Article

# Infrared variability due to magnetic pressure-driven jets, dust ejection and quasi-puffed-up inner rims

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## Abstract

The interaction between a YSO stellar magnetic field and its protostellar disc can result in stellar accretional flows and outflows from the inner disc rim. Gas flows with a velocity component perpendicular to disc mid-plane subject particles to centrifugal acceleration away from the protostar, resulting in particles being catapulted across the face of the disc. The ejected material can produce a ‘dust fan’, which may be dense enough to mimic the appearance of a ‘puffed-up’ inner disc rim. We derive analytical equations for the time-dependent disc toroidal field, the disc magnetic twist, the size of the stable toroidal disc region, the jet speed, and the disc region of maximal jet flow speed. We show how the observed infrared variability of the pre-transition disc system LRLL 31 can be modelled by a dust ejecta fan from the inner-most regions of the disc whose height is partially dependent on the jet flow speed. The greater the jet flow speed, the higher is the potential dust fan scale height. An increase in mass accretion on to the star tends to increase the height and optical depth of the dust ejection fan, increasing the amount of 1–8 µm radiation. The subsequent shadow reduces the amount of light falling on the outer disc and decreases the 8–40 µm radiation. A decrease in the accretion rate reverses this scenario, thereby producing the observed ‘see-saw’ infrared variability.

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... Then, these grains could have been lifted up from the disk upper layers via the drag forces caused by the outflowing gas. Recent studies have investigated the possibility of dust ejection from the inner disk (Liffman et al. 2020;Vinkovic & Čemeljić 2021;Hutchison & Clarke 2021;Booth & Clarke 2021), but one must verify they don't get shattered and can survive in the outflow (Wong et al. 2016). Indeed, it would be interesting to assess the grain fragmentation timescale versus the grain aggregation timescale in outflow cavities. ...
Thesis
With the aim of characterizing the role played by magnetic fields in the formation of young protostars, several recent studies have revealed unprecedented features toward high angular resolution ALMA dust polarization observations of Class 0 protostellar cores. Observations of polarized dust emission allow us to investigate the physical processes involved in the Radiative Alignment Torques (RATs) acting on dust grains from the core to disk scales, that align the angular momentum of grains with magnetic field. We find that the dust polarization is enhanced along the cavity walls of bipolar outflows, which are subject to high irradiation from the reprocessed radiation field emanating from the center of the protostar. In addition, highly polarized dust thermal emission has been detected in region most likely linked with the infalling envelope, in the form of filamentary structure being potential magnetized accretion streamer. Notably, we propose that the polarized emission we see at millimeter wavelengths along the irradiated cavity walls can be reconciled with the expectations of RAT theory if the aligned grains present in these cavities have grown larger than what is typically expected in young protostellar cores. To approach an estimation of the efficiency of dust alignment in protostars, we gathered a large sample of ALMA dust polarization observations of Class 0 protostars in order to perform a statistical analysis examining the trend between the dispersion of polarization position angles and the fractional polarization. We report a significant correlation between these two quantities, whose power-law index differs significantly from the one observed by Planck in star-forming clouds, confirming the different nature for the disorganized component of magnetic fields at the scales of protostellar envelopes. The grain alignment efficiency, is surprisingly constant across three orders of magnitude in envelope column density. Synthetic observations of non-ideal magneto-hydrodynamic simulations of protostellar cores implementing RATs, show that the ALMA values of grain alignment efficiency lie among those predicted by a perfect alignment of grains, and are significantly higher than the ones obtained with RATs. Ultimately, our results suggest dust alignment mechanism(s) are efficient at producing polarized dust emission in the local conditions typical of Class 0 protostars. The grain alignment efficiency found in these objects seems to be higher than the efficiency produced by the standard RAT alignment of paramagnetic grains. We performed further detailed modelling of the protostellar inner envelope physical conditions, alongside tentative comparisons between ALMA molecular line observations of UV-sensitive chemical tracers and dust polarization observations. We found that indeed, grains with super-paramagnetic inclusions, significant irradiation conditions (qualitatively comforted by the chemical observations), and large grains (10 micron) of compact structure are necessary to reproduce the observed grain alignment efficiency. However, further studies leading to a better characterization of dust grain characteristics, and additional grain alignment mechanisms, will be required to investigate deeper the cause of strong polarized dust emission located in regions of the envelope where alignment conditions are not favorable.
Article
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Preprint
A small subset of young stellar objects (YSOs) exhibit "see-saw" temporal variations in their mid-infrared SED; as the flux short-ward of a fulcrum wavelength ($\lambda_{f}$) increases the flux long-wards of this wavelength decreases (and vice-versa) over timescales of weeks to years. While previous studies have shown that an opaque, axisymmetric occulter of variable height can cause this behaviour in the SED of these objects, the conditions under which a single $\lambda_{f}$ occurs have not previously been determined, nor the factors determining its value. Using radiative transfer modelling, we conduct a parametric study of the exemplar of this class, LRLL 31 to explore this phenomenon, and confirm that the cause of this flux variation is likely due to the change in height of the optically thick inner rim of the accretion disc at the dust sublimation radius, or some other phenomenon which results in a similar appearance. We also determine that a fulcrum wavelength only occurs for high inclinations, where the line of sight intersects the accretion disc. Accepting that the disc of LRLL 31 is highly inclined, the inner rim radius, radial and vertical density profiles are independently varied to gauge what effect this had on $\lambda_{f}$ and its position relative to the silicate feature near $10 \mu$m. While $\lambda_{f}$ is a function of each of these parameters, it is found to be most strongly dependent on the vertical density exponent $\beta$. All other factors being held constant, only for flatter discs ($\beta < 1.2$) did we find a $\lambda_{f}$ beyond the silicate feature.
Preprint
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Classical T Tauri stars with ages of less than 10 Myr possess accretion discs. Magnetohydrodynamic processes at the boundary between the disc and the stellar magnetosphere control the accretion and ejections gas flows. We carried out a long series of simultaneous spectroscopic and photometric observations of the classical T Tauri stars RY Tau and SU Aur with the aim to quantify the accretion and outflow dynamics at time scales from days to years. It is shown that dust in the disc wind is the main source of photometric variability of these stars. In RY Tau we observed a new effect: during events of enhanced outflow the circumstellar extinction gets lower. The characteristic time of changes in outflow velocity and stellar brightness indicates that the obscuring dust is near the star. The outflow activity in both stars is changing on a time scale of years. Periods of quiescence in H$\alpha$ profile variability were observed during 2015-2016 season in RY Tau and during 2016-2017 season in SU Aur. We interpret these findings in the framework of the magnetospheric accretion model, and discuss how the global stellar magnetic field may influence the long-term variations of the outflow activity.
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Protostellar jets are one of the most intriguing signposts in star formation. Recent detection of a jet rotation indicates that they can carry away angular momenta from the innermost edges of the disks, allowing the disks to feed the central protostars. In current jet-launching models, magnetic fields are required to launch and collimate the jets, however, observationally, it is still uncertain if magnetic fields are really present in the jets. Here we report a clear detection of SiO line polarization in the HH 211 protostellar jet. Since this line polarization has been attributed to the Goldreich-Kylafis effect in the presence of magnetic field, our observations show convincingly the presence of magnetic field in a jet from a low-mass protostar. The implied magnetic field could be mainly toroidal, as suggested in current jet-launching models, in order to collimate the jet at large distances.
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A simple but general theory for the formation and propagation of nonrelativistic jets and winds from magnetized accretion disks is derived from the equations of ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). The theory characterizes a jet by its axial velocity, radius, angular rotation rate, and temperature as functions of axial distance z from the central object. Differential equations for these four variables are derived from the conservation laws of ideal MHD for the flow of mass, momentum, angular momentum, and energy in the jet. The jets are assumed to carry no net current because this is energetically favored. The magnetic field is however essential in that the zz-component of the magnetic stress acts, in opposition to gravity, to "drive" matter through the slow magnetosonic critical point. The centrifugal force has no direct role at this critical point. Close to the disk, the gravitational field of the central object provides weak collimation of the flow. At much larger distances, good collimation can result from the focusing effect of the external medium. Further, the pressure of the external medium can act, in opposition to gravity, to "drive" the flow through the fast magnetosonic critical point. Conservation of mass, angular-momentum, and energy of the disk/jet system significantly constrains the jet solutions. For a representative self-consistent disk/jet solution relevant to a protostellar system, the fraction of the accreted mass expelled in the jets is 0.1, the ratio of the power carried by the jets (kinetic and Poynting fluxes) to the disk luminosity is 0.66, and the ratio of the boundary layer to disk luminosities is less-than-or-similar-to 0.13. The star's rotation rate is found to decrease with time even for rotation rates much less than the breakup rate.
