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Aurora Sicilia-Aguilar

Publications and source records attributed to Aurora Sicilia-Aguilar.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Optical spectroscopy of EX Lupi during quiescence and outburst: Infall, wind, and dynamics in the accretion flow

We explore the accretion mechanisms in EX Lupi, prototype of EXor variables, during its quiescence and outburst phases. We analyse high-resolution optical spectra taken before, during, and after its 2008 outburst. In quiescence and outburst, the star presents many permitted emission lines, including typical CTTS lines and numerous neutral and ionized metallic lines. During the outburst, the number of emission lines increases to over a thousand, with narrow plus broad component structure (NC+BC). The BC profile is highly variable on short timescales (24-72h). An active chromosphere can explain the metallic lines in quiescence and the outburst NC. The dynamics of the BC line profiles suggest an origin in a hot, dense, non-axisymmetric, and non-uniform accretion column that suffers velocity variations along the line-of-sight on timescales of days. Assuming Keplerian rotation, the emitting region would be located at ~0.1-0.2 AU, consistent with the inner disk rim, but the velocity profiles of the lines reveal a combination of rotation and infall. Line ratios of ions and neutrals can be reproduced with a temperature of T~6500 K for electron densities of a few times 10$^{12}$cm$^{-3}$ in the line-emitting region. The data confirm that the 2008 outburst was an episode of increased accretion, albeit much stronger than previous EX Lupi and typical EXors outbursts. The line profiles are consistent with the infall/rotation of a non-axisymmetric structure that could be produced by clumpy accretion during the outburst phase. A strong inner disk wind appears in the epochs of higher accretion. The rapid recovery of the system after the outburst and the similarity between the pre-outburst and post-outburst states suggest that the accretion channels are similar during the whole period, and only the accretion rate varies, providing a superb environment for studying the accretion processes.

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A Likely Close-In Low-Mass Stellar Companion to the Transitional Disk Star HD 142527

With the uniquely high contrast within 0.1" (Δmag(L') = 5-6.5 magnitudes) available using Sparse Aperture Masking (SAM) with NACO at VLT, we detected asymmetry in the flux from the Herbig Fe star HD 142527 with a barycenter emission situated at a projected separation of 88+/-5 mas (12.8+/-1.5 AU at 145 pc) and flux ratios in H, K, and L' of 0.016+/-0.007, 0.012+/-0.008, 0.0086+/-0.0011 respectively (3-σerrors) relative to the primary star and disk. After extensive closure-phase modeling, we interpret this detection as a close-in, low-mass stellar companion with an estimated mass of ~0.1-0.4 M_Sun. HD 142527 has a complex disk structure, with an inner gap imaged in both the near and mid-IR as well as a spiral feature in the outer disk in the near-IR. This newly detected low-mass stellar companion may provide a critical explanation of the observed disk structure.

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The 2008 outburst of EX Lup - silicate crystals in motion

EX Lup is the prototype of the EXor class of eruptive young stars. These objects show optical outbursts which are thought to be related to runaway accretion onto the star. In a previous study we observed in-situ crystal formation in the disk of EX Lup during its latest outburst in 2008, making the object an ideal laboratory to investigate circumstellar crystal formation and transport. This outburst was monitored by a campaign of ground-based and Spitzer Space Telescope observations. Here we modeled the spectral energy distribution of EX Lup in the outburst from optical to millimeter wavelengths with a 2D radiative transfer code. Our results showed that the shape of the SED at optical wavelengths was more consistent with a single temperature blackbody than a temperature distribution. We also found that this single temperature component emitted 80-100 % of the total accretion luminosity. We concluded that a thermal instability, the most widely accepted model of EXor outbursts, was likely not the triggering mechanism of the 2008 outburst of EX Lup. Our mid-infrared Spitzer spectra revealed that the strength of all crystalline bands between 8 and 30 um increased right after the end of the outburst. Six months later, however, the crystallinity in the 10 um silicate feature complex decreased. Our modeling of the mid-infrared spectral evolution of EXLup showed that, although vertical mixing should be stronger during the outburst than in the quiescent phase, fast radial transport of crystals (e.g., by stellar/disk wind) was required to reproduce the observed mid-infrared spectra.

