CQ Tauri is a young variable star[5] in the equatorial constellation of Taurus. It is too faint to be visible to the naked eye with an apparent visual magnitude that ranges from 8.7 to 12.25.[4] The distance to this star is approximately 487 light years based on parallax measurements, and it is drifting further away with a radial velocity of ~23 km/s.[7] It appears to be part of the T-association Tau 4.[8] CQ Tauri lies close enough to the ecliptic to undergo lunar occultations.[13]

CQ Tauri

A visual band light curve for CQ Tauri, plotted from INTEGRAL OMC data[1]
Observation data
Epoch J2000.0      Equinox J2000.0
Constellation Taurus
Right ascension 05h 35m 58.467s[2]
Declination 24° 44′ 54.09″[2]
Apparent magnitude (V) 10.48[3] (8.7 to 12.25)[4]
Characteristics
Evolutionary stage Pre-main-sequence[5]
Spectral type F5IVe[6]
B−V color index 0.696±0.091[3]
Variable type Orion variable[4]
Astrometry
Radial velocity (Rv)22.60±2.7[7] km/s
Proper motion (μ) RA: 2.987 mas/yr[2]
Dec.: −26.364 mas/yr[2]
Parallax (π)6.6946 ± 0.0600 mas[2]
Distance487 ± 4 ly
(149 ± 1 pc)
Absolute magnitude (MV)5.92[8]
Details
Mass1.67[9] M
Radius1.7[10] R
Luminosity10[9] L
Surface gravity (log g)4.0[8] cgs
Temperature6,900[9] K
Metallicity [Fe/H]+0.14[11] dex
Rotational velocity (v sin i)105.0±5.0[6] km/s
Age10[9] Myr
Other designations
CQ Tau, BD+24°873, HD 36910, HIP 26295, SAO 77299, PPM 94541[12]
Database references
SIMBADdata

This star was independently reported as a variable by Artjukinov (sp?) in 1948 and C. Hoffmeister in 1949.[14] Hoffmeister classified it as a member of the RW Aurigae-like variables with a brightness that ranged from an apparent visual magnitude of 8.7 down to 10.5,[15] making it one of the brightest members of that type.[14] G. H. Herbig in 1960 found a spectral class of F2 for this star,[16] and by 1973 it was classed as an Orion variable of the T Tauri type.[17] In 1968, W. Götz and W. Wenzel discovered a faint emission of blue light coming from the system.[18]

Spectral images of the system in 1973 showed double emission lines on an F-type star.[19] It was found to be an infrared source by IRAS and associated with nebulosity, which allowed it to be cataloged as a Herbig Ae/Be star in 1994 by P. S. Thé and associates.[20] The star undergoes irregular brightness decreases that are otherwise similar to an Algol-like variation. It is being orbited by an inhomogeneous accretion disk, which is the source for the emission lines.[21]

CQ Tauri is a pre-main-sequence star with a stellar classification of F5IVe.[6] It has 1.67 times the mass of the Sun and is radiating 10 times the Sun's luminosity with an effective temperature of 6,900 K. The star is about 10 million years old[9] and is spinning with a projected rotational velocity of 105 km/s.[6] Simulations intended to reproduce the distribution of the circumstellar disk suggest an embedded planet with a mass of 6–9 MJ is orbiting the star at a distance of ~20 AU.[9] Near infrared observations in 2018 show a spiral structure in the disk that is consistent with the presence of an orbiting planet. However, no planet was detected.[22]

Protoplanetary system

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Observations with the Very Large Array during 2000 demonstrated the extent of the massive protoplanetary disk orbiting the star. The mass of dust in the disk was estimated at 1.5×10−4 M.[23] Measurements suggest the dust grains in the disk around CQ Tauri have grown to a maximum of about a centimetre in size,[24] with decreasing grain size beyond 40 AU from the host star.[25] Data from the Atacama Large Millimeter Array show a cavity in the inner disk that is depleted of gas and dust.[9] Isolated, thick clouds of dust are randomly obscuring the star.[26]