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A general theory is developed for relativistic, steady, axisymmetric, ideal magnetohydrodynamic flows around a black hole or a rotating magnetized star. The theory leads to an autonomous second-order partial differential equation - a Grad-Shafranov equation - for the magnetic flux function ψ(r,z). One limit of this equation gives the familiar Grad-Shafranov equation which describes the equilibrium of axisymmetric fusion plasmas. Another limit gives the equation describing general nonmagnetic flows of matter with angular momentum. A further limit gives the "pulsar equation" of Scharlemann, Wagoner, and Michel for relativistic plasma flows around an aligned, rotating, magnetized neutron star. Applications of the theory are made to thin, magnetized disks around a Schwarzschild black hole and around an aligned, rotating, magnetized star.
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We present multi-epoch Spitzer Space Telescope observations of the transitional disk LRLL 31 in the 2-3 Myr-old star forming region IC 348. Our measurements show remarkable mid-infrared variability on timescales as short as one week. The infrared continuum emission exhibits systematic wavelength-dependent changes that suggest corresponding dynamical changes in the inner disk structure and variable shadowing of outer disk material. We propose several possible sources for the structural changes, including a variable accretion rate or a stellar or planetary companion embedded in the disk. Our results indicate that variability studies in the infrared can provide important new constraints on protoplanetary disk behavior.
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A model for disk accretion by a rotating magnetic neutron star is proposed which includes a detailed description of matter flow in the transition region between the disk and the magnetosphere. It is shown that the disk plasma cannot be completely screened from the stellar magnetic field and that the resulting magnetic coupling between the star and the disk exerts a significant torque on the star. On the assumption that the distortion of the residual stellar field lines threading the disk is limited by reconnection, the total accretion torque on the star is calculated. The calculated torque gives period changes in agreement with those observed in the pulsating X-ray sources and provides a natural explanation of why a fast rotator like Her X-1 has a spin-up rate much below the conventional estimate for slow rotators. It is shown that for such fast rotators, fluctuations in the mass-accretion rate can produce fluctuations in the accretion torque about 100 times larger. For sufficiently fast rotators or, equivalently, for sufficiently low accretion rates, the star experiences a braking torque even while accretion continues and without any mass ejection from its vicinity.
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An investigation is made of disk accretion of matter onto a rotating star with an aligned dipole magnetic field. A new aspect of this work is that when the angular velocity of the star and disk differ substantially we argue that the $\bf B$ field linking the star and disk rapidly inflates to give regions of open field lines extending from the polar caps of the star and from the disk. The open field line region of the disk leads to the possibility of magnetically driven outflows. An analysis is made of the outflows and their back affect on the disk structure assuming an $\ap$" turbulent viscosity model for the disk and a magnetic diffusivity comparable to this viscosity. The outflows are found to extend over a range of radial distances inward to a distance close to $r_{to}$, which is the distance of the maximum of the angular rotation rate of the disk. We find that $r_{to}$ depends on the star's magnetic moment, the accretion rate, and the disk's magnetic diffusivity. The outflow regime is accompanied in general by a spin-up of the rotation rate of the star. When $r_{to}$ exceeds the star's corotation radius $r_{cr} = (GM/\om_*^2)^{1\ov 3}$, we argue that outflow solutions do not occur, but instead that magnetic braking" of the star by the disk due to field-line twisting occurs in the vicinity of $r_{cr}$. The magnetic braking solutions can give spin-up or spin-down (or no spin change) of the star depending mainly on the star's magnetic moment and the mass accretion rate. For a system with $r_{to}$ comparable to $r_{cr}$, bimodal behavior is possible where extraneous perturbations cause the system to flip between spin-up and spin-down. Comment: 24 pages, Plain TeX, 9 figures available upon request from R. Lovelace (rvl1@cornell.edu), Submitted to MRNAS
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The accretion disk around a rotating magnetic star (neutron star, white dwarf or T Tauri star) is subjected to periodic vertical magnetic forces from the star, with the forcing frequency equal to the stellar spin frequency or twice the spin frequency. This gives rise bending waves in the disk that may influence the variabilities of the system. We study the excitation, propagation and dissipation of these waves using a hydrodynamical model coupled with a generic model description of the magnetic forces. The $m=1$ bending waves are excited at the Lindblad/vertical resonance, and propagate either to larger radii or inward toward the corotation resonance where dissipation takes place. While the resonant torque is negligible compared to the accretion torque, the wave nevertheless may reach appreciable amplitude and can cause or modulate flux variabilities from the system. We discuss applications of our result to the observed quasi-periodic oscillations from various systems, in particular neutron star low-mass X-ray binaries. Comment: Small changes/clarifications. To be published in ApJ, Aug.20,2008 issue
Article
Comet samples returned to Earth by the NASA Stardust mission have provided a surprising glimpse into the nature of early Solar System materials and an epiphany on the origin of the initial rocky materials that once filled the cold regions of the solar nebula. The findings show that the cold regions of the early Solar System were not isolated and were not a refuge where interstellar materials could commonly survive. Wild 2, the sampled comet, appears to be a typical active Jupiter family comet, and yet most of its sampled micron and larger grains are familiar high-temperature meteoritic materials, such as chondrule fragments, that were transported to cold nebular regions. The rocky components in primitive asteroids and comets may differ because asteroid formation was dominated by local materials, whereas comets formed from mixed materials, many of which were transported from very distant locations.
