A planet on an inclined orbit as an explanation of the warp in the β Pictoris disc

Abstract

We consider the deformation that has recently been observed in the inner part of the circumstellar disc around β Pictoris with the HST. Our recent ground-based, adaptive optics coronographic observations confirm that the inner disc is warped. We investigate the hypothesis that a yet undetected planet is responsible for the observed warp, through simulations of the effect of the gravitational perturbation resulting from a massive companion on the disc. The physical processes assumed in the simulations are discussed: since the observed particles do not survive collisions, the apparent disc shape is driven by the underlying collisionless parent population. The resulting possible parameters for the planet that are consistent with the observed disc deformation are reviewed. © 1997 RAS.