Star-disk interaction and accretion in the young T-Tauri star DO Tauri

Star system: DO Tauri | Distance from the Sun: 452 light years

DO Tau is a young star surrounded by a disk of gas and dust, where planets may eventually form. This system is a T Tauri star, a type of young, Sun-like star still gathering material from its surroundings. By combining high-resolution infrared spectra and advanced imaging, researchers have studied the region where the star and its disk interact, revealing new details about how material moves from the disk onto the star.

The team used two main techniques: near-infrared spectra to study the star's magnetic field and accretion, and optical interferometry to measure the size of regions emitting specific types of light. They found that DO Tau is a strong accretor, with hydrogen and helium lines in its spectrum changing rapidly from day to day. The region where material falls onto the star is much smaller than the area emitting most of the infrared light, suggesting that accretion happens close to the star. The inner disk is tilted compared to the outer disk, possibly due to a past encounter with a nearby star system.

These findings help explain how young stars like DO Tau gather material and how their disks may become warped or misaligned. Understanding these processes is important for learning how planets form in such environments.

Key findings
- DO Tau is a young, strongly accreting T Tauri star
- Accretion region is compact and close to the star
- Inner and outer disk are misaligned, suggesting a warp
- Rapid changes in hydrogen and helium lines indicate unstable accretion
- Disk misalignment may be due to a past stellar encounter

Scientific study

The GRAVITY young stellar object survey -- XV. The star-disk interaction region of the T Tauri star DO Tau (external link)