, 165
work page 1985
-
[67]
Williams , J. P. & Cieza , L. A. 2011, , 49, 67
work page 2011
- [68]
-
[69]
W \"o lfer , L., Facchini , S., van der Marel , N., et al. 2023, , 670, A154
work page 2023
-
[70]
Zucker , C., Speagle , J. S., Schlafly , E. F., et al. 2020, , 633, A51
work page 2020
-
[71]
, " * write output.state after.block = add.period write newline
ENTRY address archiveprefix author booktitle chapter edition editor howpublished institution eprint journal key month note number organization pages publisher school series title type volume year label extra.label sort.label short.list INTEGERS output.state before.all mid.sentence after.sentence after.block FUNCTION init.state.consts #0 'before.all := #1 ...
-
[72]
" write newline "" before.all 'output.state := FUNCTION n.dashify 't := "" t empty not t #1 #1 substring "-" = t #1 #2 substring "--" = not "--" * t #2 global.max substring 't := t #1 #1 substring "-" = "-" * t #2 global.max substring 't := while if t #1 #1 substring * t #2 global.max substring 't := if while FUNCTION word.in bbl.in " " * FUNCTION format....
discussion (0)
Sign in with ORCID, Apple, or X to comment. Anyone can read and Pith papers without signing in.