Search

Accretion processes onto classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs) are believed to generate shocks at the stellar surface due to the impact of supersonic downflowing plasma. Although current models of accretion streams provide a plausible global picture of this process, several aspects are still unclear. For example, the observed X-ray luminosity in accretion shocks is, in general, well below the predicted value. A possible explanation discussed in the literature is in terms of significant absorption of the emission due to the thick surrounding medium. Here we consider a 2D MHD model describing an accretion stream propagating through the atmosphere of a CTTS and impacting onto its chromosphere. The model includes all the relevant physics, namely the gravity, the thermal conduction, and the radiative cooling, and a realistic description of the unperturbed stellar atmosphere (from the chromosphere to the corona). From the model results, we synthesize the X-ray emission emerging from the hot slab produced by the accretion shock, exploring different configurations and strengths of the stellar magnetic field. The synthesis includes the local absorption by the thick surrounding medium and the Doppler shift of lines due to the component of plasma velocity along the line-of-sight. We explore the effects of absorption on the emerging X-ray spectrum, considering different inclinations of the accretion stream with respect to the observer. Finally we compare our results with the observations.

(abridged) AIMS. We investigate the dynamics and stability of post-shock plasma streaming along nonuniform stellar magnetic fields at the impact region of accretion columns. We study how the magnetic field configuration and strength determine the structure, geometry, and location of the shock-heated plasma. METHODS. We model the impact of an accretion stream onto the chromosphere of a CTTS by 2D axisymmetric magnetohydrodynamic simulations. Our model takes into account the gravity, the radiative cooling, and the magnetic-field-oriented thermal conduction. RESULTS. The structure, stability, and location of the shocked plasma strongly depend on the configuration and strength of the magnetic field. For weak magnetic fields, a large component of B may develop perpendicular to the stream at the base of the accretion column, limiting the sinking of the shocked plasma into the chromosphere. An envelope of dense and cold chromospheric material may also develop around the shocked column. For strong magnetic fields, the field configuration determines the position of the shock and its stand-off height. If the field is strongly tapered close to the chromosphere, an oblique shock may form well above the stellar surface. In general, a nonuniform magnetic field makes the distribution of emission measure vs. temperature of the shocked plasma lower than in the case of uniform magnetic field. CONCLUSIONS. The initial strength and configuration of the magnetic field in the impact region of the stream are expected to influence the chromospheric absorption and, therefore, the observability of the shock-heated plasma in the X-ray band. The field strength and configuration influence also the energy balance of the shocked plasma, its emission measure at T > 1 MK being lower than expected for a uniform field. The above effects contribute in underestimating the mass accretion rates derived in the X-ray band., 11 pages, 11 Figures; accepted for publication on A&A. Version with full resolution images can be found at http://www.astropa.unipa.it/~orlando/PREPRINTS/sorlando_accretion_shocks.pdf

International audience; The dynamics of YSO accretion shocks is determined by radiative processes as well as the strength and structure of the magnetic field. A quasi-periodic emission signature is theoretically expected to be observed, but observations do not confirm any such pattern. In this work, we assume a uniform background field, in the regime of optically thin energy losses, and we study the multi-dimensional shock evolution in the presence of perturbations, i.e. clumps in the stream and an acoustic energy flux flowing at the base of the chromosphere. We perform 3D MHD simulations using the PLUTO code, modeling locally the impact of the infalling gas onto the chromosphere. We find that the structure and dynamics of the post-shock region is strongly dependent on the plasma-beta (thermal over magnetic pressure), different values of which may give distinguishable emission signatures, relevant for observations. In particular, a strong magnetic field effectively confines the plasma inside its flux tubes and leads to the formation of quasi-independent fibrils. The fibrils may oscillate out of phase and hence the sum of their contributions in the emission results in a smooth overall profile. On the contrary, a weak magnetic field is not found to have any significant effect on the shocked plasma and the turbulent hot slab that forms is found to retain its periodic signature.

Il saggio si sofferma sulle definizioni adoperate dalla scienza giuridica. Operando il confronto delle definizioni scritte nei due codici italiani, quello del 1865 e quello in vigore, emergono conclusioni preziose in ordine alla proprietà e al possesso. Mentre il primo codice unitario non si discostava dalle antiche definizioni contenute nelle Istituzioni di Gaio e di Giustiniano, il possesso ha assunto nella definizione del codice vigente, caratteristiche e profili del tutto nuovi. It is insghtful to investigate the definitions used in the jurisprudence. comparing the definitions reported in the two Italian codxdes, the one of 1865 and the current one, valuable results emerge in the field of property and possession. In particular the most evident differences occur in the possession. While the first Italian code was not far from the ancient concepts contained in the Institutiones of Gaius and Justinian, in the current code the possession has acquired completely new characterristics and profiles.

V4046 Sagittarii AB is a close short-period classical T Tauri binary. It is a circularised and synchronised system accreting from a circumbinary disk. In 2009 it was observed as part of a coordinated program involving near-simultaneous spectropolarimetric observations with ESPaDOnS at the Canada-France-Hawai'i Telescope and high-resolution X-ray observations with XMM-Newton. Magnetic maps of each star were derived from Zeeman-Doppler imaging. After briefly highlighting the most significant observational findings, we present a preliminary 3D model of the binary magnetosphere constructed from the magnetic maps using a newly developed binary magnetic field extrapolation code. The large-scale fields (the dipole components) of both stars are highly tilted with respect to their rotation axes, and their magnetic fields are linked., Comment: Proceedings of the "Physics at the Magnetospheric Boundary" conference, Geneva, June 2013

