arXiv subjects

Á. Kóspál

Publications and source records attributed to Á. Kóspál.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2022

A sub-Neptune planet around TOI-1695 discovered and characterized with SPIRou and TESS

TOI-1695 is a V-mag=13 M-dwarf star from the northern hemisphere at 45$\,$pc from the Sun, around which a 3.134-day periodic transit signal from a super-Earth candidate was identified in TESS photometry. With a transit depth of 1.3$\,$mmag, the radius of candidate TOI-1695.01 was estimated by the TESS pipeline to be 1.82$\,$R$_\oplus$ with an equilibrium temperature of $\sim 620\,$K. We successfully detect a reflex motion of the star and establish it is due to a planetary companion at an orbital period consistent with the photometric transit period thanks to a year-long radial-velocity monitoring of TOI-1695 by the SPIRou infrared spectropolarimeter. We use and compare different methods to reduce and analyse those data. We report a 5.5-$σ$ detection of the planetary signal, giving a mass of $5.5 \pm 1.0\,$M$_\oplus$ and a radius of $2.03 \pm 0.18\,$R$_\oplus$. We derive a mean equilibrium planet temperature of $590 \pm 90\,$K. The mean density of this small planet of $3.6 \pm 1.1\,$g$\,$cm$^{-3}$ is similar (1.7-$σ$ lower) than that of the Earth. It leads to a non-negligible fraction of volatiles in its atmosphere with $f_{H,He}=0.28^{+0.46}_{-0.23}$% or $f_\text{water}=23 \pm 12$%. TOI-1695$\,$b is a new sub-Neptune planet at the border of the M-dwarf radius valley that can help test formation scenarios for super-Earth/sub-Neptune-like planets.

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arXiv2022

Mid-infrared time-domain study of recent dust production events in the extreme debris disc of TYC 4209-1322-1

Extreme debris discs are characterized by unusually strong mid-infrared excess emission, which often proves to be variable. The warm dust in these discs is of transient nature and is likely related to a recent giant collision occurring close to the star in the terrestrial region. Here we present the results of a 877 days long, gap-free photometric monitoring performed by the Spitzer Space Telescope of the recently discovered extreme debris disc around TYC 4209-1322-1. By combining these observations with other time-domain optical and mid-infrared data, we explore the disc variability of the last four decades with particular emphasis on the last 12 yr. During the latter interval the disc showed substantial changes, the most significant was the brightening and subsequent fading between 2014 and 2018 as outlined in WISE data. The Spitzer light curves outline the fading phase and a subsequent new brightening of the disc after 2018, revealing an additional flux modulation with a period of ~39 days on top of the long-term trend. We found that all these variations can be interpreted as the outcome of a giant collision that happened at an orbital radius of ~0.3 au sometime in 2014. Our analysis implies that a collision on a similar scale could have taken place around 2010, too. The fact that the disc was already peculiarly dust rich 40 yr ago, as implied by IRAS data, suggests that these dust production events belong to a chain of large impacts triggered by an earlier even more catastrophic collision.

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arXiv2022

PENELLOPE III. The peculiar accretion variability of XX Cha and its impact on the observed spread of accretion rates

The processes regulating protoplanetary disk evolution are constrained by studying how mass accretion rates scale with stellar and disk properties. The spread in these relations can be used as a constraint to the models of disk evolution, but only if the impact of accretion variability is correctly accounted for. While the effect of variability might be substantial in the embedded phases of star formation, it is often considered limited at later stages. Here we report on the observed large variation in the accretion rate for one target, XX Cha, and we discuss the impact on population studies of classical T Tauri stars. The mass accretion rate determined by fitting the UV-to-near-infrared spectrum in recent X-Shooter observations is compared with the one measured with the same instrument 11 years before. XX Cha displays an accretion variability of almost 2 dex between 2010 and 2021. Although the timescales on which this variability happens are uncertain, XX Cha displays an extreme accretion variability for a classical T Tauri star. If such behavior is common among classical T Tauri stars, possibly on longer timescales than previously probed, it could be relevant for discussing the disk evolution models constrained by the observed spread in accretion rates. Finally, we remark that previous studies of accretion variability based on spectral lines may have underestimated the variability of some targets.

