4,832 research outputs found
The Magnetic Fields of Classical T Tauri Stars
We report new magnetic field measurements for 14 classical T Tauri stars
(CTTSs). We combine these data with one previous field determination in order
to compare our observed field strengths with the field strengths predicted by
magnetospheric accretion models. We use literature data on the stellar mass,
radius, rotation period, and disk accretion rate to predict the field strength
that should be present on each of our stars according to these magnetospheric
accretion models. We show that our measured field values do not correlate with
the field strengths predicted by simple magnetospheric accretion theory. We
also use our field strength measurements and literature X-ray luminosity data
to test a recent relationship expressing X-ray luminosity as a function of
surface magnetic flux derived from various solar feature and main sequence star
measurements. We find that the T Tauri stars we have observed have weaker than
expected X-ray emission by over an order of magnitude on average using this
relationship. We suggest the cause for this is actually a result of the very
strong fields on these stars which decreases the efficiency with which gas
motions in the photosphere can tangle magnetic flux tubes in the corona.Comment: 25 pages, 5 figure
Rotation of Late-Type Stars in Praesepe with K2
We have Fourier analyzed 941 K2 light curves of likely members of Praesepe,
measuring periods for 86% and increasing the number of rotation periods (P) by
nearly a factor of four. The distribution of P vs. (V-K), a mass proxy, has
three different regimes: (V-K)<1.3, where the rotation rate rapidly slows as
mass decreases; 1.3<(V-K)<4.5, where the rotation rate slows more gradually as
mass decreases; and (V-K)>4.5, where the rotation rate rapidly increases as
mass decreases. In this last regime, there is a bimodal distribution of
periods, with few between 2 and 10 days. We interpret this to mean
that once M stars start to slow down, they do so rapidly. The K2 period-color
distribution in Praesepe (790 Myr) is much different than in the Pleiades
(125 Myr) for late F, G, K, and early-M stars; the overall distribution
moves to longer periods, and is better described by 2 line segments. For mid-M
stars, the relationship has similarly broad scatter, and is steeper in
Praesepe. The diversity of lightcurves and of periodogram types is similar in
the two clusters; about a quarter of the periodic stars in both clusters have
multiple significant periods. Multi-periodic stars dominate among the higher
masses, starting at a bluer color in Praesepe ((V-K)1.5) than in the
Pleiades ((V-K)2.6). In Praesepe, there are relatively more light curves
that have two widely separated periods, 6 days. Some of these could
be examples of M star binaries where one star has spun down but the other has
not.Comment: Accepted by Ap
Membership and Multiplicity among Very Low-Mass Stars and Brown Dwarfs in the Pleiades Cluster
We present near-infrared photometry and optical spectroscopy of very low-mass
stars and brown dwarf candidates in the Pleiades open cluster. The membership
status of these objects is assessed. Eight objects out of 45 appear to be
non-members. A search for companions among 34 very low-mass Pleiades members
(M0.09 M) in high-spatial resolution images obtained with the
Hubble Space Telescope and the adaptive optics system of the
Canada-France-Hawaii telescope produced no resolved binaries with separations
larger than 0.2 arcsec (a ~ 27 AU; P ~ 444 years). Nevertheless, we find
evidence for a binary sequence in the color-magnitude diagrams, in agreement
with the results of Steele & Jameson (1995) for higher mass stars. We compare
the multiplicity statistics of the Pleiades very low-mass stars and brown
dwarfs with that of G and K-type main sequence stars in the solar neighborhood
(Duquennoy & Mayor 1991). We find that there is some evidence for a deficiency
of wide binary systems (separation >27 AU) among the Pleiades very low-mass
members. We briefly discuss how this result can fit with current scenarios of
brown dwarf formation. We correct the Pleiades substellar mass function for the
contamination of cluster non-members found in this work. We find a
contamination level of 33% among the brown dwarf candidates identified by
Bouvier et al. (1998). Assuming a power law IMF across the substellar boundary,
we find a slope dN/dM ~ M^{-0.53}, implying that the number of objects per mass
bin is still rising but the contribution to the total mass of the cluster is
declining in the brown dwarf regime.Comment: to be published in The Astrophysical Journa
An HST/WFPC2 Survey for Brown Dwarf Binaries in the alpha Per and the Pleiades Open Clusters
We present the results of a high-resolution imaging survey for brown dwarf
(BD) binaries in two open clusters. The observations were carried out with
WFPC2 onboard HST. Our sample consists of 8 BD candidates in the alpha Per
cluster and 25 BD candidates in the Pleiades. We have resolved 4 binaries in
the Pleiades with separations in the range 0".094--0".058, corresponding to
projected separations between 11.7~AU and 7.2~AU. No binaries were found among
the alpha Per targets. Three of the binaries have proper motions consistent
