Our knowledge of the presence and the role of magnetic fields in intermediate-mass pre-main-sequence stars remains very poor.
We present the magnetic properties of four Herbig Ae/Be stars that have not been previously studied in detail.
Our results for the three Herbig Ae/Be stars HD97048, HD150193, and HD176386 are based on multi-epoch low-resolution spectra obtained in spectropolarimetric mode with FORS2 mounted on the VLT. New high-resolution polarimetric spectra were obtained for MWC480 with the SOFIN spectrograph installed at the Nordic Optical Telescope. We discuss 41 FORS2 low-resolution observations of the Herbig Ae/Be stars HD97048, HD150193, and HD176386 and determine their rotational periods. Using stellar fundamental parameters and the longitudinal magnetic field phase curves, we place constraints on the magnetic field geometry. Three high-resolution circularly polarised SOFIN spectra obtained for MWC480 were measured using the moment technique where wavelength shifts between right- and left-hand side circularly polarised spectra are interpreted in terms of a longitudinal magnetic field <B_z>.
Our search for periodicities resulted in P=0.693d for HD97048, P=1.317d for HD150193, and P=0.899d for HD176386. The magnetic field geometry can likely be described by a centred dipole with a polar magnetic field strength B_d of several hundred Gauss. The longitudinal magnetic-field measurements of MWC480 reveal the presence of a strong kG field, which was undetected in our previous low-resolution polarimetric observations with FORS1. A weak magnetic field was detected in the circumstellar components of the Ca II H&K lines and the Na I D lines, indicating a complex interaction between the stellar magnetic field and the circumstellar environment.
In recent years Herbig Ae/Be stars receive considerable attention as their disks are believed to be the sites of on-going planet formation. Confirming the presence of magnetic fields in these stars is critical for understanding the transport of angular momentum during the protostellar phase. Furthermore, magnetic fields set the conditions for strongly anisotropic accretion. In this study we present the results of our recent observing campaigns of a sample of Herbig Ae/Be stars aimed at measurements of their magnetic fields applying the Singular Value Decomposition method to high resolution spe…
Models of magnetically driven accretion reproduce many observational properties of T Tauri stars. For the more massive Herbig Ae/Be stars, the corresponding picture has been questioned lately, in part driven by the fact that their magnetic fields are typically one order of magnitude weaker. Indeed, the search for magnetic fields in Herbig Ae/Be stars has been quite time consuming, with a detection rate of about 7%, also limited by the current potential to detect weak magnetic fields. Over the last two decades, magnetic fields were found in about twenty objects and for only two Herbig Ae/Be sta…
We obtained high-resolution, high signal-to-noise UVES and a few lower quality HARPS spectra revealing the presence of resolved magnetically split lines. HD101412 is the first Herbig Ae star for which the rotational Doppler effect was found to be small in comparison to the magnetic splitting. The measured mean magnetic field modulus varies from 2.5 to 3.5kG, while the mean quadratic field was found to vary in the range of 3.5 to 4.8kG. To determine the period of variations, we used radial velocity, equivalent width, line width, and line asymmetry measurements of variable spectral lines of seve…
Models of magnetically driven accretion and outflows reproduce many observational properties of T Tauri stars, but the picture is much less clear for the Herbig Ae/Be stars, due to the poor knowledge of their magnetic field strength and topology. The Herbig Ae star PDS2 was previously included in two magnetic studies based on low-resolution spectropolarimetric observations. Only in one of these studies the presence of a weak mean longitudinal magnetic field was reported. In the present study, for the first time, high-resolution HARPS spectropolarimetric observations of PDS2 are used to investi…
Herbig Ae/Be stars are young, pre-main-sequence stars that sample the transition in structure and evolution between low- and high-mass stars, providing a key test of accretion processes in higher-mass stars. Few Herbig Ae/Be stars have detected magnetic fields, calling into question whether the magnetospheric accretion paradigm developed for low-mass stars can be scaled to higher masses. We present He I 10830 Å line profiles for 64 Herbig Ae/Be stars with a magnetic field measurement in order to test magnetospheric accretion in the physical regime where its efficacy remains uncertain. Of the 5…
We report on the status of our spectropolarimetric studies of Herbig Ae/Be stars carried out during the last years. The magnetic field geometries of these stars, investigated with spectropolarimetric time series, can likely be described by centred dipoles with polar magnetic field strengths of several hundred Gauss. A number of Herbig Ae/Be stars with detected magnetic fields have recently been observed with X-shooter in the visible and the near-IR, as well as with the high-resolution near-IR spectrograph CRIRES. These observations are of great importance to understand the relation between the…
We describe and model emission lines in the first overtone band of CO in the magnetic Herbig Ae star HD 101412. High-resolution CRIRES spectra reveal unusually sharp features which suggest the emission is formed in a thin disk centered at 1 AU with a width 0.32 AU or less. A wider disk will not fit the observations. Previous observations have reached similar conclusions, but the crispness of the new material brings the emitting region into sharp focus.