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Dust properties and disk structure of evolved protoplanetary disks in Cep OB2: Grain growth, settling, gas and dust mass, and inside-out evolution

We present Spitzer/IRS spectra of 31 TTS and IRAM/1.3mm observations for 34 low- and intermediate-mass stars in the Cep OB2 region. Including our previously published data, we analyze 56 TTS and the 3 intermediate-mass stars with silicate features in Tr 37 (~4 Myr) and NGC 7160 (~12 Myr). The silicate emission features are well reproduced with a mixture of amorphous (with olivine, forsterite, and silica stoichiometry) and crystalline grains (forsterite, enstatite). We explore grain size and disk structure using radiative transfer disk models, finding that most objects have suffered substantial evolution (grain growth, settling). About half of the disks show inside-out evolution, with either dust-cleared inner holes or a radially-dependent dust distribution, typically with larger grains and more settling in the innermost disk. The typical strong silicate features require nevertheless the presence of small dust grains, and could be explained by differential settling according to grain size, anomalous dust distributions, and/or optically thin dust populations within disk gaps. M-type stars tend to have weaker silicate emission and steeper SEDs than K-type objects. The inferred low dust masses are in a strong contrast with the relatively high gas accretion rates, suggesting global grain growth and/or an anomalous gas to dust ratio. Transition disks (TD) in the Cep OB2 region display strongly processed grains, suggesting that they are dominated by dust evolution and settling. Finally, the presence of rare but remarkable disks with strong accretion at old ages reveals that some very massive disks may still survive to grain growth, gravitational instabilities, and planet formation.

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Protostars and stars in the Coronet cluster: Age, evolution, and cluster structure

We present new optical spectroscopy with FLAMES/VLT, near-IR imaging with HAWK-I/VLT, and 870 micron mapping with APEX/LABOCA of the Coronet cluster. The optical data allow to estimate spectral types, extinction and the presence of accretion in 6 more M-type members, in addition to the 12 that we had previously studied. The submillimeter maps and near-IR data reveal the presence of nebular structures and high extinction regions, which are in some cases associated to known IR, optical, and X-ray sources. Most star formation is associated to two elongated structures crossing in the central part of the cluster. Placing all the 18 objects with known spectral types and extinction in the HR diagram suggests that the cluster is younger than previously thought (<2 Myr, and probably ~0.5-1 Myr). The new age estimate is in agreement with the evolutionary status of the various protostars in the region and with its compactness (<1.3 pc across), but results in a conflict with the low disk and accretion fraction (only 50-65% of low-mass stars appear to have protoplanetary disks, and most transitional and homologously depleted disks are consistent with no accretion) and with the evolutionary features observed in the mid-IR spectra and spectral energy distributions of the disks.

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Spitzer IRS Spectroscopy of the 10 Myr-old EF Cha Debris Disk: Evidence for Phyllosilicate-Rich Dust in the Terrestrial Zone

We describe Spitzer IRS spectroscopic observations of the 10 Myr-old star, EF Cha. Compositional modeling of the spectra from 5 μm to 35 μm confirms that it is surrounded by a luminous debris disk with LD/L\star ~ 10-3, containing dust with temperatures between 225 K and 430 K characteristic of the terrestrial zone. The EF Cha spectrum shows evidence for many solid-state features, unlike most cold, low-luminosity debris disks but like some other 10-20 Myr-old luminous, warm debris disks (e.g. HD 113766A). The EF Cha debris disk is unusually rich in a species or combination of species whose emissivities resemble that of finely powdered, laboratory-measured phyllosilicate species (talc, saponite, and smectite), which are likely produced by aqueous alteration of primordial anhydrous rocky materials. The dust and, by inference, the parent bodies of the debris also contain abundant amorphous silicates and metal sulfides, and possibly water ice. The dust's total olivine to pyroxene ratio of ~ 2 also provides evidence of aqueous alteration. The large mass volume of grains with sizes comparable to or below the radiation blow-out limit implies that planetesimals may be colliding at a rate high enough to yield the emitting dust but not so high as to devolatize the planetesimals via impact processing. Because phyllosilicates are produced by the interactions between anhydrous rock and warm, reactive water, EF Cha's disk is a likely signpost for water delivery to the terrestrial zone of a young planetary system.

