The transiting dust clumps in the evolved disc of the Sun-like UXor RZ Psc
RZ Psc is a young Sun-like star, long associated with the UXor class of variable stars, which is partially or wholly dimmed by dust clumps several times each year. The system has a bright and variable infrared excess, which has been interpreted as evidence that the dimming events are the passage of...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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The Royal Society
2017-01-01
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| Series: | Royal Society Open Science |
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| Online Access: | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.160652 |
| _version_ | 1818329742015725568 |
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| author | Grant M. Kennedy Matthew A. Kenworthy Joshua Pepper Joseph E. Rodriguez Robert J. Siverd Keivan G. Stassun Mark C. Wyatt |
| author_facet | Grant M. Kennedy Matthew A. Kenworthy Joshua Pepper Joseph E. Rodriguez Robert J. Siverd Keivan G. Stassun Mark C. Wyatt |
| author_sort | Grant M. Kennedy |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | RZ Psc is a young Sun-like star, long associated with the UXor class of variable stars, which is partially or wholly dimmed by dust clumps several times each year. The system has a bright and variable infrared excess, which has been interpreted as evidence that the dimming events are the passage of asteroidal fragments in front of the host star. Here, we present a decade of optical photometry of RZ Psc and take a critical look at the asteroid belt interpretation. We show that the distribution of light curve gradients is non-uniform for deep events, which we interpret as possible evidence for an asteroidal fragment-like clump structure. However, the clumps are very likely seen above a high optical depth midplane, so the disc’s bulk clumpiness is not revealed. While circumstantial evidence suggests an asteroid belt is more plausible than a gas-rich transition disc, the evolutionary status remains uncertain. We suggest that the rarity of Sun-like stars showing disc-related variability may arise because (i) any accretion streams are transparent and/or (ii) turbulence above the inner rim is normally shadowed by a flared outer disc. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T12:52:53Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-42d22666f3954995b376505e92dc3543 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2054-5703 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T12:52:53Z |
| publishDate | 2017-01-01 |
| publisher | The Royal Society |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Royal Society Open Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-42d22666f3954995b376505e92dc35432022-12-21T23:45:16ZengThe Royal SocietyRoyal Society Open Science2054-57032017-01-014110.1098/rsos.160652160652The transiting dust clumps in the evolved disc of the Sun-like UXor RZ PscGrant M. KennedyMatthew A. KenworthyJoshua PepperJoseph E. RodriguezRobert J. SiverdKeivan G. StassunMark C. WyattRZ Psc is a young Sun-like star, long associated with the UXor class of variable stars, which is partially or wholly dimmed by dust clumps several times each year. The system has a bright and variable infrared excess, which has been interpreted as evidence that the dimming events are the passage of asteroidal fragments in front of the host star. Here, we present a decade of optical photometry of RZ Psc and take a critical look at the asteroid belt interpretation. We show that the distribution of light curve gradients is non-uniform for deep events, which we interpret as possible evidence for an asteroidal fragment-like clump structure. However, the clumps are very likely seen above a high optical depth midplane, so the disc’s bulk clumpiness is not revealed. While circumstantial evidence suggests an asteroid belt is more plausible than a gas-rich transition disc, the evolutionary status remains uncertain. We suggest that the rarity of Sun-like stars showing disc-related variability may arise because (i) any accretion streams are transparent and/or (ii) turbulence above the inner rim is normally shadowed by a flared outer disc.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.160652variable starsprotoplanetary discsdebris discscircumstellar matter |
| spellingShingle | Grant M. Kennedy Matthew A. Kenworthy Joshua Pepper Joseph E. Rodriguez Robert J. Siverd Keivan G. Stassun Mark C. Wyatt The transiting dust clumps in the evolved disc of the Sun-like UXor RZ Psc Royal Society Open Science variable stars protoplanetary discs debris discs circumstellar matter |
| title | The transiting dust clumps in the evolved disc of the Sun-like UXor RZ Psc |
| title_full | The transiting dust clumps in the evolved disc of the Sun-like UXor RZ Psc |
| title_fullStr | The transiting dust clumps in the evolved disc of the Sun-like UXor RZ Psc |
| title_full_unstemmed | The transiting dust clumps in the evolved disc of the Sun-like UXor RZ Psc |
| title_short | The transiting dust clumps in the evolved disc of the Sun-like UXor RZ Psc |
| title_sort | transiting dust clumps in the evolved disc of the sun like uxor rz psc |
| topic | variable stars protoplanetary discs debris discs circumstellar matter |
| url | https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rsos.160652 |
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