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An X-Ray Outburst from the Rapidly Accreting Young Star that Illuminates McNeil's Nebula

Authors :
NAVAL OBSERVATORY FLAGSTAFF AZ
Kastner, J. H.
Richmond, M.
Grosso, N.
Weintraub, D. A.
Simon, T.
NAVAL OBSERVATORY FLAGSTAFF AZ
Kastner, J. H.
Richmond, M.
Grosso, N.
Weintraub, D. A.
Simon, T.
Source :
DTIC AND NTIS
Publication Year :
2004

Abstract

Young, low-mass stars are luminous X-ray sources whose powerful X-ray flares may exert a profound influence over the process of planet formation. The origin of the X-ray emission is uncertain. Although many (or perhaps most) recently formed, low-mass stars emit X-rays as a consequence of solar-like coronal activity, it also has been suggested that X-ray emission may be a direct result of mass accretion onto the forming star. The authors report on X-ray imaging spectroscopy observations that reveal a factor ^50 increase in the X-ray flux from a young star that is at present undergoing a spectacular optical/infrared outburst (this star illuminates McNeil's nebula). The outburst seems to be due to the sudden onset of a phase of rapid accretion. The coincidence of a surge in X-ray brightness with the optical/infrared eruption demonstrates that strongly enhanced high-energy emission from young stars can occur as a consequence of high accretion rates. The authors suggest that such accretion-enhanced X-ray emission from erupting young stars may be short-lived, because intense star disk magnetospheric interactions are quenched rapidly by the subsequent flood of new material onto the star. (1 table, 3 figures, 30 refs.)<br />Published in Nature, v430 p429-431, 22 Jul 2004. Prepared in collaboration with the Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY; Laboratoire d' Astrophysique de Grenoble, Universite Joseph-Fourier, Grenoble, France; Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN; Institute for Astronomy, Honolulu, HI; University of Rochester, Rochester, NY; and Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD.

Details

Database :
OAIster
Journal :
DTIC AND NTIS
Notes :
text/html, English
Publication Type :
Electronic Resource
Accession number :
edsoai.ocn834272578
Document Type :
Electronic Resource