Photometry and spectrophotometry of the Herbig Ae star RR Tauri [SSA]

http://arxiv.org/abs/1808.01645


Multicolour broadband photometry and flux calibrated low resolution spectroscopy between 2014 and 2018 are used to investigate the behaviour of the highly variable Herbig Ae star RR Tauri. As the star experienced a deep Algol-like fade by a factor of over 10 in flux, we found the change in spectral continuum to be grey while H{\alpha} emission flux halved. We also observed the (V-Rc) colour index reddening as the star faded suggesting emission detectable in the Rc-band but beyond our spectral response. We confirm that the circumstellar reddening of RR Tau is consistent with an extinction ratio Rv = 5 and that its spectral type is close to A0. According to its luminosity and temperature RR Tau is located in the H-R diagram among other HAEBE stars contracting onto the Zero Age Main Sequence and has a mass between 4 and 5 MSun.

Read this paper on arXiv…

D. Boyd
Tue, 7 Aug 18
67/68

Comments: 12 pages, 8 figures, accepted for publication in the Journal of the British Astronomical Association