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C. J. Evans

Publications and source records attributed to C. J. Evans.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey. XV. VFTS 822: a candidate Herbig B[e] star at low metallicity

We report the discovery of the B[e] star VFTS 822 in the 30 Doradus star-forming region of the Large Magellanic Cloud, classified by optical spectroscopy from the VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey and complementary infrared photometry. VFTS 822 is a relatively low-luminosity (log $L$ = 4.04 $\pm$ 0.25 $L_{\odot}$) B8[e] star. In this Letter, we evaluate the evolutionary status of VFTS 822 and discuss its candidacy as a Herbig B[e] star. If the object is indeed in the pre-main sequence phase, it would present an exciting opportunity to measure mass accretion rates at low metallicity spectroscopically, to understand the effect of metallicity on accretion rates.

astro-ph.SR

Binarity at LOw Metallicity (BLOeM): Projected rotational velocities

The Binarity at LOw Metallicity (BLOeM) survey is an ESO large programme designed to obtain multi-epoch spectroscopy for 929 massive stars in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). It will provide binary fractions and orbital configurations of binary systems, and search for dormant black-hole binary candidates (OB+BH). Here we present projected rotational velocities (vsini) of all sources and, using the multiplicity properties presented in previous papers, we derive the vsini distributions of apparent single stars, single lined spectroscopic (SB1) binaries, and SB2 systems. We identify a locus in the Hertzsprung-Russell diagram where rotational velocities decrease significantly; we interpret this feature as broadly corresponding to the terminal-age main sequence. The main sequence cohort is distinguished by a broad range of vsini values, but with a strong peak in the distribution in the range 30-60 km/s, close to the resolution limit of 30 km/s. Sources in this low vsini peak are distributed throughout the main sequence, and are also present in the SB1 sample, though less prominent than in the single star distribution. A preliminary analysis of the lowest vsini cohort, that includes SB1 systems, implies that roughly one third may be nitrogen rich and we speculate that this cohort is a mix of pristine single stars, long period binaries, and merger products. The SB2 systems appear to be mostly short period binaries in synchronous rotation and have vsini estimates distributed around a mean value of approximately 140 km/s . Higher vsini sources are also present in the single and SB1 systems, all of which have tail to higher vsini values, consistent with tidal and mass-transfer effects. The supergiants, with a few exceptions, have low vsini, the bulk of these systems being essentially unresolved at current spectral resolution.

astro-ph.SR

Binarity at LOw Metallicity (BLOeM): a spectroscopic VLT monitoring survey of massive stars in the SMC

Surveys in the Milky Way and Large Magellanic Cloud revealed that the majority of massive stars will interact with companions during their lives. However, knowledge of the binary properties of massive stars at low metallicity, which approaches the conditions of the Early Universe, remains sparse. We present the Binarity at LOw Metallicity (BLOeM) campaign - an ESO large programme designed to obtain 25 epochs of spectroscopy for 929 massive stars in the SMC - the lowest metallicity conditions in which multiplicity is probed to date (Z = 0.2 Zsun). BLOeM will provide (i) the binary fraction, (ii) the orbital configurations of systems with periods P < 3 yr, (iii) dormant OB+BH binaries, and (iv) a legacy database of physical parameters of massive stars at low metallicity. The stars are observed with the LR02 setup of the giraffe instrument of the Very Large Telescope (3960-4570A, resolving power R=6200; typical signal-to-noise ratio S/N=70-100). This paper utilises the first 9 epochs obtained over a three-month time. We describe the survey and data reduction, perform a spectral classification of the stacked spectra, and construct a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram of the sample via spectral-type and photometric calibrations. The sample covers spectral types from O4 to F5, spanning the effective temperature and luminosity ranges 6.5<Teff/kK<45 and 3.7<log L/Lsun<6.1 and initial masses 8<Mini/Msun<80. It comprises 159 O-type stars, 331 early B-type (B0-3) dwarfs and giants (luminosity classes V-III), 303 early B-type supergiants (II-I), and 136 late-type supergiants. At least 82 stars are Oe/Be stars: 20 O-type and 62 B-type (13% and 11% of the respective samples). In addition, it includes 4 high-mass X-ray binaries, 3 stars resembling luminous blue variables, 2 bloated stripped-star candidates, 2 candidate magnetic stars, and 74 eclipsing binaries.

