The mass accretion rate, M sub(acc), is a key quantity for the understanding of the physical processes governing the evolution of accretion discs around young low-mass (Mlow *< or =2.0 M sub(middot ...in circle)) stars and substellar objects (YSOs). We present here the results of a study of the stellar and accretion properties of the (almost) complete sample of class II and transitional YSOs in the Lupus I, II, III and IV clouds, based on spectroscopic data acquired with the VLT/X-shooter spectrograph. Our study combines the dataset from our previous work with new observations of 55 additional objects. We have investigated 92 YSO candidates in total, 11 of which have been definitely identified with giant stars unrelated to Lupus. The stellar and accretion properties of the 81 bona fide YSOs, which represent more than 90% of the whole class II and transition disc YSO population in the aforementioned Lupus clouds, have been homogeneously and self-consistently derived, allowing for an unbiased study of accretion and its relationship with stellar parameters. The accretion luminosity, L sub(acc), increases with the stellar luminosity, Llow *, with an overall slope of ~1.6, similar but with a smaller scatter than in previous studies. There is a significant lack of strong accretors below Llow *approximate 0.1L sub(middot in circle), where L sub(acc) is always lower than 0.01Llow *. We argue that the L sub(acc)-Llow * slope is not due to observational biases, but is a true property of the Lupus YSOs. The logM sub(acc)- logMlow * correlation shows a statistically significant evidence of a break, with a steeper relation for Mlow *< or =0.2M sub(middot in circle) and a flatter slope for higher masses. The bimodality of the M sub(acc)- Mlow * relation is confirmed with four different evolutionary models used to derive the stellar mass. The bimodal behaviour of the observed relationship supports the importance of modelling self-gravity in the early evolution of the more massive discs, but other processes, such as photo-evaporation and planet formation during the YSO's lifetime, may also lead to disc dispersal on different timescales depending on the stellar mass. The sample studied here more than doubles the number of YSOs with homogeneously and simultaneously determined L sub(acc) and luminosity, L sub(line), of many permitted emission lines. Hence, we also refined the empirical relationships between L sub(acc) and L sub(line) on a more solid statistical basis.
ABSTRACT
We present the results for a sample of B stars in the Large Magellanic Cloud young double stellar cluster NGC 1850 A and NGC 1850 B, as observed with the integral-field spectrograph at the ...Very Large Telescope, the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE). We compare the observed equivalent widths (EWs) of four He lines (4922, 5015, 6678, and 7065 Å) with those determined from synthetic spectra computed with different He mass fractions (Y = 0.25, 0.27, 0.30, and 0.35) with the code synspec, which takes into account the non-local thermodynamic equilibrium effect. From this comparison, we determine the He mass fraction of the B stars, finding a distribution that is not homogeneous. The stars can be divided in three groups: He-weak (Y < 0.24) and He-normal (0.24 ≤ Y ≤ 0.26) stars, belonging to the main sequence of NGC 1850 A, and He-rich stars (0.33 ≤ Y ≤ 0.38), situated in the main sequence associated with NGC 1850 B. We analyse the stellar rotation as possibly being responsible for the anomalous features of the He lines in the He-rich stars. We provide a simple analysis of the differences between the observed EWs and those obtained from theoretical models with different rotation velocities (Vsini = 0 and 250 km s–1). The resolution of the MUSE spectra does not allow us to obtain a conclusive result; however, our analysis support the He-enhanced hypothesis.
We present VLT/X-shooter observations of a sample of 36 accreting low-mass stellar and substellar objects (YSOs) in the Lupus star-forming region, spanning a range in mass from ~0.03 to ~1.2 M⊙, but ...mostly with 0.1 M⊙<M⋆< 0.5 M⊙. Our aim is twofold: firstly, to analyse the relationship between excess-continuum and line emission accretion diagnostics, and, secondly, to investigate the accretion properties in terms of the physical properties of the central object. The accretion luminosity (Lacc), and in turn the accretion rate (Ṁacc), was derived by modelling the excess emission from the UV to the near-infrared as the continuum emission of a slab of hydrogen. We computed the flux and luminosity (Lline) of many emission lines of H , He , and Ca ii, observed simultaneously in the range from ~330 nm to 2500 nm. The luminosity of all the lines is well correlated with Lacc. We provide empirical relationships between Lacc and the luminosity of 39 emission lines, which have a lower dispersion than relationships previously reported in the literature. Our measurements extend the Paβ and Brγ relationships to Lacc values about two orders of magnitude lower than those reported in previous studies. We confirm that different methodologies of measuring Lacc and Ṁacc yield significantly different results: Hα line profile modelling may underestimate Ṁacc by 0.6 to 0.8 dex with respect to Ṁacc derived from continuum-excess measures. These differences may explain the probably spurious bi-modal relationships between Ṁacc and other YSOs properties reported in the literature. We derived Ṁacc in the range 2 × 10-12–4 × 10-8 M⊙ yr-1 and conclude that Ṁacc ∝ M⋆1.8(±0.2), with a dispersion lower by a factor of about 2 than in previous studies. A number of properties indicate that the physical conditions of the accreting gas are similar over more than 5 orders of magnitude in Ṁacc, confirming previous suggestions that the geometry of the accretion flow controls the rate at which the disc material accretes onto the central star.
