On the interstellar extinction law toward young stars

We have determined the atomic hydrogen column density N _HI toward all of the young stars from the Taurus-Auriga-Perseus star-forming complex for which the corresponding spectra are available in the Hubble Space Telescope archive (nine stars) by analyzing the Lyα line profile. We show that the stars studied, except DR Tau, lie not far from the edge of the gaseous cloud of the star-forming region closest to us or, more precisely, inside the outer H I shell of the cloud. This shell with a column density of N _HI ? 6 × 10²⁰ cm^?2 surrounds the molecular gas of the cloud composed of a diffuse component (the so-called diffuse screen) in which dense, compact TMC-1 cores are embedded. The properties of the dust grains toward the stars that lie at the front edge of the cloud most likely differ only slightly from those of the interstellar dust outside star-forming regions. This casts doubt on the validity of the hypothesis that the extinction curve toward young stars has an anomalously low amplitude of the 2175 Å bump—such an extinction curve is observed for the field stars HD 29647 and HD 283809 toward which the line of sight passes through the TMC-1 core.     

Systematic variations of interstellar linear polarization and growth of dust grains

The observed relation between the interstellar linear polarization curve parameters K and λ _max characterizing the width and the wavelength of the polarization maximum, respectively, is interpreted quantitatively. We have considered 57 stars located in four dark clouds with evidence of star formation: in Taurus, Chamaeleon, around the stars ρ Oph and R CrA. In our modeling we have used the spheroidal dust grain model applied previously to simultaneously interpret the interstellar extinction and polarization curves in a wide wavelength range. The observed trend K ≈ 1.7λ _max is shown to be most likely related to the growth of dust grains due to coagulation rather than accretion. The relationship of the interstellar polarization curve parameters K and λ _max to the mean dust grain size is discussed.     

Cloudy circumstellar dust shells around young variable stars

A number of variable stars of the Orion population has been identified with IRAS point sources by us. This finding supports the conclusion that the prominent Algol-like minima in the lightcurves of these stars originate from obscurations by dust clouds in a circumstellar shell. The discussion of the existingUBVR data leads to the remarkable conclusion that the extinction properties of the grain populations contained in individual dust clouds moving in one and the same circumstellar shell are quite different.From the multicolour photometric data of the different Algol-like minima we derived individual values of the reddening parameterR = A _v /E(B - V). It covers a remarkable wide range of values from that one typical of the interstellar extinction law up to 7. In the case of SV Cep one of the grain populations produces a virtually neutral extinction. The large values ofR speak in favour of larger than normal (interstellar) dust grains, which may have grown by coagulation processes. The cloudy circumstellar dust shell provides a natural explanation for the observed infrared excess. The properties derived from the optical light variations are fully compatible with the properties deduced from the infrared radiation. The irregularity of the light variations indicates that many clouds are involved and may sometimes superimpose themselves.Paper presented at the Conference onPlanetary Systems: Formation, Evolution, and Detection held 7–10 December, 1992 at CalTech, Pasadena, California, U.S.A.     

Far-infrared observations of main sequence stars surrounded by dust shells

We present 50 and 100µm photometry and size information for several main sequence stars surrounded by dust shells. The observations from NASA's Kuiper Airborne Observatory include the Vega-like stars, Beta Pic, Fomalhaut, as well as four stars suggested by Walker and Wolstencroft to belong possibly to the same class. The results of our observations are best interpreted as upper limits to the far-infrared sizes of the dust clouds around all of the stars except Fomalhaut and Beta Pic. We have also fit simple, optically thin models to the Beta Pic data to explore the range of shell parameters consistent with our limits and with previous observations.     

Linking meteorites to their asteroid parent bodies: The capabilities of dust analyzer instruments during asteroid flybys

Linking meteorites to their asteroid parent bodies remains an outstanding issue. Space-based dust characterization using impact ionization mass spectrometry is a proven technique for the compositional analysis of individual cosmic dust grains. Here we investigate the feasibility of determining asteroid compositions via cation mass spectrometric analyses of their dust ejecta clouds during low (7–9 km s⁻¹) velocity spacecraft flybys. At these speeds, the dust grain mass spectra are dominated by easily ionized elements and molecular species. Using known bulk mineral volume abundances, we show that it is feasible to discriminate the common meteorite classes of carbonaceous chondrites, ordinary chondrites, and howardite–eucrite–diogenite achondrites, as well as their subtypes, relying solely on the detection of elements with ionization efficiencies of ≤700 or ≤800 kJ mol⁻¹, applicable to low (~7 km s⁻¹) and intermediate (~9 km s⁻¹) flyby speed scenarios, respectively. Including the detection of water ion groups enables greater discrimination between certain meteorite types, and flyby speeds ≥10 km s⁻¹ enhance the diagnostic capabilities of this technique still further. Although additional terrestrial calibration is required, this technique may allow more unequivocal asteroid-meteorite connections to be determined by spacecraft flybys, emphasizing the utility of dust instruments on future asteroid missions.     