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arXiv2022

Gaia Data Release 3: Cross-match of Gaia sources with variable objects from the literature

Context. In the current ever increasing data volumes of astronomical surveys, automated methods are essential. Objects of known classes from the literature are necessary for training supervised machine learning algorithms, as well as for verification/validation of their results. Aims.The primary goal of this work is to provide a comprehensive data set of known variable objects from the literature cross-matched with \textit{Gaia}~DR3 sources, including a large number of both variability types and representatives, in order to cover as much as possible sky regions and magnitude ranges relevant to each class. In addition, non-variable objects from selected surveys are targeted to probe their variability in \textit{Gaia} and possible use as standards. This data set can be the base for a training set applicable in variability detection, classification, and validation. MethodsA statistical method that employed both astrometry (position and proper motion) and photometry (mean magnitude) was applied to selected literature catalogues in order to identify the correct counterparts of the known objects in the \textit{Gaia} data. The cross-match strategy was adapted to the properties of each catalogue and the verification of results excluded dubious matches. Results.Our catalogue gathers 7\,841\,723 \textit{Gaia} sources among which 1.2~million non-variable objects and 1.7~million galaxies, in addition to 4.9~million variable sources representing over 100~variability (sub)types. Conclusions.This data set served the requirements of \textit{Gaia}'s variability pipeline for its third data release (DR3), from classifier training to result validation, and it is expected to be a useful resource for the scientific community that is interested in the analysis of variability in the \textit{Gaia} data and other surveys.

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arXiv2022

A multi-epoch, multi-wavelength study of the classical FUor V1515 Cyg approaching quiescence

Historically, FU Orionis-type stars are low-mass, pre-main sequence stars. The members of this class experience powerful accretion outbursts and remain in an enhanced accretion state for decades or centuries. V1515 Cyg, a classical FUor, started brightening in the 1940s and reached its peak brightness in the late 1970s. Following a sudden decrease in brightness it stayed in a minimum state for a few months, then started a brightening for several years. We present results of our ground-based photometric monitoring complemented with optical/NIR spectroscopic monitoring. Our light curves show a long-term fading with strong variability on weekly and monthly time scales. The optical spectra show P Cygni profiles and broad blue-shifted absorption lines, common properties of FUors. However, V1515 Cyg lacks the P Cygni profile in the Ca II 8498 Å line, a part of the Ca infrared triplet (IRT), formed by an outflowing wind, suggesting that the absorbing gas in the wind is optically thin. The newly obtained near-infrared spectrum shows the strengthening of the CO bandhead and the FeH molecular band, indicating that the disk has become cooler since the last spectroscopic observation in 2015. The current luminosity of the accretion disk dropped from the peak value of 138 $L_{\odot}$ to about 45 $L_{\odot}$, suggesting that the long-term fading is also partly caused by the dropping of the accretion rate.

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arXiv2022

The disk of FU Orionis viewed with MATISSE/VLTI: first interferometric observations in $L$ and $M$ bands