astro-ph.SR

A high fraction of close massive binary stars at low metallicity

At high metallicity, a majority of massive stars have at least one close stellar companion. The evolution of such binaries is subject to strong interaction processes, heavily impacting the characteristics of their life-ending supernova and compact remnants. For the low-metallicity environments of high-redshift galaxies constraints on the multiplicity properties of massive stars over the separation range leading to binary interaction are crucially missing. Here we show that the presence of massive stars in close binaries is ubiquitous, even at low metallicity. Using the Very Large Telescope, we obtained multi-epoch radial velocity measurements of a representative sample of 139 massive O-type stars across the Small Magellanic Cloud, which has a metal content of about one fifth of the solar value. We find that 45% of them show radial velocity variations which demonstrate that they are members of close binary systems, and predominantly have orbital periods shorter than one year. Correcting for observational biases indicates that at least 70[+11:-6]% of the O stars in our sample are in close binaries, and that at least 68[+7:-8]% of all O stars interact with a companion star during their lifetime. We found no evidence supporting a statistically significant trend of the multiplicity properties with metallicity. Our results indicate that multiplicity and binary interactions govern the evolution of massive stars and determine their cosmic feedback and explosive fates.

astro-ph.SR

Binarity at LOw Metallicity (BLOeM): Enhanced multiplicity of early B-type dwarfs and giants at $Z=0.2\,{\rm Z}_\odot$

Early B-type stars ($M_i=8-15$ M$_\odot$) are frequently in multiple systems, as evidenced by spectroscopic campaigns in the Milky Way (MW) and the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC). Previous studies have shown no strong metallicity dependence in the close-binary (a>10 au) fraction or orbital-period distributions between the MW's solar metallicity (Z$_\odot$) and that of the LMC (Z=0.5 Z$_\odot$). However, similar analyses in more metal-poor environments are still scarce. We focus on 309 early B-type stars (luminosity classes III-V) from the Binarity at LOw Metallicity campaign in the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC, Z=0.2 Z$_\odot$) using VLT/FLAMES multi-epoch spectroscopy. By applying binary detection criteria consistent with previous works, we identify 153 stars (91 SB1, 59 SB2, 3 SB3) exhibiting significant radial-velocity (RV) variations, resulting in an observed multiplicity fraction of $f^{obs}_{mult}=50\pm3\%$. Using Monte Carlo simulations to account for observational biases, we infer an intrinsic close-binary fraction of $f_{mult}=80\pm8\%$. A Markov chain Monte Carlo analysis of the peak-to-peak RV distribution ($Δ{\rm RV}_{\rm max}$) confirms a high multiplicity fraction of $f_{mult}=78\pm5\%$. These findings suggest a possible anti-correlation between metallicity and the fraction of close B-type binaries, with the SMC multiplicity fraction significantly exceeding previous measurements in the LMC and MW. The enhanced fraction of close binaries at SMC's low metallicity may have broad implications for massive-star evolution in the early Universe. More frequent mass transfer and envelope stripping could boost the production of exotic transients, stripped supernovae, gravitational-wave progenitors, and sustained UV ionising flux, potentially affecting cosmic reionisation. Theoretical predictions of binary evolution under metal-poor conditions will provide a key test of our results.

astro-ph.SR

Binarity at LOw Metallicity (BLOeM): Multiplicity of early B-type supergiants in the Small Magellanic Cloud

The blue supergiant (BSG) domain contains a large variety of stars whose past and future evolutionary paths are still highly uncertain. Since binary interaction plays a crucial role in the fate of massive stars, investigating the multiplicity among BSGs helps shed light on the fate of such objects. We aim to estimate the binary fraction of a large sample of BSGs in the Small Magellanic Cloud within the Binarity at LOw Metallicity (BLOeM) survey. In total, we selected 262 targets with spectral types B0-B3 and luminosity classes I-II. This work is based on spectroscopic data collected by the GIRAFFE instrument, mounted on the Very Large Telescope, which gathered nine epochs over three months. Our spectroscopic analysis for each target includes the individual and peak-to-peak radial velocity measurements, an investigation of the line profile variability, and a periodogram analysis to search for possible short- and long-period binaries. By applying a 20 km s$^{-1}$ threshold on the peak-to-peak radial velocities above which we would consider the star to be binary, the resulting observed spectroscopic binary fraction for our BSG sample is 23 $\pm$ 3$\%$. In addition, we derived reliable orbital periods for 41 spectroscopic binaries and potential binary candidates, among which there are 17 eclipsing binaries, including 20 SB1 and SB2 systems with periods of less than 10 days. We reported a significant drop in the binary fraction of BSGs with spectral types later than B2 and effective temperatures less than 18 kK, which could indicate the end of the main sequence phase in this temperature regime. We found no metallicity dependence in the binary fraction of BSGs, compared to existing spectroscopic surveys of the Galaxy and Large Magellanic Cloud.