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Disk Evolution in OB Associations - Deep Spitzer/IRAC Observations of IC 1795

We present a deep Spitzer/IRAC survey of the OB association IC 1795 carried out to investigate the evolution of protoplanetary disks in regions of massive star formation. Combining Spitzer/IRAC data with Chandra/ACIS observations, we find 289 cluster members. An additional 340 sources with an infrared excess, but without X-ray counterpart, are classified as cluster member candidates. Both surveys are complete down to stellar masses of about 1 Msun. We present pre-main sequence isochrones computed for the first time in the Spitzer/IRAC colors. The age of the cluster, determined via the location of the Class III sources in the [3.6]-[4.5]/[3.6] color-magnitude diagram, is in the range of 3 - 5 Myr. As theoretically expected, we do not find any systematic variation in the spatial distribution of disks within 0.6 pc of either O-type star in the association. However, the disk fraction in IC 1795 does depend on the stellar mass: sources with masses >2 Msun have a disk fraction of ~20%, while lower mass objects (2-0.8 Msun) have a disk fraction of ~50%. This implies that disks around massive stars have a shorter dissipation timescale.

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The Transitional Protoplanetary Disk Frequency as a Function of Age: Disk Evolution in the Coronet Cluster, Taurus, and Other 1--8 Myr-old Regions

We present Spitzer 3.6--24 micron photometry and spectroscopy for stars in the 1--3 Myr-old Coronet Cluster, expanding upon the survey of Sicilia-Aguilar et al. (2008). Using sophisticated radiative transfer models, we analyze these new data and those from Sicilia-Aguilar et al. (2008) to identify disks with evidence for substantial dust evolution consistent with disk clearing: transitional disks. We then analyze data in Taurus and others young clusters -- IC 348, NGC 2362, and eta Cha -- to constrain the transitional disk frequency as a function of time. Our analysis confirms previous results finding evidence for two types of transitional disks -- those with inner holes and those that are homologously depleted. The percentage of disks in the transitional phase increases from ~ 15--20% at 1--2 Myr to > 50% at 5--8 Myr; the mean transitional disk lifetime is closer to ~ 1 Myr than 0.1--0.5 Myr, consistent with previous studies by Currie et al. (2009) and Sicilia-Aguilar et al. (2009). In the Coronet Cluster and IC 348, transitional disks are more numerous for very low-mass M3--M6 stars than for more massive K5--M2 stars, while Taurus lacks a strong spectral type-dependent frequency. Assuming standard values for the gas-to-dust ratio and other disk properties, the lower limit for the masses of optically-thick primordial disks is Mdisk ~ 0.001--0.003 M*. We find that single color-color diagrams do not by themselves uniquely identify transitional disks or primordial disks. Full SED modeling is required to accurately assess disk evolution for individual sources and inform statistical estimates of the transitional disk population in large samples using mid-IR colors.

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Accretion in Evolved and Transitional Disks in Cep OB2: Looking for the Origin of the Inner Holes

We present accretion rates for a large number of solar-type stars in the Cep OB2 region, based on U band observations. Our study comprises 95 members of the ~4 Myr-old cluster Tr 37 (including 20 "transition" objects; TO), as well as the only CTTS in the ~12 Myr-old cluster NGC 7160. The stars show different disk morphologies, with the majority of them having evolved and flattened disks. The typical accretion rates are about one order of magnitude lower than in regions aged 1-2 Myr, and we find no strong correlation between disk morphology and accretion rates. Although half of the TO are not accreting, the median accretion rates of normal CTTS and accreting "transition" disks are similar (~3 10^{-9} and 2 10^{-9} Msun/yr, respectively). Comparison with other regions suggests that the TO observed at different ages do not necessarily represent the same type of objects, which is consistent with the fact that the different processes that can lead to reduced IR excess/inner disk clearing (e.g., binarity, dust coagulation/settling, photoevaporation, giant planet formation) do not operate on the same timescales. Accreting TO in Tr 37 are probably suffering strong dust coagulation/settling. Regarding the equally large number of non-accreting TO in the region, other processes, like photoevaporation, the presence of stellar/substellar companions, and/or giant planet formation may account for their "transitional" SEDs and negligible accretion rates.