Untersuchungen der inneren Struktur interstellarer Wolken. I. Photographisch-photometrische Methode

For investigation of the inner structure of interstellar clouds with aid of the photographic photometry the dust density in the clouds must be higher than a minimum value depending on the diameter of the clouds and on the size of the structure elements to be recognized. There is also a highest value of the density for these observations depending on the extent of the clouds, on the spatial distribution of A-type stars, and on the used observing instrument. The calculations were done for an instrument of about 24 inches aperture (Schmidt-camera of the Jena Observatory). The smallest clouds, which can be investigated with an instrument of this aperture and reasonable demands of the size of structure elements, must have a diameter of 15 pc. The mean dust density of this cloud has to be about 4 · 10⁻²⁵ g cm⁻³. The density of bigger clouds can vary within a determined interval, e.g. 10⁻²⁵ g cm⁻³ < gD < 10⁻²⁴ g cm⁻³ for D = 50 pc. The considerations were done for clouds with constant density and with a density gradient depending on the distance to the centre of the cloud.     

On the nature of the unique eclipsing system H 187 (HMW 15)

We present our photometric observations of the T Tauri star H 187. They confirm our conclusion that a new extended eclipse has begun in this young object. By the end of 2005, H 187 reached its minimum light following which its brightness began to slowly increase. Comparison with the previous ～3.5-yr-long eclipse observed by Cohen et al. shows that the new eclipse follows the previous eclipse fairly closely and, hence, it was caused by a second passage of the same extended dust or gas-dust cloud around the object. We have estimated the period between these events to be 4.7 yr. The object reddened during the eclipse, suggesting that the extinction was produced by small grains ～0.1μm in size. Possible mechanisms of such unusual eclipses are discussed. We draw an analogy between these eclipses and the cycles of photometric activity observed in UX Ori stars. Light curves similar to those observed for H 187 are shown to be obtained in the model of a young binary system with a low-mass companion accreting matter from the remnants of a protostellar cloud at a rate of ～10^?9 M _⊙ yr^?1.     

H2 Diagnostics of Magnetic Molecular Shocks in Bipolar Outflows

The shock waves associated with molecular outflows may be of continuous (C) type or jump (J) type, depending on conditions in the preshock gas, notably the magnetic field strength and the degree of ionisation. Intermediate situations also exist, in which a J-discontinuity terminates or is embedded in a C-type flow. We show that proper allowance for the departure of the chemistry from equilibrium (particularly the dissociation/reformation of H₂) and for the inertia of charged dust grains, is crucial for an accurate treatment of the C to J transition. We illustrate the use of H₂ population diagrams and H₂ line profiles, in conjunction with our detailed shock model, to constrain conditions in shocks propagating in molecular outflows. We show that H₂ pure rotational lines yield evidence for C-type precursors in bipolar outflows from young stars, with transverse magnetic field strengths B (μG) ? 1–10 × $\sqrt {n_{H/{\text{cm}}^{ - 3} } } $ similar to those inferred from Zeeman splitting and from the dispersion of dust polarization vectors in dense clouds.     

Dust in the disk winds from young stars as a source of the circumstellar extinction

We consider the problem of dust grain survival in the disk winds from T Tauri and Herbig Ae stars. For our analysis, we have chosen a disk wind model in which the gas component of the wind is heated through ambipolar diffusion to a temperature of ～10⁴ K. We show that the heating of dust grains through their collisions with gas atoms is inefficient compared to their heating by stellar radiation and, hence, the grains survive even in the hot wind component. As a result, the disk wind can be opaque to the ultraviolet and optical stellar radiation and is capable of absorbing an appreciable fraction of it. Calculations show that the fraction of the wind-absorbed radiation for T Tauri stars can be from 20 to 40% of the total stellar luminosity at an accretion rate ? _a = 10^?8-10^?6 M _⊙yr^?1. This means that the disk winds from T Tauri stars can play the same role as the puffed-up inner rim in current accretion disk models. In Herbig Ae stars, the inner layers of the disk wind (r ≤ 0.5 AU) are dust-free, since the dust in this region sublimates under the effect of stellar radiation. Therefore, the fraction of the radiation absorbed by the disk wind in this case is considerably smaller and can be comparable to the effect from the puffed-up inner rim only at an accretion rate of the order of or higher than 10^?6 M _⊙yr^?1. Since the disk wind is structurally inhomogeneous, its optical depth toward the observer can be variable, which should be reflected in the photometric activity of young stars. For the same reason, moving shadows from gas and dust streams with a spiral-like shape can be observed in high-angular-resolution circumstellar disk images.     

