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Non-stationary dynamo and magnetospheric accretion processes of the classical TTauri star V2129Oph

  • J. F. Donati
  • , J. Bouvier
  • , F. M. Walter
  • , S. G. Gregory
  • , M. B. Skelly
  • , G. A.J. Hussain
  • , E. Flaccomio
  • , C. Argiroffi
  • , K. N. Grankin
  • , M. M. Jardine
  • , F. Ménard
  • , C. Dougados
  • , M. M. Romanova
  • Institute de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie
  • CNRS
  • University of Exeter
  • European Southern Observatory
  • National Institute for Astrophysics
  • University of Palermo
  • Russian Academy of Sciences
  • University of St Andrews
  • Cornell University

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

99 Scopus citations

Abstract

We report here the first results of a multiwavelength campaign focussing on magnetospheric accretion processes of the classical TTauri star V2129Oph. In this paper, we present spectropolarimetric observations collected in 2009 July with ESPaDOnS at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope and contemporaneous photometry secured with the SMARTS facility. Circularly polarized Zeeman signatures are clearly detected, both in photospheric absorption and accretion-powered emission lines, from time-series of which we reconstruct new maps of the magnetic field, photospheric brightness and accretion-powered emission at the surface of V2129Oph using our newest tomographic imaging tool - to be compared with those derived from our old 2005 June data set, re-analysed in the exact same way. We find that in 2009 July, V2129Oph hosts octupolar and dipolar field components of about 2.1 and 0.9kG, respectively, both tilted by about 20° with respect to the rotation axis; we conclude that the large-scale magnetic topology changed significantly since 2005 June (when the octupole and dipole components were about 1.5 and three times weaker, respectively), demonstrating that the field of V2129Oph is generated by a non-stationary dynamo. We also show that V2129Oph features a dark photospheric spot and a localized area of accretion-powered emission, both close to the main surface magnetic region (hosting fields of up to about 4kG in 2009 July). We finally obtain that the surface shear of V2129Oph is about half as strong as solar. From the fluxes of accretion-powered emission lines, we estimate that the observed average logarithmic accretion rate (in Myr-1) at the surface of V2129Oph is -9.2 ± 0.3 at both epochs, peaking at -9.0 at magnetic maximum. It implies in particular that the radius at which the magnetic field of V2129Oph truncates the inner accretion disc is 0.93 and 0.50 times the corotation radius (where the Keplerian period equals the stellar rotation period) in 2009 July and 2005 June, respectively.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2454-2468
Number of pages15
JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume412
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 2011

Keywords

  • Stars: formation
  • Stars: imaging
  • Stars: individual: V2129Oph
  • Stars: magnetic field
  • Stars: rotation
  • Techniques: polarimetric

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