Article
The structure of inner region of protoplanetary disks around young pre-main-sequence stars is still poorly understood. This part of the disk is shaped by various forces influencing dust and gas dynamics and by dust sublimation, which creates abrupt drops in the dust density. This region also emits a strong near-infrared excess that cannot be explained by classical accretion disk models, which suggests the existence of some unusual dust distribution or disk shape. The most prevalent explanation to date is the puffed-up inner disk rim model, where the disk exhibits an optically thin cavity around the star up to the distance of dust sublimation. The critical parameter in this model is the inner disk rim height $z_{\rm max}$ relative to the rim's distance from the star $R_{\rm in}$. Observations often require $z_{\rm max}/R_{\rm in}\gtrsim0.2$ to reproduce the near-infrared excess in the spectra. In this paper we put together a comprehensive list of processes that can shape the inner disk rim and combined them together into a self-consistent model. Two of them, radiation pressure force and the gas velocity profile, have never been applied in this context before. The aim was to find the most plausible theoretical values of $z_{\rm max}/R_{\rm in}$. The results show that this value is $\lesssim$0.13 for Herbig Ae stars, $\lesssim$0.11 for T Tau stars and $\lesssim$0.10 for young brown dwarfs. This is below the observational requirements for Herbig Ae stars. We argue that the same problem exists also in T Tau stars. We conclude that the puffed-up inner rim model cannot be the sole explanation for the near-infrared excess in young pre-main-sequence stars.
Article
Transitional disks are objects whose inner disk regions have undergone substantial clearing. The Spitzer Space Telescope produced detailed spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of transitional disks that allowed us to infer their radial dust disk structure in some detail, revealing the diversity of this class of disks. The growing sample of transitional disks also opened up the possibility of demographic studies, which provided unique insights. There now exist (sub)millimeter and infrared images that confirm the presence of large clearings of dust in transitional disks. In addition, protoplanet candidates have been detected within some of these clearings. Transitional disks are thought to be a strong link to planet formation around young stars and are a key area to study if further progress is to be made on understanding the initial stages of planet formation. Here we provide a review and synthesis of transitional disk observations to date with the aim of providing timely direction to the field, which is about to undergo its next burst of growth as ALMA reaches its full potential. We discuss what we have learned about transitional disks from SEDs, color-color diagrams, and imaging in the (sub)mm and infrared. We then distill the observations into constraints for the main disk clearing mechanisms proposed to date (i.e., photoevaporation, grain growth, and companions) and explore how the expected observational signatures from these mechanisms, particularly planet-induced disk clearing, compare to actual observations. Lastly, we discuss future avenues of inquiry to be pursued with ALMA, JWST, and next generation of ground-based telescopes.