Context.
Gyrochronology is one of the methods currently used to estimate the age of stellar open clusters. Hundreds of new clusters, associations, and moving groups unveiled by
Gaia
and complemented ...by accurate rotation period measurements provided by recent space missions such as
Kepler
and TESS are allowing us to significantly improve the reliability of this method.
Aims.
We use gyrochronology, that is, the calibrated age-mass-rotation relation valid for low-mass stars, to measure the age of the recently discovered moving group Group X.
Methods.
We extracted the light curves of all candidate members from the TESS full frame images and measured their rotation periods using different period search methods.
Results.
We measured the rotation period of 168 of a total of 218 stars and compared their period-colour distribution with those of two age-benchmark clusters, the Pleiades (125 Myr) and Praesepe (625 Myr), as well as with the recently characterised open cluster NGC 3532 (300 Myr).
Conclusions.
As result of our analysis, we derived a gyro age of 300 ± 60 Myr. We also applied as independent methods the fitting of the entire isochrone and of the three brightest candidate members individually with the most precise stellar parameters, deriving comparable values of 250 Myr and 290 Myr, respectively. Our dating of Group X allows us to definitively rule out the previously proposed connection with the nearby but much older Coma Berenices cluster.
Context. The Taurus-Auriga association is perhaps the most famous prototype of a low-mass star forming region, surveyed at almost all wavelengths. Unfortunately, like several other young ...clusters/associations, this T association lacks an extensive abundance analysis determination. Aims. We present a high-resolution spectroscopic study of seven low-mass members of Taurus-Auriga, including both weak-lined and classical T Tauri stars designed to help robustly determine their metallicity. Methods. After correcting for spectral veiling, we performed equivalent width and spectral synthesis analyses using the GAIA set of model atmospheres and the 2002 version of the code MOOG. Results. We find a solar metallicity, obtaining a mean value of Fe/H = −0.01 ± 0.05. The α-element Si and the Fe-peak one Ni confirm a solar composition. Our work shows that the dispersion among members is well within the observational errors at variance with previous claims. As in other star forming regions, no metal-rich members are found, reinforcing the idea that old planet-host stars form in the inner part of the Galactic disc and subsequently migrate.
We present VLT/X-shooter observations of a sample of 36 accreting low-mass stellar and substellar objects (YSOs) in the Lupus star-forming region, spanning a range in mass from similar0.03 to ...similar1.2 M, but mostly with 0.1 M<Msub *< 0.5 M. Our aim is twofold: firstly, to analyse the relationship between excess-continuum and line emission accretion diagnostics, and, secondly, to investigate the accretion properties in terms of the physical properties of the central object. The accretion luminosity (Lsubacc), and in turn the accretion rate (Msubacc ), was derived by modelling the excess emission from the UV to the near-infrared as the continuum emission of a slab of hydrogen. A number of properties indicate that the physical conditions of the accreting gas are similar over more than 5 orders of magnitude in Msubacc, confirming previous suggestions that the geometry of the accretion flow controls the rate at which the disc material accretes onto the central star.
Abstract
Atmospheric mass loss plays a major role in the evolution of exoplanets. This process is driven by the stellar high-energy irradiation, especially in the first hundreds of millions of years ...after dissipation of the proto-planetary disk. A major source of uncertainty in modeling atmospheric photoevaporation and photochemistry is due to the lack of direct measurements of the stellar flux at extreme-UV (EUV) wavelengths. Several empirical relationships have been proposed in the past to link EUV fluxes to emission levels in X-rays, but the stellar samples employed for this aim are heterogeneous, and the available scaling laws provide significantly different predictions, especially for very active stars. We present new far-UV and X-ray observations of V1298 Tau with Hubble Space Telescope/Cosmic Origins Spectrograph and XMM-Newton, aimed to determine more accurately the high-energy emission of this solar-mass pre-main-sequence star, which hosts four exoplanets. Spectroscopic data were employed to derive the plasma emission measure distribution versus temperature, from the chromosphere to the corona, and the possible variability of this irradiation on short and year-long timescales, due to magnetic activity. As a side result, we have also measured the chemical abundances of several elements in the outer atmosphere of V1298 Tau. We employ our results as a new benchmark point for the calibration of the X-ray to EUV scaling laws, and hence to predict the time evolution of the irradiation in the EUV band, and its effect on the evaporation of exo-atmospheres.