Context. Theoretical arguments and numerical simulations of radiative shocks produced by the impact of the accreting gas onto young stars predict quasi-periodic oscillations in the emitted radiation. However, observational data do not show evidence of such periodicity. Aims. We investigate whether physically plausible perturbations in the accretion column or in the chromosphere could disrupt the shock structure influencing the observability of the oscillatory behavior. Methods. We performed local 2D magneto-hydrodynamical simulations of an accretion shock impacting a chromosphere, taking optically thin radiation losses and thermal conduction into account. We investigated the effects of several perturbation types, such as clumps in the accretion stream or chromospheric fluctuations, and also explored a wide range of plasma-\beta values. Results. In the case of a weak magnetic field, the post-shock region shows chaotic motion and mixing, smoothing out the perturbations and retaining a global periodic signature. On the other hand, a strong magnetic field confines the plasma in flux tubes, which leads to the formation of fibrils that oscillate independently. Realistic values for the amplitude, length, and time scales of the perturbation are capable of bringing the fibril oscillations out of phase, suppressing the periodicity of the emission. Conclusions. The strength of a locally uniform magnetic field in YSO accretion shocks determines the structure of the post-shock region, namely, whether it will be somewhat homogeneous or if it will split up to form a collection of fibrils. In the second case, the size and shape of the fibrils is found to depend strongly on the plasma-\beta value but not on the perturbation type. Therefore, the actual value of the protostellar magnetic field is expected to play a critical role in the time dependence of the observable emission., Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A

We report initial results from a quasi-simultaneous X-ray/optical observing campaign targeting V4046 Sgr, a close, synchronous-rotating classical T Tauri star (CTTS) binary in which both components are actively accreting. V4046 Sgr is a strong X-ray source, with the X-rays mainly arising from high-density (n_e ~ 10^(11-12) cm^(-3)) plasma at temperatures of 3-4 MK. Our multiwavelength campaign aims to simultaneously constrain the properties of this X-ray emitting plasma, the large scale magnetic field, and the accretion geometry. In this paper, we present key results obtained via time-resolved X-ray grating spectra, gathered in a 360 ks XMM-Newton observation that covered 2.2 system rotations. We find that the emission lines produced by this high-density plasma display periodic flux variations with a measured period, 1.22+/-0.01 d, that is precisely half that of the binary star system (2.42 d). The observed rotational modulation can be explained assuming that the high-density plasma occupies small portions of the stellar surfaces, corotating with the stars, and that the high-density plasma is not azimuthally symmetrically distributed with respect to the rotational axis of each star. These results strongly support models in which high-density, X-ray-emitting CTTS plasma is material heated in accretion shocks, located at the base of accretion flows tied to the system by magnetic field lines., paper accepted by ApJ

La tutela compensativa consiste in una riparazione monetaria corrisposta al proprietario quando, per il soddisfacimento di un interesse superiore, il diritto viene azzerato.

We explore the possibility that GSC 07396-00759 (spectral type M1e) is a widely separated (~2.82', or projected separation ~12,350 AU) companion to the "old" (age ~12 Myr) classical T Tauri binary system V4046 Sgr AB, as suggested by the proximity and similar space motions of the two systems. If the two systems are equidistant and coeval, then GSC 07396--00759, like V4046 Sgr AB, must be a spectroscopic binary with nearly equal-mass components, and V4046 Sgr must be at least ~8 Myr old. Analysis of a serendipitous Chandra X-ray gratings spectrum and light curve as well as XMM-Newton light curves and CCD spectra of GSC 07396-00759 obtained during long exposures targeting V4046 Sgr AB reveals a relatively hard (T_X ~ 10^7 K) X-ray spectrum, strong flaring, and relatively low-density plasma. These X-ray characteristics of GCS 07396--00759 are indicative of a high level of coronal activity, consistent with its apparent weak-lined T Tauri star status. Interactions between V4046 Sgr AB and GCS 07396-00759 when the two systems were more closely bound may be responsible for (a) their dissolution ~10^6 yr ago, (b) the present tight, circular orbit of V4046 Sgr AB, and (c) the persistence of the gaseous circumbinary disk still orbiting V4046 Sgr AB., 14 pages, 3 figures; to appear in the Astrophysical Journal (Letters)

The soft X-ray emission from high density plasma in CTTS is associated with the accretion process. It is still unclear whether this high density cool plasma is heated in the accretion shock, or if it is coronal plasma fed/modified by the accretion process. We conducted a coordinated quasi-simultaneous optical and X-ray observing campaign of the CTTS V2129 Oph (Chandra/HETGS data to constrain the X-ray emitting plasma components, and optical observations to constrain the characteristics of accretion and magnetic field). We analyze a 200 ks Chandra/HETGS observation of V2129 Oph, subdivided into two 100 ks segments, corresponding to two different phases within one stellar rotation. The X-ray emitting plasma covers a wide range of temperatures: 2-34 MK. The cool plasma component of V2129 Oph varies between the two segments of the Chandra observation: high density plasma (log Ne ~ 12.1) with high EM at ~ 3-4 MK is present during the 1st segment; during the 2nd segment this plasma component has lower EM and lower density (log Ne < 11.5), although the statistical significance of these differences is marginal. Hotter plasma components, T > 10 MK, show variability on short time scales (~ 10 ks), typical of coronal plasma. A clear flare, detected in the 1st segment, could be located in a large coronal loop (> 3 Rstar). Our observation provides further confirmation that the dense cool plasma at a few MK in CTTS is material heated in the accretion shock. The variability of this cool plasma component on V2129 Oph may be explained in terms of X-rays emitted in the accretion shock and seen with different viewing angles at the two rotational phases probed by our observation. During the 1st time interval direct view of the shock region is possible, while, during the 2nd, the accretion funnel itself intersects the line of sight to the shock region, preventing us from observing accretion-driven X-rays., 15 pages, 11 figures. Accepted for publication in A&A

We provide an overview of a multi-wavelength observing campaign focusing on the accretion and coronal processes in the young star V2129 Oph. V2129 Oph is a classical T Tauri star with a 6.5 day rotation period in the ρ Oph star forming region. On 27-29 June 2009 we obtained two 100 ksec Chandra HETG exposures, aiming at opposite hemispheres of the star. We discuss the X-ray data elsewhere. In order to place the coronal X-ray emission in context, we obtained contemporaneous optical and near-IR photometry and high dispersion optical spectroscopy. The photometry shows the existence of dark photospheric spots. The Hα line profiles show a modulation of the mean Hα velocity and the presence of red-shifted absorption, probably from the accretion stream, at certain phases. Zeeman Doppler images reveal the presence of both a cool spot and an accreting region at similar longitudes.