astro-ph.SR

Binarity at LOw Metallicity (BLOeM): The multiplicity properties and evolution of BAF-type supergiants

Given the uncertain evolutionary status of blue supergiant stars, their multiplicity properties hold vital clues to better understand their origin and evolution. As part of The Binarity at LOw Metallicity (BLOeM) campaign in the Small Magellanic Cloud we present a multi-epoch spectroscopic survey of 128 supergiant stars of spectral type B5--F5, which roughly correspond to initial masses in the range 6 to 30 solar masses. The observed binary fraction for the B5-9 supergiants is 25+/-6 % (10+/-4 %) and 5+/-2 % (0 %) for the A-F stars, using a radial velocity (RV) variability threshold of 5 kms (10 kms) as a criterion for binarity. Accounting for observational biases we find an intrinsic multiplicity fraction of less than 18% for the B5-9 stars and 8$^{+9}_{-7}$% for the AF stars, for the orbital periods up to 10$^{3.5}$day and mass-ratios (q) in the range 0.1 < q < 1. The large stellar radii of these supergiant stars prevent short orbital periods but we demonstrate that this effect alone cannot explain our results. We assess the spectra and RV time series of the detected binary systems and find that only a small fraction display convincing solutions. We conclude that the multiplicity fractions are compromised by intrinsic stellar variability such that the true multiplicity fraction may be significantly smaller. Our main conclusions from comparing the multiplicity properties of the B5-9 and AF supergiants to that of their less evolved counterparts is that such stars cannot be explained by a direct evolution from the main sequence. Furthermore, by comparing their multiplicity properties to red supergiant stars we conclude that the AF supergiant stars are neither progenitors nor descendants of red supergiants.

astro-ph.SR

Rotational synchronisation of B-type binaries in 30 Doradus

The spin evolution of stars in close binary systems can be strongly affected by tides. We investigate the rotational synchronisation of the stellar components for 69 SB1 systems and 14 SB2 B-type systems in the 30 Doradus region of the Large Magellanic Cloud using observations from the VFTS and BBC surveys. Their orbital periods range from a few to a few hundred days, while estimated primary masses for these systems are in the range 5-20 Msun with mass ratio ranges of approximately q=0.03-0.5 and q=0.6-1.0 for the SB1 and SB2 systems, respectively. Projected rotational velocities of the stellar components have been compared with their synchronous velocities derived from the orbital periods. We find that effectively all systems with orbital period of more than 10 days must be asynchronous, whilst all the systems with periods of less than 3 days are likely synchronised. In terms of the stellar fractional radius (r), our results imply that all systems with r<0.1 are asynchronous, with those having r>0.2 probably being synchronised. For the apparently synchronised systems our results are more consistent with synchronisation at the mean orbital angular velocity rather than with that at periastron.

astro-ph.SR

Experimental storage of photonic polarization entanglement in a broadband loop-based quantum memory

We describe an experiment in which one member of a polarization-entangled photon pair is stored in an active "loop and switch" type quantum memory device, while the other propagates through a passive optical delay line. A comparison of Bell's inequality tests performed before and after the storage is used to investigate the ability of the memory to maintain entanglement, and demonstrate a rudimentary entanglement distribution protocol. The entangled photons are produced by a conventional Spontaneous Parametric Down Conversion source with center wavelengths at 780 nm and bandwidths of $\sim$10 THz, while the memory has an even wider operational bandwidth that is enabled by the weakly dispersive nature of the Pockels effect used for polarization-insensitive switching in the loop-based quantum memory platform.

quant-ph

The B-type Binaries Characterisation Programme II. VFTS 291: A stripped star from a recent mass transfer phase

