Generation of radiative knots in a randomly pulsed protostellar jet

HH objects are characterized by a complex knotty morphology detected mainly along the axis of protostellar jets in a wide range of bands. Evidence of interactions between knots formed in different epochs have been found, suggesting that jets may result from the ejection of plasma blobs from the source. We aim at investigating the physical mechanism leading to the irregular knotty structure observed in jets in different bands and the complex interactions occurring among blobs of plasma ejected from the stellar source. We perform 2D axisymmetric HD simulations of a randomly ejected pulsed jet. The jet consists of a train of blobs which ram with supersonic speed into the ambient medium. The in…

The X-ray emission mechanism in the protostellar jet HH 154

We study the mechanism causing the X-ray emission recently detected in protostellar jets, by performing a detailed modeling of the interaction between a supersonic jet originating from a young stellar object and the ambient medium, for various values of density contrast, ν, between the ambient density and the jet, and of Mach number, M; radiative losses and thermal conduction have been taken into account. Here we report a representative case which reproduces, without any ad hoc assumption, the characteristics of the X-ray emission recently observed in the protostellar jet HH 154. We find that the X-ray emission originates from a localized blob, consistent with observations, which moves with…

X-rays from protostellar jets: emission from continuous flows

Recently X-ray emission from protostellar jets has been detected with both XMM-Newton and Chandra satellites, but the physical mechanism which can give rise to this emission is still unclear. We performed an extensive exploration of a wide space of the main parameters influencing the jet/ambient interaction. Aims include: 1) to constrain the jet/ambient interaction regimes leading to the X-ray emission observed in Herbig-Haro objects in terms of the emission by a shock forming at the interaction front between a continuous supersonic jet and the surrounding medium; 2) to derive detailed predictions to be compared with optical and X-ray observations of protostellar jets; 3) to get insight int…

The Origin of T Tauri X-ray Emission: New Insights from the Chandra Orion Ultradeep Project

We use the data of the Chandra Orion Ultradeep Project (COUP) to study the nearly 600 X-ray sources that can be reliably identified with optically well characterized T Tauri stars (TTS) in the Orion Nebula Cluster. We detect X-ray emission from more than 97% of the optically visible late-type (spectral types F to M) cluster stars. This proofs that there is no ``X-ray quiet'' population of late-type stars with suppressed magnetic activity. All TTS with known rotation periods lie in the saturated or super-saturated regime of the relation between activity and Rossby numbers seen for main-sequence (MS) stars, but the TTS show a much larger scatter in X-ray activity than seen for the MS stars. S…

X-rays from accretion shocks in T Tauri stars: The case of BP Tau

We present an XMM-Newton observation of the classical T Tauri star BP Tau. In the XMM-Newton RGS spectrum the O {\sc vii} triplet is clearly detected with a very weak forbidden line indicating high plasma densities and/or a high UV flux environment. At the same time concurrent UV data point to a small hot spot filling factor suggesting an accretion funnel shock as the site of the X-ray and UV emission. Together with the X-ray data on TW Hya these new observations suggest such funnels to be a general feature in classical T Tauri stars.

Generation of radiative knots in a randomly pulsed protostellar jet. II. X-ray emission

Protostellar jets are known to emit in a wide range of bands, from radio to IR to optical bands, and to date also about ten X-ray emitting jets have been detected, with a rate of discovery of about one per year. We aim at investigating the mechanism leading to the X-ray emission detected in protostellar jets and at constraining the physical parameters that describe the jet/ambient interaction by comparing our model predictions with observations. We perform 2D axisymmetric hydrodynamic simulations of the interaction between a supersonic jet and the ambient. The jet is described as a train of plasma blobs randomly ejected by the stellar source along the jet axis. We explore the parameter spac…

X-ray and optical emission in protostellar jets: model predictions and comparison with observations

The stellar content of the XMM-Newton Bright Serendipitous Survey

Context: The comparison of observed counts in a given sky direction with predictions by Galactic models yields constraints to the spatial distribution and the stellar birthrate of young stellar populations. In this work we present the results of the analysis of the stellar content of the XMM-Newton Bright Serendipitous Survey (XBSS). This unbiased survey includes a total of 58 stellar sources selected in the 0.5 -- 4.5 keV energy band, having a limiting sensitivity of $10^{-2}$ cnt s$^{-1}$ and covering an area of 28.10 sq. deg. Aims: Our main goal is to understand the recent star formation history of the Galaxy in the vicinity of the Sun. Methods: We compare the observations with the predi…

The X-ray Luminosity Distributions of the high-metallicity open cluster Blanco 1

We present X-ray Luminosity Distributions (XLDs) of late-type members (dF, dG, dK, dM) of the Blanco 1 cluster, based on ROSAT-HRI data and new astrometric-photometric membership obtained from the GSC-II project. For the first time we present the XLD of dM stars of this cluster. The high metallicity of Blanco 1 allows us to investigate the role of chemical composition on the coronal emission of late-type stars. Comparison between X-ray Luminosity Distributions of Blanco 1 and Pleiades, NGC 2516 and α  Per suggests a possible metallicity effect in dM stars.

