Monitoring of AB Aur requested for HST support
Abstract:
Drs. Lauren Biddle, Brendan Bowler, and Yifan Zhou (University of Texas) request AAVSO observers' assistance in monitoring the bright (6.9-8.4V) young, accreting A0 Herbig Ae star, AB Aur, in support of HST observations planned for 2023. One set of HST observations has been completed, and the final set of HST observations will take place in February, but observers are asked to observe AB Aur beginning immediately and continuing through the end of the observing season. Building the light curve in the weeks leading up to the HST observations is essential.
Justification:
Recently, a pointlike source has been detected with direct imaging of the circumstellar disk of AB Aur, indicating the potential existence of an accreting protoplanet at an orbital distance of ~93 au. However, unresolved features of protoplanetary disks can mimic planets by scattering light from the central star, causing false-positive signals — a major challenge in validating candidate protoplanets. This monitoring campaign will provide critical support for the success of our HST program by enabling us to recover the characteristics of AB Aur’s variability.
Requested Data Types:
Photometry
Targets
| Name | Magnitude | Variability Type | Photometry Notes | Spectroscopy Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AB Aur | 6.90 | UXOR/ROT |
Cadence: Not Specified Precision: 100 |
Not Requested |
Spectroscopy Lines:
No spectroscopy lines provided
Photometry Filters:
No photometry filters provided
Comparison Stars:
No comparison stars provided
Co-Authorship
Observers are not eligible for co-authorship.
Additional Observer Input:
Not provided
Additional Submission Location:
Not provided
Forum URL
N/A
Notes:
Principal Investigator: Dr. Lauren Biddle; Imported Campaign (Alert Notice #809)