36 research outputs found
The circumstellar environment of HD50138 revealed by VLTI/AMBER at high angular resolution
HD50138 is a Herbig B[e] star with a circumstellar disc detected at IR and mm
wavelength. Its brightness makes it a good candidate for NIR interferometry
observations. We aim to resolve, spatially and spectrally, the continuum and
hydrogen emission lines in the 2.12-2.47 micron region, to shed light on the
immediate circumstellar environment of the star. VLTI/AMBER K-band observations
provide spectra, visibilities, differential phases, and closure phases along
three long baselines for the continuum, and HI emission in Br and five
high-n Pfund lines. By computing the pure-line visibilities, we derive the
angular size of the different line-emitting regions. A simple LTE model was
created to constrain the physical conditions of HI emitting region. The
continuum region cannot be reproduced by a geometrical 2D elongated Gaussian
fitting model. We estimate the size of the region to be 1 au. We find the
Br and Pfund lines come from a more compact region of size 0.4 au. The
Br line exhibits an S-shaped differential phase, indicative of
rotation. The continuum and Br line closure phase show offsets of
-255 and 2010, respectively. This is evidence of an
asymmetry in their origin, but with opposing directions. We find that we cannot
converge on constraints for the HI physical parameters without a more detailed
model. Our analysis reveals that HD50138 hosts a complex circumstellar
environment. Its continuum emission cannot be reproduced by a simple disc
brightness distribution. Similarly, several components must be evoked to
reproduce the interferometric observables within the Br, line.
Combining the spectroscopic and interferometric data of the Br and
Pfund lines favours an origin in a wind region with a large opening angle.
Finally, our results point to an evolved source.Comment: accepted for publication in A&
Exploring the dimming event of RW Aur A through multi-epoch VLT/X-Shooter spectroscopy
RW Aur A is a CTTS that has suddenly undergone three major dimming events
since 2010. We aim to understand the dimming properties, examine accretion
variability, and derive the physical properties of the inner disc traced by the
CO ro-vibrational emission at NIR wavelengths (2.3 mic).
We compared two epochs of X-Shooter observations, during and after the
dimming. We modelled the rarely detected CO bandhead emission in both epochs to
examine whether the inner disc properties had changed. The SED was used to
derive the extinction properties of the dimmed spectrum and compare the
infrared excess between the two epochs. Lines tracing accretion were used to
derive the mass accretion rate in both states. The CO originates from a region
with physical properties of T=3000 K, N=1x10 cm and
vsini=113 km/s. The extinction properties of the dimming layer were derived
with the effective optical depth ranging from teff 2.5-1.5 from the UV to the
NIR. The inferred mass accretion rate Macc is Msun/yr and Msun/yr after and during the dimming respectively. By fitting the
SED, additional emission is observed in the IR during the dimming event from
dust grains with temperatures of 500-700K. The physical conditions traced by
the CO are similar for both epochs, indicating that the inner gaseous disc
properties do not change during the dimming events. The extinction curve is
flatter than that of the ISM, and large grains of a few hundred microns are
thus required. When we correct for the observed extinction, Macc is constant in
the two epochs, suggesting that the accretion is stable and therefore does not
cause the dimming. The additional hot emission in the NIR is located at about
0.5 au from the star. The dimming events could be due to a dust-laden wind, a
severe puffing-up of the inner rim, or a perturbation caused by the recent
star-disc encounter.Comment: Accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysic
The sharpest view on the high-mass star-forming region S255IR. Near-InfraRed Adaptive Optics Imaging on the Outbursting Source NIRS3
Massive stars have an impact on their surroundings from early in their
formation until the end of their lives. However, very little is known about
their formation. Episodic accretion may play a crucial role, but observations
of these events have only been reported towards a handful of massive
protostars. We aim to investigate the outburst event from the high-mass
star-forming region S255IR where recently the protostar NIRS3 underwent an
accretion outburst. We follow the evolution of this source both in photometry
and morphology of its surroundings. Methods: We perform near-infrared adaptive
optics observations on the S255IR central region using the Large Binocular
Telescope in the K broad-band and the H and Br
narrow-band filters with an angular resolution of \sim0\farcs06, close to the
diffraction limit. We discover a new near-infrared knot north-east from NIRS3
that we interpret as a jet knot that was ejected during the last accretion
outburst and observed in the radio regime as part of a follow-up after the
outburst. We measure a mean tangential velocity for this knot of
. We analyse the continuum-subtracted images
from H which traces jet shocked emission, and Br which traces
scattered light from a combination of accretion activity and UV radiation from
the central massive protostar. We observe a significant decrease in flux at the
location of NIRS3, with K=13.48\,mag being the absolute minimum in the historic
series. Our observations strongly suggest a scenario where the episodic
accretion is followed by an episodic ejection response in the near-infrared, as
it was seen in the earlier radio follow-up. The 30 years of
photometry suggests that NIRS3 might have undergone another outburst in the
late 1980s, being the first massive protostar with such evidence observed in
the near-infrared.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. 10 pages, 8
figure
Mirror, mirror on the outflow cavity wall: Near-infrared CO overtone disc emission of the high-mass YSO IRAS 11101-5829
Aims. The inner regions of high-mass protostars are often invisible in the near-infrared, obscured by thick envelopes and discs. We aim to investigate the inner gaseous disc of IRAS 11101-5829 through scattered light from the outflow cavity walls.