The Complex Morphology of the X-ray and Optical Emission from HH 154: The Pulsed Jet Scenario

We study the optical and X-ray emission from protostellar jets, focusing, in particular, on the case of HH 154. This project consists of two different and complementary approaches: the development of hydrodynamical models of the jet/ambient interaction, and the analysis of multi-wavelength observations. Comparing the results derived from the simulations with the observations we can infer the physical mechanisms leading to the complex morphology of the X-rays source observed at the base of HH 154.

Correlated optical and X-ray variability in CTTS

Optical and X-ray emission from classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs) has long been known to be highly variable. Our long, uninterrupted optical observation of the NGC2264 region with CoRoT allows the optical variability in CTTS to be studied with unprecedented accuracy and time coverage. Two short Chandra observations obtained during the CoRoT pointing with a separation of 16 days allow us to study whether there is a correlation between optical and X-ray variability on this timescale, thus probing the physical mechanisms driving the variability in both bands. We have computed the optical and X-ray fractional variability between the two 30 ks duration windows covered by both the Chandra and CoRoT…

Eclipsed X-ray flares in binary stars: geometrical constraints on the flare's location and size

The observation of eclipses during X-rays flares taking place in active cool stars binaries allows us to calculate the position and size of the flares. This information cannot be derived by analyzing the decay of the flares, a frequently used approach in the literature that requires the assumption of a physical model. We make use of the eclipsing light curve to constrain the set of possible solutions, from the geometrical point of view, in two flares of Algol, and one flare in VW Cep. We make use of a technique developed with the system SV Cam (i~90 deg) and generalize it to binary systems with arbitrary inclination. The method simulates all possible geometrical situations that can produce …

Parameter properties and stellar population of the old open cluster NGC 3960

We present a $BVI$ photometric and astrometric catalogue of the open cluster NGC 3960, down to limiting magnitude $V\sim22$, obtained from observations taken with the Wide Field Imager camera at the MPG/ESO 2.2 m Telescope at La Silla. The photometry of all the stars detected in our field of view has been used to estimate a map of the strong differential reddening affecting this area. Our results indicate that, within the region where the cluster dominates, the $E(V-I)$ values range from 0.21 up to 0.78, with $E(V-I)=0.36$ ($E(B-V)=0.29$) at the nominal cluster centroid position; color excesses $E(V-I)$ up to 1 mag have been measured in the external regions of the field of view where field …

X-ray emission from early-type stars in the Orion Nebula Cluster

The X-ray properties of twenty ~1 Myr old O, B, and A stars of the Orion Trapezium are examined with data from the Chandra Orion Ultradeep Project (COUP). On the basis of simple theories for X-ray emission, we define two classes separated at spectral type B4: hotter stars have strong winds that may give rise to X-ray emission in small- or large-scale wind shocks, and cooler stars that should be X-ray dark due to their weaker winds and absence of outer convection zones where dynamos can generate magnetic fields. Only two of the massive stars show exclusively the constant soft-spectrum emission expected from the standard model for X-ray emission from hot stars involving many small shocks in a…

The stellar population of the Rosat North Ecliptic Pole survey

Context. X-ray surveys are a very efficient mean of detecting young stars and therefore allow us to study the young stellar population in the solar neighborhood and the local star formation history in the last billion of years. Aims. We want to study the young stellar population in the solar neighborhood, to constrain its spatial density and scale height as well as the recent local star formation history. Methods. We analyze the stellar content of the ROSAT North Ecliptic Pole survey, and compare the observations with the predictions derived from stellar galactic model. Since the ROSAT NEP survey is sensitive at intermediate fluxes is able to sample both the youngest stars and the intermedi…

Recent X-ray studies of stellar cycles and long-term variability

AbstractWe discuss recent X-ray studies of stellar cycles and long-term variability.