Abstract
We present observations of the most bright main-sequence stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud stellar cluster NGC 330 obtained with the integral-field spectrograph, the Multi Unit ...Spectroscopic Explorer, at the Very Large Telescope. The use of this valuable instrument allows us to study both photometric and spectroscopic properties of stellar populations of this young star cluster. The photometric data provide us a precise color–magnitude diagram, which seems to support the presence of two stellar populations of ages of ≈18 Myr and ≈30 Myr assuming a metallicity of
Z
= 0.002. Thanks to the spectroscopic data, we derive a helium abundance of 10 main-sequence stars within the effective radius of
R
eff
= 20″ of NGC 330, thus leading to an estimation of
= 10.93 ± 0.05(1
σ
). The helium elemental abundances of stars likely belonging to the two possible stellar populations do not show differences or dichotomy within the uncertainties. Thus, our results suggest that the two stellar populations of NGC 330, if they exist, share similar original He abundances. If we consider stellar rotation velocity in our analysis, a coeval (30 Myr) stellar population, experiencing different values of rotation, cannot be excluded. In this case, the mean helium abundance
obtained in our analysis is 11.00 ± 0.05 dex. We also verified that possible non-LTE (NLTE) effects cannot be identified with our analysis because of the spectral resolution and they are within our derived abundance He uncertainties. Moreover, the analysis of the He abundance as a function of the distance from the cluster center of the observed stars does not show any correlation.
Gaia23bab: A New EXor Giannini, T.; Schisano, E.; Nisini, B. ...
The Astrophysical journal,
05/2024, Letnik:
967, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Abstract On 2023 March 6, the Gaia telescope alerted a 2 mag burst from Gaia23bab, a young stellar object in the Galactic plane. We observed Gaia23bab with the Large Binocular Telescope obtaining ...optical and near-infrared spectra close in time to the peak of the burst, and collected all public multiband photometry to reconstruct the historical light curve. The latter shows three bursts in 10 years (2013, 2017, and 2023), whose duration and amplitude are typical of EXor variables. We estimate that, due to the bursts, the mass accumulated on the star is about twice greater than if the source had remained quiescent for the same period of time. Photometric analysis indicates that Gaia23bab is a class II source with age ≲1 Myr, spectral type G3−K0, stellar luminosity ∼4.0 L ⊙ , and mass ∼1.6 M ⊙ . The optical/near-infrared spectrum is rich in emission lines. From the analysis of these lines we measured an accretion luminosity and mass accretion rate ( L acc burst ∼ 3.7 L ⊙ , M ̇ acc burst ∼ 2.0 × 10 −7 M ⊙ yr −1 ) consistent with those of EXors. More generally, we derived the relationships between accretion and stellar parameters in a sample of EXors. We find that, when in burst, the accretion parameters become almost independent of the stellar parameters and that EXors, even in quiescence, are more efficient than classical T Tauri stars in assembling mass.
For the past six years we have carried out a search for massive planets around main sequence and evolved stars in the open cluster M 67, using radial velocity (RV) measurements obtained with HARPS at ...ESO (La Silla), SOPHIE at OHP and HRS at HET. Additional RV data come from CORALIE at the Euler Swiss Telescope. We aim to perform a long-term study on giant planet formation in open clusters and determine how it depends on stellar mass and chemical composition. We report the detection of three new extrasolar planets: two in orbit around the two G dwarfs YBP1194 and YBP1514, and one around the evolved star S364. The orbital solution for YBP1194 yields a period of 6.9 days, an eccentricity of 0.24, and a minimum mass of 0.34 MJup. YBP1514 shows periodic RV variations of 5.1 days, a minimum mass of 0.40 MJup, and an eccentricity of 0.39. The best Keplerian solution for S364 yields a period of 121.7 days, an eccentricity of 0.35 and a minimum mass of 1.54 MJup. An analysis of Hα core flux measurements as well as of the line bisectors spans revealed no correlation with the RV periods, indicating that the RV variations are best explained by the presence of a planetary companion. Remarkably, YBP1194 is one of the best solar twins identified so far, and YBP1194b is the first planet found around a solar twin that belongs to a stellar cluster. In contrast with early reports and in agreement with recent findings, our results show that massive planets around stars of open clusters are as frequent as those around field stars.
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