The inflated radii of M-dwarfs in the Pleiades

Rotation periods obtained with the Kepler satellite have been combined with precise measurements of projected rotation velocity from the WIYN 3.5-m telescope to determine the distribution of projected radii for several hundred low-mass (0.1 6 M/M⊙ 6 0.8), fastrotating members of the Pleiades cluster. A maximum likelihood modelling technique, that takes account of observational uncertainties, selection effects and censored data, and considers the effects of differential rotation and unresolved binarity, has been used to find that the average radius of these stars is 14 ± 2 per cent larger at a given luminosity than predicted by the evolutionary models of Dotter et al. (2008) and Baraffe et al. (2015). The same models are a reasonable match to the interferometric radii of older, magnetically inactive field M-dwarfs, suggesting that the over-radius may be associated with the young, magnetically active nature of the Pleiades objects. No evidence is found for any change in this over-radius above and below the boundary marking the transition to full convection. Published evolutionary models that incorporate either the effects of magnetic inhibition of convection or the blocking of flux by dark starspots do not individually explain the radius inflation, but a combination of the two effects might. The distribution of projected radii is consistent with the adopted hypothesis of a random spatial orientation of spin axes; strong alignments of the spin vectors into cones with an opening semi-angle < 30◦ can be ruled out. Any plausible but weaker alignment would increase the inferred over-radius

A Kinematically Unbiased Search for Nearby Young Stars in the Northern Hemisphere Selected Using SuperWASP Rotation Periods

We present a kinematically-unbiased search to identify young, nearby low-mass members of kinematic moving groups (MGs). Objects with both rotation periods shorter than 5 days in the SuperWASP All-Sky Survey and X-ray counterparts in the ROSAT All-Sky Survey were chosen to create a catalog of several thousand rapidly-rotating, X-ray active FGK stars. These objects are expected to be either young single stars or tidally-locked spectroscopic binaries. We obtained optical spectra for a sub-sample of 146 stars to determine their ages and kinematics, and in some cases repeat radial velocity (RV) measurements were used to identify binarity. Twenty-six stars are found to have lithium abundances consistent with an age of <=200 Myr, and show no evidence for binarity and in most cases measurements of H-alpha and v\sin i support their youthful status. Based on their youth, their radial velocities and estimates of their 3-dimensional kinematics, we find 11 objects that may be members of known MGs, 8 that do not appear associated with any young MG and a further 7 that are close to the kinematics of the recently proposed "Octans-Near" MG, and which may be the first members of this MG found in the northern hemisphere. The initial search mechanism was ~18 per cent efficient at identifying likely-single stars younger than 200 Myr, of which 80 per cent were early-K spectral types

Searching for new young stars in the northern hemisphere: The Pisces Moving Group

Using the kinematically unbiased technique described in Binks, Jeffries & Maxted (2015), we present optical spectra for a further 122 rapidly-rotating (rotation periods <6 days), X-ray active FGK stars, selected from the SuperWASP survey. We identify 17 new examples of young, probably single stars with ages of <200 Myr and provide additional evidence for a new northern hemisphere kinematic association: the Pisces Moving Group (MG). The group consists of 14 lithium-rich G- and K-type stars, that have a dispersion of only ∼3 km s−1 in each Galactic space velocity coordinate. The group members are approximately co-eval in the colour-magnitude diagram, with an age of 30–50 Myr, and have similar, though not identical, kinematics to the Octans-Near MG. stars: low-mass, stars: pre-main-sequenc

The low mass population of the Vela OB2 association from Gaia

The first Gaia Data Release presents an opportunity to characterise the low-mass population of OB associations, providing larger statistical samples and better constraints on the formation and evolution of clusters and associations. Using previously known low mass members in a small region of Vela OB2 we have designed selection criteria that combine Gaia and 2MASS photometry, independently of any astrometric information, to identify low-mass pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars over the wider association area. Our method picks out the known clusters of young stars around Velorum and NGC-2547, but also identifies other over-densities that may represent previously unknown clusters. There are clear differences in the spatial distributions of the low-mass and the high-mass OB populations, suggesting either that the structure and dynamics of these populations has evolved separately or that the initial mass function can vary considerably on small scales within a single association

Spectroscopic Evidence for Starspots on the Secondary Star of SS Cygni

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from American Astronomical Society via the DOI in this recordCataclysmic variables are interacting binary systems where a cool, rapidly rotating secondary star passes material to a white dwarf. If this mass loss is to continue, then there must be continuous angular momentum loss from the system. By analogy with the Sun and other cool stars, it has been assumed that magnetic braking is responsible, angular momentum being carried away by an ionized wind from the secondary star, threading a dynamo-generated magnetic field. We have discovered TiO absorption in the spectrum of SS Cyg, whose secondary star should be too hot to show such features. The most likely explanation of its presence is cool star spots caused by the strong (0.1 T) fields required by the magnetic braking theories

A kinematically hot population of young stars in the solar neighbourhood

In the last three decades several hundred nearby members of young stellar moving groups (MGs) have been identified, but there has been less systematic effort to quantify or characterise young stars that do not belong to previously identified MGs. Using a kinematically unbiased sample of 225 lithium-rich stars within 100 pc, we find that only $50 \pm 10$ per cent of young ($\lesssim 125$ Myr), low-mass ($0.5<M/M_{\odot}<1.0$) stars, are kinematically associated with known MGs. Whilst we find some evidence that six of the non-MG stars may be connected with the Lower Centaurus-Crux association, the rest form a kinematically "hotter" population, much more broadly dispersed in velocity, and with no obvious concentrations in space. The mass distributions of the MG members and non-MG stars is similar, but the non-MG stars may be older on average. We briefly discuss several explanations for the origin of the non-MG population

