Young Stellar Object Variability as a Probe of Circumstellar Structure

Details Young Stellar Object Variability as a Probe of Circumstellar Structure Young Stellar Object Variability as a Probe of Circumstellar Structure

Jan 2011

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2011aas...21743445f&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #217, #434.45; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 43, 2011

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

The Spitzer space telescope, with its sensitivity and efficient mapping capabilities, has opened up the field of infrared variability, which was previously restricted to detailed studies of individual stars over a limited wavelength range. My thesis at the University of Arizona is a combination of observations and modeling of young stellar object variability. In the young cluster IC 348, one of the transition disks, LRLL 31, displays mid-infrared variability in which the 5-8micron flux decreases while the 8-40micron flux increases in observations separated by only seven days. I have developed simple radiative transfer models that can explain the wavelength dependence and size of this variability based on a warp at the inner edge of the disk with variable scale height. In order to more directly probe the hot dust emission, I obtained repeated 3.6 and 4.5micron photometry of IC 348 over the course of 35 days, supported by ground-based 0.8-5micron spectra of select transition disk variables. Roughly 70% of the stars with an infrared excess are variable and the spectra found a direct correlation between the accretion luminosity and the infrared excess for LRLL 31 that has never been seen before. These multi-wavelength multi-epoch observations help to restrict the possible models available for explaining mid-infrared variability in young stellar objects, and hint at the possibility of using variability as a method for studying inner disk structure.

Affiliated with

Also associated with

No associations

Rating

Young Stellar Object Variability as a Probe of Circumstellar Structure does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Young Stellar Object Variability as a Probe of Circumstellar Structure, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Young Stellar Object Variability as a Probe of Circumstellar Structure will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

Comments { 0 }

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1205897