X-ray emission from young stars and implications for the early solar system

Journal Article · Thu Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982 · Icarus; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0019-1035(82)90035-5· OSTI ID:6488312

Feigelson, E D

Recent observations of soft X-ray emission from solar-type stars obtained with the Einstein X-Ray Observatory indicate that X-ray luminosity is inversely correlated with stellar age. If this result is applied to the sun and if X-ray emission is a valid indicator of other manifestations of solar activity, then past solar wind and flare levels can be inferred. It can qualitatively explain the excess xenon and nitrogen found in the lunar regolith compared to the level expected from the contemporary solar wind. X-ray emission from T Tauri and other low-mass pre-main-sequence stars is both highly luminous and variable, indicating the presence of flares approximately 4000 times stronger than the largest flares seen in the contemporary sun. The proton flux from such solar flares during the one to ten million-year pre-main-sequence phase would be sufficient to account for the Al-26 anomaly in meteorites.

• Research Organization: MIT, Cambridge, MA
• OSTI ID: 6488312
• Journal Information: Icarus; (United States), Journal Name: Icarus; (United States) Vol. 51; ISSN ICRSA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

640102 -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Stars & Quasi-Stellar
Radio & X-Ray Sources
640103* -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Quasi-Stellar
Radio
& X-Ray Sources-- (-1987)
640107 -- Astrophysics & Cosmology-- Planetary Phenomena
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
ALUMINIUM 26
ALUMINIUM ISOTOPES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-PLUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CORRELATIONS
COSMIC RAY SOURCES
COSMIC X-RAY SOURCES
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELEMENTS
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
FLUIDS
GASES
IONIZING RADIATIONS
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
LUMINOSITY
LUNAR MATERIALS
MAIN SEQUENCE STARS
MATERIALS
METEOROIDS
MOON
NITROGEN
NONMETALS
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
OVERBURDEN
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RADIATIONS
RADIOISOTOPES
RARE GASES
SATELLITES
SECONDS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
SOFT X RADIATION
SOLAR ACTIVITY
SOLAR FLARES
SOLAR SYSTEM
SOLAR WIND
STAR EVOLUTION
STARS
STELLAR RADIATION
T TAURI STARS
VARIABLE STARS
X RADIATION
XENON
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES