Ultraviolet-Selected Field and Pre-Main-Sequence Stars Towards Taurus and Upper Scorpius

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Findeisen, Krzysztof, Hillenbrand, Lynne
Format: Preprint
Published: 2010
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author Findeisen, Krzysztof
Hillenbrand, Lynne
author_facet Findeisen, Krzysztof
Hillenbrand, Lynne
contents We have carried out a Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) Cycle 1 guest investigator program covering 56 square degrees near the Taurus T association and 12 square degrees along the northern edge of the Upper Scorpius OB association. We combined photometry in the GALEX FUV and NUV bands with data from the Two Micron All Sky Survey to identify candidate young (<100 Myr old) stars as those with an ultraviolet excess relative to older main sequence stars. Follow-up spectroscopy of a partial sample of these candidates suggest 5 new members of Taurus, with 8-20 expected from additional observations, and 5 new members of Upper Scorpius, with 3-6 expected from additional observations. These candidate new members appear to represent a distributed, non-clustered population in either region, although our sample statistics are as of yet too poor to constrain the nature or extent of this population. Rather, our study demonstrates the ability of GALEX observations to identify young stellar populations distributed over a wide area of the sky. We also highlight the necessity of a better understanding of the Galactic ultraviolet source population to support similar investigations. In particular, we report a large population of stars with an ultraviolet excess but no optical indicators of stellar activity or accretion, and briefly argue against several interpretations of these sources.
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id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_1001_3684
institution arXiv
publishDate 2010
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spellingShingle Ultraviolet-Selected Field and Pre-Main-Sequence Stars Towards Taurus and Upper Scorpius
Findeisen, Krzysztof
Hillenbrand, Lynne
Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
We have carried out a Galaxy Evolution Explorer (GALEX) Cycle 1 guest investigator program covering 56 square degrees near the Taurus T association and 12 square degrees along the northern edge of the Upper Scorpius OB association. We combined photometry in the GALEX FUV and NUV bands with data from the Two Micron All Sky Survey to identify candidate young (<100 Myr old) stars as those with an ultraviolet excess relative to older main sequence stars. Follow-up spectroscopy of a partial sample of these candidates suggest 5 new members of Taurus, with 8-20 expected from additional observations, and 5 new members of Upper Scorpius, with 3-6 expected from additional observations. These candidate new members appear to represent a distributed, non-clustered population in either region, although our sample statistics are as of yet too poor to constrain the nature or extent of this population. Rather, our study demonstrates the ability of GALEX observations to identify young stellar populations distributed over a wide area of the sky. We also highlight the necessity of a better understanding of the Galactic ultraviolet source population to support similar investigations. In particular, we report a large population of stars with an ultraviolet excess but no optical indicators of stellar activity or accretion, and briefly argue against several interpretations of these sources.
title Ultraviolet-Selected Field and Pre-Main-Sequence Stars Towards Taurus and Upper Scorpius
topic Solar and Stellar Astrophysics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/1001.3684