arXiv subjects

Adolfo Carvalho

Publications and source records attributed to Adolfo Carvalho.

6 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Hot water emission during an outburst in a classical T Tauri star

In this paper, we present observations of an eruptive young star in the Rosette Nebula, identified by the Gaia Science Alerts system using Gaia time series data. We aim to investigate the evolution of the brightness and mass accretion rate of V557 Mon throughout its outburst and subsequent decline. In addition, we trace the evolution of the inner accretion disk during the outburst by monitoring molecular emission features. We compiled multi-band photometric time series from Gaia, ZTF, and several 1 m-class ground-based telescopes and obtained optical and near-infrared spectra at multiple epochs covering the outburst and fading phases. Stellar parameters were derived from quiescent colour/spectra and spectral energy distribution (SED) fitting. We also measured the mass accretion rate and fit models to molecular emission bands. Since late 2024, V557 Mon has undergone a year-long outburst consistent with EXor variability. Based on quiescent photometry, V557 Mon has a spectral type of M1 with an extinction of AV = 1.8+_0.3 mag, consistent with a 0.4-0.5 M_sol star at an age of 2 Myr. Our multi-epoch spectra and u-band photometry indicate a peak accretion rate of 6.3x10^(-7)M_sol/yr during the outburst, roughly 70 times higher than in quiescence. We report the detection of hot water vapour emission bands, together with TiO, VO, and CO emission features. Using ExoMol models, we measured the inner-disk temperature changed from 3000 K to 2000 K during the fading phase of the outburst. We report a recent EXor outburst in a low-mass Class II YSO. Our observations reveal the transient formation of a hot molecular inner disk, traced by variable water vapour emission during the EXor event. A positive correlation is found between the molecular excitation temperature and the overall stellar brightness.

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arXiv2025

Spectral Biases, Starspot Morphology, and Dynamo Transitions on the Pre-Main Sequence: Insights from the X-Shooter WTTS Library

Starspots are ubiquitous in young, low-mass stars, yet their impact on the spectral classification and fundamental parameter inference of pre-main sequence stars (PMS) has been largely overlooked. In this study, we demonstrate that cool starspots systematically distort spectral morphology and bias the effective temperatures, surface gravities, and luminosities derived for non-accreting Weak-Lined T Tauri Stars (WTTS). Using a sample of 56 WTTS with high-resolution, broad-band X-Shooter spectra, we perform two-temperature spectral fits that explicitly account for spot coverages and temperature contrasts. These composite models consistently outperform traditional single-temperature fits, particularly in the 3350-4000 K regime, where spot contributions dominate the red-optical and near-infrared flux. Moreover, we propose that surface gravity discrepancies between optical and infrared measurements are a natural consequence of spot-dominated emission in PMS stars. We find that single-temperature models can overestimate effective temperatures by up to 700 K and underestimate log g by 1-2 dex. Using spot-corrected effective temperatures, we derive masses and ages from traditional, magnetic, and spotted evolutionary models, finding that spot-corrections systematically raise inferred masses by up to 80% and stellar ages by up to 0.5 dex. These discrepancies are strongest for stars in the 0.3-0.8 solar mass range. Using starspots as a proxy for magnetic topology, we find evidence that a shift from largely axisymmetric to non-axisymmetric magnetic fields dominated by small-scale structures coincides with the formation of a radiative core during PMS evolution, effectively distinguishing between the convective and interface dynamo regimes.

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arXiv2023

RNO 54: A Previously Unappreciated FU Ori Star

We present evidence in support of the hypothesis that the young stellar object RNO 54 is a mature-stage FU Ori type source. The star was first cataloged as a ``red nebulous object" in the 1980s but appears to have undergone its outburst prior to the 1890s. Present-day optical and near-infrared spectra are consistent with those of other FU Ori type stars, both in the details of spectral line presence and shape, and in the overall change in spectral type from an FGK-type in the optical, to the M-type presented in the near-infrared. In addition, the spectral energy distribution of RNO 54 is well-fit by a pure-accretion disk model with parameters: $\dot{M} = 10^{-3.45\pm0.06}$ $M_\odot$ yr$^{-1}$, $M_* = 0.23\pm0.06 \ M_\odot$, and $R_\mathrm{inner} = 3.68\pm0.76 \ R_\odot$, though we believe $R_\mathrm{inner}$ is likely close to its upper range of $4.5 R_\odot$ in order to produce a $T_\mathrm{max} = 7000$ K that is consistent with the optical to near-infrared spectra. The resulting $L_\mathrm{acc}$ is $\sim 265 \ L_\odot$. To find these values, we adopted a source distance $d=1400$ pc and extinction $A_V=3.9$ mag, along with disk inclination $i=50$ deg based on consideration of confidence intervals from our initial disk model, and in agreement with observational constraints. The new appreciation of a well-known source as an FU Ori type object suggests that other such examples may be lurking in extant samples.