The disk of FU Orionis is marginally resolved with MATISSE, suggesting that the region emitting in the thermal infrared is rather compact. An upper limit of $\sim1.3\pm0.1$ mas (in $L$) can be given for the diameter of the disk region probed in the $L$ band, corresponding to 0.5 au at the adopted Gaia EDR3 distance. This represents the hot, gaseous region of the accretion disk. The $N$-band data indicate that the dusty passive disk is silicate-rich. Only the innermost region of said dusty disk is found to emit strongly in the $N$ band, and it is resolved at an angular size of $\sim5$ mas, which translates to a diameter of about 2 au. The observations therefore place stringent constraints for the outer radius of the inner accretion disk. Dust radiative transfer simulations with RADMC-3D provide adequate fits to the spectral energy distribution from the optical to the submillimeter and to the interferometric observables when opting for an accretion rate $\dot{M}\sim 2\times 10^{-5}\, M_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$ and assuming $M_*=0.6\, M_\odot$. Most importantly, the hot inner accretion disk's outer radius can be fixed at 0.3 au. The outer radius of the dusty disk is placed at 100 au, based on constraints from scattered-light images in the literature. The dust mass contained in the disk is $2.4\times10^{-4}\, M_\odot$, and for a typical gas-to-dust ratio of 100, the total mass in the disk is approximately 0.02 $M_\odot$. We did not find any evidence for a nearby companion in the current interferometric data, and we tentatively explored the case of disk misalignment. For the latter, our modeling results suggest that the disk orientation is similar to that found in previous imaging studies by ALMA. Should there be an asymmetry in the very compact, inner accretion disk, this might be resolved at even smaller spatial scales ($\leq1$ mas).

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arXiv2022

Episodic ejection from a low-mass young stellar object traced by H$_2$O masers

We present the project of a VLBI study of the 22 GHz H$_2$O maser in a prototypical low-mass protostellar system IRAS 16293-2422. The observation was conducted to characterise the cause of the newly discovered enhanced maser activity in the source and to study the source's ejection behaviour as traced by maser emission. Single-dish monitoring and analysis of archival data indicate that the activity of the H$_2$O maser in IRAS 16293-2422 has a cyclic character and traces episodic ejection events in the source. A new maser flare was recently discovered in a spectral feature that has never shown such a significant increase in flux density before. The flare of this feature seems to indicate the beginning of a new cycle of activity.

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arXiv2022

Accretion variability from minutes to decade timescales in the classical T Tauri star CR Cha

Classical T Tauri stars are surrounded by a circumstellar disk from which they are accreting material. This process is essential in the formation of Sun-like stars. Although often described with simple and static models, the accretion process is inherently time variable. Our aim is to examine the accretion process of the low-mass young stellar object CR Cha on a wide range of timescales from minutes to a decade by analyzing both photometric and spectroscopic observations from 2006, 2018, and 2019. We carried out period analysis on the light curves of CR Cha from the TESS mission and the ASAS-SN and the ASAS-3 databases. We studied the color variations of the system using $I,J,H,K$-band photometry obtained contemporaneously with the TESS observing window. We analyzed the amplitude, timescale, and the morphology of the accretion tracers found in a series of high-resolution spectra obtained in 2006 with the AAT/UCLES, in 2018 with the HARPS, and in 2019 with the ESPRESSO and the FEROS spectrographs. All photometric data reveal periodic variations compatible with a 2.327 days rotational period, which is stable in the system over decades. Moreover, the ASAS-SN and ASAS-3 data hint at a long-term brightening by 0.2 mag, between 2001 and 2008, and of slightly less than 0.1 mag in the 2015 - 2018 period. The near-infrared color variations can be explained by either changing accretion rate or changes in the inner disk structure. Our results show that the amplitude of the variations in the H$α$ emission increases on timescales from hours to days/weeks, after which it stays similar even when looking at decadal timescales. On the other hand, we found significant morphological variations on yearly/decadal timescales, indicating that the different physical mechanisms responsible for the line profile changes, such as accretion or wind, are present to varying degrees at different times.

