XUE: JWST spectroscopy of externally irradiated disks around young intermediate-mass stars^★

¹ Max-Planck Institut für Astronomie (MPIA), Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
² Department of Astronomy, Stockholm University, AlbaNova University Center, 10691 Stockholm, Sweden
³ Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University, 525 Davey Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA
⁴ Department of Astrophysics/IMAPP, Radboud University, PO Box 9010, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands
⁵ Center for Exoplanets and Habitable Worlds, Pennsylvania State University, 525 Davey Laboratory, University Park, PA 16802, USA
⁶ Universitäts-Sternwarte München, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Scheinerstr. 1, 81679 München, Germany
⁷ FACom, Instituto de Física – FCEN, Universidad de Antioquia, Calle 70 No. 52-21, Medellín, Colombia
⁸ Astronomy Unit, School of Physics and Astronomy, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
⁹ Observatorio Astronómico Nacional, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
¹⁰ Centre for Astrophysics Research, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, AL10 9AB, UK
¹¹ Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia (DIFA), Via Gobetti 93/2, 40129 Bologna, Italy
¹² INAF-Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, Largo E. Fermi 5, 50125 Firenze, Italy
¹³ Gemini Observatory/NSFs NOIRLab, 950 N. Cherry Ave., Tucson, AZ 85719, USA
¹⁴ AURA for the European Space Agency (ESA), ESA Office, Space Telescope Science Institute, 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USA

^★★ Corresponding author.

Received: 9 May 2025
Accepted: 18 July 2025

Abstract

Context. Our knowledge of the initial conditions of terrestrial planet formation is mainly based on the study of protoplanetary disks around nearby isolated low-mass stars. However, most young stars and therefore planetary systems form in high-mass star-forming regions and are exposed to ultraviolet radiation, affecting the protoplanetary disk. These regions are located at large distances and only now with JWST has it become accessible to study the inner disks surrounding young stars.

Aims. We present the eXtreme UV Environments (XUE) program, which provides the first detailed characterization of the physical and chemical properties of the inner disks around young intermediate-mass (1–4 M_⊙) stars exposed to external irradiation from nearby massive stars. We present high-signal-to-noise MIRI-MRS spectroscopy of 12 disks located in three subclusters of the high-mass star-forming region NGC 6357 (d ~ 1690 pc).

Methods. Based on their mid-infrared spectral energy distribution, we classified the XUE sources into Group I and II based on the Meeus scheme. We analyzed their molecular emission features, and compared their spectral indices and 10 μm silicate emission profiles to the ones of nearby Herbig and intermediate T Tauri (IMTT) disks.

Results. The XUE program provides the first detailed characterization of the rich molecular inventory in IMTT disks, including water, CO, CO₂, HCN, and C₂H₂. In the XUE sample, the detected emission likely originates from within 10 au, although this inner disk origin may not be typical for all externally irradiated disks. Despite being more massive, the XUE stars host disks with a molecular richness comparable to isolated T Tauri systems. The spectral indices are also consistent with similar-mass stars in nearby regions. The 10 μm silicate features in the XUE sample exhibit lower F_11.3/F_9.8 ratios at a given F_peak, suggesting that the disk surfaces may be dominated by smaller grains compared to nearby disks. However, uncertainties in extinction prevent us from drawing firm conclusions about their inner disk properties. The majority of disks display water emission from the inner disk, suggesting that even in these extreme environments rocky planets can form in the presence of water. Only one object shows PAH emission, contrasting with the higher PAH detection rates in IMTT surveys from lower-UV environments.

Conclusions. The absence of strong line fluxes and other irradiation signatures suggests that the XUE disks have been truncated by external UV photons. However, this truncation does not appear to significantly impact the chemical richness of their inner regions. These findings indicate that even in extreme environments, IMTT disks can retain the ingredients necessary for rocky planet formation, comparable to the ones of lower-mass T Tauri disks in low-mass star-forming regions.