 FU Tauri and its companion (lower left) Credit: Image Credit: NASA/ESA/CSA JWST; Ya-Lin Wu et al.; processing: Meli_thev | |
| Observation data Epoch J2000 Equinox ICRS | |
|---|---|
| Constellation | Taurus |
| A | |
| Right ascension | 04h 23m 35.391s1 |
| Declination | +25° 03′ 02.75″1 |
| B | |
| Right ascension | 04h 23m 35.746s2 |
| Declination | +25° 02′ 59.64″2 |
| Characteristics | |
| A | |
| Evolutionary stage | pre-main sequence3 |
| Spectral type | M7.254 |
| Apparent magnitude (G) | 15.231 + 20.452 |
| Variable type | T Tau5 |
| B | |
| Evolutionary stage | brown dwarf6 |
| Spectral type | M9.254 |
| Apparent magnitude (G) | 20.452 |
| Astrometry | |
| A | |
| Radial velocity (Rv) | +19.67±0.017 km/s |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: +6.901 mas/yr1 Dec.: −21.252 mas/yr1 |
| Parallax (π) | 7.8354±0.0754 mas1 |
| Distance | 416 ± 4 ly (128 ± 1 pc) |
| B | |
| Proper motion (μ) | RA: +1.5 mas/yr2 Dec.: −24.2 mas/yr2 |
| Parallax (π) | 7.4750±1.1221 mas2 |
| Distance | approx. 440 ly (approx. 130 pc) |
| Details | |
| A | |
| Mass | 0.054 M☉ |
| Luminosity | 0.24 L☉ |
| Rotation | 3.93±0.108 days |
| Rotational velocity (v sin i) | 17.4±0.38 km/s |
| Age | <14 Myr |
| B | |
| Mass | 0.0154 M☉ |
| Luminosity | 0.0394 L☉ |
| Age | <14 Myr |
| Other designations | |
| WDS J04236+2503A, 2MASS J04233539+2503026, Gaia DR2 149629483705467008 | |
| Database references | |
| SIMBAD | A |
| B | |
FU Tauri is a binary brown dwarf in the constellation of Taurus. Based on parallax measurements, it is about 416 light years away.
Variability
FU Tauri varies in brightness. The primary is a T Tauri variable, a type of irregular pre-main-sequence star. Its brightness has been observed to vary from a photovisual magnitude of 16.0 to fainter than 17.0.10 Its photographic magnitude has been measured to vary between magnitude 15.1 and below magnitude 17.6.11
Characteristics
The primary and secondary, FU Tauri A and B, have spectral types of M7.25 and M9.25, which are suggestive of masses of 0.05 and 0.015 solar masses (M☉)4. The system is very young, only ~1 million years old. Both brown dwarfs have infrared emission that indicates the presence of circumstellar disks4. The binary system has a projected separation of 5.7″, which is equivalent to a projected separation of 800 AU at the system's distance.1
References
References
- Vallenari, A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2023). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 674: A1. arXiv:2208.00211. Bibcode:2023A&A...674A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940. S2CID 244398875. Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
- Vallenari, A.; et al. (Gaia collaboration) (2023). "Gaia Data Release 3. Summary of the content and survey properties". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 674: A1. arXiv:2208.00211. Bibcode:2023A&A...674A...1G. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202243940. S2CID 244398875. Gaia DR3 record for this source at VizieR.
- Skinner, Stephen; Güdel, Manuel; Briggs, Kevin; Melnikov, Stanislav; Audard, Marc (2006). "X-ray Emission from the Pre-Main Sequence Systems FU Orionis and T Tauri". Astrophysics and Space Science. 304 (1–4): 165. Bibcode:2006Ap&SS.304..165S. doi:10.1007/s10509-006-9100-5.
- Luhman, K. L.; Mamajek, E. E.; Allen, P. R.; Muench, A. A.; Finkbeiner, D. P. (2009). "Discovery of a Wide Binary Brown Dwarf Born in Isolation". The Astrophysical Journal. 691 (2): 1265. arXiv:0902.0425. Bibcode:2009ApJ...691.1265L. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/691/2/1265.
- Samus, N. N.; Durlevich, O. V.; et al. (2009). "VizieR Online Data Catalog: General Catalogue of Variable Stars (Samus+ 2007-2013)". VizieR On-line Data Catalog: B/GCVS. Originally Published in: 2009yCat....102025S. 1: B/GCVS. Bibcode:2009yCat....102025S.
- Wu, Ya-Lin; Cheng, Yu-Chi; Huang, Li-Ching; Bowler, Brendan P.; Close, Laird M.; Tseng, Wei-Ling; Chen, Ning; Chen, Da-Wei (2023-09-05). "Monitoring Hα Emission from the Wide-orbit Brown-dwarf Companion FU Tau B". The Astronomical Journal. 166 (4): 143. arXiv:2309.07114. Bibcode:2023AJ....166..143W. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/acedb0. ISSN 0004-6256.
- Jönsson, Henrik; Holtzman, Jon A.; Prieto, Carlos Allende; Cunha, Katia; García-Hernández, D. A.; Hasselquist, Sten; Masseron, Thomas; Osorio, Yeisson; Shetrone, Matthew; Smith, Verne; Stringfellow, Guy S.; Bizyaev, Dmitry; Edvardsson, Bengt; Majewski, Steven R.; Mészáros, Szabolcs (2020-08-17). "APOGEE Data and Spectral Analysis from SDSS Data Release 16: Seven Years of Observations Including First Results from APOGEE-South". The Astronomical Journal. 160 (3): 120. arXiv:2007.05537. Bibcode:2020AJ....160..120J. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/aba592. ISSN 0004-6256.
- Bowler, Brendan P.; Tran, Quang H.; Zhang, Zhoujian; Morgan, Marvin; Ashok, Katelyn B.; Blunt, Sarah; Bryan, Marta L.; Evans, Analis E.; Franson, Kyle; Huber, Daniel; Nagpal, Vighnesh; Wu, Ya-Lin; Zhou, Yifan (2023-03-17). "Rotation Periods, Inclinations, and Obliquities of Cool Stars Hosting Directly Imaged Substellar Companions: Spin–Orbit Misalignments Are Common". The Astronomical Journal. 165 (4): 164. arXiv:2301.04692. Bibcode:2023AJ....165..164B. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/acbd34. ISSN 0004-6256.
- Scholz, Alexander; Stelzer, Beate; Costigan, Grainne; Barrado, David; Eislöffel, Jochen; Lillo-Box, Jorge; Riviere-Marichalar, Pablo; Stoev, Hristo (January 2012). "Magnetic activity and accretion on FU Tau A: clues from variability". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 419 (2): 1271–1279. arXiv:1109.3474. Bibcode:2012MNRAS.419.1271S. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2011.19781.x.
- Romano, G. (1975). "Observations of T Tau stars and related objects in Taurus dark cloud". Memorie della Societa Astronomica Italiana. 46: 81. Bibcode:1975MmSAI..46...81R.
- Gotz, W. (1961). "Photographische Untersuchungen an RW Aurigae-Sternen in den Dunkelgebieten von Taurus und Orion". Veroeffentlichungen der Sternwarte Sonneberg. 5: 87. Bibcode:1961VeSon...5...87G.