Results from Droxo

AIMS. We study the variability of the Fe 6.4 KeV emission line from the Class I young stellar object Elias 29 in the Rho-Oph cloud. METHODS. We analysed the data from Elias 29 collected by XMM during a nine-day, nearly continuous observation of the Rho-Oph star-forming region (the Deep Rho-Oph X-ray Observation, named Droxo). The data were subdivided into six homogeneous time intervals, and the six resulting spectra were individually analysed. RESULTS. We detect significant variability in the equivalent width of the Fe 6.4 keV emission line from Elias 29. The 6.4 keV line is absent during the first time interval of observation and appears at its maximum strength during the second time inter…

The discovery of an expanding X-ray source in the HH 154 protostellar jet

We have performed, in October 2005, a deep Chandra X-ray observation of HH 154. Comparison with the previous (2001) Chandra observation allows to detect proper motion down to the level predicted by models of X-ray emitting shocks in the jet. The 2005 Chandra observation of HH 154 shows unexpected morphological changes of the X-ray emission in comparison with the 2001 data. Two components are present: a stronger, point-like component with no detectable motion and a weaker component which has expanded in size by approximately 300 AU over the 4 years time base of the two observations. This expansion corresponds to approximately 500 km/s, very close to the velocity of the X-ray emitting shock i…

ROSAT PSPC/HRI observations of the open cluster NGC 2422

We present the results of a ROSAT study of NGC 2422, a southern open cluster at a distance of about 470 pc, with an age close to the Pleiades. Source detection was performed on two observations, a 10-ks PSPC and a 40-ks HRI pointing, with a detection algorithm based on wavelet transforms, particularly suited to detecting faint sources in crowded fields. We have detected 78 sources, 13 of which were detected only with the HRI, and 37 detected only with the PSPC. For each source, we have computed the 0.2-2.0 keV X-ray flux. Using optical data from the literature and our own low-dispersion spectroscopic observations, we find candidate optical counterparts for 62 X-ray sources, with more than 8…

The X-ray luminosity of solar-mass stars in the intermediate age open cluster NGC 752

AIMS. While observational evidence shows that most of the decline in a star's X-ray activity occurs between the age of the Hyades (~8 x 10^8 yrs) and that of the Sun, very little is known about the evolution of stellar activity between these ages. To gain information on the typical level of coronal activity at a star's intermediate age, we studied the X-ray emission from stars in the 1.9 Gyr old open cluster NGC 752. METHODS. We analysed a ~140 ks Chandra observation of NGC 752 and a ~50 ks XMM-Newton observation of the same cluster. We detected 262 X-ray sources in the Chandra data and 145 sources in the XMM-Newton observation. Around 90% of the catalogued cluster members within Chandra's …

A large X-ray flare from the Herbig Ae star V892 Tau

We report the XMM-Newton observation of a large X-ray flare from the Herbig Ae star V892 Tau. The apparent low mass companion of V892 Tau, V892 Tau NE, is unresolved by XMM-Newton. Nevertheless there is compelling evidence from combined XMM-Newton and Chandra data that the origin of the flare is the Herbig Ae star V892 Tau. During the flare the X-ray luminosity of V892 Tau increases by a factor of ~15, while the temperature of the plasma increases from kT ~ 1.5 keV to kT ~ 8 keV. From the scaling of the flare event, based on hydrodynamic modeling, we conclude that a 500 G magnetic field is needed in order to confine the plasma. Under the assumptions that a dynamo mechanism is required to ge…

X-ray emission in protostellar jets: comparison between model predictions and observations

XMM-Newton survey of two upper Scorpius regions

We study X-ray emission from young stars by analyzing deep XMM-Newton observations of two regions of the Upper Scorpius association, having an age of 5 Myr. Based on near infrared and optical photometry we identify 22 Upper Scorpius photometric members among the 224 detected X-ray sources. We derive coronal properties of Upper Scorpius stars by performing X-ray spectral and timing analysis. The study of four strong and isolated stellar flares allows us to derive the length of the flaring loops. Among the 22 Upper Scorpius stars, 13 are identified as Upper Scorpius photometric members for the first time. The sample includes 7 weak-line T Tauri stars and 1 classical T Tauri star, while the na…

X-ray and optical bursts and flares in YSOs: results from a 5-day XMM-Newton monitoring campaign of L1551

We present the results of a five-day monitoring campaign with XMM-Newton of six X-ray bright young stellar objects (YSOs) in the star-forming complex L1551 in Taurus. All stars present significant variability on the five-day time scale. Modulation of the light curve on time scales comparable with the star's rotational period appeared to be present in the case of one weak-lined T Tauri star. Significant spectral variations between the 2000 and the 2004 observations were detected in the (unresolved) classical T Tauri binary system XZ Tau: a hot plasma component which was present in the X-ray spectrum in 2000 had significantly weakened in 2004. As XZ Tau N was undergoing a strong optical outbu…

