arXiv subjects

K. N. Grankin

Publications and source records attributed to K. N. Grankin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Time Lag between Accretion and Wind Events in the T Tauri Star RY Tau

The results of spectroscopic and photometric monitoring of the classical T Tauri star RY Tau are presented. The observation series span 220 nights from 2013 to 2024. During the observation period, the star's brightness varied within the range of V=9-11 mag. The rotation axis of the "star + accretion disk" system is tilted at a large angle, so the line of sight intersects the wind region and accreting flows in the star's magnetosphere. Variability in the short-wavelength wing of the Halpha emission line and the profile of the D NaI resonance doublet are analyzed. It is shown that the wind and accretion flows vary on a time scale of approximately 20 days. When the predominant flow direction changes, a time lag is observed: initially, accretion increases, and after two days, absorption in the line-of-sight wind decreases. It is concluded that the spectral line profiles are formed in the magnetospheric accretion flows and the conical wind originating from the boundary of the star's magnetosphere. The time lag is determined by the tilt of the magnetic dipole and the opening angle of the conical wind. It is assumed that RY Tau operates in an unstable propeller mode, and fluctuations in the accretion and wind flows are caused by density waves in the accretion disk.

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arXiv2025

On the influence of component orbital motion on the photometric variability of DF Tau

Based on the analysis of the long-term light curve of the young binary DF Tau spanning approximately 125 years, we infer that its brightness variations are associated with changes in the accretion rate from the circumstellar protoplanetary disk onto the primary. We have also substantially improved the orbital parameters of DF Tau, which enables us to align its secular light curve with the evolution of the binary's component separation. The relationship between the long-term brightness variations and the orbital motion of DF Tau, if present, appears to be inconsistent with theoretical predictions. Notably, similar discrepancies between theory and observations are also seen in other young binary systems. Furthermore, the source of the polarized radiation in the optical range is found to be located at a distance of $\lesssim 0.5^{\prime\prime}$ from the star, with the polarization variability showing no dependence on the orbital phase.

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arXiv2025

On the causes of brightness variability of the young star BP Tau

We have constructed and analysed the secular light curve of BP Tau, a classical T Tauri-type star. Wave-like variations in the average brightness were detected, with an amplitude of $ΔB\approx 0.2$ and characteristic time-scales of several decades. We argue that three deep dimming events $(ΔB \sim 1.5)$, lasting from 1 hour to several days, are caused by the eclipse of a hot (accretion) spot by dust falling onto the star together with gas. Such eclipses, albeit with smaller amplitudes, may explain the absence of a strictly defined periodicity in the brightness variations of BP Tau associated with axial rotation. We also show that within the distance range of 0.1 to 200 AU, BP Tau does not have a companion with a mass exceeding 0.2M$_\odot.$ The causes of brightness and colour index variations on different time-scales are discussed.

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arXiv2023

Density streams in the disc winds of Classical T Tauri stars

Spectral and photometric variability of the Classical T Tauri stars RY Tau and SU Aur from 2013 to 2022 is analyzed. We find that in SU Aur the H-alpha line's flux at radial velocity RV = -50 +- 7 km/s varies with a period P = 255 +- 5 days. A similar effect previously discovered in RY Tau is confirmed with these new data: P = 21.6 days at RV = -95 +- 5 km/s. In both stars, the radial velocity of these variations, the period, and the mass of the star turn out to be related by Kepler's law, suggesting structural features on the disc plane orbiting at radii of 0.2 AU in RY Tau and 0.9 AU in SU Aur, respectively. Both stars have a large inclination of the accretion disc to the line of sight - so that the line of sight passes through the region of the disc wind. We propose there is an azimuthal asymmetry in the disc wind, presumably in the form of 'density streams', caused by substructures of the accretion disc surface. These streams cannot dissipate until they go beyond the Alfven surface in the disc's magnetic field. These findings open up the possibility to learn about the structure of the inner accretion disc of CTTS on scales less than 1 AU and to reveal the orbital distances related to the planet's formation.

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arXiv2021

Modulated accretion in T Tauri star RY Tau -- stable MHD propeller or a planet at 0.2 AU?

Planets are thought to form at the early stage of stellar evolution when the mass accretion is still ongoing. RY Tau is a T Tauri type star at the age of a few Myr, with accretion disc seen at high inclination, so that line of sight crosses both the wind and the accretion gas flows. In a long series of spectroscopic monitoring of the star in 2013-2020, we detected variations in H-alpha and NaI D absorptions at radial velocities of infall (accretion) and outflow (wind) with a period of about 22 days. The absorptions in the infalling and the outflowing gas streams vary in anti-phase: an increase of infall is accompanied by a decrease of outflow, and vice versa. These flip-flop oscillations retain phase over several years of observations. We suggest that this may result from the MHD processes at the disk-magnetosphere boundary in the propeller mode. Another possibility is that a massive planet modulates some processes in the disc and provides the observed effects. The period, if Keplerian, corresponds to a distance of 0.2 AU, which is close to the dust sublimation radius in this star. The presence of the putative planet may be confirmed by radial velocity measurements: expected amplitude is > 90 m/s if a planet mass is > 2 Mj.