We report here the first results of a multiwavelength campaign focussing on magnetospheric accretion processes of the classical T Tauri star V2129 Oph. In this paper, we present spectropolarimetric observations collected in 2009 July with ESPaDOnS at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and contemporaneous photometry secured with the SMARTS facility. Circularly polarized Zeeman signatures are clearly detected, both in photospheric absorption and accretion-powered emission lines, from time-series of which we reconstruct new maps of the magnetic field, photospheric brightness and accretion-powered emission at the surface of V2129 Oph using our newest tomographic imaging tool - to be compared with those derived from our old 2005 June data set, re-analysed in the exact same way. We find that in 2009 July, V2129 Oph hosts octupolar and dipolar field components of about 2.1 and 0.9 kG, respectively, both tilted by about 20° with respect to the rotation axis; we conclude that the large-scale magnetic topology changed significantly since 2005 June (when the octupole and dipole components were about 1.5 and three times weaker, respectively), demonstrating that the field of V2129 Oph is generated by a non-stationary dynamo. We also show that V2129 Oph features a dark photospheric spot and a localized area of accretion-powered emission, both close to the main surface magnetic region (hosting fields of up to about 4 kG in 2009 July). We finally obtain that the surface shear of V2129 Oph is about half as strong as solar. From the fluxes of accretion-powered emission lines, we estimate that the observed average logarithmic accretion rate (in Mȯ yr-1) at the surface of V2129 Oph is -9.2 ± 0.3 at both epochs, peaking at -9.0 at magnetic maximum. It implies in particular that the radius at which the magnetic field of V2129 Oph truncates the inner accretion disc is 0.93 and 0.50 times the corotation radius (where the Keplerian period equals the stellar rotation period) in 2009 July and 2005 June, respectively.

Context. High resolution X-ray spectroscopy has revealed soft X-rays from high density plasma in classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs), probably arising from the accretion shock region. However, the mass accretion rates derived from the X-ray observations are consistently lower than those derived from UV/optical/NIR studies. Aims: We aim to test the hypothesis that the high density soft X-ray emission originates from accretion by analysing, in a homogeneous manner, optical accretion indicators for an X-ray selected sample of CTTSs. Methods: We analyse optical spectra of the X-ray selected sample of CTTSs and calculate the accretion rates based on measuring the Hα, Hβ, Hγ, He ii 4686 Å, He i 5016 Å, He i 5876 Å, O i 6300 Å, and He i 6678 Å equivalent widths. In addition, we also calculate the accretion rates based on the full width at 10% maximum of the Hα line. The different optical tracers of accretion are compared and discussed. The derived accretion rates are then compared to the accretion rates derived from the X-ray spectroscopy. Results: We find that, for each CTTS in our sample, the different optical tracers predict mass-accretion rates that agree within the errors, albeit with a spread of ≈ 1 order of magnitude. Typically, mass-accretion rates derived from Hα and He i 5876 Å are larger than those derived from Hβ, Hγ, and O i. In addition, the Hα full width at 10%, whilst a good indicator of accretion, may not accurately measure the mass-accretion rate. When the optical mass-accretion rates are compared to the X-ray derived mass-accretion rates, we find that: a) the latter are always lower (but by varying amounts); b) the latter range within a factor of ≈ 2 around 2 × 10-10 Msun yr-1, despite the former spanning a range of ≈ 3 orders of magnitude. We suggest that the systematic underestimate of the X-ray derived mass-accretion rates could depend on the density distribution inside the accretion streams, where the densest part of the stream is not visible in the X-ray band because of the absorption by the stellar atmosphere. We also suggest that a non-negligible optical depth of X-ray emission lines produced by post-shock accreting plasma may explain the almost constant mass-accretion rates derived in X-rays if the effect is larger in stars with higher optical mass-accretion rates.

Le tutele del più ampio dei diritti patrimoniali

I present a summary of recent observational constraints on the accretion properties of young stars and brown dwarfs with focus on the high-energy emission. In their T Tauri phase young stars assemble a few percent of their mass by accretion from a disk. Various observational signatures of disks around pre-main sequence stars and the ensuing accretion process are found in the IR and optical regime: e.g. excess emission above the stellar photosphere, strong and broad emission lines, optical veiling. At high energies evidence for accretion is less obvious, and the X-ray emission from stars has historically been ascribed to magnetically confined coronal plasmas. While being true for the bulk of the emission, new insight obtained from XMM-Newton and Chandra observations has unveiled contributions from accretion and outflow processes to the X-ray emission from young stars. Their smaller siblings, the brown dwarfs, have been shown to undergo a T Tauri phase on the basis of optical/IR observations of disks and measurements of accretion rates. Most re-cently, first evidence was found for X-rays produced by accretion in a young brown dwarf, complementing the suspected analogy between stars and substellar objects.