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Article
We have updated our publicly available dust radiative transfer code (HOCHUNK3D) to include new emission processes and various 3-D geometries appropriate for forming stars. The 3-D geometries include warps and spirals in disks, accretion hotspots on the central star, fractal clumping density enhancements, and misaligned inner disks. Additional axisymmetric (2-D) features include gaps in disks and envelopes, "puffed-up inner rims" in disks, multiple bipolar cavity walls, and iteration of disk vertical structure assuming hydrostatic equilibrium. We include the option for simple power-law envelope geometry, which combined with fractal clumping, and bipolar cavities, can be used to model evolved stars as well as protostars. We include non-thermal emission from PAHs and very small grains, and external illumination from the interstellar radiation field. The grid structure was modified to allow multiple dust species in each cell; based on this, a simple prescription is implemented to model dust stratification. We describe these features in detail, and show example calculations of each. Some of the more interesting results include the following: 1) Outflow cavities may be more clumpy than infalling envelopes. 2) PAH emission in high-mass stars may be a better indicator of evolutionary stage than the broadband SED slope; and related to this, 3) externally illuminated clumps and high-mass stars in optically thin clouds can masquerade as YSOs. 4) Our hydrostatic equilibrium models suggest that dust settling is likely ubiquitous in T Tauri disks, in agreement with previous observations.
Article
We consider accreting systems in which the central object interacts, via the agency of its magnetic field, with the disc that surrounds it. The disc is turbulent and, so, has a finite effective conductivity. The field sweeps across the face of the disc, thereby forming a current that is directed radially within the disc. In turn, this disc current creates a toroidal field, where the interaction between the disc current and the toroidal field produces a Lorentz force that compresses the disc. We investigate this compression, which creates a magnetic scaleheight of the disc that can be much smaller than the conventional scaleheight. We derive an analytic expression for the magnetic scaleheight and apply it to fully ionized discs.
Article
This paper examines the outflows associated with the interaction of a stellar magnetosphere with an accretion disk. In particular, we investigate the magnetospheric ejections (MEs) due to the expansion and reconnection of the field lines connecting the star with the disk. Our aim is to study the dynamical properties of the outflows and evaluate their impact on the angular momentum evolution of young protostars. Our models are based on axisymmetric time-dependent magneto-hydrodynamic simulations of the interaction of the dipolar magnetosphere of a rotating protostar with a viscous and resistive disk, using alpha prescriptions for the transport coefficients. Our simulations are designed in order to model: the accretion process and the formation of accretion funnels; the periodic inflation/reconnection of the magnetosphere and the associated MEs; the stellar wind. Similarly to a magnetic slingshot, MEs can be powered by the rotation of both the disk and the star so that they can efficiently remove angular momentum from both. Depending on the accretion rate, MEs can extract a relevant fraction of the accretion torque and, together with a weak but non-negligible stellar wind torque, can balance the spin-up due to accretion. When the disk truncation approaches the corotation radius, the system enters a "propeller" regime, where the torques exerted by the disk and the MEs can even balance the spin-up due to the stellar contraction. The MEs spin-down efficiency can be compared to other scenarios, such as the Ghosh & Lamb, X-wind or stellar wind models. Nevertheless, for all scenarios, an efficient spin-down torque requires a rather strong dipolar component, which has been seldom observed in classical T Tauri stars. A better analysis of the torques acting on the protostar must take into account non-axisymmetric and multipolar magnetic components consistent with observations.
Article
We present the Spitzer Space Telescope Infrared Spectrograph spectrum of the Orion A protostar HOPS-68. The mid-infrared spectrum reveals crystalline substructure at 11.1, 16.1, 18.8, 23.6, 27.9, and 33.6 μm superimposed on the broad 9.7 and 18 μm amorphous silicate features; the substructure is well matched by the presence of the olivine end-member forsterite (Mg2SiO4). Crystalline silicates are often observed as infrared emission features around the circumstellar disks of Herbig Ae/Be stars and T Tauri stars. However, this is the first unambiguous detection of crystalline silicate absorption in a cold, infalling, protostellar envelope. We estimate the crystalline mass fraction along the line of sight by first assuming that the crystalline silicates are located in a cold absorbing screen and secondly by utilizing radiative transfer models. The resulting crystalline mass fractions of 0.14 and 0.17, respectively, are significantly greater than the upper limit found in the interstellar medium (0.02-0.05). We propose that the amorphous silicates were annealed within the hot inner disk and/or envelope regions and subsequently transported outward into the envelope by entrainment in a protostellar outflow.