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arXiv2021

PENELLOPE II. CVSO 104: a pre-main sequence close binary with an optical companion in Ori OB1

We present results of our study of the close pre-main sequence spectroscopic binary CVSO 104 in Ori OB1, based on data obtained within the PENELLOPE legacy program. We derive, for the first time, the orbital elements of the system and the stellar parameters of the two components. The system is composed of two early M-type stars and has an orbital period of about 5 days and a mass ratio of 0.92, but contrarily to expectations does not appear to have a tertiary companion. Both components have been (quasi-)synchronized, but the orbit is still very eccentric. The spectral energy distribution clearly displays a significant infrared excess compatible with a circumbinary disk. The analysis of HeI and Balmer line profiles, after the removal of the composite photospheric spectrum, reveals that both components are accreting at a similar level. We also observe excess emission in H$α$ and H$β$, which appears redshifted or blueshifted by more than 100 km/s with respect to the mass center of the system depending on the orbital phase. This additional emission could be connected with accretion structures, such as funnels of matter from the circumbinary disk. We also analyze the optical companion located at about 2".4 from the spectroscopic binary. This companion, that we named CVSO 104B, turns out to be a background Sun-like star not physically associated with the PMS system and not belonging to Ori OB1.

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arXiv2021

Massive compact disks around FU Orionis-type young eruptive stars revealed by ALMA

FU Orionis-type objects (FUors) are low-mass pre-main sequence stars undergoing a temporary, but significant increase of mass accretion rate from the circumstellar disk onto the protostar. It is not yet clear what triggers the accretion bursts and whether the disks of FUors are in any way different from disks of non-bursting young stellar objects. Motivated by this, we conducted a 1.3 mm continuum survey of ten FUors and FUor-like objects with ALMA, using both the 7 m array and the 12 m array in two different configurations to recover emission at the widest possible range of spatial scales. We detected all targeted sources and several nearby objects as well. To constrain the disk structure, we fit the data with models of increasing complexity from 2D Gaussian to radiative transfer, enabling comparison with other samples modeled in a similar way. The radiative transfer modeling gives disk masses that are significantly larger than what is obtained from the measured millimeter fluxes assuming optically thin emission, suggesting that the FUor disks are optically thick at this wavelength. In comparison with samples of regular Class II and Class I objects, the disks of FUors are typically a factor of 2.9-4.4 more massive and a factor of 1.5-4.7 smaller in size. A significant fraction of them (65-70%) may be gravitationally unstable.

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arXiv2021

Gaia Photometric Science Alerts

Since July 2014, the Gaia mission has been engaged in a high-spatial-resolution, time-resolved, precise, accurate astrometric, and photometric survey of the entire sky. Aims: We present the Gaia Science Alerts project, which has been in operation since 1 June 2016. We describe the system which has been developed to enable the discovery and publication of transient photometric events as seen by Gaia. Methods: We outline the data handling, timings, and performances, and we describe the transient detection algorithms and filtering procedures needed to manage the high false alarm rate. We identify two classes of events: (1) sources which are new to Gaia and (2) Gaia sources which have undergone a significant brightening or fading. Validation of the Gaia transit astrometry and photometry was performed, followed by testing of the source environment to minimise contamination from Solar System objects, bright stars, and fainter near-neighbours. Results: We show that the Gaia Science Alerts project suffers from very low contamination, that is there are very few false-positives. We find that the external completeness for supernovae, $C_E=0.46$, is dominated by the Gaia scanning law and the requirement of detections from both fields-of-view. Where we have two or more scans the internal completeness is $C_I=0.79$ at 3 arcsec or larger from the centres of galaxies, but it drops closer in, especially within 1 arcsec. Conclusions: The per-transit photometry for Gaia transients is precise to 1 per cent at $G=13$, and 3 per cent at $G=19$. The per-transit astrometry is accurate to 55 milliarcseconds when compared to Gaia DR2. The Gaia Science Alerts project is one of the most homogeneous and productive transient surveys in operation, and it is the only survey which covers the whole sky at high spatial resolution (subarcsecond), including the Galactic plane and bulge.