We present the results of a new magnetic field survey of Herbig Ae/Be and A debris disk stars. They are used to determine whether magnetic field properties in these stars are correlated with the mass-accretion rate, disk inclinations, companion(s), Silicates, PAHs, or show a more general correlation with age and X-ray emission as expected for the decay of a remnant dynamo.
We present longitudinal magnetic field measurements $\langle B_z \rangle$ for the Herbig Ae primary and the T Tauri secondary in the SB2 system HD 104237. These measurements were carried out using high spectral resolution observations obtained with the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher in polarimetric mode, installed at the ESO La Silla 3.6 m telescope. In agreement with previous studies of Herbig Ae stars, the longitudinal magnetic field in the primary is rather weak, ranging from 47 G to 72 G. The secondary component possesses a variable, much stronger magnetic field, up to 600 G…
The dynamics of magnetic flux tubes (MFTs) in the accretion disk of typical Herbig Ae/Be star with fossil large-scale magnetic field is modeled taking into account the buoyant and drag forces, radiative heat exchange with the surrounding gas, and the magnetic field of the disk. The structure of the disk is simulated using our magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) model, taking into account the heating of the surface layers of the disk with the stellar radiation. The simulations show that MFTs periodically rise from the innermost region of the disk with speeds up to $10-12$ km s$^{-1}$. MFTs experience dec…
Our knowledge of the presence and the strength of magnetic fields in intermediate-mass pre-main-sequence stars remains very poor. We present new magnetic field measurements in six Herbig Ae/Be stars observed with HARPS in spectropolarimetric mode. We downloaded from the European Southern Observatory (ESO) archive the publically available HARPS spectra for six Herbig Ae/Be stars. Wavelength shifts between right- and left-hand side circularly polarised spectra were interpreted in terms of a longitudinal magnetic field <B_z>, using the moment technique introduced by Mathys. The application of the…
Despite of the importance of magnetic fields for the full understanding of the properties of accreting Herbig Ae/Be stars, these fields have scarcely been studied over the rotation cycle until now. One reason for the paucity of such observations is the lack of knowledge of their rotation periods. The sharp-lined young Herbig Ae star HD101412 with a strong surface magnetic field became in the last years one of the most studied targets among the Herbig Ae/Be stars. A few months ago we obtained multi-epoch polarimetric spectra of this star with FORS2 to search for a rotation period and to constra…
The photospheres of about 10-20% of main sequence A- and B-type stars exhibit a wide range of chemical peculiarities, often associated with the presence of a magnetic field. It is not exactly known at which stage of stellar evolution these chemical peculiarities develop. To investigate this issue, in this paper we study the photospheric compositions of a sample of Herbig Ae and Be stars, which are considered to be the pre-main sequence progenitors of A and B stars. We have performed a detailed abundance analysis of 20 Herbig stars (three of which have confirmed magnetic fields), and one dusty …
Among the 21 Herbig Ae/Be stars studied, new detections of a magnetic field were achieved in six stars. For three Herbig Ae/Be stars, we confirm previous magnetic field detections. The largest longitudinal magnetic field, <B_z> = -454+-42G, was detected in the Herbig Ae/Be star HD101412 using hydrogen lines. No field detection at a significance level of 3sigma was achieved in stars with debris disks. Our study does not indicate any correlation of the strength of the longitudinal magnetic field with disk orientation, disk geometry, or the presence of a companion. We also do not see any simple d…
We report the detection of weak mean longitudinal magnetic fields in the Herbig Ae double-lined spectroscopic binary AK Sco and in the presumed spectroscopic Herbig Ae binary HD95881 using observations with the High Accuracy Radial velocity Planet Searcher polarimeter (HARPSpol) attached to the European Southern Observatory's (ESO's) 3.6m telescope. Employing a multi-line singular value decomposition (SVD) method, we detect a mean longitudinal magnetic field <B_z>=-83+-31G in the secondary component of AK Sco on one occasion. For HD95881, we measure <B_z>=-93+-25G and <B_z>=105+-29G at two dif…