Recent studies of massive binaries with putative black hole companions have uncovered a phase of binary evolution that has not been observed before, featuring a bloated stripped star that very recently ceased transferring mass to a main-sequence companion. In this study, we focus on the candidate system VFTS 291, a binary with an orbital period of 108 d and a high semi-amplitude velocity ($K_1=93.7\pm0.2$ km s$^{-1}$). Through our analysis of the disentangled spectra of the two components, together with dynamical and evolutionary arguments, we identify a narrow-lined star of ~1.5-2.5 $M_\odot$ dominating the spectrum, and an early B-type main-sequence companion of $13.2\pm1.5$ $M_\odot$. The low mass of the narrow-lined star, and the high mass ratio, suggest that VFTS 291 is a post-mass-transfer system, with the narrow-lined star being bloated and stripped of its hydrogen-rich envelope, sharing many similarities with other recently discovered stripped stars. Our finding is supported by our detailed binary evolution models, which indicate that the system can be well explained by an initial configuration consisting of an 8.1 $M_\odot$ primary with an 8 $M_\odot$ companion in a 7 d orbital period. While some open questions remain, particularly concerning the surface helium enrichment of the stripped star and the rotational velocity of the companion, we expect that high-resolution spectroscopy may help reconcile our estimates with theory. Our study highlights the importance of multi-epoch spectroscopic surveys to identify and characterize binary interaction products, and provides important insights into the evolution of massive binary stars.

astro-ph.SR

The young massive SMC cluster NGC 330 seen by MUSE III. Stellar parameters and rotational velocities

The origin of initial rotation rates of stars, and how a star's surface rotational velocity changes during the evolution, either by internal angular momentum transport or due to interactions with a binary companion, remain open questions in stellar astrophysics. Here, we aim to derive the physical parameters and study the distribution of (projected) rotational velocities of B-type stars in the 35 Myr-old, massive cluster NGC 330 in the Small Magellanic Cloud. NGC 330 is in an age range where the number of post-interaction binaries is predicted to be high near the cluster turnoff (TO). We develop a simultaneous photometric and spectroscopic grid-fitting method adjusting atmosphere models on multi-band Hubble Space Telescope photometry and Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer spectroscopy. This allows us to homogeneously constrain the physical parameters of over 250 B and Be stars, brighter than mF814W = 18.8 mag. The rotational velocities of Be stars in NGC 330 are significantly higher than the ones of B stars. The rotational velocities vary as a function of the star's position in the color-magnitude diagram, qualitatively following predictions of binary population synthesis. A comparison to younger clusters shows that stars in NGC 330 rotate more rapidly on average. The rotational velocities of the 35 Myr old population in NGC 330 quantitatively agree with predictions for a stellar population that underwent significant binary interactions: the bulk of the B stars could be single stars or primaries in pre-interaction binaries. The rapidly spinning Be stars could be mass and angular momentum gainers in previous interactions, while those Be stars close to the TO may be spun-up single stars. The slowly rotating, apparently single stars above the TO could be merger products. The different vsini-characteristics of NGC 330 compared to younger populations can be understood in this framework.

astro-ph.SR

Reanalysis of neutron-capture elements in the benchmark r-rich star CS 31082-001

We revisit the abundances of neutron-capture elements in the metal-poor ([Fe/H]=-2.9) r-process-rich halo star CS 31082-001. Partly motivated by the development of the new near-ultraviolet Cassegrain U-band Efficient Spectrograph for the Very Large Telescope, we compiled an expanded line list for heavy elements over the range 3000-4000 Å, including hyperfine structure for several elements. Combining archival near-ultraviolet spectra of CS 31082-001 from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Very Large Telescope, we investigate the abundances and nucleosynthesis of 35 heavy elements (Ge, Sr, Y, Zr, Nb, Mo, Ru, Rh, Pd, Ag, Cd, Sn, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Hf, Os, Ir, Pt, Pb, Bi, Th, and U). Our analysis includes the first abundance estimates for tin, holmium, and ytterbium from these data, and the first for lutetium from ground-based data, enabling a more complete view of the abundance pattern of this important reference star. In general, the r-process dominated elements are as enhanced as those in the Sun, particularly for elements with Z $\ge$ 56 (Ba and heavier). However, the abundances for the lighter elements in our sample, from Ge to Sn (31 $\le$ Z $\le$ 50), do not scale with the solar abundance pattern. Moreover, the Ge abundance is deficient relative to solar, indicating that it is dominantly an iron-peak rather than neutron-capture element. Our results (or upper limits) on Sn, Pt, Au, Pb and Bi all pose further questions, prompting further study on the origin and evolution of the known r-rich and actinide-rich, metal-poor stars.