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arXiv2021

A study of the photometric and spectroscopic variations of the prototypical FU Orionis-type star V1057 Cyg

Among the low-mass pre-main sequence stars, a small group called FU Orionis-type objects (FUors) are notable for undergoing powerful accretion outbursts. V1057 Cyg, a classical example of an FUor, went into outburst around 1969-1970, after which it faded rapidly, making it the fastest fading FUor known. Around 1995, a more rapid increase in fading occurred. Since that time, strong photometric modulations have been present. We present nearly 10 years of source monitoring at Piszkéstető Observatory, complemented with optical/near-infrared photometry and spectroscopy from the Nordic Optical Telescope, Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory, Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite, and the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy. Our light curves show continuation of significant quasi-periodic variability in brightness over the past decade. Our spectroscopic observations show strong wind features, shell features, and forbidden emission lines. All of these spectral lines vary with time. We also report the first detection of [S II], [N II], and [O III] lines in the star.

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arXiv2021

PENELLOPE: the ESO data legacy program to complement the Hubble UV Legacy Library of Young Stars (ULLYSES) I. Survey presentation and accretion properties of Orion OB1 and $σ$-Orionis

The evolution of young stars and disks is driven by the interplay of several processes, notably accretion and ejection of material. Critical to correctly describe the conditions of planet formation, these processes are best probed spectroscopically. About five-hundred orbits of the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) are being devoted in 2020-2022 to the ULLYSES public survey of about 70 low-mass (M<2Msun) young (age<10 Myr) stars at UV wavelengths. Here we present the PENELLOPE Large Program that is being carried out at the ESO Very Large Telescope (VLT) to acquire, contemporaneous to HST, optical ESPRESSO/UVES high-resolution spectra to investigate the kinematics of the emitting gas, and UV-to-NIR X-Shooter medium-resolution flux-calibrated spectra to provide the fundamental parameters that HST data alone cannot provide, such as extinction and stellar properties. The data obtained by PENELLOPE have no proprietary time, and the fully reduced spectra are made available to the whole community. Here, we describe the data and the first scientific analysis of the accretion properties for the sample of thirteen targets located in the Orion OB1 association and in the sigma-Orionis cluster, observed in Nov-Dec 2020. We find that the accretion rates are in line with those observed previously in similarly young star-forming regions, with a variability on a timescale of days of <3. The comparison of the fits to the continuum excess emission obtained with a slab model on the X-Shooter spectra and the HST/STIS spectra shows a shortcoming in the X-Shooter estimates of <10%, well within the assumed uncertainty. Its origin can be either a wrong UV extinction curve or due to the simplicity of this modelling, and will be investigated in the course of the PENELLOPE program. The combined ULLYSES and PENELLOPE data will be key for a better understanding of the accretion/ejection mechanisms in young stars.

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arXiv2020

ALMA and VLA Observations of EX Lupi in its Quiescent State

Extreme outbursts in young stars may be a common stage of pre-main-sequence stellar evolution. These outbursts, caused by enhanced accretion and accompanied by increased luminosity, can also strongly impact the evolution of the circumstellar environment. We present ALMA and VLA observations of EX Lupi, a prototypical outburst system, at 100 GHz, 45 GHz, and 15 GHz. We use these data, along with archival ALMA 232 GHz data, to fit radiative transfer models to EX Lupi's circumstellar disk in its quiescent state following the extreme outburst in 2008. The best fit models show a compact disk with a characteristic dust radius of 45 au and a total mass of 0.01 M$_{\odot}$. Our modeling suggests grain growth to sizes of at least 3 mm in the disk, possibly spurred by the recent outburst, and an ice line that has migrated inward to $0.2-0.3$ au post-outburst. At 15 GHz, we detected significant emission over the expected thermal disk emission which we attribute primarily to stellar (gyro)synchrotron and free-free disk emission. Altogether, these results highlight what may be a common impact of outbursts on the circumstellar dust.