with cluster membership in the Pleiades cluster, and for one of them we report
the detection of Halpha in emission and LiI absorption obtained from
Keck~II/ESI spectroscopy. One of the binaries does not have a proper motion
consistent with Pleiades membership. We estimate that BD binaries wider than
12~AU are less frequent than 9% in the alphaPer and Pleiades clusters. This is
consistent with an extension to substellar masses of a trend observed among
stellar binaries: the maximum semimajor axis of binary systems decreases with
decreasing primary mass. We find a binary frequency of 2 binaries over 13 BDs
with confirmed proper motion membership in the Pleiades, corresponding to a
binary fraction of 15%(1 sigma error bar +15%/-5%). These binaries are limited
to the separation range 7-12~AU and their mass ratios are larger than 0.7. The
relatively high binary frequency (>10%), the bias to separations smaller than
about 15 AU and the trend to high mass ratios (q>0.7) are fundamental
properties of BDs. Current theories of BD formation do not appear to provide a
good description of all these properties.Comment: Accepted by ApJ (scheduled publication in volume 594, September 1,
2003
Rotation of Low-mass Stars in Taurus with K2
We present an analysis of K2 light curves (LCs) from Campaigns 4 and 13 for members of the young (~3 Myr) Taurus association, in addition to an older (~30 Myr) population of stars that is largely in the foreground of the Taurus molecular clouds. Out of 156 of the highest-confidence Taurus members, we find that 81% are periodic. Our sample of young foreground stars is biased and incomplete, but nearly all stars (37/38) are periodic. The overall distribution of rotation rates as a function of color (a proxy for mass) is similar to that found in other clusters: the slowest rotators are among the early M spectral types, with faster rotation toward both earlier FGK and later M types. The relationship between period and color/mass exhibited by older clusters such as the Pleiades is already in place by Taurus age. The foreground population has very few stars but is consistent with the USco and Pleiades period distributions. As found in other young clusters, stars with disks rotate on average slower, and few with disks are found rotating faster than ~2 days. The overall amplitude of the LCs decreases with age, and higher-mass stars have generally lower amplitudes than lower-mass stars. Stars with disks have on average larger amplitudes than stars without disks, though the physical mechanisms driving the variability and the resulting LC morphologies are also different between these two classes
Near-Infrared Time-Series Photometry in the Field of Cygnus OB2 Association I - Rotational Scenario For Candidate Members
In the last decades, the early pre main sequence stellar rotational evolution
picture has been constrained by studies targeting different young regions at a
variety of ages. Observational studies suggest a mass-rotation dependence, and
for some mass ranges a connection between rotation and the presence of a
circumstellar disk. Not still fully explored, though, is the role of
environmental conditions on the rotational regulation.
We investigate the rotational properties of candidate members of the young
massive association Cygnus OB2. The Stetson variability index, Lomb-Scargle
periodogram, Saunders statistics, string/rope length method, and visual
verification of folded light curves were applied to select 1224 periodic
variable stars. Completeness and contamination of the periodic sample was
derived from Monte Carlo simulations, out of which 894 periods were considered
reliable. Our study was considered reasonably complete for periods from 2 to 30
days.
The general rotational scenario seen in other young regions is confirmed by
Cygnus OB2 period distributions, with disked stars rotating on average slower
than non-disked stars. A mass-rotation dependence was also verified, but as in
NGC 6530, lower mass stars are rotating on average slower than higher mass
stars, with an excess of slow rotators among the lower mass population. The
effect of the environment on the rotational properties of the association was
investigated by re-analysing the results while taking into account the incident
UV radiation arising from O stars in the association. Results compatible with
the disk-locking scenario were verified for stars with low UV incidence, but no
statistical significant relation between rotation and disk presence was
verified for stars with high UV incidence suggesting that massive stars can
have an important role on regulating the rotation of nearby low mass stars.Comment: Submitted on December 23, 201
Low-Mass Star Formation and the Initial Mass Function in the Rho Ophiuchi Cloud Core
We have obtained moderate-resolution (R=800-1200) K-band spectra for ~100
stars within and surrounding the cloud core of rho Oph. We have measured
spectral types and continuum veilings and have combined this information with
results from new deep imaging. The IMF peaks at about 0.4 M_sun and slowly
declines to the hydrogen burning limit with a slope of ~-0.5 in logarithmic
units (Salpeter is +1.35). Our lower limits on the numbers of substellar
objects demonstrate that the IMF probably does not fall more steeply below the