In 2022, four spiral arms were detected in the protoplanetary disk. An as yet unseen planet on an eccentric and inclined orbit is suspected to be disturbing the shape of the disk.[27]

References

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  1. ^ "OMC Archive". OMC Archive. The Astronomical Data Centre at CAB. Retrieved 19 December 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Brown, A. G. A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2021). "Gaia Early Data Release 3: Summary of the contents and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 649: A1. arXiv:2012.01533. Bibcode:2021A&A...649A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202039657. S2CID 227254300. (Erratum: doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202039657e). Gaia EDR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  3. ^ a b Anderson, E.; Francis, Ch. (2012), "XHIP: An extended hipparcos compilation", Astronomy Letters, 38 (5): 331, arXiv:1108.4971, Bibcode:2012AstL...38..331A, doi:10.1134/S1063773712050015, S2CID 119257644.
  4. ^ a b c Samus, N. N.; et al. (2017), "General Catalogue of Variable Stars", Astronomy Reports, 5.1, 61 (1): 80–88, Bibcode:2017ARep...61...80S, doi:10.1134/S1063772917010085, S2CID 125853869.
  5. ^ a b Testi, L.; et al. (May 2003), "Large grains in the disk of CQ Tau", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 403: 323–328, arXiv:astro-ph/0303420, Bibcode:2003A&A...403..323T, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20030362, S2CID 14936233.
  6. ^ a b c d Mora, A.; et al. (2001), "EXPORT: Spectral classification and projected rotational velocities of Vega-type and pre-main sequence stars", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 378 (1): 116–131, Bibcode:2001A&A...378..116M, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20011098.
  7. ^ a b Gontcharov, G. A. (November 2006), "Pulkovo Compilation of Radial Velocities for 35495 Hipparcos stars in a common system", Astronomy Letters, 32 (11): 759–771, arXiv:1606.08053, Bibcode:2006AstL...32..759G, doi:10.1134/S1063773706110065, S2CID 119231169.
  8. ^ a b c Alecian, E.; et al. (February 2013), "A high-resolution spectropolarimetric survey of Herbig Ae/Be stars - I. Observations and measurements", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 429 (2): 1001–1026, arXiv:1211.2907, Bibcode:2013MNRAS.429.1001A, doi:10.1093/mnras/sts383.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Giulia Ubeira Gabellini, M.; et al. (July 2019), "A dust and gas cavity in the disc around CQ Tau revealed by ALMA", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 486 (4): 4638–4654, arXiv:1905.00909, Bibcode:2019MNRAS.486.4638U, doi:10.1093/mnras/stz1138.
  10. ^ Stassun, Keivan G.; et al. (September 9, 2019), "The Revised TESS Input Catalog and Candidate Target List", The Astronomical Journal, 158 (4): 138, arXiv:1905.10694, Bibcode:2019AJ....158..138S, doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ab3467, ISSN 0004-6256.
  11. ^ Bochanski, John J.; et al. (March 13, 2018), "Fundamental Properties of Co-moving Stars Observed by Gaia", The Astronomical Journal, 155 (4): 149, arXiv:1801.00537, Bibcode:2018AJ....155..149B, doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aaaebe, ISSN 0004-6256, S2CID 119256051.
  12. ^ "CQ Tau", SIMBAD, Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg, retrieved 2022-06-24.
  13. ^ Cassar, L.; et al. (March 1989), "Lunar Occultations of IRAS Point Sources, 1991--2000", Astrophysical Journal Supplement, 69: 651, Bibcode:1989ApJS...69..651C, doi:10.1086/191323. See table p. 658, IRAS 05328+2443.