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arXiv2020

The big sibling of AU Mic: a cold dust-rich debris disk around CP-72 2713 in the $β$ Pic moving group

Analyzing Spitzer and Herschel archival measurements we identified a debris disk around the young K7/M0 star CP-72 2713. The system belongs to the 24Myr old $β$ Pic moving group. Our new 1.33mm continuum observation, obtained with the ALMA 7-m array, revealed an extended dust disk with a peak radius of 140au, probably tracing the location of the planetesimal belt in the system. The disk is outstandingly large compared to known spatially resolved debris disks and also to protoplanetary disks around stars of comparable masses. The dynamical excitation of the belt at this radius is found to be reconcilable with planetary stirring, while self-stirring by large planetesimals embedded in the belt can work only if these bodies form very rapidly, e.g. via pebble concentration. By analyzing the spectral energy distribution we derived a characteristic dust temperature of 43K and a fractional luminosity of 1.1$\times$10$^{-3}$. The latter value is prominently high, we know only four other similarly dust-rich Kuiper-belt analogs within 40pc of the Sun.

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arXiv2020

Grain growth in newly discovered young eruptive stars

FU Orionis-type stars are young stellar objects showing large outbursts due to highly enhanced accretion from the circumstellar disk onto the protostar. FUor-type outbursts happen in a wide variety of sources from the very embedded ones to those with almost no sign of extended emission beyond the disk. The subsequent eruptions might gradually clear up the obscuring envelope material and drive the protostar on its way to become a disk-only T Tauri star. We used VLT/VISIR to obtain the first spectra that cover the 8-13 $μ$m mid-infrared wavelength range in low-resolution of five recently discovered FUors. Four objects from our sample show the 10 $μ$m silicate feature in emission. We study the shape and strength of the silicate feature in these objects and find that they mostly contain large amorphous grains, suggesting that large grains are typically not settled to the midplane in FUor disks. This is a general characteristic of FUors, as opposed to regular T Tauri-type stars whose disks display anything from pristine small grains to significant grain growth. We classify our targets by determining whether the silicate feature is in emission or in absorption, and confront them with the evolutionary scenarios on the dispersal of the envelopes around young stars. In our sample, all Class II objects exhibit silicate emission, while for Class I objects, the appearance of the feature in emission or absorption depends on the viewing angle with respect to the outflow cavity. This highlights the importance of geometric effects when interpreting the silicate feature.

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arXiv2020

A mid-infrared interferometric survey of the planet-forming region around young Sun-like stars

We present our results from a mid-infrared interferometric survey targeted at the planet-forming region in the circumstellar disks around low- and intermediate-mass young stars. Our sample consist of 82 objects, including T Tauri stars, Herbig Ae stars, and young eruptive stars. Our main results are: 1) Disks around T Tauri stars are similar to those around Herbig Ae stars, but are relatively more extended once we account for stellar luminosity. 2) From the distribution of the sizes of the mid-infrared emitting region we find that inner dusty disk holes may be present in roughly half of the sample. 3) Our analysis of the silicate spectral feature reveals that the dust in the inner $\sim$1 au region of disks is generally more processed than that in the outer regions. 4) The dust in the disks of T Tauri stars typically show weaker silicate emission in the N band spectrum, compared to Herbig Ae stars, which may indicate a general difference in the disk structure. Our data products are available at VizieR, and at the following web page: http://konkoly.hu/MIDI_atlas

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arXiv2020

Episodic accretion in focus: revealing the environment of FU Orionis-type stars

The earliest phases of star formation are characterised by intense mass accretion from the circumstellar disk to the central star. One group of young stellar objects, the FU Orionis-type stars exhibit accretion rate peaks accompanied by bright eruptions. The occurrence of these outbursts might solve the luminosity problem of protostars, play a key role in accumulating the final star mass, and have a significant effect on the parameters of the envelope and the disk. In the framework of the Structured Accretion Disks ERC project, we are conducting a systematic investigation of these sources with millimeter interferometry to examine whether they represent normal young stars in exceptional times or they are unusual objects. Our results show that FU Orionis-type stars can be similar to both Class I and Class II systems and may be in a special evolutionary phase between the two classes with their infall-driven episodic eruptions being the main driving force of the transition.

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