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Protoplanetary Disk Evolution around the Triggered Star Forming Region Cepheus B

The Cepheus B (CepB) molecular cloud and a portion of the nearby CepOB3b OB association, one of the most active regions of star formation within 1 kpc, have been observed with the IRAC detector on board the Spitzer Space Telescope. The goals are to study protoplanetary disk evolution and processes of sequential triggered star formation in the region. Out of ~400 pre-main sequence (PMS) stars selected with an earlier Chandra X-ray Observatory observation, 95% are identified with mid-infrared sources and most of these are classified as diskless or disk-bearing stars. The discovery of the additional >200 IR-excess low-mass members gives a combined Chandra+Spitzer PMS sample complete down to 0.5 Mo outside of the cloud, and somewhat above 1 Mo in the cloud. Analyses of the nearly disk-unbiased combined Chandra+Spitzer selected stellar sample give several results. Our major finding is a spatio-temporal gradient of young stars from the hot molecular core towards the primary ionizing O star HD 217086. This strongly supports the radiation driven implosion (RDI) model of triggered star formation in the region. The empirical estimate for the shock velocity of 1 km/s is very similar to theoretical models of RDI in shocked molecular clouds...ABRIDGED... Other results include: 1. agreement of the disk fractions, their mass dependency, and fractions of transition disks with other clusters; 2. confirmation of the youthfulness of the embedded CepB cluster; 3. confirmation of the effect of suppression of time-integrated X-ray emission in disk-bearing versus diskless systems.

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Optical Characterization of a New Young Stellar Population in the Serpens Molecular Cloud

We report on the results of an optical spectroscopic survey designed to confirm the youth and determine the spectral types among a sample of young stellar object (YSO) candidates in the Serpens Molecular Cloud. We observed 150 infrared excess objects, previously discovered by the Spitzer Legacy Program "From Molecular Cores to Planet-Forming Disks" (c2d), bright enough for subsequent Spitzer/IRS spectroscopy. We obtained 78 optical spectra of sufficient S/N for analysis. Extinctions, effective temperatures and luminosities are estimated for this sample, and used to construct H-R diagrams for the population. We identified 20 background giants contaminating the sample, based on their relatively high extinction, position in the H-R diagram, the lack of Halpha emission and relatively low infrared excess. Such strong background contamination (25%) is consistent with the location of Serpens being close to the Galactic plane (5degrees Galactic latitude). The remaining 58 stars (75%) were all confirmed to be young, mostly K and M-type stars that are presumed to belong to the cloud. Individual ages and masses for the YSOs are inferred based on theoretical evolutionary models. The models indicate a spread in stellar ages from 1 to 15 Myr, peaking at 2 - 6 Myr, and a mass distribution of 0.2 to 1.2 Msun with median value around 0.8 Msun. Strong H emission lines (EW[Halpha] > 3 A) have been detected in more than half of the sample (35 stars). The mass accretion rates as derived from the H line widths span a broad distribution over 4 orders of magnitude with median accretion rate of 10^-8 Msun/yr. Our analysis shows that the majority of the infrared excess objects detected in Serpens are actively accreting, young T-Tauri stars.

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Gas Evolution in Protoplanetary Disks

This article summarizes a Splinter Session at the Cool Stars XV conference in St. Andrews with 3 review and 4 contributed talks. The speakers have discussed various approaches to understand the structure and evolution of the gas component in protoplanetary disks. These ranged from observational spectroscopy in the UV, infrared and millimeter, through to chemical and hydrodynamical models. The focus was on disks around low-mass stars, ranging from classical T Tauri stars to transitional disks and debris disks. Emphasis was put on water and organic molecules, the relation to planet formation, and the formation of holes and gaps in the inner regions.