Models of magnetically-driven accretion and outflows reproduce many observational properties of T Tauri stars. This concept is not well established for the more massive Herbig Ae/Be stars. We intend to examine the magnetospheric accretion in Herbig Ae/Be stars and search for rotational modulation using spectroscopic signatures, in this first paper concentrating on the well-studied Herbig Ae star HD101412. We used near-infrared spectroscopic observations of the magnetic Herbig Ae star HD101412 to test the magnetospheric character of its accretion disk/star interaction. We reduced and analyzed 3…
Models of magnetically driven accretion and outflows reproduce many observational properties of T Tauri stars. For the more massive Herbig Ae/Be stars, the corresponding picture is not well established. Nonetheless, it is expected that accretion flows in pre-main-sequence stars are guided from the circumstellar disk to stellar regions of high latitude along the magnetic field lines inside a magnetosphere. Using near-infrared multi-epoch spectroscopic data obtained with ISAAC, CRIRES, and X-shooter on the VLT, we examined magnetospheric accretion in the two Herbig Ae stars HD101412 and HD104237…
Young stars with masses 2-8 Suns, called the Herbig Ae and Be stars, often show a near-infrared excess too large to explain with a hydrostatically-supported circumstellar disk of gas and dust. At the same time the accretion flow carrying the circumstellar gas to the star is thought to be driven by magneto-rotational turbulence, which according to numerical MHD modeling yields an extended low-density atmosphere supported by the magnetic fields. We demonstrate that the base of the atmosphere can be optically-thick to the starlight and that the parts lying near 1 AU are tall enough to double the …
Due to the knowledge of the rotation period and the presence of a rather strong surface magnetic field, the sharp-lined young Herbig Ae star HD 101412 with a rotation period of 42 d has become one of the most well-studied targets among the Herbig Ae stars. High-resolution HARPS polarimetric spectra of HD 101412 were recently obtained on seven different epochs. Our study of the spectral variability over the part of the rotation cycle covered by HARPS observations reveals that the line profiles of the elements Mg, Si, Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, and Sr are clearly variable while He exhibits variability …
Several arguments have been presented that favour a scenario in which the low detection rate of magnetic fields in Herbig Ae stars can be explained by the weakness of these fields and rather large measurement uncertainties. Spectropolarimetric studies involving sharp-lined Herbig Ae stars appear to be promising for the detection of such weak magnetic fields. These studies offer a clear spectrum interpretation with respect to the effects of blending, local velocity fields, and chemical abundances, and allow us to identify a proper sample of spectral lines appropriate for magnetic field determin…
In the context of the ESPaDOnS and Narval spectropolarimetric surveys of Herbig Ae/Be stars, we discovered and then monitored the magnetic field of HD 190073 over more than four years, from 2004 to 2009. Our observations all displayed similar Zeeman signatures in the Stokes V spectra, indicating that HD 190073 hosted an aligned dipole, stable over many years, consistent with a fossil origin. We obtained new observations of the star in 2011 and 2012 and detected clear variations of the Zeeman signature on timescales of days to weeks, indicating that the configuration of its field has changed be…
We determine abundances from the absorption spectrum of the magnetic Herbig Ae star HD 190073 (V1295 Aql). The observations are primarily from HARPS spectra obtained at a single epoch. We accept arguments that the presence of numerous emission lines does not vitiate a classical abundance analysis, though it likely reduces the achievable accuracy. Most abundances are closely solar, but several elements show departures of a factor of two to three, as an earlier study has also shown. We present quantitative measurements of more than 60 emission lines, peak intensities, equivalent widths, and FWHM…
