The formation of a T Tauri star: Observations of the infrared source in L 1551
Abstract
The 5 to 25 micron observations show that an object previously discovered at 2.2 microns (IRS 5) within the densest part of the L1551 dark cloud is a strong source of radiation from grains as cool as 230 K. The energy distribution resembles that of infrared objects embedded within other molecular cloud cores, but implies a total solar luminosity of only 30. The luminosity of the source and its proximity to other T Tauri stars suggests that it is a 1 to 2 solar mass pre-main sequence star still swaddled within the L1551 cloud. The radio and optical evidence for mass motions around IRS 5 may mean that IRS 5 has been flaring in FU Ori-type eruptions within the last 1000 years.
- Publication:
-
NASA STI/Recon Technical Report N
- Pub Date:
- 1980
- Bibcode:
- 1980STIN...8110901H
- Keywords:
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- Infrared Astronomy;
- Nebulae;
- Stellar Evolution;
- T Tauri Stars;
- Molecular Clouds;
- Spectral Energy Distribution;
- Stellar Luminosity;
- Stellar Mass;
- Stellar Mass Ejection;
- Astronomy