Accretion and outflows in the limit of weak stellar magnetic fields: does the magnetospheric accretion paradigm apply to Herbig AeBe stars?

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The goal of this proposal is to investigate the mass transfer mechanism between the accretion disk and the central star in Herbig Ae/Be systems. Herbig Ae/Be stars are intermediate-mass, pre-main-sequence protostars that show evidence of inflow and outflow motions similar to their lower-mass T Tauri star counterparts. In the case of T Tauri stars, the inflow from the disk to the star is generally thought to be the result of magnetospheric accretion, while mass is transferred out of the system via magnetically driven outflows. These mass transfer mechanisms require strong dipolar fields, which are present in T Tauri stars but are generally not found in Herbig Ae/Be stars. The proposed investigation of magnetically driven inflow and outflow processes in young Herbig AE/Be stars will be accomplished through a coordinated program of interferometric and spectroscopic observations along with advanced numerical modeling. This research will provide valuable insight regarding accretion and wind-generated mass loss as they relate to the formation of stars. The proposed project will also contribute to scientific workforce development through the support of a co-PI who is currently a postdoc soon to become a research scientist at the Univ. of Michigan. The project includes public outreach goals that will be accomplished through the development of new exhibits for the historical Detroit Observatory recently re-opened in Ann Arbor, MI. These exhibits will foster scientific literacy with an emphasis on the fundamentals of astronomical research.