astro-ph.SR

X-Shooting ULLYSES: massive stars at low metallicity. I. Project Description

Observations of individual massive stars, super-luminous supernovae, gamma-ray bursts, and gravitational-wave events involving spectacular black-hole mergers, indicate that the low-metallicity Universe is fundamentally different from our own Galaxy. Many transient phenomena will remain enigmatic until we achieve a firm understanding of the physics and evolution of massive stars at low metallicity (Z). The Hubble Space Telescope has devoted 500 orbits to observe 250 massive stars at low Z in the ultraviolet (UV) with the COS and STIS spectrographs under the ULLYSES program. The complementary ``X-Shooting ULLYSES'' (XShootU) project provides enhanced legacy value with high-quality optical and near-infrared spectra obtained with the wide-wavelength coverage X-shooter spectrograph at ESO's Very Large Telescope. We present an overview of the XShootU project, showing that combining ULLYSES UV and XShootU optical spectra is critical for the uniform determination of stellar parameters such as effective temperature, surface gravity, luminosity, and abundances, as well as wind properties such as mass-loss rates in function of Z. As uncertainties in stellar and wind parameters percolate into many adjacent areas of Astrophysics, the data and modelling of the XShootU project is expected to be a game-changer for our physical understanding of massive stars at low Z. To be able to confidently interpret James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) spectra of the first stellar generations, the individual spectra of low Z stars need to be understood, which is exactly where XShootU can deliver.

astro-ph.SR

A high resolution study of near-IR diffuse interstellar bands, search for small scale structure, time variability and stellar features

Diffuse interstellar bands comprise hundreds of absorption features in the ISM. Most DIBs are observed in the optical, but some are in the IR. We observed 76 early-type stars at R=50,000 and S/N ratios of several hundreds using CRIRES. We measure DIBs around 1318, 1527, 1561, 1565, 1567, 1574 and/or 1624 nm. We detect a total of 6 DIB features and 17 likely stellar features assisted by a CMFGEN model. We also measured the DIBs at 1318 and 1527 nm using X-shooter towards ten Ceph. variables with 3.2 < E(B-V) < 6.5 and 4 stars at low values of water vapour. Correlation coeffs. of 0.73-0.96 are found comparing NIRDIB eq. width vs. E(B-V) and with r > 0.8 when comparing the NIR and optical DIBs 5705, 5780, 6203, 6283 and 6269 A. The 5797 A DIB is less well correlated with the NIDIBs. The "C60+" DIB at 9632 A is not well correlated with the 1318 nm DIB. Partial correlation coefficients using E(B-V) as the covariate were also determined. For stars earlier than B2, the 1318 nm DIB is affected by an emission line on its blue wing, likely stellar in nature, although we cannot rule out interstellar/circumstellar origin for example caused by by a DIB in emission. The 1318 nm DIB has a red wing and is reasonably well fitted by two gaussians. Neither the component ratios nor separation are correlated with 5780/5797 or E(B-V). EW(1318 nm) correlates with HI with EW(1318 nm)/E(B-V) decreasing with f(H2). Five pairs of stars within 1 am show similar 1318 nm DIB profiles. Variation in 1318 nm is seen in HD 145501/145502 and HD 168607/168625 pairs. CRIRES data for 17 stars separated by 6-14 months and 2 X-shooter sightlines separated by 9.9 yr were analysed. No time-variability is detected in the 5780, 5797 A, 1318 nm or 1527 nm DIBs. Tentative time variation is observed in the C60+ DIBs at 9577 and 9632 A towards HD 183143 although very close to the noise level with confirmation required.

astro-ph.GA

The VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey: Observational evidence for two distinct populations of massive runaway stars in 30 Doradus

Two main scenarios have been proposed for origin of massive runaway stars -- dynamical ejection or release from a binary at the first core collapse -- but their relative contribution remains debated. Using two large spectroscopic campaigns towards massive stars in 30 Doradus, we aim to provide observational constraints on the properties of the O-type runaway population in the most massive active star-forming region in the Local group. We use RV measurements of the O-type star populations in 30 Doradus obtained by the VLT-FLAMES Tarantula Survey and the Tarantula Massive Binary Monitoring to identify single and binary O-type runaways. We discuss their rotational properties and qualitatively compare observations with expectations of ejection scenarios. We identify 23 single and one binary O-type runaway objects, most of them outside the main star-forming regions in 30 Doradus. We find an overabundance of rapid rotators (vsini > 200km/s) among the runaway population, providing an explanation of the overabundance of rapidly rotating stars in the 30 Doradus field. Considerations of the projected rotation rates and runaway line-of-sight (los) velocities reveal a conspicuous absence of rapidly rotating (vsini > 210k/ms), fast moving (v_{los} > 60km/s) runaways, and suggest the presence of two different populations of runaway stars: a population of rapidly-spinning but slowly moving runaways and a population of fast moving but slowly rotating ones. These are detected with a ratio close to 2:1 in our sample. We argue that slowly moving but rapidly spinning runaways result from binary ejections, while rapidly moving but slowly spinning runaways could result from dynamical ejections. Given that detection biases will more strongly impact the slow-moving population, our results suggest that the binary evolution scenario dominates the current massive runaway population in 30 Doradus.

