arXiv subjects

Hans Moritz Günther

Publications and source records attributed to Hans Moritz Günther.

29 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Spatially resolved velocity structure in jets of DF Tau and UY Aur A

Young stars accrete mass and angular momentum from their circumstellar disks. Some of them also drive outflows, which can be distinguished in optical forbidden emission lines (FELs). We analyze a sample of binary T Tauri stars observed with long-slit spectroscopy by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), searching for spatially resolved outflows. We detect resolved [O I] emission in two cases out of twenty one. In DF Tau we resolve high and medium velocity outflows in a jet and counterjet out to 60 au. The outflows are accelerated within the inner 12 au and retain a constant speed thereafter. In UY Aur, we detect a blue- and a red-shifted outflow from UY Aur A, as well as a blue-shifted jet from UY Aur B. All of these features have been seen in [Fe II] with data taken ten years apart indicating that the underlying outflow pattern is stable on these timescales.

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arXiv2019

The fastest components in stellar jets

Young stars accrete mass from a circumstellar disk, but at the same time disk and star eject outflows and jets. These outflows have an onion-like structure where the innermost and fastest layers are surrounded by increasingly lower velocity components. The outer layers are probably photo-evaporative and magnetocentrifugally launched disk winds, but the nature of the inner winds is still uncertain. Since the fastest components carry only a small fraction of the mass, they are best observed at high-energies (X-ray and UV) as the slower, more massive components do not reach plasma temperatures sufficient for relevant X-ray or UV emission. Outflows are the most likely way in which a star or its disk can shed angular momentum and allow accretion to proceed; thus we cannot understand the accretion and the rotation rate of young stars if we cannot solve the origin of the inner jet components. Stellar jets share characteristics with their counterparts in more massive astrophysical objects, such as stellar mass black holes and AGN, with the added benefit that young stars are found at much closer distances and thus scales not accessible in other types of objects can be resolved. To understand the origin and impact of the inner jets, sub-arcsecond imaging and spectroscopy in the UV and X-rays is required, together with theory and modelling to interpret existing and future observations.

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arXiv2019

White paper for Chandra cool attitude targets (CAT): Stellar activity with TESS and Chandra

All cool stars show magnetic activity, and X-ray emission is the hallmark of this activity. Gaining an understanding of activity aids us in answering fundamental questions about stellar astrophysics and in determining the impact of activity on the exoplanets that orbit these stars. Stellar activity is driven by magnetic fields, which are ultimately powered by convection and stellar rotation. However, the resulting dynamo properties heavily depend on the stellar interior structure and are far from being understood. X-ray radiation can evaporate exoplanet atmospheres and damage organic materials on the planetary surface, reducing the probability that life can form or be sustained, but also provides an important source of energy for prebiotic chemical reactions. Over the next two years, the TESS mission will deliver a catalog of the closest exoplanets, along with rotation periods and activity diagnostics for millions of stars, whether or not they have a planet. We propose to include all cool stars that are TESS targets and bright enough for Chandra observations, as determined by their detection and flux in the ROSAT all-sky survey (RASS), to the list of Chandra Cool Attitude Targets (CATs). For each target, the signal will be sufficient to fit the coronal plasma with at least two temperature components, and compare abundances of groups of elements with low, medium, or high first ionization potential. Similar to the known relation between X-ray luminosity $L_X$ and rotation period, we can correlate stellar properties with coronal temperatures and abundances to constrain models for stellar activity, coronal heating, and stellar dynamos. Detailed X-ray characterization for even a subset of planet-hosting systems would dramatically advance our knowledge of what impact these emissions have on orbiting planets.

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arXiv2019

The dimming of RW Auriga. Is dust accretion preceding an outburst?

RW Aur A has experienced various dimming events in the last years, decreasing its brightness by $\sim 2\ \textrm{mag}$ for periods of months to years. Multiple observations indicate that a high concentration of dust grains, from the protoplanetary disk's inner regions, is blocking the starlight during these events. We propose a new mechanism that can send large amounts of dust close to the star on short timescales, through the reactivation of a dead zone in the protoplanetary disk. Using numerical simulations we model the accretion of gas and dust, along with the growth and fragmentation of particles in this scenario. We find that after the reactivation of the dead zone, the accumulated dust is rapidly accreted towards the star in around 15 years, at rates of $\dot{M}_\textrm{d} = 6 \times 10^{-6}\, \textrm{M}_\odot/\textrm{yr}$ and reaching dust-to-gas ratios of $ε\approx 5$, preceding an increase in the gas accretion by a few years. This sudden rise of dust accretion can provide the material required for the dimmings, although the question of how to put the dust into the line of sight remains open to speculation.

astro-ph.EP↗

arXiv2018

Optical dimming of RW Aur associated with an iron rich corona and exceptionally high absorbing column density

RW Aur is a binary system composed of two young, low-mass stars. The primary, RW Aur A, has undergone visual dimming events ($ΔV =2-3$~mag) in 2011, 2014-16, and 2017-2018. Visual and IR observations indicate a gray absorber that moved into the line-of-sight. This dimming is also associated with changes in the outflow. In 2017, when the optical brightness was almost 2~mag below the long-term average we triggered a Chandra observation to measure the absorbing column density $N_\mathrm{H}$ and to constrain dust properties and the gas-to-dust ratio of the absorber. In 2017, the X-ray spectrum is more absorbed than it was in the optically bright state ($N_\mathrm{H} = (4\pm 1) \times 10^{23}\;\mathrm{cm}^{-2}$) and shows significantly more hot plasma than in X-ray observations taken before. Also, a new emission feature at $6.63\pm0.02$ keV (statistic) $\pm0.02$ keV (systematic) appeared indicating an Fe abundance an order of magnitude above Solar, in contrast with previous sub-Solar Fe abundance measurements. Comparing X-ray absorbing column density $N_\mathrm{H}$ and optical extinction $A_V$, we find that either the gas-to-dust ratio in the absorber is orders of magnitude higher than in the ISM or the absorber has undergone significant dust evolution. Given the high column density coupled with changes in the X-ray spectral shape, this absorber is probably located in the inner disk. We speculate that a break-up of planetesimals or a terrestrial planet could supply large grains causing gray absorption; some of these grains would be accreted and enrich the stellar corona with iron which could explain the inferred high abundance.

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arXiv2017

MARXS: A modular software to ray-trace X-ray instrumention

To obtain the best possible scientific result, astronomers must understand the properties of the available instrumentation well. This is important both when designing new instruments and when using existing instruments close to the limits of their specified capabilities or beyond. Ray-tracing is a technique for numerical simulations where the path of many light rays is followed through the system to understand how individual system components influence the observed properties, such as the shape of the point-spread-function (PSF). In instrument design, such simulations can be used to optimize the performance. For observations with existing instruments this helps to discern instrumental artifacts from a true signal. Here, we describe MARXS, a new python package designed to simulate X-ray instruments on satellites and sounding rockets. MARXS uses probability tracking of photons and has polarimetric capabilities.

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arXiv2016

TYC 8241 2652 1 and the case of the disappearing disk: no smoking gun yet

TYC 8241 2652 1 is a young star that showed a strong mid-infrared (mid-IR, 8-25 mu) excess in all observations before 2008 consistent with a dusty disk. Between 2008 and 2010 the mid-IR luminosity of this system dropped dramatically by at least a factor of 30 suggesting a loss of dust mass of an order of magnitude or more. We aim to constrain possible models including removal of disk material by stellar activity processes, the presence of a binary companion, or other explanations suggested in the literature. We present new X-ray observations, optical spectroscopy, near-IR interferometry, and mid-IR photometry of this system to constrain its parameters and further explore the cause of the dust mass loss. In X-rays TYC 8241 2652 1 has all properties expected from a young star: Its luminosity is in the saturation regime and the abundance pattern shows enhancement of O/Fe. The photospheric Ha line is filled with a weak emission feature, indicating chromospheric activity consistent with the observed level of coronal emission. Interferometry does not detect a companion and sets upper limits on the companion mass of 0.2, 0.35, 0.1 and 0.05 M_sun at projected physical separations of 0.1-4 AU,4-5 AU, 5-10 AU, and 10-30 AU, respectively (assuming a distance of 120.9 pc). Our mid-IR measurements, the first of the system since 2012, are consistent with the depleted dust level seen after 2009. The new data confirms that stellar activity is unlikely to destroy the dust in the disk and shows that scenarios where either TYC 8241 2652 1 heats the disk of a binary companion or a potential companion heats the disk of TYC 8241 2652 1 are unlikely.

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arXiv2014

Recollimation boundary layers as X-ray sources in young stellar jets

Young stars accrete mass from circumstellar disks and in many cases, the accretion coincides with a phase of massive outflows, which can be highly collimated. Those jets emit predominantly in the optical and IR wavelength range. However, in several cases X-ray and UV observations reveal a weak but highly energetic component in those jets. X-rays are observed both from stationary regions close to the star and from knots in the jet several hundred AU from the star. In this article we show semi-analytically that a fast stellar wind which is recollimated by the pressure from a slower, more massive disk wind can have the right properties to power stationary X-ray emission. The size of the shocked regions is compatible with observational constraints. Our calculations support a wind-wind interaction scenario for the high energy emission near the base of YSO jets. For the specific case of DG Tau, a stellar wind with a mass loss rate of $5\cdot10^{-10}\;M_{\odot}\;\mathrm{yr}^{-1}$ and a wind speed of 800 km s$^{-1}$ reproduces the observed X-ray spectrum. We conclude that a stellar wind recollimation shock is a viable scenario to power stationary X-ray emission close to the jet launching point.

