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The Spitzer c2d survey of weak-line T Tauri stars. I. Initial results

Padgett, Deborah L. and Cieza, Lucas and Stapelfeldt, Karl R. and Evans, Neal J. and Koerner, David and Sargent, Anneila and Fukagawa, Misato and van Dishoeck, Ewine F. and Augereau, Jean-Charles and Allen, Lori and Blake, Geoff and Brooke, Tim and Chapman, Nicholas and Harvey, Paul and Porras, Alicia and Lai, Shih-Ping and Mundy, Lee and Myers, Philip C. and Spiesman, William and Wahhaj, Zahed (2006) The Spitzer c2d survey of weak-line T Tauri stars. I. Initial results. Astrophysical Journal, 645 (2). pp. 1283-1296. ISSN 1538-4357

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Publisher’s or external URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/504374

Abstract

Using the Spitzer Space Telescope, we have observed 90 weak-line and classical T Tauri stars in the vicinity of the Ophiuchus, Lupus, Chamaeleon, and Taurus star-forming regions as part of the Cores to Disks (c2d) Spitzer Legacy project. In addition to the Spitzer data, we have obtained contemporaneous optical photometry to assist in constructing spectral energy distributions. These objects were specifically chosen as solar-type young stars with low levels of H alpha emission, strong X-ray emission, and lithium absorption, i.e., weak-line T Tauri stars, most of which were undetected in the mid- to far-IR by the IRAS survey. Weak-line T Tauri stars are potentially extremely important objects in determining the timescale over which disk evolution may take place. Our objective is to determine whether these young stars are diskless or have remnant disks that are below the detection threshold of previous infrared missions. We find that only 5/83 weak-line T Tauri stars have detectable excess emission between 3.6 and 70 mu m, which would indicate the presence of dust from the inner few tenths of an AU out to the planet-forming regions a few tens of AU from the star. Of these sources, two have small excesses at 24 mu m consistent with optically thin disks; the others have optically thick disks already detected by previous IR surveys. All of the seven classical T Tauri stars show excess emission at 24 and 70 mu m although their properties vary at shorter wavelengths. Our initial results show that disks are rare among young stars selected for their weak H alpha emission.

Item Type: Article
Publisher’s Statement: © 2006 The American Astronomical Society. Published by IOP Publishing.
ID number or DOI: 10.1086/504374
Keywords: circumstellar disks; evolutionary status; infrared : stars; main-sequence stars; planetary systems : protoplanetary disks; planet formation; proper motion; protoplanetary disks; space-telescope; spectral energy-distributions; stars : pre-main-sequence; x-ray sources; young stellar objects
Subjects: Q Science > QB Astronomy
NAU Depositing Author Academic Status: Faculty/Staff
Department/Unit: College of Engineering, Forestry, and Natural Science > Physics and Astronomy
Date Deposited: 30 Sep 2015 17:41
URI: http://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/415

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