By extrapolating from observationally derived magnetic surface maps, obtained through Zeeman-Doppler imaging, models of stellar magnetospheres can be constructed. By assuming that the plasma trapped along the closed field lines is in hydrostatic equilibrium, coronal X-ray emission properties, such as the global X-ray emission measure and the amount of rotational modulation of X-ray emission, can be predicted. For pre-main sequence magnetospheres the analysis can be extended to incorporate accretion flows, and predict the amount of softer X-ray emission from accretion spots that would be observed. I will detail the preliminary results of an ambitious multi-wavelength, multi-observing site, and near contemporaneous campaign, combining spectroscopic optical, nIR, UV, X-ray (200ks, Chandra), spectropolarimetric and photometric monitoring of the accreting pre-main sequence star V2129 Oph. Surprisingly the new magnetic map derived from the 2009 data appears to indicate that the surface magnetic field has undergone little evolution since it was previously observed in 2005. The dataset also allows X-ray emission from the stellar corona and the accretion hotspots to be disentangled and crucially allows the validity, and the predictions, of the 3D field topologies derived via field extrapolation to be critically examined. SGG acknowledges support via an STFC Postdoctoral Fellowship.

High resolution X-ray spectroscopy has revealed soft X-rays from high density plasma in Classical T-Tauri stars (CTTSs), probably arising from the accretion shock region. However, the mass accretion rates derived from the X-ray observations are consistently lower than those derived from UV/optical/NIR studies. We aim to test the hypothesis that the high density soft X-ray emission is from accretion by analysing optical accretion tracers from an X-ray selected sample of CTTSs in a homogeneous manner. We analyse optical spectra of a sample of CTTSs and calculate the accretion rates based on measuring optical emission lines. These are then compared to the accretion rates derived from the X-ray spectroscopy. We find that, for each CTTS in our sample, the different optical tracers predict mass accretion rates that agree within the errors, albeit with a spread of ~1 order of magnitude. Typically, mass accretion rates derived from Halpha and HeI 5876 Ang are larger than those derived from Hbeta, Hgamma and OI. When comparisons of the optical mass accretion rates are made to the X-ray derived mass accretion rates, we find that: a) the latter are always lower (but by varying amounts); b) the latter range within a factor of ~2 around 2x10^{-10} M_odot yr^{-1}, despite the fact that the former span a range of ~3 orders of magnitude. We suggest that the systematic underestimation of the X-ray derived mass accretion rates could depend on the density distribution inside the accretion streams, where the densest part of the stream is not visible in the X-ray band because of the absorption by the stellar atmosphere. We also suggest that a non-negligible optical depth of X-ray emission lines produced by post-shock accreting plasma may explain the almost constant mass accretion rates derived in X-rays if the effect is larger in stars with larger optical mass accretion rates., Comment: 12 pages, 4 figures. Accepted for publication by A&A

AIMS. We investigate the stability and dynamics of accretion shocks in CTTSs, considering the case of beta >= 1 in the post-shock region. In these cases the 1D approximation is not valid and a multi-dimensional MHD approach is necessary. METHODS. We model an accretion stream propagating through the atmosphere of a CTTS and impacting onto its chromosphere, by performing 2D axisymmetric MHD simulations. The model takes into account the stellar magnetic field, the gravity, the radiative cooling, and the thermal conduction (including the effects of heat flux saturation). RESULTS. The dynamics and stability of the accretion shock strongly depends on the plasma beta. In the case of shocks with beta > 10, violent outflows of shock-heated material (and possibly MHD waves) are generated at the base of the accretion column and strongly perturb the surrounding stellar atmosphere and the accretion column itself (modifying, therefore, the dynamics of the shock). In shocks with beta ~ 1, the post-shock region is efficiently confined by the magnetic field. The shock oscillations induced by cooling instability are strongly influenced by beta: for beta > 10, the oscillations may be rapidly dumped by the magnetic field, approaching a quasi-stationary state, or may be chaotic with no obvious periodicity due to perturbation of the stream induced by the post-shock plasma itself; for beta ~ 1 the oscillations are quasi-periodic, although their amplitude is smaller and the frequency higher than those predicted by 1D models., 12 pages, 10 Figures; accepted for publication on A&A. Version with full resolution images can be found at http://www.astropa.unipa.it/~orlando/PREPRINTS/sorlando_13565.pdf

In classical T Tauri stars, X-rays are produced by two plasma components: a hot low-density plasma, with frequent flaring activity, and a high-density lower temperature plasma. The former is coronal plasma related to the stellar magnetic activity. The latter component, never observed in non-accreting stars, could be plasma heated by the shock formed by the accretion process. However its nature is still being debated. Our aim is to probe the soft X-ray emission from the high-density plasma component in classical T Tauri stars to check whether this is plasma heated in the accretion shock or whether it is coronal plasma. High-resolution X-ray spectroscopy allows us to measure individual line fluxes. We analyze X-ray spectra of the classical T Tauri stars MP Muscae and TW Hydrae. Our aim is to evaluate line ratios to search for optical depth effects, which are expected in the accretion-driven scenario. We also derive the plasma emission measure distributions EMD, to investigate whether and how the EMD of accreting and non accreting young stars differ. The results are compared to those obtained for the non-accreting weak-line T Tauri star TWA 5. We find evidence of resonance scattering in the strongest lines of MP Mus, supporting the idea that soft X-rays are produced by plasma heated in the accretion shock. We also find that the EMD of MP Mus has two peaks: a cool peak at temperatures expected for plasma heated in the accretion shock, and a hot peak typical of coronal plasma. The shape of the EMD of MP Mus appears to be the superposition of the EMD of a pure coronal source, like TWA 5, and an EMD alike that of TW Hydrae, which is instead dominated by shock-heated plasma., Comment: 11 pages, 7 postscript figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Minor language corrections