hydrogen burning limit, at least down to ~0.02 M_sun. We then make the first
comparison of mass functions of stars and pre-stellar clumps (Motte, Andre, &
Neri) measured in the same region. The similar behavior of the two mass
functions in rho Oph supports the suggestion of Motte et al. and Testi &
Sargent that the stellar mass function in young clusters is a direct product of
the process of cloud fragmentation. After considering the effect of extinction
on the SED classifications of the sample, we find that ~17% of the rho Oph
stars are Class I, implying ~0.1 Myr for the lifetime of this stage. In spectra
separated by two years, we observe simultaneous variability in the Br gamma
emission and K-band continuum veiling for two stars, where the hydrogen
emission is brighter in the more heavily veiled data. This behavior indicates
that the disk may contribute significantly to continuous K-band emission, in
contrast to the proposal that the infalling envelope always dominates. Our
detection of strong 2 micron veiling (r_K=1-4) in several Class II and III
stars, which should have disks but little envelope material, further supports
this proposition.Comment: 35 pages, 14 figures, accepted to Ap
Sur l'origine de l'augmentation apparente des inondations en région méditerranéenne
En septembre 2002, les rĂ©gions mĂ©diterranĂ©ennes françaises et notamment le dĂ©partement du Gard ont Ă©tĂ© affectĂ©es par des prĂ©cipitations d'une extrĂȘme intensitĂ©. On estime que 80% de ce dĂ©partement a Ă©tĂ© inondĂ©, on dĂ©nombre 23 victimes et les dĂ©gĂąts ont Ă©tĂ© Ă©valuĂ©s Ă 1.2 milliards d'euros. Cette catastrophe hydrologique soulĂšve Ă nouveau les problĂšmes de la frĂ©quence de ces Ă©vĂ©nements et de l'augmentation des forts cumuls de pluie ces derniĂšres annĂ©es. L'objet de cet article est d'apporter quelques Ă©lĂ©ments de rĂ©ponse, notamment Ă travers l'analyse rĂ©gionale des pluies extrĂȘmes journaliĂšres ayant affectĂ© la rĂ©gion Languedoc-Roussillon de 1958 Ă 2002.La frĂ©quence rĂ©gionale des pluies extrĂȘmes est estimĂ©e en prenant en compte la superficie couverte par ces Ă©vĂ©nements en fonction des hauteurs pluviomĂ©triques. A l'Ă©chelle rĂ©gionale la pĂ©riode de retour de l'Ă©vĂ©nement varie entre 80 ans pour la superficie touchĂ©e par au moins 200 mm Ă 140 ans pour celle couverte par 300 mm.La stationnaritĂ© des frĂ©quences des pluies extrĂȘmes est analysĂ©e Ă partir des chroniques du nombre annuel d'Ă©vĂ©nements pluvieux dĂ©passant 200 mm, 250 mm et 300 mm en 24h maximum, entre 1958 et 2002 sur la rĂ©gion. Les tests de stationnaritĂ© ne rĂ©vĂšlent pas de tendance significative Ă l'augmentation de ces frĂ©quences. Les donnĂ©es historiques aboutissent aux mĂȘmes conclusions. L'augmentation rĂ©elle des inondations est en fait principalement liĂ©e Ă l'augmentation de la vulnĂ©rabilitĂ© des bassins.In September 2002, the Gard department in the South of France was affected by heavy precipitation that covered a broad geographical area. It was estimated that 80% of the department was flooded; there were 23 victims and the damage was evaluated to be 1.2 billion euros. This hydrological catastrophe raised questions about a possible increase in the frequency of these events during recent years, since several other severe flooding events have been observed in the region over the last 15 years. The aim of this article is to explore these questions through a regional analysis of the extreme daily rainfall that affected the Languedoc-Roussillon region between 1958 and 2002. The daily rain data were used because they are the most available type of information over the observation period. Usually, the rainfall hazard description is based on statistical analysis of the maximum rainfall depth observed at a given rain gauge. However, because the spatial variability of rainfall in the Mediterranean region, such results are only representative of local rainfall conditions. Moreover, this type of analysis does not take into account the spatial coverage of the precipitation, which is another factor influencing the resulting floods. Thus, the regional frequency of extreme rainfall was estimated by taking into account the area covered according to a given rainfall depth. For each rainfall event, a rain field was built using a kriging interpolation (NEPPEL et al., 1997). The isohyet area defined a rainfall threshold from 10 to 300 mm with a step of 10 mm calculated for each rainfall event. For each rainfall depth from 10 to 300 mm with a step of 10 mm, the probability distribution of the isohyet area was estimated. The regional rainfall hazards were described with the Depth-Area-Frequency curves (DAF) for 24-h periods. It was shown that at on regional scale, the return period of the last event varied between 80 years for the surface affected by at least 200 mm and 140 years for the surface covered by 300 mm. Compared with other major events that have occurred in the region, it appears that the September 2002 event one was characterized by :1. the spatial extension of the heavy rainfall, for example more than 1800 kmÂČ were affected by at least 400 mm in less than 24 h;2. the spatial localisation of the heaviest rainfall depths, which were measured over the highest relief (1000 m to 1500 m) as usual