Trumpler 16 is a well--known rich star cluster containing the eruptive supergiant $eta$ Carinae and located in the Carina star-forming complex. In the context of the Chandra Carina Complex Project, we study Trumpler 16 using new and archival X-ray da
ta. A revised X-ray source list of the Trumpler 16 region contains 1232 X-ray sources including 1187 likely Carina members. These are matched to 1047 near-infrared counterparts detected by the HAWK-I instrument at the VLT allowing for better selection of cluster members. The cluster is irregular in shape. Although it is roughly circular, there is a high degree of sub-clustering, no noticeable central concentration and an extension to the southeast. The high--mass stars show neither evidence of mass segregation nor evidence of strong differential extinction. The derived power-law slope of the X-ray luminosity function for Trumpler 16 reveals a much steeper function than the Orion Nebula Cluster implying different ratio of solar- to higher-mass stars. We estimate the total Trumpler 16 pre-main sequence population to be > 6500 Class II and Class III X-ray sources. An overall K-excess disk frequency of ~ 8.9% is derived using the X-ray selected sample, although there is some variation among the sub-clusters, especially in the Southeastern extension. X-ray emission is detected from 29 high--mass stars with spectral types between B2 and O3.
The young high-eccentricity binary DQ Tau exhibits powerful recurring millimeter-band (mm) flaring attributed to collisions between the two stellar magnetospheres near periastron, when the stars are separated by only ~8Rstar. These magnetospheric int
eractions are expected to have scales and magnetic field strengths comparable to those of large X-ray flares from single pre-main-sequence (PMS) stars observed in the Chandra Orion Ultradeep Project (COUP). To search for X-rays arising from processes associated with colliding magnetospheres, we performed simultaneous X-ray and mm observations of DQ Tau near periastron phase. We report here several results. 1) As anticipated, DQ Tau was caught in a flare state in both mm and X-rays. A single long X-ray flare spanned the entire 16.5 hour Chandra exposure. 2) The inferred morphology, duration, and plasma temperature of the X-ray flare are typical of those of large flares from COUP stars. 3) However, our study provides three lines of evidence that this X-ray flare likely arises from colliding magnetospheres: the chance of capturing a large COUP-like flare within the span of our observation is small; the relative timing of the X-ray and mm flares indicates the Neupert effect and is consistent with a common coronal structure; the size of the emitting coronal structure (4-5Rstar) inferred from our analysis (which is admittedly model-dependent and should be considered with caution) is comparable to half the binary separation. 4) The peak flare X-ray luminosity is in agreement with an estimate of the power dissipated by magnetic reconnection within the framework of a simple model of interacting magnetospheres.
The Cepheus B (CepB) molecular cloud and a portion of the nearby CepOB3b OB association, one of the most active regions of star formation within 1 kpc, have been observed with the IRAC detector on board the Spitzer Space Telescope. The goals are to s
tudy protoplanetary disk evolution and processes of sequential triggered star formation in the region. Out of ~400 pre-main sequence (PMS) stars selected with an earlier Chandra X-ray Observatory observation, 95% are identified with mid-infrared sources and most of these are classified as diskless or disk-bearing stars. The discovery of the additional >200 IR-excess low-mass members gives a combined Chandra+Spitzer PMS sample complete down to 0.5 Mo outside of the cloud, and somewhat above 1 Mo in the cloud. Analyses of the nearly disk-unbiased combined Chandra+Spitzer selected stellar sample give several results. Our major finding is a spatio-temporal gradient of young stars from the hot molecular core towards the primary ionizing O star HD 217086. This strongly supports the radiation driven implosion (RDI) model of triggered star formation in the region. The empirical estimate for the shock velocity of 1 km/s is very similar to theoretical models of RDI in shocked molecular clouds...ABRIDGED... Other results include: 1. agreement of the disk fractions, their mass dependency, and fractions of transition disks with other clusters; 2. confirmation of the youthfulness of the embedded CepB cluster; 3. confirmation of the effect of suppression of time-integrated X-ray emission in disk-bearing versus diskless systems.
