Ancillary science with Ariel: Feasibility and scientific potential of young stellar object observations

TL;DR

This study assesses the feasibility of using the Ariel mission's waiting times to observe young stellar objects, demonstrating that nearly all gaps can be utilized for valuable scientific data collection, significantly expanding observational opportunities.

Contribution

It introduces an algorithm to optimize ancillary target observations during Ariel's scheduled gaps, enabling efficient use of mission time for young stellar object studies.

Findings

Approximately 99.2% of gaps can be used for ancillary observations.

An additional 2881 hours of data collection is possible.

A signal-to-noise ratio of around 10^4 can be achieved.

Abstract

To investigate the feasibility of ancillary target observations with ESA's Ariel mission, we compiled a list of potentially interesting young stars: FUors, systems harbouring extreme debris discs and a larger sample of young stellar objects showing strong near/mid-infrared excess. These objects can be observed as additional targets in the waiting times between the scheduled exoplanet transit and occultation observations. After analyzing the schedule for Ariel an algorithm was constructed to find the optimal target to be observed in each gap. The selection was mainly based on the slew and stabilization time needed to observe the selected YSO, but it also incorporated the scientific importance of the targets and whether they have already been sufficiently measured. After acquiring an adequately large sample of simulation data, it was concluded that approximately 99.2% of the available -- at least one hour long -- gaps could be used effectively. With an average slewing and stabilization time of about 16.7 minutes between scheduled exoplanet transits and ancillary targets, this corresponds to an additional $2881 \pm 56$ hours of active data gathering. When this additional time is used to observe our selected 200 ancillary targets, a typical signal-to-noise ratio of $\sim$10$^4$ can be achieved along the whole spectral window covered by Ariel.