Le obbligazioni alimentari, le loro caratteristiche peculiari e le differenze con gli altri obblighi familiari

Recent high spectral resolution X-ray observations of some CTTSs show the presence of high density plasma (ne=10^{11}-10^{13} cm^{-3}) at temperature T=2-3 MK. This plasma is likely heated up by an accretion shock on the star surface. We investigate this issue by an accurate modelling of the impact of an accretion stream onto the stellar chromosphere. Specifically, we present a large set of 1D hydrodynamical simulations aimed at investigating the physical properties of the system as a function of the density, and the velocity of the accretion stream and of the abundances of the heavy elements. We also synthesize the plasma X-ray emission from the simulations results, in order to link the observed properties of the CTTSs with the accretion shock physics. Furthermore, we present results of 2D magneto-hydrodynamical simulations aimed at investigating the role of the magnetic field in confining the shocked plasma at the base of the accretion column for different magnetic field strength.

High resolution (R ~ 600) X-ray observations of some classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs) (TW Hya, BP Tau, V4046 Sgr, MP Mus and RU Lupi) have shown the presence of X-ray plasma at T ~ 2–3 × 106 K and denser than n e ~ 1011 cm-3 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5], which suggests an origin different from the coronal one (n e ~ 1010 cm_3). Stationary models demonstrated that X-ray emission from CTTSs could also be produced by the accreting material [6]. We address this issue with the aid of a time-dependent hydrodynamic numerical model describing the impact of an accretion stream onto the chromosphere of a CTTS (see [7] for more details). Our simulations include the effects of gravity, radiative losses from optically thin plasma, the thermal conduction and a detailed modeling of the stellar chromosphere. The gravity and the parameters describing the accretion stream (density n e D 1011 cm-3 and velocity v D 450 km s-1) were chosen in order to match the X-ray properties of the CTTSs MP Mus [4].

The solar corona is a template to study and understand stellar activity. However the solar corona differs from that of active stars: the Sun has lower X‐ray luminosity, and on average cooler plasma temperatures. Active stellar coronae have a hot peak in their emission measure distribution, EM (T), at 8–20 MK, while the non‐flaring solar corona has a peak at 1–2 MK. In the solar corona significant amounts of plasma at temperature ∼10 MK are observed only during flares.To investigate what is the time‐averaged effect of solar flares we measure the disk‐integrated time‐averaged emission measure, EMF (T), of an unbiased sample of solar flares. To this aim we analyze uninterrupted GOES/XRS light curves over time intervals of one month. We also obtain the EMQ (T) of the quiescent corona for the same time intervals from Yohkoh/SXT data. To investigate variations due to the solar cycle we evaluate EMF (T) and EMQ (T) at different phases of the cycle between December 1991 and April 1998.Irrespective of the solar cycle phase, EMF (T) appears as a peak in the distribution, and it is significantly larger than the values of EMQ (T) for T∼5–10 MK. Adding EMF (T) and EMQ (T) we obtain for the first time a time average EM (T) of the entire solar corona: it is double‐peaked, with the hot peak, due to time‐averaged flares, being located at temperatures similar to those of active stars, but less enhanced.In the assumption that the heating of the corona is entirely due to flares, from nano‐ to macro‐flares, a two peak EM (T) distribution suggests that then either the flare distribution or the confined plasma response to flares, or both, are bimodal. Moreover the EMF (T) shape supports the hypothesis that the hot EM (T) peak of active coronae is due to unresolved solar‐like flares. If this is the case, quiescent and flare components should follow different scaling laws for increasing stellar activity.

High spectral resolution X-ray observations of classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs) demonstrate the presence of plasma at T~2-3×10^6 K and ne~10^11-10^13 cm-3. Stationary models suggest that this emission is due to shock-heated accreting material. We address this issue by a 1-D hydrodynamic model of the impact of the accretion flow onto a chromosphere of a CTTS with the aim of investigating the stability of accretion shock and the role of the chromosphere. Our simulations include the effects of gravity, radiative losses from optically thin plasma, the thermal conduction and a detailed modeling of the stellar chromosphere. Here we present the results of a simulation based on the parameters of the CTTS MP Mus.

By extrapolating from observationally derived surface magnetograms of low-mass stars we construct models of their coronal magnetic fields and compare the 3D field geometry with axial multipoles. AB Dor, which has a radiative core, has a very complex field, whereas V374 Peg, which is completely convective, has a simple dipolar field. We calculate global X-ray emission measures assuming that the plasma trapped along the coronal loops is in hydrostatic equilibrium and compare the differences between assuming isothermal coronae, or by considering a loop temperature profiles. Our preliminary results suggest that the non-isothermal model works well for the complex field of AB Dor, but not for the simple field of V374 Peg., 4 pages, proceedings of Cool Stars 15, St Andrews, July 2008, to be published in the Conference Proceedings Series of the American Institute of Physics

We have analyzed optical spectra of 25 X-ray sources identified as potential new members of the Taurus molecular cloud (TMC), in order to confirm their membership in this SFR. Fifty-seven candidates were previously selected among the X-ray sources in the XEST survey, having a 2MASS counterpart compatible with a PMS star based on color-magnitude and color-color diagrams. We obtained high-resolution optical spectra for 7 of these candidates with the SARG spectrograph at the TNG telescope, which were used to search for Li absorption and to measure the Ha line and the radial and rotational velocities; 18 low-resolution optical spectra obtained with DOLORES for other candidate members were used for spectral classification, for Ha measurements, and to assess membership together with IR color-color and color-magnitude diagrams and additional information from the X-ray data. We found that 3 sources show Li absorption, with equivalent widths of ~500 mA, broad spectral line profiles, indicating v sin i ~20-40 km/s, radial velocities consistent with those for known members, and Ha emission. Two of them are classified as new WTTSs, while the EW (~ -9 Ang) of the Ha line and its broad asymmetric profile clearly indicate that the third star (XEST-26-062) is a CTTS. Fourteen sources observed with DOLORES are M-type stars. Fifteen sources show Ha emission; 6 of them have spectra that indicate surface gravity lower than in MS stars, and their de-reddened positions in IR color-magnitude diagrams are consistent with their derived spectral type and with PMS models at the distance of the TMC. The K-type star XEST-11-078 is confirmed as a new member from the strength of its Ha emission line. Overall, we confirm membership to the TMC for 10 out of 25 X-ray sources observed in the optical. Three sources remain uncertain., 15 pages, 7 figures, accepted by Astronomy & Astrophysics

