Properties of the Closest Young Binaries. I. DF Tau's Unequal Circumstellar Disk Evolution

We present high-resolution, spatially resolved, near-infrared spectroscopy and imaging of the two components of DF Tau, a young, low-mass, visual binary in the Taurus star-forming region. With these data, we provide a more precise orbital solution for the system, determine component spectral types,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inThe Astrophysical journal Vol. 845; no. 2; pp. 161 - 176
Main Authors Allen, T. S., Prato, L., Wright-Garba, N., Schaefer, G., Biddle, L. I., Skiff, B., Avilez, I., Muzzio, R., Simon, M.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Philadelphia The American Astronomical Society 20.08.2017
IOP Publishing
Subjects
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
Accretion disks
Astrophysics
ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY
binaries: visual
Binary stars
Deposition
ENERGY SPECTRA
Evolution
Infrared imaging
Infrared signatures
INFRARED SPECTRA
Infrared spectroscopy
INTERSTELLAR SPACE
Locking
MASS
Near infrared radiation
Near infrared spectroscopy
Radial velocity
RESOLUTION
Rotating disks
ROTATION
Star formation
STARS
stars: fundamental parameters
stars: individual (DF Tau)
stars: pre-main sequence
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Summary:We present high-resolution, spatially resolved, near-infrared spectroscopy and imaging of the two components of DF Tau, a young, low-mass, visual binary in the Taurus star-forming region. With these data, we provide a more precise orbital solution for the system, determine component spectral types, radial velocity, veiling and values, and construct individual spectral energy distributions. We estimate the masses of both stars to be . We find markedly different circumstellar properties for DF Tau A and B: evidence for a disk, such as near-infrared excess and accretion signatures, is clearly present for the primary, while it is absent for the secondary. Additionally, the and rotation period measurements show that the secondary is rotating significantly more rapidly than the primary. We interpret these results in the framework of disk-locking and argue that DF Tau A is an example of disk-modulated rotation in a young system. The DF Tau system raises fundamental questions about our assumptions of universal disk formation and evolution.
Bibliography:Stars and Stellar Physics
AAS02530
ISSN:0004-637X
1538-4357
DOI:10.3847/1538-4357/aa8094