Full two-dimensional radiative transfer modelling of the transitional disk LkCa 15 (Research Note)

Abstract

Context. With the legacy of Spitzer and current advances in (sub)mm astronomy, a considerable number of so-called “transitional” disks has been identified which are believed to contain gaps or have developped large inner holes, some filled with dust. This may indicate that complex geometries may be a key feature in disk evolution that has to be understood and modelled correctly. The disk around LkCa 15 is such a disk, with a large gap ranging from ∼5–46 AU, as identified by Espaillat et al. (2007, ApJ, 670, L135) using 1+1D radiative transfer modelling. To fit the spectral energy distribution (SED), they propose two possible scenarios for the inner (