in the 'cĂ©venols' meteorological situation, but rather in the plain where the altitude lies between 200 m and 300 m.The stationnarity analysis of the extreme rainfall frequency was based on the annual number of events exceeding 200 mm, 250 mm and 300 mm over a 24 h maximum duration, between 1958 and 2002. The hypothesis of random events against the hypothesis of a trend or a sudden break in the mean was examined through several statistical tests. The procedures used were the rank correlation test, PETTITT's test, BUISHAND's test, HUBERT's segmentation procedure, a linear regression procedure, and the turning points procedure. Detailed descriptions of these tests can be found in KENDALL and STUART (1977), LUBES-NIEL et al. (1998) and WMO (2000). Except for the rank correlation test, all the procedures led to the conclusion that the three series are randomly distributed at the level of significance 1%, 5% and 10% respectively. Thus no significant increase in extreme rainfall frequency seems to appear. Although the study period was short, 45 years, compared with climatological variability, LUBES-NIEL et al. (1998) show that the procedures used were adapted in detecting trends in 50-yr time series. In considering historical rainfall data before 1958 in the same region, at least two extreme rainfall events could be compared with the event on 8-9 September 2002: in October 1940, 840 mm of rainfall were measured during 24 h in the PyrĂ©nĂ©es-Orientales district and in September 1900, 940 mm were observed over 24 h in Valleraugue, upstream in the Herault catchment. Furthermore, if the evolution of the rain gauge network density is taken into account, one can argue that such an event could have occurred more frequently. Indeed, the number of rain gauges has varied from 162 gauges in 1900 to 330 today. It has been shown that the number of observed rainfall events varied according to the area of the events and the network density (NEPPEL et al., 1998b). For example, an event of 150 km2 (corresponding to the area covered by more than 600 mm in September 2002) had a probability of 70% to be observed by the network between 1958 and 1993. If one considers the period 1920-1939, this probability decreases to 30%.In addition, the basin vulnerability has increased. The regional population has grown from 1,460,000 inhabitants in 1949 to 2,300,000 in 2000. At the same time, urbanization has expanded widely. Moreover, this new population came from other districts, and they are not familiar with the Mediterranean rainfall regime and the resulting flash floods. Buildings have often been constructed near rivers, which are attractive building sites, and sometimes even in the river's main channel, increasing the flooding risk and the flood damages. Thus, rather than climate change, for which the effect on extreme rainfalls cannot be proved, the development of basin urbanisation and vulnerability could explain the apparent increase in floods. As the regional population is expected to reach more than 3,000,000 by 2030, it is necessary to take into account the flood risk in future urban planning
SIM PlanetQuest Key Project Precursor Observations to Detect Gas Giant Planets Around Young Stars
We present a review of precursor observing programs for the SIM PlanetQuest
Key project devoted to detecting Jupiter mass planets around young stars. In
order to ensure that the stars in the sample are free of various sources of
astrometric noise that might impede the detection of planets, we have initiated
programs to collect photometry, high contrast images, interferometric data and
radial velocities for stars in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. We
have completed a high contrast imaging survey of target stars in Taurus and the
Pleiades and found no definitive common proper motion companions within one
arcsecond (140 AU) of the SIM targets. Our radial velocity surveys have shown
that many of the target stars in Sco-Cen are fast rotators and a few stars in
Taurus and the Pleiades may have sub-stellar companions. Interferometric data
of a few stars in Taurus show no signs of stellar or sub-stellar companions
with separations of <5 mas. The photometric survey suggests that approximately
half of the stars initially selected for this program are variable to a degree
(1 sigma>0.1 mag) that would degrade the astrometric accuracy achievable for
that star. While the precursor programs are still a work in progress, we
provide a comprehensive list of all targets ranked according to their viability
as a result of the observations taken to date. By far, the observable that
moves the most targets from the SIM-YSO program is photometric variability.Comment: Accepted for publication in Publications of the Astronomical Society
of the Pacific, 25 pages, 9 figure
A Physical Limit to the Magnetic Fields of T Tauri Stars
Recent estimates of magnetic field strengths in T Tauri stars yield values
--. In this paper, I present an upper limit to the
photospheric values of by computing the equipartition values for different
surface gravities and effective temperatures. The values of derived from
the observations exceed this limit, and I examine the possible causes for this
discrepancy
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