Coronal structure geometries on pre-main sequence stars

Abstract

We have re-analyzed using a hydrodynamic model large flaring events on three different categories of pre-main sequence (PMS) stars: the young stellar object (YSO) YLW 15, the classical T Tauri star (CTTS) LkHalpha92, the weak-line T Tauri star (WTTS) V773 Tau, and the WTTS HD 283572 (the first three objects were observed by ASCA, the last by ROSAT; all have been previously reported in the literature). The first three flares were previously analyzed on the basis of the quasi-static model mostly used up to now, consistently yielding large loops (L >= R*) and no evidence of sustained heating. Our hydrodynamic modeling approach, however, shows that the size of the flaring regions must be much smaller (L <=R*) and moreover this method shows in all cases evidence of vigorous sustained heating during the flare decay, so that the decay of the observed light curve actually reflects the temporal profile of the heating rather than that of the free decay of the heated loop(s). The events on the protostar YLW 15 have durations comparable to the stellar rotation period, so that their limited size and their lack of self-eclipses give evidence of a polar location on the star. This is in contrast with the recently advanced hypothesis that these flares are due to long loops spanning the region between the star and the accretion disk. In general, the present analysis shows that flaring coronae on PMS stars have a structure similar to the coronae on older active stars.