We present the High Performance Computing (HPC) projects jointly developed at the INAF - Osservatorio Astronomico di Palermo and at the DSFA - Universita` di Palermo which benefits of the Grid infrastructure of COMETA. We have contributed to setup the infrastructure in order to run HPC applications on the Grid. We report on our experience regarding to porting HPC applications to the Grid and to the first HPC simulations performed. The most demanding simulations describe the interaction of a magnetized supernova shock wave with an interstellar gas cloud. We discuss the resources required for the simulations, the performance and the scalability of our code on the Grid, and present first results.

Context: High spectral resolution X-ray observations of classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs) demonstrate the presence of plasma at temperature T~2-3×10^6 K and density n_e~10^11-10^13 cm^-3, which are unobserved in non-accreting stars. Stationary models suggest that this emission is due to shock-heated accreting material, but do not allow us to analyze the stability of the material and its position in the stellar atmosphere. Aims: We investigate the dynamics and stability of shock-heated accreting material in classical T Tauri stars and the role of the stellar chromosphere in determining the position and thickness of the shocked region. Methods: We perform one-dimensional hydrodynamic simulations of the impact of an accretion flow on the chromosphere of a CTTS, including the effects of gravity, radiative losses from optically thin plasma, thermal conduction and a well tested detailed model of the stellar chromosphere. We present the results of a simulation based on the parameters of the CTTS MP Mus. Results: We find that the accretion shock generates an hot slab of material above the chromosphere with a maximum thickness of 1.8 × 10^9 cm, density n_e~10^11-10^12 cm^-3, temperature T~3×10^6 K, and uniform pressure equal to the ram pressure of the accretion flow (~450 dyn cm^-2). The base of the shocked region penetrates the chromosphere and remains at a position at which the ram pressure is equal to the thermal pressure. The system evolves with quasi-periodic instabilities of the material in the slab leading to cyclic disappearance and re-formation of the slab. For an accretion rate of ~10^-10 Msun yr^-1, the shocked region emits a time-averaged X-ray luminosity of L_X=7×10^29 erg s^-1, which is comparable with the X-ray luminosity observed in CTTSs of identical mass. Furthermore, the X-ray spectrum synthesized from the simulation reproduces in detail all the main features of the O VIII and O VII lines of the star MP Mus.

As shown by observations, many young stars (age

The solar corona is a template to understand stellar activity. The Sun is a moderately active star, and its corona differs from active stars: active stellar coronae have a double-peaked EM(T) with the hot peak at 8-20 MK, while the non flaring solar corona has one peak at 1-2 MK. We study the average contribution of flares to the solar EM(T) to investigate indirectly the hypothesis that the hot peak of the EM(T) of active stellar coronae is due to a large number of unresolved solar-like flares, and to infer properties on the flare distribution from nano- to macro-flares. We measure the disk-integrated time-averaged emission measure, EM_F(T), of an unbiased sample of solar flares analyzing uninterrupted GOES/XRS light curves over time intervals of one month. We obtain the EM_Q(T) of quiescent corona for the same time intervals from the Yohkoh/SXT data. To investigate how EM_F(T) and EM_Q(T) vary with the solar cycle, we evaluate them at different phases of the cycle (from Dec. 1991 to Apr. 1998). Irrespective of the solar cycle phase, EM_F(T) appears like a peak of the distribution significantly larger than the values of EM_Q(T) for T~5-10 MK. As a result the time-averaged EM(T) of the whole solar corona is double-peaked, with the hot peak, due to time-averaged flares, located at temperature similar of that of active stars, but less enhanced. The EM_F(T) shape supports the hypothesis that the hot EM(T) peak of active coronae is due to unresolved solar-like flares. If this is the case, quiescent and flare components should follow different scaling laws for increasing stellar activity. In the assumption that the heating of the corona is entirely due to flares, from nano- to macro-flares, then either the flare distribution or the confined plasma response to flares, or both, are bimodal., Comment: 8 pages, 7 postscript figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics

Nella donazione, la mancanza della causa nel senso originario del termine, viene sostituita dal formalismo.

We study the properties of X-ray emitting plasma of MP Mus, an old classical T Tauri star. We aim at checking whether an accretion process produces the observed X-ray emission and at deriving the accretion parameters and the characteristics of the shock-heated plasma. We compare the properties of MP Mus with those of younger classical T Tauri stars to test whether age is related to the properties of the X-ray emission plasma. XMM-Newton X-ray spectra allows us to measure plasma temperatures, abundances, and electron density. In particular the density of cool plasma probes whether X-ray emission is produced by plasma heated in the accretion process. X-ray emission from MP Mus originates from high density cool plasma but a hot flaring component is also present, suggesting that both coronal magnetic activity and accretion contribute to the observed X-ray emission. We find a Ne/O ratio similar to that observed in the much younger classical T Tauri star BP Tau. From the soft part of the X-ray emission, mostly produced by plasma heated in the accretion shock, we derive a mass accretion rate of 5x10^{-11} M_{sun} yr^{-1}., Comment: 4 pages, 4 postscript figures, accepted for publication as a Letter in Astronomy and Astrophysics

