2RE J0241-525: a nearby post-T Tauri visual binary system

Jeffries, R.D.; Buckley, D.A.H.; James, D.J.; Stauffer, J.R.

Abstract

We present high-spatial-resolution X-ray observations, photometry and spectroscopy of the two low-mass, active stars proposed as optical counterparts to the extreme ultraviolet source 2RE J0241 —525 (=EUVE J0241—530). It is confirmed that both stars, which are of types dK7e and dM3e and separated by 22 arcsec, are sources of soft X-ray emission and exhibit substantial chromospheric activity. Radial velocity measurements indicate that the two components are physically associated and most probably single. The projected equatorial velocities are measured as 75 ± 3 and 11.7 ± 0.7 km s−1 for the hotter and cooler components respectively and, whilst the hotter component has a relatively high photospheric lithium abundance, log N(Li) = 1.5 ± 0.2, we are unable to detect any lithium in the cooler star. Isochrone fitting to this ‘mini-cluster’ yields an age of 3–70 Myr and a distance of 19–60 pc. An empirical comparison of the lithium abundances with those for similar stars in young clusters and associations suggests a narrower age range of 5–30 Myr and a corresponding distance of 26–50 pc. We conclude that this object is a nearby post-T Tauri system, but we cannot locate any possible birth site. It appears unlikely that the system can have been ejected from a nearby open cluster in a two-or three-body encounter.

Citation

Jeffries, R., Buckley, D., James, D., & Stauffer, J. (1996). 2RE J0241-525: a nearby post-T Tauri visual binary system. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 281(3), 1001–1015. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/281.3.1001

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Mar 8, 1996
• Publication Date: 1996-08
• Deposit Date: Feb 14, 2024
• Journal: Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
• Print ISSN: 0035-8711
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 281
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 1001–1015
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/281.3.1001
• Publisher URL: https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/281/3/1001/1025892