FU Tauri

FU Tauri

FU Tauri and its companion (lower left)
Credit: Image Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA JWST; Ya-Lin Wu et al.; processing: Meli_thev
Observation data
Epoch J2000      Equinox ICRS
Constellation Taurus
A
Right ascension 04h 23m 35.391s
Declination +25° 03′ 02.75″
B
Right ascension 04h 23m 35.746s
Declination +25° 02′ 59.64″
Characteristics
A
Evolutionary stage pre-main sequence
Spectral type M7.25
Apparent magnitude (G) 15.23 + 20.45
Variable type T Tau
B
Evolutionary stage brown dwarf
Spectral type M9.25
Apparent magnitude (G) 20.45
Astrometry
A
Radial velocity (Rv)+19.67±0.01 km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: +6.901 mas/yr
Dec.: −21.252 mas/yr
Parallax (π)7.8354±0.0754 mas
Distance416 ± 4 ly
(128 ± 1 pc)
B
Proper motion (μ) RA: +1.5 mas/yr
Dec.: −24.2 mas/yr
Parallax (π)7.4750±1.1221 mas
Distanceapprox. 440 ly
(approx. 130 pc)
Details
A
Mass0.05 M☉
Luminosity0.2 L☉
Rotation3.93±0.10 days
Rotational velocity (v sin i)17.4±0.3 km/s
Age<1 Myr
B
Mass0.015 M☉
Luminosity0.039 L☉
Age<1 Myr
Other designations
WDS J04236+2503A, 2MASS J04233539+2503026, Gaia DR2 149629483705467008
Database references
SIMBADA
B

FU Tauri is a binary brown dwarf in the constellation of Taurus. Based on parallax measurements, it is about 416 light years away.

Variability

A red band light curve for FU Tauri, adapted from Scholz et al. (2012)

FU Tauri varies in brightness. The primary is a T Tauri variable, a type of irregular pre-main-sequence star. Its brightness has been observed to vary from a photovisual magnitude of 16.0 to fainter than 17.0. Its photographic magnitude has been measured to vary between magnitude 15.1 and below magnitude 17.6.

Characteristics

The primary and secondary, FU Tauri A and B, have spectral types of M7.25 and M9.25, which are suggestive of masses of 0.05 and 0.015 solar masses (M☉). The system is very young, only ~1 million years old. Both brown dwarfs have infrared emission that indicates the presence of circumstellar disks. The binary system has a projected separation of 5.7″, which is equivalent to a projected separation of 800 AU at the system's distance.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Vallenari, A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2023). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 674: A1. arXiv:2208.00211. Bibcode:2023A&A...674A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940. S2CID 244398875. Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Vallenari, A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2023). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 674: A1. arXiv:2208.00211. Bibcode:2023A&A...674A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940. S2CID 244398875. Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  3. ↑ Skinner, Stephen; Güdel, Manuel; Briggs, Kevin; Melnikov, Stanislav; Audard, Marc (2006). "X-ray Emission from the Pre-Main Sequence Systems FU Orionis and T Tauri". Astrophysics and Space Science. 304 (1–4): 165. Bibcode:2006Ap&SS.304..165S. doi:10.1007/s10509-006-9100-5.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Luhman, K. L.; Mamajek, E. E.; Allen, P. R.; Muench, A. A.; Finkbeiner, D. P. (2009). "Discovery of a Wide Binary Brown Dwarf Born in Isolation". The Astrophysical Journal. 691 (2): 1265. arXiv:0902.0425. Bibcode:2009ApJ...691.1265L. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/691/2/1265.
  5. ↑ Samus, N. N.; Durlevich, O. V.; et al. (2009). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: General Catalogue of Variable Stars (Samus+ 2007-2013)". VizieR On-line Data Catalog: B/GCVS. Originally Published in: 2009yCat....102025S. 1: B/GCVS. Bibcode:2009yCat....102025S.
  6. ↑ Wu, Ya-Lin; Cheng, Yu-Chi; Huang, Li-Ching; Bowler, Brendan P.; Close, Laird M.; Tseng, Wei-Ling; Chen, Ning; Chen, Da-Wei (2023-09-05). "Monitoring Hα Emission from the Wide-orbit Brown-dwarf Companion FU Tau B". The Astronomical Journal. 166 (4): 143. arXiv:2309.07114. Bibcode:2023AJ....166..143W. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/acedb0. ISSN 0004-6256.
  7. ↑ Jönsson, Henrik; Holtzman, Jon A.; Prieto, Carlos Allende; Cunha, Katia; García-Hernández, D. A.; Hasselquist, Sten; Masseron, Thomas; Osorio, Yeisson; Shetrone, Matthew; Smith, Verne; Stringfellow, Guy S.; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Edvardsson, Bengt; Majewski, Steven R.; Mészáros, Szabolcs (2020-08-17). "APOGEE Data and Spectral Analysis from SDSS Data Release 16: Seven Years of Observations Including First Results from APOGEE-South". The Astronomical Journal. 160 (3): 120. arXiv:2007.05537. Bibcode:2020AJ....160..120J. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aba592. ISSN 0004-6256.
  8. 1 2 Bowler, Brendan P.; Tran, Quang H.; Zhang, Zhoujian; Morgan, Marvin; Ashok, Katelyn B.; Blunt, Sarah; Bryan, Marta L.; Evans, Analis E.; Franson, Kyle; Huber, Daniel; Nagpal, Vighnesh; Wu, Ya-Lin; Zhou, Yifan (2023-03-17). "Rotation Periods, Inclinations, and Obliquities of Cool Stars Hosting Directly Imaged Substellar Companions: Spin–Orbit Misalignments Are Common". The Astronomical Journal. 165 (4): 164. arXiv:2301.04692. Bibcode:2023AJ....165..164B. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/acbd34. ISSN 0004-6256.
  9. ↑ Scholz, Alexander; Stelzer, Beate; Costigan, Grainne; Barrado, David; Eislöffel, Jochen; Lillo-Box, Jorge; Riviere-Marichalar, Pablo; Stoev, Hristo (January 2012). "Magnetic activity and accretion on FU Tau A: clues from variability". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 419 (2): 1271–1279. arXiv:1109.3474. Bibcode:2012MNRAS.419.1271S. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.19781.x.
  10. ↑ Romano, G. (1975). "Observations of T Tau stars and related objects in Taurus dark cloud". Memorie della Societa Astronomica Italiana. 46: 81. Bibcode:1975MmSAI..46...81R.
  11. ↑ Gotz, W. (1961). "Photographische Untersuchungen an RW Aurigae-Sternen in den Dunkelgebieten von Taurus und Orion". Veroeffentlichungen der Sternwarte Sonneberg. 5: 87. Bibcode:1961VeSon...5...87G.