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arXiv2014

CSI 2264: Simultaneous optical and infrared light curves of young disk-bearing stars in NGC 2264 with CoRoT and Spitzer-- evidence for multiple origins of variability

We present the Coordinated Synoptic Investigation of NGC 2264, a continuous 30-day multi-wavelength photometric monitoring campaign on more than 1000 young cluster members using 16 telescopes. The unprecedented combination of multi-wavelength, high-precision, high-cadence, and long-duration data opens a new window into the time domain behavior of young stellar objects. Here we provide an overview of the observations, focusing on results from Spitzer and CoRoT. The highlight of this work is detailed analysis of 162 classical T Tauri stars for which we can probe optical and mid-infrared flux variations to 1% amplitudes and sub-hour timescales. We present a morphological variability census and then use metrics of periodicity, stochasticity, and symmetry to statistically separate the light curves into seven distinct classes, which we suggest represent different physical processes and geometric effects. We provide distributions of the characteristic timescales and amplitudes, and assess the fractional representation within each class. The largest category (>20%) are optical "dippers" having discrete fading events lasting ~1-5 days. The degree of correlation between the optical and infrared light curves is positive but weak; notably, the independently assigned optical and infrared morphology classes tend to be different for the same object. Assessment of flux variation behavior with respect to (circum)stellar properties reveals correlations of variability parameters with H$α$ emission and with effective temperature. Overall, our results point to multiple origins of young star variability, including circumstellar obscuration events, hot spots on the star and/or disk, accretion bursts, and rapid structural changes in the inner disk.

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arXiv2012

Accretion, winds and outflows in young stars

Young stars and planetary systems form in molecular clouds. For classical T Tauri stars (CTTS, F-K type precursors) the accretion disk does not reach down to the central star, but it is truncated near the co-rotation radius. The inner edge of the disk is ionized by the stellar radiation, so that the accretion stream is funneled along the magnetic field lines. On the stellar surface an accretion shock develops, which is observed over a wide wavelength range as X-ray emission, UV excess, optical veiling and optical and IR emission lines. Some of the accretion tracers, e.g. Hα, can be calibrated to measure the accretion rate. This accretion process is variable on time scales of hours to years due to changing accretion rates, stellar rotation and reconfiguration of the magnetic field. Furthermore, many accreting systems also drive strong outflows which are ultimately powered by accretion. Several components could contribute to the outflows: slow, wide-angle disk winds, X-winds launched close to the inner disk rim, and thermally driven stellar winds. In any case, the outflows contain material of very different temperatures and speeds. The disk wind is cool and can have a molecular component with just a few tens of km/s, while the central component of the outflow can reach a few 100 km/s. In some cases the inner part of the outflow is collimated to a small-angle jet. These jets have an onion-like structure, where the inner components are consecutively hotter and faster. The jets can contain working surfaces, which show up as Herbig-Haro knots. Accretion and outflows in the CTTS phase do not only determine stellar parameters like the rotation rate on the main-sequence, they also can have a profound impact on the environment of young stars. This review concentrates on CTTS in near-by star forming regions where observations of high spatial and spectral resolution are available.

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arXiv2012

Constraints on the ubiquity of coronal X-ray cycles

Stellar activity cycles are known to be a widespread phenomenon amongst moderately active solar- and late-type stars from long-term periodic variations in chromospheric Ca II H and K emission lines, yet to date only a handful of coronal X-ray cycles are known. We have surveyed serendipitously observed stellar sources in fields observed multiple times in the last decade by XMM-Newton and present our analysis of 9 stars from 6 fields. Since our sample is flux-limited, it is strongly biased towards higher levels of X-ray activity. We fit a single temperature APEC spectrum to each source and search for significant periodicities using a Lomb-Scargle Periodogram (LSP). We use a Monte Carlo (MC) algorithm to yield robust analysis of the statistical significance of cycle detections and non-detections. None of the 9 stellar lightcurves show any convincing indications of periodicity. From MC simulations we simulate the detection capabilities of our methodology and, assuming a uniform distribution of cycle periods and strengths over the domain searched, we conclude with 95% confidence that less than 72% of the stars represented by our sample of active stars have 5-13 year coronal X-ray cycles.

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