Article
We consider the interaction between a magnetic star and its circumstellar disk under the assumption that the stellar magnetic field permeates the disk and that the system's magnetosphere is force-free. Using simplified axisymmetric models (both semianalytic and numerical), we study the time evolution of the magnetic field configuration induced by the relative rotation between the disk and the star. We show that if both the star and the magnetosphere are perfectly conducting, then there is a maximum disk surface conductivity Σmax for which a steady state field configuration can be established. For larger values of conductivity, no steady state is possible, and the field lines inflate and effectively open up when a critical twist angle (which for an initially dipolar field is on the order of a few radian) is attained. We argue that for thin astrophysical disks, surface conductivities are likely to exceed the local Σmax except in the immediate vicinity of the corotation radius in a Keplerian disk. If the disk conductivity is high enough, then the radial magnetic field at the disk surface will become large and induce radial migration of the field lines across the disk. We find, however, that the radial diffusion in the disk is generally much slower than the field-line expansion in the magnetosphere, which suggests that the opening of the magnetosphere is achieved before the diffusive outward expulsion of the field lines from the disk can occur. The effects of magnetospheric inertial effects and of field-line reconnection are considered in the companion paper.
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We present results of 3D simulations of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) instabilities at the accretion disc–magnetosphere boundary. The instability is Rayleigh–Taylor, and develops for a fairly broad range of accretion rates and stellar rotation rates and magnetic fields. It manifests itself in the form of tall, thin tongues of plasma that penetrate the magnetosphere in the equatorial plane. The shape and number of the tongues changes with time on the inner disc dynamical time-scale. In contrast with funnel flows, which deposit matter mainly in the polar region, the tongues deposit matter much closer to the stellar equator. The instability appears for relatively small misalignment angles, Θ≲ 30°, between the star's rotation and magnetic axes, and is associated with higher accretion rates. The hotspots and light curves during accretion through instability are generally much more chaotic than during stable accretion. The unstable state of accretion has possible implications for quasi-periodic oscillations and intermittent pulsations from accreting systems, as well as planet migration.
Article
The problem of the effect of a strongly magnetic star on a surrounding accretion disc is considered. For stellar rotation periods greater than a critical value, a numerical solution is found for a steady disc with turbulent magnetic diffusion, including electron scattering opacity and radiation pressure. Inside the corotation radius, the extraction of disc angular momentum by magnetic coupling to the star becomes strong and this leads to enhanced viscous stress and dissipation. The resulting elevated temperature causes electron scattering opacity and radiation pressure to become significant further from the star than in the absence of its magnetic field. The disc ends as its height increases rapidly due to the large central pressure, its density decreases and magnetically induced viscous instability occurs.
Article
We present model spectral energy distributions (SEDs), colors, polarization, and images for an evolutionary sequence of a low-mass protostar from the early collapse stage (Class 0) to the remnant disk stage (Class III). We find a substantial overlap in colors and SEDs between protostars embedded in envelopes (Class 0–I) and T Tauri disks (Class II), especially at mid-IR wavelengths. Edge-on Class I–II sources show double-peaked SEDs, with a short-wavelength hump due to scattered light and a long-wavelength hump due to thermal emission. These are the bluest sources in mid-IR color-color diagrams. Since Class 0 and I sources are diffuse, the size of the aperture over which fluxes are integrated has a substantial effect on the computed colors, with larger aperture results showing significantly bluer colors. Viewed through large apertures, the Class 0 colors fall in the same regions of mid-IR color-color diagrams as Class I sources and are even bluer than Class II–III sources in some colors. It is important to take this into account when comparing color-color diagrams of star formation regions at different distances or different sets of observations of the same region. However, the near-IR polarization of the Class 0 sources is much higher than the Class I–II sources, providing a means to separate these evolutionary states. We varied the grain properties in the circumstellar envelope, allowing for larger grains in the disk midplane and smaller grains in the envelope. In comparing with models with the same grain properties throughout, we find that the SED of the Class 0 source is sensitive to the grain properties of the envelope only—that is, grain growth in the disk in Class 0 sources cannot be detected from the SED. Grain growth in disks of Class I sources can be detected at wavelengths greater than 100 lm. Our image calculations predict that the diffuse emission from edge-on Class I and II sources should be detectable in the mid-IR with the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) in nearby star-forming regions (out to several hundred parsecs).
Article
Abstract Infrared molecular spectroscopy is a key tool for the observation of gas in the innermost region of disks around T Tauri stars. In this contribution, we examine how infrared spectroscopy of CO can be used to study the inner truncation region of disks around T Tauri stars. The inferred inner gas radii for T Tauri star disks are compared to the inner dust radii of disks, to the expectations of models for disk truncation, and to the orbital distribution of short-period extra-solar planets.
