Stellar Systems Group

Huélamo, N., Fernández, M., Neuhäuser, R., and Wolk, S. J.
Astronomy and Astrophysics, v.428, p.953-967 (2004)
12/2004

ABSTRACT

We present a rotational study of Post-T Tauri stars (PTTSs) in Lindroos systems, defined as binaries with early type primaries on the main-sequence (MS) and late-type secondaries on the pre-main-sequence (PMS) phase. The importance of this study in comparison with previous ones is that the Lindroos sample is not X-ray selected so we avoid a possible bias towards fast rotators. In this preliminary study we have monitored eleven stars in the UBVRI bands during two campaigns of ten consecutive nights each. Eight of the observed PTTSs show periodic modulations in their lightcurves and the derived periods range from 1.9 d to 8.0 d. The comparison of these results with theoretical rotational tracks based on disk-star locking theory shows that star-disk decoupling times of 1-20 Myr could reproduce the rotational properties of the targets, assuming an initial rotation period of ˜8 d and a mass of 1 M_sun. We have studied the rotation-activity relations of Lindroos PTTSs and compared them with those found in other groups of PMS and zero-age main-sequence (ZAMS) ˜1 M_sun stars. The Lindroos sample displays activity-rotation relations very similar to those found in TTSs. It contains a mixture of very active stars, with L_X/L_bol ratios close to the saturation level of -3, and less active (unsaturated) stars. This could be the result of different star-disk decoupling times. Future monitoring of a larger and unbiased sample of PTTS will be important to confirm the significance of these results.

Based on observations collected at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory and the European Southern Observatory, La Silla, under project 66.C-0119(B).