Fine Structure in the Circumstellar Environment of a Young, Solar-like Star: The Unique Eclipses of KH 15D
Abstract
Results of an international campaign to photometrically monitor the unique pre-main-sequence eclipsing object KH 15D are reported. An updated ephemeris for the eclipse is derived that incorporates a slightly revised period of 48.36 days. There is some evidence that the orbital period is actually twice that value, with two eclipses occurring per cycle. The extraordinary depth (~3.5 mag) and duration (~18 days) of the eclipse indicate that it is caused by circumstellar matter, presumably the inner portion of a disk. The eclipse has continued to lengthen with time, and the central brightness reversals are not as extreme as they once were. V-R and V-I colors indicate that the system is slightly bluer near minimum light. Ingress and egress are remarkably well modeled by the passage of a knife edge across a limb-darkened star. Possible models for the system are briefly discussed.
- Publication:
-
Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
- Pub Date:
- November 2002
- DOI:
- 10.1086/344205
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0208203
- Bibcode:
- 2002PASP..114.1167H
- Keywords:
-
- Stars: Circumstellar Matter;
- stars: individual (KH 15D);
- Stars: Pre-Main-Sequence;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 19 pages, 5 figures