  14. ^ a b Ashbrook, J. (August 1950), "HD 36910: a bright variable of the RW Aurigae type", Astronomical Journal, 55: 148, Bibcode:1950AJ.....55..148A, doi:10.1086/106374.
  15. ^ Hoffmeister, Cuno (November 1949), "Die RW Aurigae-Sterne und ihre Nebenformen", Astronomische Nachrichten (in German), 278: 24, Bibcode:1949AN....278...24H, doi:10.1002/asna.19492780102. Listed as "S 3942 Tau".
  16. ^ Herbig, G. H. (May 1960), "Spectral Classifications for 112 Variable Stars", Astrophysical Journal, 131: 632, Bibcode:1960ApJ...131..632H, doi:10.1086/146876.
  17. ^ Cohen, M. (1973), "Infra-red observations of young stars - II. T Tauri stars and the Orion population", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 161: 97, Bibcode:1973MNRAS.161...97C, doi:10.1093/mnras/161.1.97.
  18. ^ Berdyugin, A. V.; et al. (August 1990), "Discovery of high linear polarization at brightness minima of CQ Tau", Astronomicheskii Zhurnal, 67: 812, Bibcode:1990AZh....67..812B.
  19. ^ Herbig, G. H.; Bell, K. Robbin (Jun 1988), "Third Catalog of Emission-Line Stars of the Orion Population", Lick Observatory Bulletin, 1111, Santa Cruz, Bibcode:1988cels.book.....H.
  20. ^ The, P. S.; et al. (April 1994), "A new catalogue of members and candidate members of the Herbig Ae/Be (HAEBE) stellar group", Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement, 104: 315–339, Bibcode:1994A&AS..104..315T.
  21. ^ Kozlova, O. V.; et al. (January 2000), "The Accretion Activity of the Ae Herbig Star CQ Tau", Astronomy Reports, 44 (1): 36–44, Bibcode:2000ARep...44...36K, doi:10.1134/1.163821, S2CID 120162969.
  22. ^ Uyama, Taichi; et al. (March 2020), "Near-infrared Imaging of a Spiral in the CQ Tau Disk", The Astronomical Journal, 159 (3): 9, arXiv:1910.07605, Bibcode:2020AJ....159..118U, doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ab7006, S2CID 204743781, 118.
  23. ^ Testi, L.; et al. (June 2001), "Constraints on Properties of the Protoplanetary Disks around UX Orionis and CQ Tauri", The Astrophysical Journal, 554 (2): 1087–1094, arXiv:astro-ph/0102473, Bibcode:2001ApJ...554.1087T, doi:10.1086/321406, S2CID 119351472.
  24. ^ Banzatti, A.; et al. (January 2011), "New constraints on dust grain size and distribution in CQ Tauri", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 525: A12, arXiv:1009.2697, Bibcode:2011A&A...525A..12B, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201015206, S2CID 43056575, A12.
  25. ^ Trotta, F.; et al. (October 2013), "Constraints on the radial distribution of the dust properties in the CQ Tauri protoplanetary disk", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 558: A64, arXiv:1308.5070, Bibcode:2013A&A...558A..64T, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201321896, S2CID 12042360, A64.
  26. ^ Dodin, A. V.; Suslina, E. A. (June 2021), "Inhomogeneous dust eclipses in young stars: the case of CQ Tauri", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 503 (4): 5704–5714, arXiv:2102.08911, Bibcode:2021MNRAS.503.5704D, doi:10.1093/mnras/stab487.
  27. ^ Hammond, Iain; Christiaens, Valentin; Price, Daniel J.; Ubeira-Gabellini, Maria Giulia; Baird, Jennifer; Calcino, Josh; Benisty, Myriam; Lodato, Giuseppe; Testi, Leonardo; Pinte, Christophe; Toci, Claudia; Fedele, Davide (2022), "External or internal companion exciting the spiral arms in CQ Tau?", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 515 (4): 6109–6121, arXiv:2207.08587, doi:10.1093/mnras/stac2119

Further reading

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