X-Ray flares in Orion Young Stars. II. Flares, Magnetospheres, and Protoplanetary Disks

TL;DR

This study analyzes X-ray flares from 161 young stars in Orion, revealing how star-disk interactions influence flare properties, coronal extents, and plasma temperatures, supporting models of magnetic star-disk coupling.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the relationship between X-ray flares, star-disk magnetic interactions, and coronal structures in pre-main sequence stars.

Findings

Coronal extents in fast-rotating diskfree stars exceed the Keplerian radius.

Accreting stars produce super-hot flares with temperatures over 100 MK.

Flares in accreting stars tend to have shorter durations.

Abstract

We study the properties of powerful X-ray flares from 161 pre-main sequence (PMS) stars observed with the Chandra X-ray Observatory in the Orion Nebula region. Relationships between flare properties, protoplanetary disks and accretion are examined in detail to test models of star-disk interactions at the inner edge of the accretion disks. Previous studies had found no differences in flaring between diskfree and accreting systems other than a small overall diminution of X-ray luminosity in accreting systems. The most important finding is that X-ray coronal extents in fast-rotating diskfree stars can significantly exceed the Keplerian corotation radius, whereas X-ray loop sizes in disky and accreting systems do not exceed the corotation radius. This is consistent with models of star-disk magnetic interaction where the inner disk truncates and confines the PMS stellar magnetosphere. We also find two differences between flares in accreting and diskfree PMS stars. First, a subclass of super-hot flares with peak plasma temperatures exceeding 100 MK are preferentially present in accreting systems. Second, we tentatively find that accreting stars produce flares with shorter durations. Both results may be consequences of the distortion and destabilization of the stellar magnetosphere by the interacting disk. Finally, we find no evidence that any flare types, even slow-rise flat-top flares are produced in star-disk magnetic loops. All are consistent with enhanced solar long-duration events with both footprints anchored in the stellar surface.