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arXiv2018

Dynamics of wind and the dusty environments in the accreting T Tauri stars RY Tau and SU Aur

Classical T Tauri stars with ages of less than 10 Myr possess accretion discs. Magnetohydrodynamic processes at the boundary between the disc and the stellar magnetosphere control the accretion and ejections gas flows. We carried out a long series of simultaneous spectroscopic and photometric observations of the classical T Tauri stars RY Tau and SU Aur with the aim to quantify the accretion and outflow dynamics at time scales from days to years. It is shown that dust in the disc wind is the main source of photometric variability of these stars. In RY Tau we observed a new effect: during events of enhanced outflow the circumstellar extinction gets lower. The characteristic time of changes in outflow velocity and stellar brightness indicates that the obscuring dust is near the star. The outflow activity in both stars is changing on a time scale of years. Periods of quiescence in H$α$ profile variability were observed during 2015-2016 season in RY Tau and during 2016-2017 season in SU Aur. We interpret these findings in the framework of the magnetospheric accretion model, and discuss how the global stellar magnetic field may influence the long-term variations of the outflow activity.

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arXiv2018

SU Aur: A Deep Fading Event in Visible and Near-Infrared Bands

In three seasons of 2015-2018 we carried out a series of visible and near infrared (NIR) photometry of SU Aur. In course of this photometric monitoring we detected an event of a deep fading of the star in spring of 2018. In this paper we present preliminary analysis of our photometry.

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arXiv2018

T Tauri Stars: Physical Parameters and Evolutionary Status

Long-term homogeneous photometry for 35 classical T Tauri stars (cTTS) in the Taurus-Auriga star-forming region (Tau-Aur SFR) has been analyzed. Reliable effective temperatures, interstellar extinctions, luminosities, radii, masses, and ages have been determined for these cTTS. The physical parameters and evolutionary status of 35 cTTS from this work and 34 weak-line T Tauri stars (wTTS) from previous studies have been compared. The luminosities, radii, and rotation periods of low-mass (0.3-1.1 Msun) cTTS are shown to be, on average, greater than those of low-mass wTTS, in good agreement with the evolutionary status of these two subgroups. The mean age of the younger subgroup of wTTS from our sample (2.3 Myr) essentially coincides with the mean duration of the protoplanetary disk accretion phase (2.3 Myr) for a representative sample of low-mass stars in seven young stellar clusters. The accretion disk dissipation time scale for the younger subgroup of cTTS (age less 4 Myr) in the Tau-Aur SFR is shown to be no greater than 0.4 Myr, in good agreement with the short protoplanetary disk dissipation time scale that is predicted by present-day protoplanetary disk evolution models.

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arXiv2015

Toward Understanding The B[e] Phenomenon: V. Nature and Spectral Variations of the MWC 728 Binary System

We report the results of a long-term spectroscopic monitoring of the FS\,CMa type object MWC\,728. We found that it is a binary system with a B5 Ve (T$_{\rm eff}$ = 14000$\pm$1000 K) primary and a G8 III type (T$_{\rm eff} \sim$ 5000 K) secondary. Absorption line positions of the secondary vary with a semi-amplitude of $\sim$20 km/s and a period of 27.5 days. The system's mass function is 2.3$\times10^{-2}$ M$_\odot$, and its orbital plane is $13^{\circ}-15^{\circ}$ tilted from the plane of the sky. The primary's $v \sin i \sim$110 km/s combined with this tilt implies that it rotates at a nearly breakup velocity. We detected strong variations of the Balmer and He I emission-line profiles on timescales from days to years. This points to a variable stellar wind of the primary in addition to the presence of a circum-primary gaseous disk. The strength of the absorption-line spectrum along with the optical and near-IR continuum suggest that the primary contributes $\sim$60% of the $V$--band flux, the disk contributes $\sim$30%, and the secondary $\sim$10%. The system parameters, along with the interstellar extinction, suggest a distance of $\sim$1 kpc, that the secondary does not fill its Roche lobe, and that the companions' mass ratio is $q \sim$0.5. Overall, the observed spectral variability and the presence of a strong IR-excess are in agreement with a model of a close binary system that has undergone a non-conservative mass-transfer.