Methods. We observed the immediate environment of the high-mass young stellar object IRAS 11101-5829 and the closest knots of its jet, HH135-136, with the integral field unit VLT/SINFONI. We also retrieved archival data from the high-resolution long-slit spectrograph VLT/X-shooter. We analysed imaging and spectroscopic observations to discern the nature of the near-infrared CO emission.
Results. We detect the first three bandheads of the υ = 2−0 CO vibrational emission for the first time in this object. It is coincident with continuum and Brγ emission and extends up to ~10 000 au to the north-east and ~10 000 au to the south-west. The line profiles have been modelled as a Keplerian rotating disc assuming a single ring in local thermodynamic equilibrium. The model output gives a temperature of ~3000 K, a CO column density of ~1 × 1022 cm−2, and a projected Keplerian velocity vK sin idisc ~ 25 km s−1, which is consistent with previous modelling in other high-mass protostars. In particular, the low value of vK sin idisc suggests that the disc is observed almost face-on, whereas the well-constrained geometry of the jet imposes that the disc must be close to edge-on. This apparent discrepancy is interpreted as the CO seen reflected in the mirror of the outflow cavity wall.
Conclusions. From both jet geometry and disc modelling, we conclude that all the CO emission is seen through reflection by the cavity walls and not directly. This result implies that in the case of highly embedded objects, as for many high-mass protostars, line profile modelling alone might be deceptive and the observed emission could affect the derived physical and geometrical properties; in particular the inclination of the system can be incorrectly interpreted
First spatially resolved Na I and He I transitions towards a massive young stellar object. Finding new tracers for the gaseous star/disc interface
With steady observational advances, the formation of massive stars is being understood in more detail. Numerical models are converging on a scenario where accretion discs play a key role. Direct observational evidence of such discs at a few au scales is scarce, due to the rarity of such objects and the observational challenges, including the lack of adequate diagnostic lines in the near-IR. We present the analysis of K-band spectro-interferometric observations toward the Massive Young Stellar Object IRAS 13481-6124, which is known to host an accreting dusty disc. Using GRAVITY on the VLTI, we trace the crucial au-scales of the warm inner interface between the star and the accretion dusty disc. We detect and spatially resolve the Na I doublet and He I transitions towards an object of this class for the first time. The new observations in combination with our geometric models allowed us to probe the smallest au-scales of accretion/ejection around a MYSO. We find that Na I originates in the disc at smaller radii than the dust disc and is more compact than any of the other spatially resolved diagnostics (Brγ, He I, and CO). Our findings suggest that Na I can be a new powerful diagnostic line in tracing the warm star/disc accreting interface of forming (massive) stars, while the similarities between He I and Brγ point towards an accretion/ejection origin of He I
PENELLOPE: The ESO data legacy program to complement the Hubble UV Legacy Library of Young Stars (ULLYSES)
The evolution of young stars and disks is driven by the interplay of several processes, notably the accretion and ejection of material. These processes, critical to correctly describe the conditions of planet formation, are best probed spectroscopically. Between 2020 and 2022, about 500orbits of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) are being devoted in to the ULLYSES public survey of about 70 low-mass (M⋆ ≤ 2 M⊙) young (age < 10 Myr) stars at UV wavelengths. Here, we present the PENELLOPE Large Program carried out with the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) with the aim of acquiring, contemporaneously to the HST, optical ESPRESSO/UVES high-resolution spectra for the purpose of investigating the kinematics of the emitting gas, along with UV-to-NIR X-shooter medium-resolution flux-calibrated