Connecting Multiwavelength Variability of Protoplanetary Disks and Their Dynamic Host Stars

研究小组将利用一系列天文台对经典金牛座T星（CTTS） GM Aur及其尘埃原行星盘进行不同波长的广泛观测。该数据集于2019年12月收集，历时一个月，是CTTS最大的时间协调观测活动。它包括从无线电到x射线的各种波长的观测。它包括来自SMARTS 1.5米望远镜上的CHIRON梯队光谱仪、拉斯康布雷斯天文台和ALMA的地面观测，以及来自雨燕、苔丝和哈勃太空望远镜的天基观测。这项工作的目的是了解可变高能辐射场对原行星盘的影响。此外，该团队还将维护和扩展由PI启动的同伴指导计划LUMA。该团队还将举办一个职业发展研讨会，重点关注来自代表性不足群体的天文学家。这项工作要回答的首要问题是，高能辐射场是否（以及在多大程度上）会影响原行星盘的演化并影响其性质。该团队特别感兴趣的是确定这些辐射场是否会导致化学和结构变化。该小组将测量质量吸积率，并检查盘内的吸积结构。他们还将测量吸积过程产生的辐射场，以及吸积柱的结构和照亮圆盘的气流。该团队将使用CHIRON光学光谱法、LCOGT光度法、TESS图像和HST数据。该团队还将模拟通用汽车Aur盘的CO排放线。他们将从ALMA获得CO发射数据，并使用磁盘模型推导磁盘化学，使用共入射紫外线和x射线光度作为系统的约束。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The team will study a wide set of observations taken at different wavelengths with a suite of observatories of the Classical T Tauri Star (CTTS) GM Aur and its dusty protoplanetary disk. The month-long dataset, collected in December 2019, represents the largest time-coordinated observation campaign of a CTTS. It comprises observations in wavelengths ranging from the radio to the X-ray. It includes ground-based observations from the CHIRON echelle spectrometer on the SMARTS 1.5 m telescope, the Las Cumbres Observatory and ALMA, as well as space-based observations from Swift, TESS and the Hubble Space Telescope. The objective of the work is to understand the influence of variable high-energy radiation fields on the protoplanetary disk. Additionally, the team will maintain and expand LUMA, a peer mentoring program started by the PI. The team will also conduct a career development workshop focused on astronomers from under-represented groups.The overarching question to be answered by this work is whether (and to what degree) high-energy radiation fields can influence the evolution of a protoplanetary disk and impact its properties. In particular, the team is interested in determining whether there are chemical and structural changes due to these radiation fields. The team will measure mass accretion rates and examine accretion structures in the disk. They will also measure the radiation field generated by the accretion process, as well as the structure of the accretion column and the flow illuminating the disk. The team will use CHIRON optical spectrometry, LCOGT photometry, TESS images, and HST data. The team will also model CO emission lines in the GM Aur disk. They will obtain CO emission data from ALMA and use disk models to derive the disk chemistry, using co-incident UV and X-ray luminosities as constraints on the system.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.