Analysis of the young disk around WRAY 15-1880: Does it contain a primitive planetary system?

¹ INAF – Osservatorio Astronomico di Padova, Vicolo dell’Osservatorio 5, 35122 Padova, Italy
² Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Augusto Righi”, Università di Bologna, Via Piero Gobetti 93/2, 40129 Bologna, Italy
³ Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia “Galileo Galilei”, Università degli Studi di Padova, Vicolo dell’Osservatorio 3, 35122 Padova, Italy

^★ Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Received: 27 January 2026
Accepted: 8 June 2026

Abstract

Observations of (giant) planets accreting material within their natal environments are crucial in order to constrain models for their formation. WRAY 15-1880 (aka RX J1842.9-3532) in the Corona Australis (CrA) complex has a prominent pre-transitional disk, and an age of 2.8 ± 0.7 Myr, computed by comparison with isochrones using the accurate dynamical mass derived from disk kinematics. Hence, this star is in the late phases of disk evolution and might host accreting planets. We acquired new polarimetric imaging data with VLT-SPHERE and analyzed archive observations taken with VLT-SPHERE, VLT-MUSE, and ALMA, and found a candidate Jupiter-like companion within the disk gap from high-contrast imaging. The mass estimates of the candidate companion, derived from various methods, are consistent with an object in the range of 0.3–7.6 M_Jup. The spectrum of the candidate companion is consistent with a T3 spectral type, in agreement with expectations of an object of a few Jupiter masses. We found an emission blob northwest of the star in the ALMA data rotating solidly with the candidate companion that can be interpreted as a vortex or dust trap at the m = 1 Lindblad resonance of the planet. Accretion on the candidate planet is not detected from the VLT-MUSE archival data. This may be due to insufficient contrast or an observational geometry that is unfavorable for viewing the planet’s surface, or it could indicate that we are merely observing irregularities within the disk. Finally, we identified a microjet extending from the star perpendicular to the disk in these data.