Explaining Multi-wavelength Photometric Variability in Young Stellar Objects
Abstract
We explore a variety of radiation transfer models to explain multi-wavelength photometric variability of young stellar objects in the Orion Nebula Cluster (Morales-Calderon et al. (2011). Our models include hotspots, warps in the accretion disk, and spiral arms. Variability comes in different types, which have been categorized as periodic or quasi-periodic, narrow or broad dips in the light curves, and rapid flux variations or “wild type” stars. Our models can successfully reproduce these. The optical and near-infrared light curves are sensitive to the stellar variations and obscurations from the circumstellar material. The mid-infrared provides an additional diagnostic because it is sensitive to emission from the inner disk and the inner wall height. Our models make specific predictions as to the shapes and phasing of optical through mid-infrared photometry that can be tested with multi-wavelength time-series data. This work is based in part on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology under a contract with NASA. Support for this work was provided by NASA through an award issued by JPL/Caltech and was partially supported by the National Science Foundation's REU program through NSF Award AST-1004881.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #221
- Pub Date:
- January 2013
- Bibcode:
- 2013AAS...22125610K