The ney-allen nebula: an unambiguous example of circumstellar dust emission

Diffraction-limited array images of the Trapezium/Ney Allen infrared nebula have been obtained at six wavelengths between 7.8 and 12.4 microns, including the 9.7 micron silicate feature. Extended emission from warm dust shows significant differences in structure around each of the four Trapezium stars. The most dramatic infrared source is associated with ¹ Orionis D, where the bright mid-infrared emission is found to be a distinct crescent-shaped ridge or shell, concentric with the O star. This unambiguous relationship between a known type stellar luminosity source and a distinct circumstellar dust cloud of known distance and dimensions provides a unique opportunity to test the predictions of dust grain emission models for circumstellar infrared sources.     

A search for fragmentation debris near Ursa Major Stream stars

Accretion models of planet formation and the early cratering history of the solar system suggest that planet formation is accompanied by a cloud of debris resulting from accumulation and fragmentation. A rough estimate of the infrared luminosities of debris clouds is presented for comparison with measured 10-μm luminosities of young stars. New measurements of 13 F, G, and K main-sequence stars of the Ursa Major Stream, which is thought to be about 2.7 x 10⁸ years old, place constraints on the amount of debris which could be present near these stars.     

A search for protoplanetary discs around millisecond pulsars

Since the discovery of companions to B1257+12, it has been known that planets can exist around pulsars. Such planets may be formed in discs analogous to those around young stars, so we have searched for dust grain emission towards a sample of nine nearby millisecond pulsars. No emission is detected down to typical 2 σ limits of 5 mJy, at a wavelength of 850 μm. Using a model in which grains are heated by the pulsar spin-down luminosity, these dust flux limits correspond to disc masses of typically 10 Earth masses. The low dust limits show that nearby pulsar planets must already exist, rather than be in the process of forming, but only B1257+12 is known to have such planets. Planetary systems appear to occur around only a few per cent of pulsars and main-sequence stars, and are thus a rare phenomenon irrespective of circumstellar environment.     

Observational Evidence for Grain Growth

Discs around young stars are the sites of planet formation. The first step in this process is the growth of submicron grains to larger sized grains. I will review evidence for dust growth in CS discs, based on ISO and Spitzer infrared spectroscopic observations. Intermediate-mass stars, solar-type stars and even brown dwarfs will be discussed in the context of dust evolution. Furthermore, I will compare objects of several star-forming regions of different ages, and discuss the influence of the stellar parameters and environment on dust evolution, as witnessed by the observed dust characteristics. The main focus lies on what one can learn from 10 micron spectroscopy, the region where most astronomical dust species have important spectral features.     

Protoplanetary dust clouds in disks of Herbig Ae/Be stars

The very large brightness decrease of late-type Herbig Ae/Be stars is believed to be caused by obscuring dust clouds orbiting in the outer parts of their circumstellar disks. The distances of the dust clouds to the central stars have been estimated using the wavelength at maximum flux of the excess near-IR radiation, Wien's displacement law, and a formula derived by Rowan-Robinson (1980). The critical masses of these clouds were calculated employing Chandrasekhar's (1943) formula. The minimum size of the dust grains in the obscuring clouds was estimated using Aumannet al.'s (1984) formula they had applied to the star Lyr. However, it can be about ten times smaller if the dust grains are situated at the back of the cloud. The average size of these grains has been determined by assuming a size distribution similar to that in the asteroidal belt (Dohnanyi, 1969) and in the interstellar medium (Mathiset al., 1977). Their number density was determined by means of the extinction power of the dust cloud at theV pass-band. The results of our calculations show that above parameters are similar to those in our solar system. Therefore, we believe that most probably (a) the formation of planetesimals in the circumstellar disks of Herbig Ae/Be stars is on-going; and (b) the obscuring clouds will, in the long run, become planet-like objects.Paper presented at the Conference onPlanetary Systems: Formation, Evolution, and Detection held 7–10 December, 1992 at CalTech, Pasadena, California, U.S.A.     

FTIR 2–16 micron spectroscopy of micron‐sized olivines from primitive meteorites

Abstract— Infrared spectra of mineral grains from primitive meteorites could be useful for comparison with astronomical infrared spectra since some of their grains might be similar to those formed in the planet‐forming disks around young stars or in the envelopes surrounding late‐type stars. To assess the usefulness of meteorite spectra, olivine grains separated from primitive meteorites have been analyzed using FTIR microscope techniques in the 2–16 μm wavelength range. The sub‐micron sizes of the grains made a complex preparation process necessary. Five characteristic bands were measured near 11.9, 11.2, 10.4, 10.1, and 10.0 μm. The results of 59 analyses allow the calculation of band positions for meteoritic olivines as a function of their iron and magnesium contents. Comparison of the meteoritic results with astronomical data for comets and dust around young and old stars, which exhibit bands similar to the strongest infrared bands observed in the grains (at 11.2 μm), show that the spectral resolution of the astronomical observations is too low to ascertain the exact iron and magnesium (Mg: Fe) ratio of the dust in the 8–13 μm wavelength range.     

