A multiwavelength study of star formation in the L1495E cloud in Taurus

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (150) References (71) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS A Multiwavelength Study of Star Formation in the L1495E Cloud in Taurus Strom, Karen M. ; Strom, Stephen E. Abstract We have carried out a deep (t=30000s) x-ray search of the eastern portion of the L1495 cloud centered on the well known weak line T Tauri star (WTTS) V410 Tau using the ROSAT PSPC. This deep exposure enabled a search for candidate pre-main sequence (PMS) objects in this cloud to a limit 20 times more sensitive than that typical of the fields examined with the Einstein searches. Despite assertions that the PMS population in Taurus-Auriga is nearly completely known, this x-ray survey revealed 8 new PMS objects in a region 50' in diameter, as compared to a previously known stellar population of 12 objects, including deeply embedded IRAS sources. Spectroscopic and photometric observations enable us to place these objects in the HR Diagram. The newly discovered objects are predominantly stars of spectral type M0 and later, and a large fraction (6/8) appear to be surrounded by circumstellar accretion disks as judged by their infrared excess and H alpha emission. We combined the data for these x-ray discovered objects with extant and new data for the previously identified PMS stars in this region to examine the history of star formation and the frequency distribution of stellar masses in this cloud. If the ``post ROSAT'' population is either complete or representative, we conclude (1) that star formation in L1495 East took place 1 x 10^6 yrs ago and that the spread in ages is small; (2) the frequency distribution of masses, Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Pub Date: March 1994 DOI: 10.1086/173886 arXiv: arXiv:astro-ph/9309037 Bibcode: 1994ApJ...424..237S Keywords: Interstellar Matter; Molecular Clouds; Pre-Main Sequence Stars; Star Formation; Stellar Envelopes; X Ray Astronomy; Accretion Disks; Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram; Stellar Spectrophotometry; Astrophysics; STARS: CIRCUMSTELLAR MATTER; ISM: INDIVIDUAL ALPHANUMERIC: L1495; STARS: FORMATION; STARS: PRE--MAIN-SEQUENCE; X-RAYS: STARS; Astrophysics E-Print: Latex, AASTeX macros, version 3 full text sources arXiv | ADS | data products SIMBAD (63)