astro-ph.SR

Near-infrared spectroscopy of embedded protostars in the massive metal-poor star-forming region NGC 346

We present medium-resolution (R $\sim$ 4000) YJ, H \& K band spectroscopy of candidate young stellar objects (YSOs) in NGC~346, the most active star-formation region in the metal-poor (Z = 1/5 Z$_{\sun}$) Small Magellanic Cloud. The spectra were obtained with the KMOS (K-Band Multi Object Spectrograph) integral field instrument on the Very Large Telescope. From our initial sample of 18 candidate high-mass YSOs previously identified from mid-IR photometry and radiative transfer model fits to their spectral energy distributions, approximately half were resolved into multiple components by our integral-field data. In total, we detect 30 continuum sources and extract reliable spectra for 12 of these objects. The spectra show various features including hydrogen recombination lines, and lines from H$_2$, He~{\sc i} and [Fe~{\sc ii}], which are indicative of accretion, discs and outflowing material in massive YSOs. We spectroscopically confirm the youthful nature of nine YSO candidates and identify two others as OB stars. All of the confirmed YSOs have Br$γ$ in emission, but no emission is seen from the CO bandhead, despite other disc tracers present in the spectra. He\,{\sc i}~1.083 $μ$m emission is also detected at appreciably higher rates than for the Galaxy.

astro-ph.SR

Simulated observations of heavy elements with CUBES

We investigate the feasibility of robust abundances for selected neutron-capture elements (Ge, Bi, Hf, U) from near-UV spectroscopy with the CUBES instrument now in development for the Very Large Telescope. We use the CUBES end-to-end simulator to synthesise observations of the Ge I 3039 Å and Hf II 3400 and 3719 Å lines in a very metal-poor star, using the well-studied star CS 31082-001 as a template. From simulated 4 hr exposures, we recover estimated abundances to $\pm$0.1 dex for Ge for U $\sim$ 14.25 mag., and for Hf for U = 18 mag. These performances neatly highlight the powerful gain of CUBES for near-UV observations of targets that are two-to-three magnitudes fainter than the existing observations of CS 31082-001 (U = 12.5 mag.). We also investigate the weak Bi I 3025 Å and U II 3860 Å lines (for U $\sim$ 14.25 and 16mag., respectively), finding that simulated 4hr exposures should provide upper limits to these observationally challenging lines.

astro-ph.IM

Accretion and Outflows in Young Stars with CUBES

The science case on studies of accretion and outflows in low-mass ($<$1.5 $M_{\odot}$) young stellar objects (YSOs) with the new CUBES instrument is presented. We show the need for a high-sensitivity, near-ultraviolet (NUV) spectrograph like CUBES, with a resolving power at least four times that of X-Shooter and combined with UVES via a fibrelink for simultaneous observations. Simulations with the CUBES exposure time calculator and the end-to-end software show that a significant gain in signal-to -noise can be achieved compared to current instruments, for both the spectral continuum and emission lines, including for relatively embedded YSOs. Our simulations also show that the low-resolution mode of CUBES will be able to observe much fainter YSOs (V $\sim$22 mag) in the NUV than we can today, allowing us extend studies to YSOs with background-limited magnitudes. The performance of CUBES in terms of sensitivity in the NUV will provide important new insights into the evolution of circumstellar disks, by studying the accretion, jets/winds and photo-evaporation processes, down to the low-mass brown dwarf regime. CUBES will also open-up new science as it will be able to observe targets that are several magnitudes fainter than those reachable with current instruments, facilitating studies of YSOs at distances of $\sim$ kpc scale. This means a step-change in the field of low-mass star formation, as it will be possible to expand the science case from relatively local star-forming regions to a large swathe of distances within the Milky Way.

astro-ph.SR