The PMS star V1184 Tau (CB 34V) at the end of prolonged eclipse

TL;DR

This study presents a detailed photometric analysis of the variable star V1184 Tau, revealing its behavior during a prolonged eclipse and confirming dust obscuration as the cause of its brightness variations.

Contribution

It provides extensive BVRI photometric data from 2008-2015, demonstrating the star's transition from T Tauri to UX Orionis-like behavior during a deep minimum.

Findings

V1184 Tau exhibits T Tauri characteristics at maximum light.

During deep minima, it resembles UX Orionis objects.

Brightness drop lasted from 2003 to 2015 with asymmetric light curve.

Abstract

V1184 Tau (CB 34V) lies in the field of the Bok globule CB 34 and was discovered as a large amplitude variable in 1993. According to the first hypothesis of the variability of the star, it is a FU Orionis candidate erupted between 1951 and 1993. During subsequent observations, the star manifests large amplitude variability interpreted as obscuration from circumstellar clouds of dust. We included V1184 Tau (CB 34V) in our target list of highly variable pre-main-sequence stars to determine the reasons for the variations in the brightness of this object. Data from BVRI photometric observations of the young stellar object V1184 Tau, obtained in the period 2008-2015, are presented in the paper. These data are a continuation of our optical photometric monitoring of the star began in 2000 and continuing to date. The photometric observations of V1184 Tau were performed in two observatories with two medium-sized and two small telescopes. Our results indicate that during periods of maximum light the star shows characteristics typical of T Tauri stars. During the observed deep minimum in brightness, however, V1184 Tau is rather similar to UX Orionis objects. The deep drop in brightness began in 2003 ended in 2015 as the star has returned to maximum light. The light curve during the drop is obviously asymmetric as the decrease in brightness lasts two times longer than the rise. The observed colour reverse on the colour-magnitude diagrams is also confirmation of obscuration from circumstellar clouds of dust as a reason for the large amplitude variability in the brightness.