A photometric variability study of a sample of northern field stars, which previously classified as either PMS or Herbig Ae/Be objects, has been undertaken with the purpose of detecting δ Scuti-type pulsations. Determination of physical parameters for these stars has also been carried out to locate them on the HR diagram and check the instability strip for this type of pulsators. Multichannel photomultiplier and CCD time series photometry in the uvby Strömgren and BVI Johnson bands were obtained during four consecutive years from 2007 to 2010. The light curves have been analysed, and a variabi…
Observations of magnetic fields of stars at the pre-main sequence phase can provide important new insights into the complex physics of the late stages of star formation. This is especially true at intermediate stellar masses, where magnetic fields are strong and globally organised, and therefore most amenable to direct study. Recent circularly-polarised spectroscopic observations of pre-main sequence Herbig Ae/Be stars have revealed the presence of organised magnetic fields in the photospheres of a small fraction of these objects. To date, 9 magnetic HAeBe stars have been detected, and those d…
We report the analysis of the rotational properties of our sample of Herbig Ae/Be (HAeBe) and related stars for which we have obtained high-resolution spectropolarimetric observations. Using the projected rotational velocities measured at the surface of the stars, we have calculated the angular momentum of the sample and plotted it as a function of age. We have then compared the angular momentum and the vsini distributions of the magnetic to the non-magnetic HAeBe stars. Finally we have predicted the vsini of the non-magnetic, non-binary ("normal") stars in our sample when they reach the ZAMS,…
We present the results of a study of the temporal behaviour of several diagnostic lines formed in the region of the accretion-disk/star interaction in the three magnetic Herbig Ae stars HD101412, HD104237, and HD190073. More than 100 spectra acquired with the ISAAC, X-shooter, and CRIRES spectrographs installed at the VLT-8m telescope (ESO, Chile), as well as at other observatories (OHP, Crimean AO) were analyzed. The spectroscopic data were obtained in the He I lambda10830, Pa gamma and He I lambda5876 lines. We found that the temporal behaviour of the diagnostic lines in the spectra of all p…
In A- and late B-type stars, strong magnetic fields are always associated with Ap and Bp chemical peculiarities. However, it is not clear at what point in a star's evolution those peculiarities develop. Strong magnetic fields have been observed in pre-main sequence A and B stars (Herbig Ae and Be stars), and these objects have been proposed to be the progenitors of Ap and Bp stars. However, the photospheric chemical abundances of these magnetic Herbig stars have not been studied carefully, and furthermore the chemical abundances of 'normal' non-magnetic Herbig stars remain poorly characterized…
We investigate a sample of 6 Herbig Ae/Be stars belonging to the Orion OB1 association, as well as 73 low mass objects, members of the $σ$ Orionis cluster, in order to explore the angular momentum evolution at early stages of evolution, and its possible connection with main-sequence Ap/Bp magnetic stars. Using FIES and HECTOCHELLE spectra, we obtain projected rotational velocities through two independent methods. Individual masses, radii, and ages were computed using evolutionary models, distance, and cluster extinction. Under the assumption that similar physical processes operate in both, T T…
The recent availability of ESO's high-resolution spectrograph CRIRES offers now the opportunity to study numerous spectral features in the near-IR in intermediate-mass main-sequence and pre-main-sequence stars. High-resolution CRIRES spectra were obtained in three spectral regions, two regions around 1mu and one region around 1.57mu containing magnetically sensitive Fe I lines. The largest number of near-IR spectral features was detected and identified in the well-studied magnetic Ap star gamma Equ. Nearly 30% of the spectral lines in the Ap star HD154708, with one of the strongest magnetic fi…