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arXiv2015

Another deep dimming of the classical T Tauri star RW Aur A

Context. RW Aur A is a classical T Tauri star (CTTS) with an unusually rich emission line spectrum. In 2014 the star faded by ~ 3 magnitudes in the V band and went into a long-lasting minimum. In 2010 the star suffered from a similar fading, although less deep. These events in RW Aur A are very unusual among the CTTS, and have been attributed to occultations by passing dust clouds. Aims. We want to find out if any spectral changes took place after the last fading of RW Aur A with the intention to gather more information on the occulting body and the cause of the phenomenon. Methods. We collected spectra of the two components of RW Aur. Photometry was made before and during the minimum. Results. The overall spectral signatures reflecting emission from accretion flows from disk to star did not change after the fading. However, blue-shifted absorption components related to the stellar wind had increased in strength in certain resonance lines, and the profiles and strengths, but not fluxes, of forbidden lines had become drastically different. Conclusions. The extinction through the obscuring cloud is grey indicating the presence of large dust grains. At the same time, there are no traces of related absorbing gas. The cloud occults the star and the interior part of the stellar wind, but not the wind/jet further out. The dimming in 2014 was not accompanied by changes in the accretion flows at the stellar surface. There is evidence that the structure and velocity pattern of the stellar wind did change significantly. The dimmings could be related to passing condensations in a tidally disrupted disk, as proposed earlier, but we also speculate that large dust grains have been stirred up from the inclined disk into the line-of-sight through the interaction with an enhanced wind.

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arXiv2013

Magnetically Active Stars in Taurus-Auriga: Activity and Rotation

A sample of 70 magnetically active stars toward the Taurus-Auriga star-forming region has been investigated. The positions of the sample stars on the Rossby diagram have been analyzed. All stars are shown to be in the regime of a saturated dynamo, where the X-ray luminosity reaches its maximum and does not depend on the Rossby number. A correlation has been found between the lithium line equivalent width and the age of a solar-mass (from 0.7 to 1.2 Msun) pre-main-sequence star. The older the age, the smaller the Li line equivalent width. Analysis of the long-term photometric variability of these stars has shown that the photometric activity of the youngest stars is appreciably higher than that of the older objects from the sample. This result can be an indirect confirmation of the evolution of the magnetic field in pre-main-sequence stars from predominantly dipole and axisymmetric to multipole and nonaxisymmetric.

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arXiv2013

Spectroscopy of the mysterious Be system FF Cam

FF Cam is a variable star near the North celestial pole with hydrogen lines in emission. Its optical variability of ~0.3 mag was discovered by HIPPARCOS. The spectral type assigned to the star in SIMBAD is B9, but its position coincides with a ROSAT X-ray source. This suggests the presence of a high-temperature region in the system that could originate at or near a companion object. We undertook a spectroscopic monitoring of FF Cam since the beginning of 2012 and found an extremely variable H-alpha line profile as well as periodically variable radial velocities of numerous absorption lines. The main conclusion from our study is that FF Cam is a binary system with an orbital period of 7.785 days, a B-type primary and a K-type secondary component. We discuss the spectral features, their variations, and the nature of FF Cam.

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arXiv2013

Magnetically Active Stars in Taurus-Auriga: Evolutionary Status

We have analyzed a sample of 74 magnetically active stars toward the Taurus-Auriga star-forming region. Based on accurate data on their basic physical parameters obtained from original photometric observations and published data on their proper motions, X-ray luminosities, and equivalent widths of the $\rm Hα$ and Li lines, we have refined the evolutionary status of these objects. We show that 50 objects are young stars with ages of 1-40 Myr and belong to the Taurus-Auriga star-forming region. Other 20 objects have a controversial evolutionary status and can belong to both Taurus-Auriga star-forming region and the Gould Belt. The remaining four objects with ages of 70-100 Myr belong to the zero-age main sequence. We have analyzed the relationship between the rotation period, mass, and age for 50 magnetically active stars. The change in the angular momentum of the sample stars within the first 40 Myr of their evolution has been investigated. An active star-protoplanetary disk interaction is shown to occur on a time scale from 0.7 to 10 Myr.

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arXiv2013

Magnetically Active Stars in Taurus-Auriga: Photometric Variability and Basic Physical Parameters

The paper presents an analysis of homogeneous long-term photometric observations of 28 well-known weak-line T Tauri stars (WTTS) and 60 WTTS candidates detected by the ROSAT observatory in the direction of the Taurus-Auriga star-forming region. 22 known WTTS and 39 WTTS candidates are shown to exhibit periodic light variations that are attributable to the phenomenon of spotted rotational modulation. The rotation periods of these spotted stars lie within the range from 0.5 to 10 days. Significant differences between the long-term photometric behaviors of known WTTS and WTTS candidates have been found. We have calculated accurate luminosities, radii, masses, and ages for 74 stars. About 33 percent of the sample of WTTS candidates have ages younger than 10 Myr. The mean distance to 24 WTTS candidates with reliable estimates of their radii is shown to be 143+/-26 pc.