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Very Low-Mass Objects in the Coronet Cluster: The Realm of the Transition Disks

We present optical and IR spectra of a set of low-mass stars and brown dwarfs in the Coronet cluster (aged ~1Myr), obtained with the multifiber spectrograph FLAMES/VLT and IRS/Spitzer. The optical spectra reveal spectral types between M1 and M7.5, confirm the youth of the objects (via Li 6708 A absorption), and show the presence of accretion (via Halpha) and shocks (via forbidden line emission). The IRS spectra, together with IR photometry from the IRAC/MIPS instruments on Spitzer and 2MASS, confirm the presence of IR excesses characteristic of disks around ~70% of the objects. Half of the disks do not exhibit any silicate emission, or present flat features characteristic of large grains. The rest of the disks show silicate emission typical of amorphous and crystalline silicate grains a few microns in size. About 50% of the objects with disks do not show near-IR excess emission, having "transitional" disks, according to their classical definition. This is a very high fraction for such a young cluster. The large number of "transitional" disks suggests lifetimes comparable to the lifetimes of typical optically thick disks. Therefore, these disks may not be in a short-lived phase, intermediate between Class II and Class III objects. The median spectral energy distribution of the disks in the Coronet cluster is also closer to a flat disk than observed for the disks around solar-type stars in regions with similar age. The differences in the disk morphology and evolution in the Coronet cluster could be related to fact that these objects have very late spectral types compared to the solar-type stars in other cluster studies. Finally, the optical spectroscopy reveals that one of the X-ray sources is produced by a Herbig Haro object in the cloud.

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The Rapid Outbursting Star GM Cep: An EX-or in Tr 37?

We present optical, IR and millimeter observations of the solar-type star 13-277, also known as GM Cep, in the 4 Myr-old cluster Tr 37. GM Cep experiences rapid magnitude variations of more than 2 mag at optical wavelengths. We explore the causes of the variability, which seem to be dominated by strong increases in the accretion, being similar to EX-or episodes. The star shows high, variable accretion rates (up to ~10$^{-6}$ Msun/yr), signs of powerful winds, and it is a very fast rotator (Vsini~43 km/s). Its strong mid-IR excesses reveal a very flared disk and/or a remnant envelope, most likely out of hydrostatic equilibrium. The 1.3 millimeter fluxes suggest a relatively massive disk (Mdisk~0.1 Msun). Nevertheless, the millimeter mass is not enough to sustain increased accretion episodes over large timescales, unless the mass is underestimated due to significant grain growth. We finally explore the possibility of GM Cep having a binary companion, which could trigger disk instabilities producing the enhanced accretion episodes.

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Silicate Dust in Evolved Protoplanetary Disks: Growth, Sedimentation, and Accretion

We present the Spitzer IRS spectra for 33 young stars in Tr 37 and NGC 7160. The sample includes the high- and intermediate-mass stars with MIPS 24 microns excess, the only known active accretor in the 12 Myr-old cluster NGC 7160, and 19 low-mass stars with disks in the 4 Myr-old cluster Tr 37. We examine the 10 microns silicate feature, present in the whole sample of low-mass star and in 3 of the high- and intermediate-mass targets, and we find that PAH emission is detectable only in the Herbig Be star. We analyze the composition and size of the warm photospheric silicate grains by fitting the 10 microns silicate feature, and study the possible correlations between the silicate characteristics and the stellar and disk properties (age, SED slope, accretion rate, spectral type). We find indications of dust settling with age and of the effect of turbulent enrichment of the disk atmosphere with large grains. Crystalline grains are only small contributors to the total silicate mass in all disks, and do not seem to correlate with any other property, except maybe binarity. We also observe that spectra with very weak silicate emission are at least 3 times more frequent among M stars than among earlier spectral types, which may be an evidence of inner disk evolution. Finally, we find that 5 of the high- and intermediate-mass stars have SEDs and IRS spectra consistent with debris disk models involving planet formation, which could indicate debris disk formation at ages as early as 4 Myr.

