Accretion-Induced Lithium Line Enhancements in Classical T Tauri Stars: RW Aur

It is widely accepted that much of the stochastic variability of T Tauri stars is due to accretion by a circumstellar disk. The emission line spectrum as well as the excess continuum emission are common probes of this process. In this communication, we present additional probes of the circumstellar environment in the form of resonance lines of low ionization potential elements. Using a set of 14 high resolution echelle observations of the classical T Tauri star (CTTS), RW Aur, taken between 1986 and 1996, we carefully measure the continuum veiling at each epoch by comparing more than 500 absorption lines with those of an appropriate template. This allows us to accurately subtract out the continuum emission and to recover the underlying photospheric spectrum. In doing so, we find that selected photospheric lines are enhanced by the accretion process, namely the resonance lines of LiI and KI. A resonance line of TiI and a low excitation potential line of CaI also show weak enhancements. Simple slab models and computed line bisectors lead us to propose that these line enhancements are markers of cool gas at the beginning of the accretion flow which provides an additional source of line opacity. These results suggest that published values of surface lithium abundances of classical T Tauri stars are likely to be overestimated. This would account for the various reports of surface lithium abundances in excess of meteoritic values among the extreme CTTS. Computing LTE lithium abundances of RW Aur in a low and then high accretion state yields abundances which vary by one order of magnitude. The low accretion state lithium abundance is consistent with theoretical predictions for a star of this age and mass while the high accretion state spectrum yields a super-meteoritic lithium abundance.Comment: 28 pages, 8 figures, accepted by Ap

Eclipses by circumstellar material in the T Tauri star AA Tau. II. Evidence for non-stationary magnetospheric accretion

We report the results of a synoptic study of the photometric and spectroscopic variability of the classical T Tauri star AA Tau on timescales ranging from a few hours to several weeks. Emission lines show both infall and outflow signatures and are well reproduced by magnetospheric accretion models with moderate mass accretion rates and high inclinations. The veiling shows variations that indicate the presence of 2 rotationally modulated hot spots corresponding to the two magnetosphere poles. It correlates well with the HeI line flux, with B-V and the V excess flux. We have indications of a time delay between the main emission lines and veiling, the lines formed farther away preceding the veiling changes. The time delay we measure is consistent with accreted material propagating downwards the accretion columns at free fall velocity from a distance of about 8 Rstar. We also report periodic radial velocity variations of the photospheric spectrum which might point to the existence of a 0.02 Msun object orbiting the star at a distance of 0.08 AU. During a few days, the variability of the system was strongly reduced and the line fluxes and veiling severely depressed. We argue that this episode of quiescence corresponds to the temporary disruption of the magnetic configuration at the disk inner edge. The radial velocity variations of inflow and outflow diagnostics in the Halpha profile yield further evidence for large scale variations of the magnetic configuration on a timescale of a month. These results may provide the first clear evidence for large scale instabilities developping in T Tauri magnetospheres as the magnetic field lines are twisted by differential rotation between the star and the inner disk.Comment: 25 pages, Astron. Astrophys., in pres