DISK EVOLUTION IN THE THREE NEARBY STAR-FORMING REGIONS OF TAURUS, CHAMAELEON, AND OPHIUCHUS

Journal Article · Thu Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 2009 · Astrophysical Journal

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/703/2/1964· OSTI ID:21371834

Furlan, E ^[1]; Watson, Dan M

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1. NASA Astrobiology Institute, and Department of Physics and Astronomy, UCLA, 430 Portola Plaza, Los Angeles, CA 90095 (United States)

We analyze samples of Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph spectra of T Tauri stars in the Ophiuchus, Taurus, and Chamaeleon I star-forming regions, whose median ages lie in the <1-2 Myr range. The median mid-infrared spectra of objects in these three regions are similar in shape, suggesting, on average, similar disk structures. When normalized to the same stellar luminosity, the medians follow each other closely, implying comparable mid-infrared excess emission from the circumstellar disks. We use the spectral index between 13 and 31 {mu}m and the equivalent width of the 10 {mu}m silicate emission feature to identify objects whose disk configuration departs from that of a continuous, optically thick accretion disk. Transitional disks, whose steep 13-31 {mu}m spectral slope and near-IR flux deficit reveal inner disk clearing, occur with about the same frequency of a few percent in all three regions. Objects with unusually large 10 {mu}m equivalent widths are more common (20%-30%); they could reveal the presence of disk gaps filled with optically thin dust. Based on their medians and fraction of evolved disks, T Tauri stars in Taurus and Chamaeleon I are very alike. Disk evolution sets in early, since already the youngest region, the Ophiuchus core (L1688), has more settled disks with larger grains. Our results indicate that protoplanetary disks show clear signs of dust evolution at an age of a few Myr, even as early as approx1 Myr, but age is not the only factor determining the degree of evolution during the first few million years of a disk's lifetime.

• OSTI ID: 21371834
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 703; ISSN ASJOAB; ISSN 0004-637X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ACCRETION DISKS
BINARY STARS
DUSTS
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
EVOLUTION
INFRARED SPECTRA
LUMINOSITY
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
PROTOPLANETS
SILICATES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SPECTRA
STAR EVOLUTION
STARS
T TAURI STARS
VARIABLE STARS