Mass Segregation in the Open Cluster NGC 2422

UBVRI photometry of the open cluster NGC2422 (age ~10 8  yr) down to a limiting magnitude V ≃ 19 is used to study the cluster spatial distribution and the luminosity and mass functions. From the Color-Magnitude Diagram (CMD), we obtained a list of candidate cluster members based on a photometric criterion. Using a comparison field region and an iterative procedure, a correction for contaminating field stars has been inferred in order to obtain the luminosity and the mass functions in the M=0.4 -3.5 M ⊙ range. By analyzing the spatial distribution, we infer that a non-negligible number of cluster stars lie outside our investigated region. We estimate a correction to the mass function of the …

The photospheric abundances of active binaries II. Atmospheric parameters and abundance patterns for 6 single-lined RS CVn systems

Photospheric parameters and abundances are presented for a sample of single-lined chromospherically active binaries from a differential LTE analysis of high-resolution spectra. Abundances have been derived for 13 chemical species, including several key elements such as Li, Mg, and Ca. Two methods have been used. The effective temperatures, surface gravities and microturbulent velocities were first derived from a fully self-consistent analysis of the spectra, whereby the temperature is determined from the excitation equilibrium of the Fe I lines. The second approach relies on temperatures derived from the (B-V) colour index. These two methods give broadly consistent results for the stars in …

X-RAY EMISSION FROM PROTOSTELLAR JET HH 154: THE FIRST EVIDENCE OF A DIAMOND SHOCK?

X-ray emission from about ten protostellar jets has been discovered and it appears as a feature common to the most energetic jets. Although X-ray emission seems to originate from shocks internal to jets, the mechanism forming these shocks remains controversial. One of the best studied X-ray jet is HH 154 that has been observed by Chandra over a time base of about 10 years. We analyze the Chandra observations of HH 154 by investigating the evolution of its X-ray source. We show that the X-ray emission consists of a bright stationary component and a faint elongated component. We interpret the observations by developing a hydrodynamic model describing a protostellar jet originating from a nozz…

Results from DROXO. III. Observation, source list and X-ray properties of sources detected in the "Deep Rho Ophiuchi XMM-Newton Observation"

X-rays from very young stars are powerful probes to investigate the mechanisms at work in the very first stages of the star formation and the origin of X-ray emission in very young stars. We present results from a 500 ks long observation of the Rho Ophiuchi cloud with a XMM-Newton large program named DROXO, aiming at studying the X-ray emission of deeply embedded Young Stellar Objects (YSOs). The data acquired during the DROXO program were reduced with SAS software, and filtered in time and energy to improve the signal to noise of detected sources; light curves and spectra were obtained. We detected 111 sources, 61 of them associated with rho Ophiuchi YSOs as identified from infrared observ…

X-ray emission from protostellar jet HH 154: first evidence of a diamond shock?

Bright X-Ray Flares in Orion Young Stars from COUP: Evidence for Star-Disk Magnetic Fields?

We have analyzed a number of intense X-ray flares observed in the Chandra Orion Ultradeep Project (COUP), a 13 days observation of the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC). Analysis of the flare decay allows to determine the size, peak density and magnetic field of the flaring structure. A total of 32 events (the most powerful 1% of COUP flares), have sufficient statistics for the analysis. A broad range of decay times (from 10 to 400 ks) are present in the sample. Peak flare temperatures are often very high, with half of the flares in the sample showing temperatures in excess of 100 MK. Significant sustained heating is present in the majority of the flares. The magnetic structures which are found, a…

Luminosity and Mass Function of the Galactic open cluster NGC 2422

We present UBVRI photometry of the open cluster NGC 2422 (age $\sim 10^8$ yr) down to a limiting magnitude $V\simeq19$. These data are used to derive the Luminosity and Mass Functions and to study the cluster spatial distribution. By considering the color-magnitude diagram data and adopting a representative cluster main sequence, we obtained a list of candidate cluster members based on a photometric criterion. Using a reference field region and an iterative procedure, a correction for contaminating field stars has been derived in order to obtain the Luminosity and the Mass Functions in the $M=0.4-3.5 M_\odot$ range. By fitting the spatial distribution, we infer that a non-negligible number …

Herbig-Haro objects: model prediction and comparison with X-ray and optical observations

X-ray emission from fast moving shocks in the protostellar jet HH 154: a binding diagnostic of the emission mechanism

We propose to determine the proper motion of the X-ray source associated with HH 154, the only known protostellar jet in which the X-ray emission mechanism can be studied in detail. Our numerical simulations indicate that the X-rays are produced in a fast-moving (500 km/s) post-shock region, and our HST observations show high proper motion shocked material moving at similar speed. Detection (or lack of) of proper motion of the X-ray source will strongly confirm (or falsify) our model, and constitute the basis for a general theory of X-ray emission in protostellar jets. Understanding and modeling the emission mechanism is key to assess the lifetime of the X-ray emission and thus the influenc…