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arXiv2010

Search for Keplerian periods in light variations of T Tauri stars and Herbig Ae stars

Long-term, uniform series of UBVR observations of T Tauri and Herbig Ae stars obtained over 20 yr at the Maidanak Observatory as part of the ROTOR program are analyzed. We find a linear relationship between the characteristic variability time scale and the bolometric luminosity of the star+disk system: the higher the luminosity, the slower the brightness variations. This dependence is valid over a wide range of masses and luminosities, from T Tauri stars to Herbig Ae stars. On average, the variability time scale is one-quarter the Keplerian period at the dust-sublimation radius, which is known from interferometric observations. Some T Tauri stars have periods from 25 to 120 days, which are preserved over several observing seasons. These periods correspond to Keplerian orbits with semi-major axes from 0.14 to 0.52 AU. The results obtained provide indirect evidence for the existence of protoplanets in the gas-dust disks of stars in early stages of their evolution toward the main sequence.

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arXiv2009

Dynamo Processes in the T Tauri star V410 Tau

We present new brightness and magnetic images of the weak-line T Tauri star V410 Tau, made using data from the NARVAL spectropolarimeter at Telescope Bernard Lyot (TBL). The brightness image shows a large polar spot and significant spot coverage at lower latitudes. The magnetic maps show a field that is predominantly dipolar and non-axisymmetric with a strong azimuthal component. The field is 50% poloidal and 50% toroidal, and there is very little differential rotation apparent from the magnetic images. A photometric monitoring campaign on this star has previously revealed V-band variability of up to 0.6 magnitudes but in 2009 the lightcurve is much flatter. The Doppler image presented here is consistent with this low variability. Calculating the flux predicted by the mapped spot distribution gives an peak-to-peak variability of 0.04 magnitudes. The reduction in the amplitude of the lightcurve, compared with previous observations, appears to be related to a change in the distribution of the spots, rather than the number or area. This paper is the first from a Zeeman-Doppler imaging campaign being carried out on V410 Tau between 2009-2012 at TBL. During this time it is expected that the lightcurve will return to a high amplitude state, allowing us to ascertain whether the photometric changes are accompanied by a change in the magnetic field topology.

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arXiv2009

Toward Understanding The B[e] Phenomenon: III. Properties of the optical counterpart of IRAS 00470+6429

FS CMa type stars are a group of Galactic objects with the B[e] phenomenon. They exhibit strong emission-line spectra and infrared excesses, which are most likely due to recently formed circumstellar dust. The group content and identification criteria were described in the first two papers of the series. In this paper we report our spectroscopic and photometric observations of the optical counterpart of IRAS 00470+6429 obtained in 2003--2008. The optical spectrum is dominated by emission lines, most of which have P Cyg type profiles. We detected significant brightness variations, which may include a regular component, and variable spectral line profiles in both shape and position. The presence of a weak Li {\sc I} 6708 Åline in the spectrum suggests that the object is most likely a binary system with a B2--B3 spectral type primary companion of a luminosity $\log$ L/L$\odot$ = 3.9$\pm$0.3 and a late-type secondary companion. We estimate a distance toward the object to be 2.0$\pm$0.3 kpc from the Sun.

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arXiv2009

A new spectroscopic and interferometric study of the young stellar object V645 Cyg

We present the results of high-resolution optical spectroscopy, low-resolution near-IR spectroscopy and near-infrared speckle interferometry of the massive young stellar object candidate V645 Cyg, acquired to refine its fundamental parameters and the properties of its circumstellar envelope. Speckle interferometry in the $H$- and $K$-bands and an optical spectrum in the range 5200--6680 Åwith a spectral resolving power of $R$ = 60 000 were obtained at the 6-m telescope of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Another optical spectrum in the range 4300--10500 Åwith $R$ = 79 000 was obtained at the 3.6-m CFHT. Low-resolution spectra in the ranges 0.46--1.4 $μ$m and 1.4--2.5 $μ$m with $R \sim$ 800 and $\sim$ 700, respectively, were obtained at the 3-m Shane telescope of the Lick Observatory. Using a novel kinematical method based on the non-linear modeling of the neutral hydrogen density profile in the direction toward the object, we propose a distance of $D = 4.2\pm$0.2 kpc. We also suggest a revised estimate of the star's effective temperature, T$_{\rm eff} \sim$25 000 K. We resolved the object in both $H$- and $K$-bands. We conclude that V645 Cyg is a young, massive, main-sequence star, which recently emerged from its cocoon and has already experienced its protostellar accretion stage. The presence of accretion is not necessary to account for the high observed luminosity of (2--6)$\times 10^4$ M$_{\odot}$ yr$^{-1}$. The receding part of a strong, mostly uniform outflow with a terminal velocity of $\sim$800 km s$^{-1}$ is only blocked from view far from the star, where forbidden lines form.

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