Astronomy:LkCa 15

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Short description: Star system in the constellation Taurus
LkCa 15
LkCa 15 disk protoplanetare Scheibe cropped.jpg
LkCa 15 protoplanetary disk
Observation data
Equinox J2000.0]] (ICRS)
Constellation Taurus
Right ascension  04h 39m 17.796s[1]
Declination +22° 21′ 03.48″[1]
Apparent magnitude (V) +11.91[2]
Characteristics
Spectral type K5V[2]
Variable type T Tauri[1]
Astrometry
Proper motion (μ) RA: 10.572[3] mas/yr
Dec.: -17.527[3] mas/yr
Parallax (π)6.3619 ± 0.0264[3] mas
Distance513 ± 2 ly
(157.2 ± 0.7 pc)
Details
Mass0.97 ± 0.03[2] M
Radius1.2[4] R
Luminosity1.22[5] L
Temperature4730[4] K
Age2[2] Myr
Other designations
V1079 Tau, GSC 01278-00193, TYC 1278-193-1, 2MASS J04391779+2221034[1]
Database references
SIMBADdata
A light curve for V1079 Tauri, adapted from Alencar et al. (2018)[6]

LkCa 15 is a T Tauri star in the Taurus Molecular Cloud. These types of stars are relatively young pre-main-sequence stars that show irregular variations in brightness.[7] It has a mass that is about 97% of the Sun,[2] an effective temperature of 4370 K,[5] and is slightly cooler than the Sun. Its apparent magnitude is 11.91,[2] meaning it is not visible to the naked eye.

Planetary system

LkCa 15 is surrounded by a protoplanetary disk, typical of many T Tauri stars.[7] The disk around the star is about 55 times more massive than Jupiter,[8] and consists of three major belts (components).[4] Small changes in the observed brightness of the disk may be due to a planetary companion; the star was believed to have a protoplanetary object or exoplanet orbiting it, known as LkCa 15 b[9][10] This name stems from an older survey.[11] Later, the existence of up to three planets was suspected. The planets' existence was refuted in 2019 as higher resolution imaging became available.[4]

The LkCa 15 planetary system
Companion
(in order from star)
Mass Semimajor axis
(AU)
Orbital period
(days)
Eccentricity Inclination Radius
Protoplanetary disk component 1 0.12–3[4] AU 50[4]°
b (unconfirmed) 6±1 MJ 15.7±2.1 40000
Protoplanetary disk component 2 20–40[4] AU 51.5[4]°
Protoplanetary disk component 3 55–160[4] AU 50[4]°

LkCa 15 b is a candidate protoplanetary object in orbit around LkCa 15, a star in the Taurus-Auriga Star Forming Region. Its potential discovery was effected by direct imaging techniques using the Keck II telescope in 2011 by Adam Kraus and Michael Ireland.[9] A 2015 study of observations from the Magellan Telescopes and the Large Binocular Telescope argued that the planet is forming through accretion.[10] It would be the first observed exoplanet seen in the process of active accretion.[12] The planet’s existence was refuted in 2019 as higher resolution imaging became available.[4]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "EM* LkCa 15". SIMBAD. Centre de données astronomiques de Strasbourg. http://simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-basic?Ident=EM%2A+LkCa+15. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "Notes on LKCA 15 b". Extrasolar Planets Encyclopaedia. 1995. https://exoplanet.eu/catalog/lkca_15_b--1017/. Retrieved 26 December 2016. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Brown, A. G. A. (2021). "Gaia Early Data Release 3: Summary of the contents and survey properties". Astronomy & Astrophysics 649: A1. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202039657. Bibcode2021A&A...649A...1G.  Gaia EDR3 record for this source at VizieR.
  4. 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 Currie, Thayne et al. (2019), "No Clear, Direct Evidence for Multiple Protoplanets Orbiting Lk Ca 15: Lk Ca 15 BCD are Likely Inner Disk Signals", The Astrophysical Journal 877 (1): L3, doi:10.3847/2041-8213/ab1b42, Bibcode2019ApJ...877L...3C 
  5. 5.0 5.1 Thalmann, C.; Mulders, G. D.; Hodapp, K.; Janson, M.; Grady, C. A.; Min, M.; De Juan Ovelar, M.; Carson, J. et al. (2014). "The architecture of the Lk Ca 15 transitional disk revealed by high-contrast imaging". Astronomy & Astrophysics 566: A51. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201322915. Bibcode2014A&A...566A..51T. 
  6. Alencar, S. H. P.; Bouvier, J.; Donati, J.-F.; Alecian, E.; Folsom, C. P.; Grankin, K.; Hussain, G. A. J.; Hill, C. et al. (December 2018). "Inner disk structure of the classical T Tauri star LkCa 15". Astronomy and Astrophysics 620: A195. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201834263. Bibcode2018A&A...620A.195A. 
  7. 7.0 7.1 "Encyclopedia of Science: T Tauri star". http://www.daviddarling.info/encyclopedia/T/TTauri.html. Retrieved 17 January 2017. 
  8. Andrews, Sean M.; Williams, Jonathan P. (2005). "Circumstellar Dust Disks in Taurus-Auriga: The Submillimeter Perspective". The Astrophysical Journal 631 (2): 1134–1160. doi:10.1086/432712. Bibcode2005ApJ...631.1134A. 
  9. 9.0 9.1 Kraus, Adam L.; Ireland, Michael J. (2012). "LkCa 15: A Young Exoplanet Caught at Formation?". The Astrophysical Journal 745 (1): 5. doi:10.1088/0004-637x/745/1/5. Bibcode2012ApJ...745....5K. 
  10. 10.0 10.1 Sallum, S.; Follette, K. B.; Eisner, J. A.; Close, L. M.; Hinz, P.; Kratter, K.; Males, J.; Skemer, A. et al. (2015). "Accreting protoplanets in the Lk Ca 15 transition disk". Nature 527 (7578): 342–4. doi:10.1038/nature15761. PMID 26581290. Bibcode2015Natur.527..342S. 
  11. Herbig, G. H.; Vrba, F. J.; Rydgren, A. E. (1986). "A spectroscopic survey of the Taurus-Auriga dark clouds for pre-main-sequence stars having CA II H, K emission". The Astronomical Journal 91: 575. doi:10.1086/114039. Bibcode1986AJ.....91..575H. 
  12. Irene Klotz (18 November 2015). "Astronomers see planet still growing in its stellar womb". Reuters. News Daily. http://newsdaily.com/2015/11/astronomers-see-planet-still-growing-in-its-stellar-womb/.