Unusual infrared fading of CH Cygni in 2006

Infrared observations of the unique symbiotic system CH Cyg in 2003–2006 are presented. Analysis of the observations has shown that a fairly dense dust structure (a cloud or a shell) appeared on the line of sight in August–November 2006. The dust grains in the new shell are similar in optical properties to graphite ones and their sizes are mostly within the range 0.14–0.16 μm. The dust shell is optically thick and its optical depth at 2.2 μm is τ(2.2) ≈ 0.97. The dust shell mass is M _d(06) ≈ 8 × 10⁻⁶ M _⊙ and the rate of matter flow into the shell has reached ∼2 × 10⁻⁵ M _⊙ yr⁻¹. Original Russian Text ? O.G. Taranova, V.I. Shenavrin, 2007, published in Pis’ma v Astronomicheskiĭ Zhurnal, 2007, Vol. 33, No. 8, pp. 598–603.     

Infrared spectral variations of three Mira variable carbon stars with the 11.3 μm SiC feature

The spectral variations of three Mira variable carbon stars, V CrB, T Dra and V Cyg in the infrared are investigated based on ISO SWS data. It is found that either continua or molecular/dust features were variable with time in the infrared for these carbon stars during one and a half year observations. When stars were brighter the infrared continuum spectra became blue while stars were fainter the infrared continuum spectra became red. In addition, during spectral variations there were the correlation between the 3.05 μm HCN+C₂H₂ and the 5.2 μm C₃ molecular band strengths and the anti-correlation between the 3.05 μm HCN+C₂H₂ molecular band strengths and 13.7 μm C₂H₂ band strengths while during variations the 11.3 μm SiC dust emission strengths were not clearly changed.     

The dust trail of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko

We report the detection of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko's dust trail and nucleus in 24 μm Spitzer Space Telescope images taken February 2004. The dust trail is not found in optical Palomar images taken June 2003. Both the optical and infrared images show a distinct neck-line tail structure, offset from the projected orbit of the comet. We compare our observations to simulated images using a Monte Carlo approach and a dynamical model for comet dust. We estimate the trail to be at least one orbit old (6.6 years) and consist of particles of size ?100 μm. The neck-line is composed of similar sized particles, but younger in age. Together, our observations and simulations suggest grains 100 μm and larger in size dominate the total mass ejected from the comet. The radiometric effective radius of the nucleus is 1.87±0.08 km, derived from the Spitzer observation. The Rosetta spacecraft is expected to arrive at and orbit this comet in 2014. Assuming the trail is comprised solely of 1 mm radius grains, we compute a low probability (∼¹⁰⁻³) of a trail grain impacting with Rosetta during approach and orbit insertion.     

Fossil magnetic field of accretion disks of young stars

We elaborate the model of accretion disks of young stars with the fossil large-scale magnetic field in the frame of Shakura and Sunyaev approximation. Equations of the MHD model include Shakura and Sunyaev equations, induction equation and equations of ionization balance. Magnetic field is determined taking into account ohmic diffusion, magnetic ambipolar diffusion and buoyancy. Ionization fraction is calculated considering ionization by cosmic rays and X-rays, thermal ionization, radiative recombinations and recombinations on the dust grains. Analytical solution and numerical investigations show that the magnetic field is coupled to the gas in the case of radiative recombinations. Magnetic field is quasi-azimuthal close to accretion disk inner boundary and quasi-radial in the outer regions. Magnetic field is quasi-poloidal in the dusty “dead” zones with low ionization degree, where ohmic diffusion is efficient. Magnetic ambipolar diffusion reduces vertical magnetic field in 10 times comparing to the frozen-in field in this region. Magnetic field is quasi-azimuthal close to the outer boundary of accretion disks for standard ionization rates and dust grain size a _d=0.1 μm. In the case of large dust grains (a _d>0.1 μm) or enhanced ionization rates, the magnetic field is quasi-radial in the outer regions. It is shown that the inner boundary of dusty “dead” zone is placed at r=(0.1–0.6) AU for accretion disks of stars with M=(0.5–2)?M _⊙. Outer boundary of “dead” zone is placed at r=(3–21) AU and it is determined by magnetic ambipolar diffusion. Mass of solid material in the “dead” zone is more than 3?M _⊕ for stars with M≥1?M _⊙.