In this paper we report the results of high-resolution circular spectropolarimetric monitoring of the Herbig Ae star V380 Ori, in which we discovered a magnetic field in 2005. A careful study of the intensity spectrum reveals the presence of a cool spectroscopic companion. By modelling the binary spectrum we infer the effective temperature of both stars: $10500\pm 500$ K for the primary, and $5500\pm500$ K for the secondary, and we argue that the high metallicity ($[M/H] = 0.5$), required to fit the lines may imply that the primary is a chemically peculiar star. We observe that the radial velo…
We examine a broad range of mass flow diagnostics in a large sample of Herbig Ae/Be stars (HAEBES) using high resolution optical spectra. The H-beta and He I 5876 angstrom lines show the highest incidence of P-Cygni (30%) and inverse P-Cygni (14%) morphologies, respectively. The Fe II 4924 angstrom line also shows a large incidence of P-Cygni profiles (11%). We find support for many of the conclusions reached in a study based on the analysis of the He I 10830 angstrom line in a large sample of HAEBES. Namely, HAEBES exhibit smaller fractions of both blue-shifted absorption (i.e. mass outflow) …
We measured mid-infrared polarization of protoplanetary discs to gain new insight into their magnetic fields. Using CanariCam at the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias, we detected linear polarization at 8.7, 10.3, and 12.5 $μ$m from discs around eight Herbig Ae/Be stars and one T-Tauri star. We analyzed polarimetric properties of each object to find out the most likely interpretation of the data. While the observed mid-infrared polarization from most objects is consistent with polarized emission and/or absorption arising from aligned dust particles, we cannot rule out polarization due to dust sc…
We present the results of our observations of eight magnetic Herbig Ae/Be stars obtained with the X-shooter spectrograph mounted on UT2 at the VLT. X-shooter provides a simultaneous, medium-resolution and high-sensitivity spectrum over the entire wavelength range from 300 to 2500 nm. We estimate the mass accretion rates M_acc of the targets from 13 different spectral diagnostics using empiric calibrations derived previously for T Tauri-type stars and brown dwarfs. We have estimated the mass accretion rates of our targets, which range from 2x10^-9 to 2x10^-7 M_sun/yr. Furthermore, we have found…
This is the first in a series of papers in which we describe and report the analysis of a large survey of Herbig Ae/Be stars in circular spectropolarimetry. Using the ESPaDOnS and Narval high-resolution spectropolarimeters at the Canada-France-Hawaii and Bernard Lyot Telescopes, respectively, we have acquired 132 circularly-polarised spectra of 70 Herbig Ae/Be stars and Herbig candidates. The large majority of these spectra are characterised by a resolving power of about 65,000, and a spectral coverage from about 3700 ang to 1 micron. The peak SNR per CCD pixel ranges from below 100 (for the f…
We investigate the stellar atmospheres of the two components of the Herbig Ae SB2 system AK Sco to determine the elements present in the stars and their abundance. Equal stellar parameters T_eff = 6500K and log g = 4.5 were used for both stars. We studied HARPSpol spectra (resolution 110,000) that were previously used to state the presence of a weak magnetic field in the secondary. A composite synthetic spectrum was compared in the whole observed region lambda 3900-6912A with the observed spectrum. The abundances were derived mostly from unblended profiles, in spite of their sparsity, owing to…
Recent observational work has indicated that mechanisms for accretion and outflow in Herbig Ae/Be star-disk systems may differ from magnetospheric accretion (MA) as it is thought to occur in T Tauri star-disk systems. In this work, we assess the temporal evolution of spectral lines probing accretion and mass loss in Herbig Ae/Be systems and test for consistency with the MA paradigm. For two Herbig Ae/Be stars, HD 98922 (B9e) and V1295 Aql (A2e), we have gathered multi-epoch (~years) and high-cadence (~minutes) high-resolution optical spectra to probe a wide range of kinematic processes. Employ…
