Sudden Extreme Obscuration of a Sun-like Main-sequence Star: Evolution of the Circumstellar Dust around ASASSN-21qj

ASASSN-21qj is a distant Sun-like star that recently began an episode of deep dimming events after no prior recorded variability. Here we examine archival and newly obtained optical and near-infrared data of this star. The deep aperiodic dimming and absence of previous infrared excess are reminiscen...

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Main Authors: Jonathan P. Marshall, Steve Ertel, Francisca Kemper, Carlos del Burgo, Gilles P. P. L. Otten, Peter Scicluna, Sascha T. Zeegers, Álvaro Ribas, Oscar Morata
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2023-01-01
Series:The Astrophysical Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ace629
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author Jonathan P. Marshall
Steve Ertel
Francisca Kemper
Carlos del Burgo
Gilles P. P. L. Otten
Peter Scicluna
Sascha T. Zeegers
Álvaro Ribas
Oscar Morata
author_facet Jonathan P. Marshall
Steve Ertel
Francisca Kemper
Carlos del Burgo
Gilles P. P. L. Otten
Peter Scicluna
Sascha T. Zeegers
Álvaro Ribas
Oscar Morata
author_sort Jonathan P. Marshall
collection DOAJ
description ASASSN-21qj is a distant Sun-like star that recently began an episode of deep dimming events after no prior recorded variability. Here we examine archival and newly obtained optical and near-infrared data of this star. The deep aperiodic dimming and absence of previous infrared excess are reminiscent of KIC 8462852 (“Boyajian’s Star”). The observed occultations are consistent with a circumstellar cloud of submicron-sized dust grains composed of amorphous pyroxene, with a minimum mass of 1.50 ± 0.04 × 10 ^−9 M _⊕ derived from the deepest occultations, and a minimum grain size of ${0.29}_{-0.18}^{+0.01}\,\mu {\rm{m}}$ assuming a power-law size distribution. We further identify the first evidence of near-infrared excess in this system from NEOWISE 3.4 and 4.6 μ m observations. The excess emission implies a total circumstellar dust mass of around 10 ^−6 M _⊕ , comparable to the extreme, variable disks associated with terrestrial planet formation around young stars. The quasiperiodic recurrence of deep dips and the inferred dust temperature (ranging from 1800 to 700 K across the span of observations) independently point to an orbital distance of ≃0.2 au for the dust, supporting the occulting material and excess emission being causally linked. The origin of this extended, opaque cloud is surmised to be the breakup of one or more exocometary bodies.
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spelling doaj.art-7ef46f40d2124e97b080d84696b029322023-08-31T10:15:26ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572023-01-01954214010.3847/1538-4357/ace629Sudden Extreme Obscuration of a Sun-like Main-sequence Star: Evolution of the Circumstellar Dust around ASASSN-21qjJonathan P. Marshall0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6208-1801Steve Ertel1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2314-7289Francisca Kemper2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2743-8240Carlos del Burgo3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8949-5200Gilles P. P. L. Otten4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6717-1977Peter Scicluna5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1161-3756Sascha T. Zeegers6https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8163-8852Álvaro Ribas7https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3133-3580Oscar Morata8https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5908-9543Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics , 11F of AS/NTU Astronomy-Mathematics Building, No.1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan ; jmarshall@asiaa.sinica.edu.tw; University of Southern Queensland , Centre for Astrophysics, USQ Toowoomba, West Street, QLD 4350, AustraliaDepartment of Astronomy and Steward Observatory, University of Arizona , 933 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065, USA; Large Binocular Telescope Observatory, University of Arizona , 933 N. Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065, USAInstitut de Ciències de l’Espai (ICE, CSIC) , Can Magrans, s/n, E-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, Spain; ICREA, Pg. Lluís Companys 23, E-08010 Barcelona, Spain; Institut d’Estudis Espacials de Catalunya (IEEC) , E-08034 Barcelona, SpainInstituto Nacional de Astrofísica , Óptica y Electrónica, Luis Enrique Erro #1, CP 72840, Tonantzintla, Puebla, MexicoAcademia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics , 11F of AS/NTU Astronomy-Mathematics Building, No.1, Section 4, Roosevelt Road, Taipei 10617, Taiwan ; jmarshall@asiaa.sinica.edu.twEuropean Southern Observatory , Alonso de Cordova 3107, Santiago RM, ChileEuropean Space Agency , ESTEC/SRE-SA, Keplerlaan 1, 2201 AZ, Noordwijk, The NetherlandsInstitute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge , Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA, UKInstitut de Ciències de l’Espai (ICE, CSIC) , Can Magrans, s/n, E-08193 Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, SpainASASSN-21qj is a distant Sun-like star that recently began an episode of deep dimming events after no prior recorded variability. Here we examine archival and newly obtained optical and near-infrared data of this star. The deep aperiodic dimming and absence of previous infrared excess are reminiscent of KIC 8462852 (“Boyajian’s Star”). The observed occultations are consistent with a circumstellar cloud of submicron-sized dust grains composed of amorphous pyroxene, with a minimum mass of 1.50 ± 0.04 × 10 ^−9 M _⊕ derived from the deepest occultations, and a minimum grain size of ${0.29}_{-0.18}^{+0.01}\,\mu {\rm{m}}$ assuming a power-law size distribution. We further identify the first evidence of near-infrared excess in this system from NEOWISE 3.4 and 4.6 μ m observations. The excess emission implies a total circumstellar dust mass of around 10 ^−6 M _⊕ , comparable to the extreme, variable disks associated with terrestrial planet formation around young stars. The quasiperiodic recurrence of deep dips and the inferred dust temperature (ranging from 1800 to 700 K across the span of observations) independently point to an orbital distance of ≃0.2 au for the dust, supporting the occulting material and excess emission being causally linked. The origin of this extended, opaque cloud is surmised to be the breakup of one or more exocometary bodies.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ace629ExocometsCircumstellar dustSolar analogs
spellingShingle Jonathan P. Marshall
Steve Ertel
Francisca Kemper
Carlos del Burgo
Gilles P. P. L. Otten
Peter Scicluna
Sascha T. Zeegers
Álvaro Ribas
Oscar Morata
Sudden Extreme Obscuration of a Sun-like Main-sequence Star: Evolution of the Circumstellar Dust around ASASSN-21qj
The Astrophysical Journal
Exocomets
Circumstellar dust
Solar analogs
title Sudden Extreme Obscuration of a Sun-like Main-sequence Star: Evolution of the Circumstellar Dust around ASASSN-21qj
title_full Sudden Extreme Obscuration of a Sun-like Main-sequence Star: Evolution of the Circumstellar Dust around ASASSN-21qj
title_fullStr Sudden Extreme Obscuration of a Sun-like Main-sequence Star: Evolution of the Circumstellar Dust around ASASSN-21qj
title_full_unstemmed Sudden Extreme Obscuration of a Sun-like Main-sequence Star: Evolution of the Circumstellar Dust around ASASSN-21qj
title_short Sudden Extreme Obscuration of a Sun-like Main-sequence Star: Evolution of the Circumstellar Dust around ASASSN-21qj
title_sort sudden extreme obscuration of a sun like main sequence star evolution of the circumstellar dust around asassn 21qj
topic Exocomets
Circumstellar dust
Solar analogs
url https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ace629
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