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JWST Captures a Sudden Stellar Outburst and Inner Disk Wall Destruction

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posted on 2025-01-13, 11:28 authored by Chengyan Xie, Ilaria Pascucci, Dingshan Deng, Naman S Bajaj, Richard AlexanderRichard Alexander, Andrew Sellek, Ágnes Kóspál, Giulia Ballabio, Uma Gorti

We analyze JWST/MIRI observations of T Cha, a highly variable (ΔV ∼ 3–5 mag) accreting Sun-like star surrounded by a disk with a large (∼15 au) dust gap. We find that the JWST mid-IR spectrum is significantly different from the Spitzer spectrum obtained 17 yr before—the emission at short wavelengths (5–10 μm) has decreased by ∼2/3 while that at longer wavelengths (15–25 μm) has increased by up to a factor of ∼3. The JWST spectrum is contemporaneous with a fairly constant higher optical emission captured by the All Sky Automated Survey. After analyzing and modeling both spectral energy distributions, we propose that JWST caught the star during an outburst that partly destroyed and significantly reduced the height of the asymmetric inner disk wall responsible for the high optical variability and lower 15–25 μm emission during the Spitzer period. The dust mass lost during this outburst is estimated to be comparable (∼1/5) to the upper limit of the total micron-sized dust mass in the inner disk of T Cha now. Monitoring this system during possible future outbursts and more observations of its quiescent state will reveal if the inner disk can be replenished or will continue to be depleted and vanish.

History

Author affiliation

College of Science & Engineering Physics & Astronomy

Version

  • AM (Accepted Manuscript)

Published in

The Astrophysical Journal

Volume

978

Issue

1

Pagination

34

Publisher

American Astronomical Society

issn

0004-637X

eissn

1538-4357

Copyright date

2024

Available date

2025-01-13

Language

en

Deposited by

Professor Richard Alexander

Deposit date

2025-01-01

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