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arXiv2023

Overfitting Affects the Reliability of Radial Velocity Mass Estimates of the V1298 Tau Planets

Mass, radius, and age measurements of young (<100 Myr) planets have the power to shape our understanding of planet formation. However, young stars tend to be extremely variable in both photometry and radial velocity, which makes constraining these properties challenging. The V1298 Tau system of four ~0.5 Rjup planets transiting a pre-main sequence star presents an important, if stress-inducing, opportunity to directly observe and measure the properties of infant planets. Suárez-Mascareño et al. (2021) published radial-velocity-derived masses for two of the V1298 Tau planets using a state-of-the-art Gaussian Process regression framework. The planetary densities computed from these masses were surprisingly high, implying extremely rapid contraction after formation in tension with most existing planet formation theories. In an effort to further constrain the masses of the V1298 Tau planets, we obtained 36 RVs using Keck/HIRES, and analyzed them in concert with published RVs and photometry. Through performing a suite of cross validation tests, we found evidence that the preferred model of SM21 suffers from overfitting, defined as the inability to predict unseen data, rendering the masses unreliable. We detail several potential causes of this overfitting, many of which may be important for other RV analyses of other active stars, and recommend that additional time and resources be allocated to understanding and mitigating activity in active young stars such as V1298 Tau.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2022

The Mysterious Affair of the H$_2$ in AU Mic

Molecular hydrogen is the most abundant molecule in the Galaxy and plays important roles for planets, their circumstellar environments, and many of their host stars. We have confirmed the presence of molecular hydrogen in the AU Mic system using high-resolution FUV spectra from HST-STIS during both quiescence and a flare. AU Mic is a $\sim$23 Myr M dwarf which hosts a debris disk and at least two planets. We estimate the temperature of the gas at 1000 to 2000 K, consistent with previous detections. Based on the radial velocities and widths of the H$_2$ line profiles and the response of the H$_2$ lines to a stellar flare, the H$_2$ line emission is likely produced in the star, rather than in the disk or the planet. However, the temperature of this gas is significantly below the temperature of the photosphere ($\sim$3650 K) and the predicted temperature of its star spots ($\gtrsim$2650 K). We discuss the possibility of colder star spots or a cold layer in the photosphere of a pre-main sequence M dwarf.

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arXiv2021

Radial Velocity Monitoring of the Young Star Hubble 4: Disentangling Starspot Lifetimes from Orbital Motion

We studied the weak-lined T Tauri star Hubble 4, a known long-period binary, and its starspot phenomena. We used optical radial velocity (RV) data taken over a span of 14 years (2004-2010, 2017-2019) at the McDonald Observatory 2.7m Harlan J. Smith telescope and single epoch imaging from the HST/WFC3 instrument. The observed and apparent RV variations show contributions, respectively, from the binary motion as well as from a large spot group on one of the stars, presumed to be the primary. Fitting and removing the orbital signal from the RVs, we found the lower bound on the lifetime of a previously identified large spot group on the surface of the star to be at least 5.1 years. A $\sim5$ year lower limit is a long, but not unprecedented, duration for a single spot group. The later epoch data indicate significant spot evolution has occurred, placing an upper bound on the spot group lifetime at 12 years. We find that pre-main sequence evolutionary models for the age of Taurus ($\sim2$ Myr), combined with component mass estimates from the literature, permit us to reproduce the HST relative photometry and the binary-induced contribution to the apparent RV variations. The long-lived star spot we find on Hubble 4 has significant implications for dynamo models in young stars, as it adds evidence for long lifetimes of magnetic field topologies. There are also significant implications for young star exoplanet searches as long-lived coherent RV signals may be spot-induced and not the result of planetary motion. (This paper includes data taken at The McDonald Observatory of The University of Texas at Austin.)

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