The dynamics of the γ Vel cluster and nearby Vela OB2 association

The kinematics of low-mass stars in nearby OB associations can provide clues about their origins and evolution. Combining the precise positions, proper motions, and parallaxes given in the second Gaia Data Release with radial-velocity measurements obtained with the Hermes spectrograph at the Anglo-Australian Telescope, we have an opportunity to study in detail the kinematics of low-mass stars belonging to the nearby γ Vel cluster and the Vela OB2 association it is projected against. The presence of lithium is used to confirm the youth of our targets. We separate our sample into the cluster and association populations based on the Gaia-ESO Survey membership probabilities their parallaxes, and kinematics. We find strong evidence for expansion in the OB association population with at least 4σ significance along all three axes, though the expansion is notably anisotropic. We discuss these results in the context of cluster and association dispersal theories

The effects of rotation on the lithium depletion of G- and K-dwarfs in Messier 35

New fibre spectroscopy and radial velocities from the WIYN telescope are used to measure photospheric lithium in 242 high-probability, zero-age-main-sequence (ZAMS) F- to K-type members of the rich cluster M35. Combining these with published rotation periods, the connection between lithium depletion and rotation is studied in unprecedented detail. At $T_{\rm eff}<5500$ K there is a strong relationship between faster rotation and less Li depletion, although with a dispersion larger than measurement uncertainties. Components of photometrically identified binary systems follow the same relationship. A correlation is also established between faster rotation rate (or smaller Rossby number), decreased Li depletion and larger stellar radius at a given $T_{\rm eff}$. These results support models where starspots and interior magnetic fields lead to inflated radii and reduced Li depletion during the pre main sequence (PMS) phase for the fastest rotators. However, the data are also consistent with the idea that all stars suffered lower levels of Li depletion than predicted by standard PMS models, perhaps because of deficiencies in those models or because saturated levels of magnetic activity suppress Li depletion equally in PMS stars of similar $T_{\rm eff}$ regardless of rotation rate, and that slower rotators subsequently experience more mixing and post-PMS Li depletion

A WISE-based search for debris discs amongst M-dwarfs in nearby, young, moving groups

We present a search for debris discs amongst M-dwarf members of nearby, young (5–150 Myr) moving groups (MGs) using infrared (IR) photometry, primarily from the Wide Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). A catalogue of 100 MG M dwarfs that have suitable WISE data is compiled, and 19 of these are found to have significant IR excess emission at 22 μm. Our search is likely to be complete for discs where the ratio of flux from the disc to flux from the star fd/f* > 10−3. The spectral energy distributions are supplemented with Two-Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS) photometry and data at longer wavelengths, and fitted with simple disc models to characterize the IR excesses. There is a bimodal distribution – 12 targets have W1 − W4 > 3, corresponding to fd/f* > 0.02, and are likely to be gas-rich, primordial discs. The remaining seven targets have W1 − W4 < 1 (fd/f* ≲ 10−3) and include three objects with previously known or suspected debris discs and four new debris disc candidates that are all members of the Beta Pic MG. All of the IR excesses are identified in stars that are likely members of MGs with age <30 Myr. The detected debris disc frequency falls from 13 ± 5 per cent to <7 per cent (at 95 per cent confidence) for objects younger or older than 30 Myr, respectively. This provides evidence for the evolution of debris discs on this time-scale and does not support models where the maximum of debris disc emission occurs much later in lower mass stars

No evidence for intense, cold accretion on to YSOs from measurements of Li in T-Tauri stars

We have used medium-resolution spectra to search for evidence that proto-stellar objects accrete at high rates during their early 'assembly phase'. Models predict that depleted lithium and reduced luminosity in T-Tauri stars are key signatures of 'cold' high-rate accretion occurring early in a star's evolution. We found no evidence in 168 stars in NGC 2264 and the Orion nebula cluster for strong lithium depletion through analysis of veiling-corrected 6708Å lithium spectral line strengths. This suggests that 'cold' accretion at high rates (M = 5 × 10-4 M⊙ yr-1) occurs in the assembly phase of fewer than 0.5 per cent of 0.3 = M⊙ = 1.9M⊙ stars. We also find that the dispersion in the strength of the 6708Å lithium line might imply an age spread that is similar in magnitude to the apparent age spread implied by the luminosity dispersion seen in colour-magnitude diagrams. Evidence for weak lithium depletion (<10 per cent in equivalent width) that is correlated with luminosity is also apparent, but we are unable to determine whether age spreads or accretion at rates less than 5 × 10-4 M⊙ yr-1 are responsible. ©2013 The Authors Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.DJS is funded by a UK Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) studentship. The authors wish to thank Isabelle Baraffe for providing cold accretion models and useful discussions. Spectra were extracted and calibrated using the AF2 pipeline developed by Richard Jackson. This research is based on observations made with the William Herschel Telescope operated on the island of La Palma by the Isaac Newton Group (ING) in the Spanish Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos of the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias. This research has made use of archival data products from the Two-Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS), which is a joint project of the University of Massachusetts and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the National Science Foundation