An X-ray outburst from the rapidly accreting young star that illuminates McNeil's nebula

J. H. Kastner (), M. Richmond, N. Grosso, D. A. Weintraub, T. Simon, A. Frank, K. Hamaguchi, H. Ozawa and A. Henden
Additional contact information
J. H. Kastner: Rochester Institute of Technology
M. Richmond: Rochester Institute of Technology
N. Grosso: Université Joseph-Fourier
D. A. Weintraub: Vanderbilt University
T. Simon: Institute for Astronomy
A. Frank: University of Rochester
K. Hamaguchi: Goddard Space Flight Center
H. Ozawa: Université Joseph-Fourier
A. Henden: US Naval Observatory

Nature, 2004, vol. 430, issue 6998, 429-431

Abstract: Abstract Young, low-mass stars are luminous X-ray sources1 whose powerful X-ray flares2,3,4,5,6 may exert a profound influence over the process of planet formation7. The origin of the X-ray emission is uncertain. Although many (or perhaps most) recently formed, low-mass stars emit X-rays as a consequence of solar-like coronal activity1,8,9, it has also been suggested that X-ray emission may be a direct result of mass accretion onto the forming star10,11,12. Here we report X-ray imaging spectroscopy observations which reveal a factor ∼50 increase in the X-ray flux from a young star that is at present undergoing a spectacular optical/infrared outburst13 (this star illuminates McNeil's nebula14). The outburst seems to be due to the sudden onset of a phase of rapid accretion13,15,16. The coincidence of a surge in X-ray brightness with the optical/infrared eruption demonstrates that strongly enhanced high-energy emission from young stars can occur as a consequence of high accretion rates. We suggest that such accretion-enhanced X-ray emission from erupting young stars may be short-lived, because intense star–disk magnetospheric interactions are quenched rapidly by the subsequent flood of new material onto the star.

Date: 2004
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DOI: 10.1038/nature02747

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