We study X-ray emission from young stars by analyzing deep XMM-Newton observations of two regions of the Upper Scorpius association, having an age of 5 Myr. Based on near infrared and optical photometry we identify 22 Upper Scorpius photometric members among the 224 detected X-ray sources. We derive coronal properties of Upper Scorpius stars by performing X-ray spectral and timing analysis. The study of four strong and isolated stellar flares allows us to derive the length of the flaring loops. Among the 22 Upper Scorpius stars, 13 are identified as Upper Scorpius photometric members for the first time. The sample includes 7 weak-line T Tauri stars and 1 classical T Tauri star, while the nature of the remaining sources is unknown. Except for the intermediate mass star HD 142578, all the detected USco sources are low mass stars of spectral type ranging from G to late M. The X-ray emission spectrum of the most intense Upper Scorpius sources indicates metal depleted plasma with temperature of ~10 MK, resembling the typical coronal emission of active main sequence stars. At least 59% of the detected members of the association have variable X-ray emission, and the flaring coronal structures appear shorter than or comparable to the stellar radii already at the Upper Scorpius age. We also find indication of increasing plasma metallicity (up to a factor 20) during strong flares. We identify a new galaxy cluster among the 224 X-ray source detected: the X-ray spectrum of its intra cluster medium indicates a redshift of 0.41+/-0.02., Comment: 27 pages, 15 postscript figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysics. A complete version of the paper, containing better qaulity figures and Appendices B & C, is available at http://www.astropa.unipa.it/Library/preprint.html

We present results of the X-ray monitoring of V4046 Sgr, a close classical T Tauri star binary, with both components accreting material. The 360 ks long XMM observation allowed us to measure the plasma densities at different temperatures, and to check whether and how the density varies with time. We find that plasma at temperatures of 1–4 MK has high densities, and we observe correlated and simultaneous density variations of plasma, probed by O VII and Ne IX triplets. These results strongly indicate that all the inspected He-like triplets are produced by high-density plasma heated in accretion shocks, and located at the base of accretion flows.

In classical T Tauri stars (CTTS) strong shocks are formed where the accretion funnel impacts with the denser stellar chromosphere. Although current models of accretion provide a plausible global picture of this process, some fundamental aspects are still unclear: the observed X-ray luminosity in accretion shocks is order of magnitudes lower than predicted; the observed density and temperature structures of the hot post-shock region are puzzling and still unexplained by models.To address these issues we performed 2D MHD simulations describing an accretion stream impacting onto the chromosphere of a CTTS, exploring different configurations and strengths of the magnetic field. From the model results we then synthesized the X-ray emission emerging from the hot post-shock, taking into account the local absorption due to the pre-shock stream and surrounding atmosphere.We find that the different configurations and strengths of the magnetic field profoundly affect the hot post-shock properties. Moreover the emerging X-ray emission strongly depends also on the viewing angle under which accretion is observed. Some of the explored configuration are able to reproduce the observed features of X-ray spectra of CTTS.

We report on the analysis of high resolution X-ray spectra of two pre-main-sequence stars: TWA 5 (observed with XMM-Newton) and PZ Telescopii (observed with Chandra/HETGS). TWA 5 is a classical T Tauri star in the TW Hydrae association while PZ Tel is a rapidly rotating weak-lined T Tauri star in the beta-Pictoris moving group. For both stars we have reconstructed the emission measure distribution and derived the coronal abundances to check for possible patterns of the abundances related to the first ionization potential of the various elements. We have also derived estimates of the plasma density from the analysis of the He-like triplets. We compare the characteristics of our targets with those of other pre-main sequence stars previously analyzed by other authors: TW Hya, HD 98800 and HD 283572. Our findings suggest that X-ray emission from classical T Tauri and weak-lined T Tauri stars is produced in all cases by magnetically-heated coronae, except for TW Hya which has unique plasma temperatures and densities. Moreover we derive that TWA 5 has the same peculiar Ne/Fe abundance ratio as TW Hya., Comment: 4 pages, 8 postscript figures, to appear in the proceedings of Cool Stars 13 conference

Young low-mass accreting stars (classical T Tauri stars; CTTSs) possess strong magnetic fields that are responsible for the regulation of the accretion and outflow processes, and the confinement and heating of coronal plasma. Understanding the physics of CTTS magnetospheres and of their interaction with circumstellar disks can elucidate the history and evolution of our own Sun and Solar System, at the stage when planets were being formed. In June 2009 we have conducted an extensive multi-wavelength observing campaign of V2129 Oph, a K5 CTTS in the ρ Ophiuchi molecular cloud, with the goal of obtaining a synoptic view of its photosphere, magnetic field, coronal plasma, and of its accretion spot(s) and funnel flow(s). We here report on the X-ray emission, as observed by the Chandra High Energy Transmission Grating (HETG). High-density plasma, presumably from the accretion shock, is responsible for the soft X-ray emission, at least during the first half of the observation. The X-ray emission from both the coronal plasma (T˜20MK) and the cooler and denser material from the accretion spot (T˜3MK) is observed to vary between the first and second half of the observation. From the high-resolution X-ray spectra we constrain the emission measure of the two components and the density of the cool plasma. Finally we interpret the time variability of the cool plasma component in terms of stellar rotation and the time-changing viewing angle of the accretion stream, as constrained by simultaneous optical observations.

We investigate the capability of detecting, with Simbol-X, non-thermal emission during stellar flares, and distinguishing it from hot thermal emission. We find that flare non-thermal emission is detectable when at least ~20 cts are detected with the CZT detector in the 20-80 keV band. Therefore Simbol-X will detect the non-thermal emission from some of the X-ray brightest nearby stars, whether the thermal vs. non-thermal relation, derived for solar flares, holds., 2 pages, 2 postscript figures, proceedings of the workshop "Simbol-X: the hard X-ray universe in focus", to be published in "Memorie of the Italian Astronomical Society"

In this paper we present a detailed analysis of two X-ray spectra of Capella, taken eleven months apart with the Low Energy Transmission Grating Spectrometer (LETGS) of the Chandra Observatory. We have studied variability of the coronal emission over different time scales, both in the whole X-ray band and in narrow temperature ranges identified by lines. The comparison of the two observations shows that the whole coronal emission of Capella in March 2000 was 3% higher than in February 2001; there also appears to be a tendency, albeit a marginal one, for the hottest lines to show the largest changes between the two observations. A detailed search for short-term variability (on time scales ranging from 102 to 104 s) in the emission of individual lines shows that in all cases the emission is compatible with a constant source; the firm upper limits of 5%-10% to the source variability on short time scales suggests that the intense X-ray emission is due to stable coronal structures and not to flaring activity. We have also determined the coronal thermal structure, as described with the emission measure distribution vs. temperature and with the help of plasma density, derived from the analysis of the O Vii, Ne Ix, Mg Xi and Si Xiii He-like ion triplets. The emission measure distribution, em(T), and the element abundances, have been reconstructed with the Markov-Chain Monte Carlo method by \citeauthor{KashyapDrake1998}; the em(T) presents a previously known sharp peak around log T=6.8-6.9, but we have also found evidence of a small amount of plasma at T>107 K. With the help of the em(T) and the density values we have estimated the pressure and volume of the emitting plasma at different temperatures, and we have derived information about the structure of individual loops and about the population of loops having different maximum temperatures. Our results indicate that loops with higher maximum temperature have higher pressure and smaller volume than lower temperature loops.

We discuss various studies of the global properties of coronal heating. Some of them find power laws tying the X-ray luminosity with the magnetic flux of individual structures, of the whole Sun, and of active solar-type stars. Others are based on methods to model the Sun as an X-ray star. We also briefly discuss solar-like active stars and how the Sun fits in the whole scenario. We use a new model, including all flares, of the Sun as an X-ray star to describe the evolution of the corona along the solar cycle and the implications on the heating of closed coronal structures. We point out that, as activity increases, more heating is released into the confined coronal plasma and such a heating has to be, on average, more intense in order to explain the widespread evidence of a temperature increase with activity. By the same token, nanoflare heating (if existent) has to increase and decrease along the cycle differently from flares.

To study the accretion shocks of classical T Tauri stars (CTTS) we obtained high-resolution X-ray spectra of two CTTS, V2129 Oph and V4046 Sgr, to look for phase-resolved X-ray signatures of shock-heated plasma. The 200 ks Chandra/HETGS observation of V2129 Oph (a 1.35 M sun star, rotating in 6.5 d) covered 0.5 stellar rotation. The 360 ks XMM/RGS observation of V4046 Sgr (a binary system, with two 0.9 M sun components, synchronously rotating in 2.42 d) monitored 2.2 system rotations. The stellar photosphere, magnetic field, and accretion geometry of both stars were constrained by quasi-simultaneous optical monitoring (photometry, spectroscopy, and spectropolarimetry). The cool plasma component of V2129 Oph varies, with high density plasma and high EM observed during the first observing segment, and lower density and lower EM observed during the second. The emission lines, produced by the high density cool plasma of V4046 Sgr, display periodic flux variations with a period of half the system rotational period. Our results confirm that the dense cool plasma in CTTS is material heated in the accretion shock, and that the observed X-ray variability can be explained in terms different viewing angles at different rotational phases of the accretion-shock region.

The Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey has begun and will obtain high quality spectroscopy of some 100000 Milky Way stars, in the field and in open clusters, down to magnitude 19, systematically covering all the major components of the Milky Way. This survey will provide the first homogeneous overview of the distributions of kinematics and chemical element abundances in the Galaxy. The motivation, organisation and implementation of the Gaia-ESO Survey are described, emphasising the complementarity with the ESA Gaia mission. Spectra from the very first observing run of the survey are presented.

By extrapolating from observationally derived surface magnetograms of low-mass stars we construct models of their coronal magnetic fields and compare the 3D field geometries with axial multipoles. AB Dor, which has a radiative core, has a very complex field, whereas V374 Peg, which is completely convective, has a simple dipolar field. We calculate global X-ray emission measures assuming that the plasma trapped along the coronal loops is in hydrostatic equilibrium and compare the differences between assuming isothermal coronae, or by considering loop temperature profiles. Our preliminary results suggest that the non-isothermal model works well for the complex field of AB Dor, but not for the simple field of V374 Peg.

We present a systematic search for Fe Kα emission from young stellar objects of the ρ Ophiuchi star forming region observed in the Deep Rho Ophiuchi XMM-Newton Observation.

Studying the solar corona, due to its vicinity, is the starting point to understand stellar activity. The emission measure distribution vs temperature, EM(T), is a useful tool to study coronal plasmas, in fact it allows: to investigate the energy balance of coronal plasmas, to easily compare different stars, and also to compare the solar corona to that of other active stars irrespective of the very different observing techniques. The EM(T) of the solar corona differs significantly, in terms of average plasma temperatures, peak temperatures, and total emission measure, with respect to that of active stars. In this work it is discussed how the evaluation of the EM(T) of the solar corona, and of its components (quiescent plasma, active regions, flares, etc.), parallel to the reconstruction of the EM(T) of stars at different activity levels, can be used to investigate coronal physics.