spectra to provide the fundamental parameters that HST data alone cannot provide, such as extinction and stellar properties. The data obtained by PENELLOPE have no proprietary time and the fully reduced spectra are being made available to the whole community. Here, we describe the data and the first scientific analysis of the accretion properties for the sample of 13 targets located in the Orion OB1 association and in the σ-Orionis cluster, observed in November–December 2020. We find that the accretion rates are in line with those observed previously in similarly young star-forming regions, with a variability on a timescale of days (≲3). The comparison of the fits to the continuum excess emission obtained with a slab model on the X-shooter spectra and the HST/STIS spectra shows a shortcoming in the X-shooter estimates of ≲10%, which is well within the assumed uncertainty. Its origin can be either due to an erroneous UV extinction curve or to the simplicity of the modeling and, thus, this question will form the basis of the investigation undertaken over the course of the PENELLOPE program. The combined ULLYSES and PENELLOPE data will be key in attaining a better understanding of the accretion and ejection mechanisms in young stars
The RMS survey: a census of massive YSO multiplicity in the K −band
Close to 100 per cent of massive stars are thought to be in binary systems. The multiplicity of massive stars seems to be intrinsically linked to their formation and evolution, and Massive Young Stellar Objects are key in observing this early stage of star formation. We have surveyed three samples totalling hundreds of MYSOs (>8M⊙) across the Galaxy from the RMS catalogue, using UKIDSS and VVV point source data, and UKIRT K −band imaging to probe separations between 0.8-9 arcsec (approx 1000-100,000 au). We have used statistical methods to determine the binary statistics of the samples, and we find binary fractions of 64 ± 4 per cent for the UKIDSS sample, 53 ± 4 per cent for the VVV sample, and 49 ± 8 per cent for the RMS imaging sample. Also we use the J − and K −band magnitudes as a proxy for the companion mass, and a significant fraction of the detected systems have estimated mass ratios greater than 0.5, suggesting a deviation from the capture formation scenario which would be aligned with random IMF sampling. Finally, we find that YSOs located in the outer Galaxy have a higher binary fraction than those in the inner Galaxy. This is likely due to a lower stellar background density than observed towards the inner Galaxy, resulting in higher probabilities for visual binaries to be physical companions. It does indicate a binary fraction in the probed separation range of close to 100 per cent without the need to consider selection biases
Elevated expression of transmembrane IL-15 in immune cells correlates with the development of murine lupus: A potential target for immunotherapy against SLE
Presentation in trans by the Interleukin-15 receptor a chain (IL-15Ra) has been suggested as the main mechanism for IL-15 anchoring to the cell surface,but it is also evident that IL-15 can exist as a transmembrane protein. We
herein demonstrate that replacement of the first 41 residues of human IL-15(hIL-15) with Igj chain leader sequence resulted in secretion of most of the
recombinant hIL-15 expressed in transfectant cells, thus identifying the transmembrane region of IL-15. A fusion protein (hIL-15Ra-Fc) between the extracellular
domain of hIL-15Ra and the Fc fragment of IgG1 was prepared and shown to be able to bind with transmembrane IL-15 (tmIL-15). The level of tmIL-15 expression in macrophages, activated T cells and B cells from 6-month-old BXSB male mice, an animal model for systemic lupus erythematosus
(SLE), was significantly increased compared with that from BXSB females or young males. In addition, hIL-15Ra-Fc was able to block the T cell stimulating and anti-apoptotic effect of the tmIL-15-positive BXSB macrophages
in vitro. Intravenous administration of hIL-15Ra-Fc reduced the titre of autoantibodies against dsDNA and also proteinuria in aged BXSB males,implying that neutralization of IL-15 activity in vivo may be an effective way
of treating SLE