Understanding how young stars gain their masses through disk-to-star accretion is of paramount importance in astrophysics. It affects our knowledge about the early stellar evolution, the disk lifetime and dissipation processes, the way the planets form on the smallest scales, or the connection to macroscopic parameters characterizing star-forming regions on the largest ones, among others. In turn, mass accretion rate estimates depend on the accretion paradigm assumed. For low-mass T Tauri stars with strong magnetic fields there is consensus that magnetospheric accretion (MA) is the driving mec…
We examine He I 10830 profile morphologies for a sample of 56 Herbig Ae/Be stars (HAEBES). We find significant differences between HAEBES and CTTSs in the statistics of both blue-shifted absorption (i.e. mass outflows) and red-shifted absorption features (i.e. mass infall or accretion). Our results suggest that, in general, Herbig Be (HBe) stars do not accrete material from their inner disks in the same manner as CTTSs, which are believed to accrete material via magnetospheric accretion, while Herbig Ae (HAe) stars generally show evidence for magnetospheric accretion. We find no evidence in ou…
We aim to characterise the surface magnetic fields of a sample of 8 T Tauri stars from high-resolution near-IR spectroscopy. Some stars in our sample are known to be magnetic from previous spectroscopic or spectropolarimetric studies. Our goals are 1) to apply Zeeman broadening modelling to T Tauri stars with high-resolution data, 2) to expand the sample of stars with measured surface magnetic field strengths, 3) to investigate possible rotational or long-term magnetic variability by comparing spectral time series of given targets, and 4) to compare the magnetic field modulus <B> tracing small…
Context: Stellar evolution models are highly dependent on accurate mass estimates, especially for high-mass stars in the early stages of evolution. The most direct method for obtaining model-independent masses is derivation from the orbit of close binaries. Aims: To derive the first astrometric+RV orbit solution for the single-lined spectroscopic binary MWC 166 A, based on CHARA and VLTI near-infrared interferometry over multiple epochs and ~100 archival radial velocity measurements, and to derive fundamental stellar parameters from this orbit. We also sought to model circumstellar activity in…
An alternative parameter $R_{J_z}$ is introduced as the ratio of one of two kinds of opposite-sign current to the total current and investigate the relationship between the quantity and the hemispheric sign rule of helicity (HSR) that is established by a series of previous statistical studies. The classification of current in each hemisphere is according to the following rule: If the product of the current and the corresponding longitudinal field component contributes a consistent sign with reference to the HSR, it is called "HSR-compliant" current, or else it is called "HSR-noncompliant" curr…
Using the Very Long Base Array, we observed the young stellar object EC 95 in the Serpens cloud core at eight epochs from December 2007 to December 2009. Two sources are detected in our field, and are shown to form a tight binary system. The primary (EC 95a) is a 4--5 $M_\odot$ proto-Herbig AeBe object (arguably the youngest such object known), whereas the secondary (EC 95b) is most likely a low-mass T Tauri star. Interestingly, both sources are non-thermal emitters. While T Tauri stars are expected to power a corona because they are convective while they go down the Hayashi track, intermediat…
We present high-resolution (0".4) mid-infrared (mid-IR) polarimetric images and spectra of WL 16, a Herbig Ae star at a distance of 125 pc. WL 16 is surrounded by a protoplanetary disk of $\sim$ 900 AU in diameter, making it one of the most extended Herbig Ae/Be disks as seen in the mid-IR. The star is behind, or embedded in, the $ρ$ Ophiuchus molecular cloud, and obscured by 28 magnitudes of extinction at optical wavelengths by the foreground cloud. Mid-IR polarization of WL 16, mainly arises from aligned elongated dust grains present along the line of sight, suggesting a uniform morphology o…
Strong, kilo-Gauss, magnetic fields are required to explain a range of observational properties in young, accreting pre-main sequence (PMS) systems. We review the techniques used to detect magnetic fields in PMS stars. Key results from a long running campaign aimed at characterising the large scale magnetic fields in accreting T Tauri stars are presented. Maps of surface magnetic flux in these systems can be used to build 3-D models exploring the role of magnetic fields and the efficiency with which magnetic fields can channel accretion from circumstellar disks on to young stars. Long-term var…