Article
Protostellar systems, ranging from low-luminosity T Tauri and Herbig Ae stars to high-luminosity Herbig Be stars, exhibit a near-infrared (NIR) excess in their spectra that is dominated by a bump in the monochromatic luminosity with a peak near 3 microns. The bump can be approximated by a thermal emission component of temperature 1500 K that is of the order of the sublimation temperature of interstellar dust grains. In the currently popular "puffed up rim" scenario, the bump represents stellar radiation that propagates through the optically thin inner region of the surrounding accretion disk and is absorbed and reemitted by the dust that resides just beyond the dust sublimation radius, Rsub. However, this model cannot account for the strongest bumps measured in these sources, and it predicts a large secondary bounce in the interferometric visibility curve that is not observed. In this paper we present an alternative interpretation, which attributes the bump to reemission of stellar radiation by dust that is uplifted from the disk by a centrifugally driven wind. Winds of this type are a leading candidate for the origin of the strong outflows associated with protostars, and there is observational evidence for disk winds originating on scales ~Rsub. Using a newly constructed Monte Carlo radiative transfer code, we show that this model can account for the NIR excess emission even in bright Herbig Ae stars such as AB Auriga and MWC 275, and that it successfully reproduces the basic features of the visibilities measured in these protostars. We argue that a robust dusty outflow in these sources could be self-limiting to a relatively narrow launching region between Rsub and 2Rsub. Finally, we suggest that our model could also naturally account for the NIR and scattered-light variability exhibited by a source like MWC 275, which may be triggered by the uplifting of dust clouds from the disk.
Article
We investigate the long-term optical–infrared variability of SV Cep and explain it in the context of an existing UX Ori (UXOR) model. A 25-month monitoring programme was completed with the Infrared Space Observatory in the 3.3–100 μm wavelength range. Following a careful data reduction, the infrared light curves were correlated with the variations of SV Cep in the V band. A remarkable correlation was found between the optical and the far-infrared light curves. In the mid-infrared regime, the amplitude of variations is lower, with a hint for a weak anti-correlation with the optical changes. In order to interpret the observations, we modelled the spectral energy distribution of SV Cep assuming a self-shadowed disc with a puffed-up inner rim, using a two-dimensional radiative transfer code. We found that modifying the height of the inner rim, the wavelength dependence of the long-term optical–infrared variations is well reproduced, except the mid-infrared domain. The origin of variation of the rim height might be fluctuation in the accretion rate in the outer disc. In order to model the mid-infrared behaviour, we tested adding an optically thin envelope to the system, but this model failed to explain the far-infrared variability. Infrared variability is a powerful tool to discriminate between models of the circumstellar environment. The proposed mechanism of variable rim height may not be restricted to UXOR stars, but might be a general characteristic of intermediate-mass young stars.
Article
The status of dust driven winds, constituting an important subclass of essentially radiation generated winds, is surveyed. Dust driven winds are conceived as a long lasting phenomenon of heavy mass loss concerning those luminous cool giants and supergiants, where dust condensation in the expanding flow determines both thestellar mass loss rate and thesubsonic-supersonic transition of the velocity field. Our contribution aims at a self-consistent description of the dynamical shell structure with particular emphasis to the theoretical aspects of this important phenomenon. Thus, not only the complex coupling of the various ingredients (hydrodynamics, chemistry, radiative transfer, dust nucleation, and growth) is outlined in detail, but also general arguments regarding the overall structure of such winds and the expected position of their central objects in the Hertzsprung-Russel diagram are conducted. A selected typical self-consistent model for a stationary C-star shell demonstrates the characteristic wind structure and gives insight into the close nonlinear interplay between dust formation and wind generation. During the late evolutionary stages of a star along the AGB dust driven mass loss provides a natural self-accelerating mechanism which easily can produce very high mass loss rates, an effect which possibly might play an important role for the Tip-AGB objects and the AGB-PN-transition.