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High-Resolution Spectroscopy in Tr37: Gas Accretion Evolution in Evolved Dusty Disks

Using the Hectochelle multifiber spectrograph, we have obtained high-resolution (R~34,000) spectra in the Halpha region for a large number of stars in the 4 Myr-old cluster Tr 37, containing 146 previously known members and 26 newly identified ones. We present the Halpha line profiles of all members, compare them to our IR observations of dusty disks (2MASS/JHK + IRAC + MIPS 24 micron), use the radial velocities as a membership criterion, and calculate the rotational velocities. We find a good correlation between the accretion-broadened profiles and the presence of protoplanetary disks, noting that a small fraction of the accreting stars presents broad profiles with Halpha equivalent widths smaller than the canonical limit separating CTTS and WTTS. The number of strong accretors appears to be lower than in younger regions, and a large number of CTTS have very small accretion rates (dM/dt<10^{-9} Msun/yr). Taking into account that the spectral energy distributions are consistent with dust evolution (grain growth/settling) in the innermost disk, this suggests a parallel evolution of the dusty and gaseous components. We also observe that about half of the "transition objects" (stars with no IR excesses at wavelengths shorter than ~6 micron) do not show any signs of active accretion, whereas the other half is accreting with accretion rates <10^{-9} Msun/yr. These zero or very low accretion rates reveal important gas evolution and/or gas depletion in the innermost disk, which could be related to grain growth up to planetesimal or even planet sizes. Finally, we examine the rotational velocities of accreting and non accreting stars, finding no significant differences that could indicate disk locking at these ages.

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Disk evolution in the Ori OB1 association

We analyze multi-band photometry of a subsample of low mass stars in the associations Ori OB1a and 1b discovered during the CIDA Orion Variability Survey, which have ages of 7 - 10 Myr and 3 - 5 Myr, respectively. We obtained UBVRcIc photometry at Mt. Hopkins for 6 Classical T Tauri stars (CTTS) and 26 Weak T Tauri stars (WTTS) in Ori OB1a, and for 21 CTTS and 2 WTTS in Ori OB1b. We also obtained L band photometry for 14 CTTS at Mt. Hopkins, and 10um and 18um photometry with OSCIR at Gemini for 6 CTTS; of these, all 6 were detected at 10um while only one was detected at 18um. We estimate mass accretion rates from the excess luminosity at U, and find that they are consistent with determinations for a number of other associations, with or without high mass star formation. The observed decrease of mass accretion rate with age is qualitatively consistent with predictions of viscous evolution of accretion disks. We find an overall decrease of disk emission from Taurus to Ori OB1b to Ori OB1a. This decrease implies that significant grain growth and settling towards the midplane has taken place in the inner disks of Ori OB1. We compare the SED of the star detected at both 10um and 18um with disk models for similar stellar and accretion parameters. We find that the low <= 18 um fluxes of this Ori OB1b star cannot be due to the smaller disk radius expected from viscous evolution in the presence of the FUV radiation fields from the OB stars in the association. Instead, we find that the disk of this star is essentially a flat disk, with little if any flaring, indicating a a significant degree of dust settling towards the midplane, as expected from dust evolution in protoplanetary disks.

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Herbig Ae/Be Stars in nearby OB associations

We have carried out a study of the early type stars in nearby OB associations spanning an age range of $\sim$ 3 to 16 Myr, with the aim of determining the fraction of stars which belong to the Herbig Ae/Be class. We studied the B, A, and F stars in the nearby ($\le 500$ pc) OB associations Upper Scorpius, Perseus OB2, Lacerta OB1, and Orion OB1, with membership determined from Hipparcos data. We obtained spectra for 440 Hipparcos stars in these associations, from which we determined accurate spectral types, visual extinctions, effective temperatures, luminosities and masses, using Hipparcos photometry. Using colors corrected for reddening, we find that the Herbig Ae/Be stars and the Classical Be stars (CBe) occupy clearly different regions in the JHK diagram. Thus, we use the location on the JHK diagram, as well as the presence of emission lines and of strong 12 microns flux relative to the visual to identify the Herbig Ae/Be stars in the associations. We find that the Herbig Ae/Be stars constitute a small fraction of the early type stellar population even in the younger associations. Comparing the data from associations with different ages and assuming that the near-infrared excess in the Herbig Ae/Be stars arises from optically thick dusty inner disks, we determined the evolution of the inner disk frequency with age. We find that the inner disk frequency in the age range 3 - 10 Myr in intermediate mass stars is lower than that in the low mass stars (< 1msun). This indicates that the time-scales for disk evolution are much shorter in the intermediate mass stars, which could be a consequence of more efficient mechanisms of inner disk dispersal (viscous evolution, dust growth and settling toward the midplane).

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