We present a study of the correlation between the direction of the symmetry axis of the circumstellar material around intermediate mass young stellar objects and that of the interstellar magnetic field. We use CCD polarimetric data on 100 Herbig Ae/Be stars. A large number of them shows intrinsic polarization, which indicates that their circumstellar envelopes are not spherical. The interstellar magnetic field direction is estimated from the polarization of field stars. There is an alignment between the position angle of the Herbig Ae/Be star polarization and that of the field stars for the mo…
We present spatially and spectrally resolved Br-gamma emission around the planet-hosting, transitional Herbig Ae/Be star HD 100546. Aiming to gain insight into the physical origin of the line in possible relation to accretion processes, we carried out Br-gamma spectro-interferometry using AMBER/VLTI from three different baselines achieving spatial and spectral resolutions of 2-4 mas and 12000. The Br-gamma visibility is larger than that of the continuum for all baselines. Differential phases reveal a shift between the photocentre of the Br-gamma line -displaced 0.6 mas (0.06 au at 100 pc) NE f…
The nature of the mechanisms apparently driving X-rays from intermediate mass stars lacking strong convection zones or massive winds remains poorly understood, and the possible role of hidden, lower mass close companions is still unclear. A 20ks Chandra HRC-I observation of HR 4796A, an 8 Myr old main sequence A0 star devoid of close stellar companions, has been used to search for a signature or remnant of magnetic activity from the Herbig Ae phase. X-rays were not detected and the X-ray luminosity upper limit was L_X =< 1.3x10^27 erg/s. The result is discussed in the context of various scenar…
W 601 (NGC 6611 601) is one of the handful of known magnetic Herbig Ae/Be stars. We report the analysis of a large dataset of high-resolution spectropolarimetry. The star is a previously unreported spectroscopic binary, consisting of 2 B2 stars with a mass ratio of 1.8, masses of 12 M$_\odot$ and 6.2 $M_\odot$, in an eccentric 110-day orbit. The magnetic field belongs to the secondary, W 601 B. The H$α$ emission is consistent with an origin in W 601 B's centrifugal magnetosphere; the star is therefore not a classical Herbig Be star in the sense that its emission is not formed in an accretion d…
In the context of the MiMeS survey of magnetism in massive stars, 85 classical Be stars were observed in circular polarization with the aim of detecting magnetic fields at their surfaces. No direct evidence of such fields is found, in contrast to the significant rate of detection (5-10\%) in non-Be B-type stars. In this paper we describe the sample properties, the methodology and the data quality. We describe a novel method, previously applied to Herbig Ae/Be stars, that allows us to infer upper limits on organized (dipolar) magnetic fields present in the photospheres of our targets. We review…
Characterising the long-term evolution of magnetic activity on Sun-like stars is important not only for stellar physics but also for understanding the environment in which planets evolve. In the past decades, many photometric surveys of open clusters have produced extensive rotation period measurements on Sun-like stars of different ages. I use these data to infer the long-term evolution of Ca II chromospheric and X-ray coronal emission on solar mass stars combining a best fit parametric model of their rotation evolution with empirical rotation-activity relationships.
We present new X-ray observations of the optically-obscured protostar HL Tau and the intermediate mass Herbig Be star HD 100546. Both objects are surrounded by spectacular disks showing complex morphology including rings and gaps that may have been sculpted by protoplanets. HL Tau was detected as a variable hard X-ray source by Chandra, typical of late-type magnetically-active coronal sources. No extended X-ray emission was seen along the HL Tau jet, or along the jet of the T Tauri binary system XZ Tau located 23 arcsecs to its east. In contrast, HD 100546 was detected by XMM-Newton as a soft …