Article
We present the first results of ionospheric conductivities at Titan based on measurements during 17 Titan flybys from the Cassini spacecraft. We identify an ionospheric region ranging from (approximately the location of the exobase) to approximately 1000 km where electrical currents perpendicular to the magnetic field may become important. In this region the ionosphere is highly conductive with peak Pedersen conductivities of 0.002–0.05 S/m and peak Hall conductivities of 0.01–0.3 S/m depending on Solar illumination and magnetospheric conditions. Ionospheric conductivities are found to be typically higher on the sunlit side of Titan. However, Hall and Pedersen conductivities depend strongly on the magnetic field magnitude which is highly variable, both in altitude and with respect to the draping configuration of Saturn's magnetic field around Titan. Furthermore, a consistent double peak nature is found in the altitude profile of the Pedersen conductivity. A high altitude peak is found to be located between 1300 and 1400 km. A second and typically more conductive region is observed below 1000 km, where the magnetic field strength drops sharply while the electron density still remains high. This nature of the Pedersen conductivity profile may give rise to complicated ionospheric–atmospheric dynamics and may be expected also at other unmagnetized objects with a substantial atmosphere, such as e.g. Mars and Venus. Estimates of the total Pedersen conductance are found to range between 1300 and 22,000 S. The Pedersen conductance is always higher than the local Alfvén conductance but the difference varies by two orders of magnitude (from a factor 4 to 100). Thus, the conditions for reflection or absorption of Alfvén waves in Titans ionosphere are highly variable and depends strongly on the magnetic field strength.
Article
We have performed smoothed particle magnetohydrodynamics (SPMHD) simulations demonstrating the production of collimated jets during collapse of 1 M⊙ molecular cloud cores to form the ‘first hydrostatic core’ in low‐mass star formation. Recently, a number of candidate first‐core objects have been observed, including L1448 IRS2E, L1451‐mm and Per‐Bolo 58, although it is not yet clear that these are first hydrostatic cores. Recent observations of Per‐Bolo 58 in particular appear to show collimated, bipolar outflows which are inconsistent with previous theoretical expectations. We show that low‐mass first cores can indeed produce tightly collimated jets (opening angles ≲10°) with speeds of ∼2–7 km s−1, consistent with some of the observed candidates. We have also demonstrated, for the first time, that such phenomena can be successfully captured in SPMHD simulations.
Article
(abridged) Accretion from disks onto young stars is thought to follow magnetic field lines from the inner disk edge to the stellar surface. The accretion flow thus depends on the geometry of the magnetic field. This paper extends previous work by constructing a collection of orthogonal coordinate systems, including the corresponding differential operators, where one coordinate traces the magnetic field lines. This formalism allows for an (essentially) analytic description of the geometry and the conditions required for the flow to pass through sonic points. Using this approach, we revisit the problem of magnetically controlled accretion flow in a dipole geometry, and then generalize the treatment to consider magnetic fields with multiple components, including dipole, octupole, and split monopole contributions. This approach can be generalized further to consider more complex magnetic field configurations. Observations indicate that accreting young stars have substantial dipole and octupole components, and that accretion flow is transonic. If the effective equation of state for the fluid is too stiff, the flow cannot pass smoothly through the sonic points in steady state. For a multipole field of order \ell, we derive a constraint on the polytropic index, n>\ell+3/2, required for steady transonic flow to reach free-fall velocities. For octupole fields, inferred on surfaces of T Tauri stars, n>9/2, so that the flow must be close to isothermal. The inclusion of octupole field components produces higher densities at the stellar surface and smaller hot spots, which occur at higher latitudes; the magnetic truncation radius is also modified. This contribution thus increases our understanding of magnetically controlled accretion for young stellar objects and can be applied to a variety of additional astrophysical problems.
Article
We formulate a general, steady-state model for the torque on a magnetized star from a surrounding accretion disc. For the first time, we include the opening of dipolar magnetic field lines due to the differential rotation between the star and disc, so the magnetic topology then depends on the strength of the magnetic coupling to the disc. This coupling is determined by the effective slip rate of magnetic field lines that penetrate the diffusive disc. Stronger coupling (i.e., lower slip rate) leads to a more open topology and thus to a weaker magnetic torque on the star from the disc. In the expected strong coupling regime, we find that the spin-down torque on the star is more than an order of magnitude smaller than calculated by previous models. We also use our general approach to examine the equilibrium (`disc-locked') state, in which the net torque on the star is zero. In this state, we show that the stellar spin rate is roughly an order of magnitude faster than predicted by previous models. This challenges the idea that slowly-rotating, accreting protostars are disc locked. Furthermore, when the field is sufficiently open (e.g., for mass accretion rates > 5 x 10^{-9} M_sun / yr, for typical accreting protostars), the star will receive no magnetic spin-down torque from the disc at all. We therefore conclude that protostars must experience a spin-down torque from a source that has not yet been considered in the star-disc torque models--possibly from a stellar wind along the open field lines. Comment: Accepted by MNRAS