Pulsed Accretion in Young Stellar Objects: A Tale of Two Binaries
Abstract
We present results of a multi-epoch monitoring campaign of two young stellar objects that exhibit evidence for binary-induced pulsed accretion. Previous observations and theoretical simulations have shown that close binary systems with particular orbital architectures can exhibit periodic increases in accretion activity that correlate with periastron passages. We are studying two such objects with the goal of understanding the dynamical effects of binaries on circumbinary disks. One system is the spectroscopic binary T Tauri star DQ Tau, which is the prototype of the class and is known to exhibit accretion pulses as measured by optical diagnostics; however, its time-dependent behavior in the infrared, which provides a direct tracer of dust emission from circumstellar material, has not been characterized. The other system is the recently-discovered periodically variable protostar LRLL 54361, which has no previous direct measurements of its accretion activity or stellar properties. Our observations include photometry and spectroscopy across a wide range of wavelengths in the optical and infrared. Ultimately, we hope to elucidate the nature of the circumstellar/binary structures in these two systems that span a range of pre-main sequence evolutionary states. This will help establish a framework for understanding some of the infrared variability seen in young stars, and is also of great importance for understanding planet formation processes in binary systems.
- Publication:
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American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #223
- Pub Date:
- January 2014
- Bibcode:
- 2014AAS...22334505M