PENELLOPE V. The magnetospheric structure and the accretion variability of the classical T Tauri star HM Lup

TL;DR

This study investigates the magnetospheric structure and accretion variability of the young star HM Lup, revealing how emission line profiles and photometric data indicate changes in accretion regimes and disk structure.

Contribution

It provides a detailed analysis of the inner disk and accretion flow of HM Lup using multi-wavelength spectroscopic and photometric data, highlighting the link between accretion rate changes and emission line morphology.

Findings

Emission lines show temperature stratification in accretion flow.

Photometric variability suggests unstable ordered accretion.

Enhanced metallic emission correlates with increased accretion rate.

Abstract

HM Lup is a young M-type star that accretes material from a circumstellar disk through a magnetosphere. Our aim is to study the inner disk structure of HM Lup and to characterize its variability. We used spectroscopic data from HST/STIS, X-Shooter, and ESPRESSO taken in the framework of the ULLYSES and PENELLOPE programs, together with photometric data from TESS and AAVSO. The 2021 TESS light curve shows variability typical for young stellar objects of the "accretion burster" type. The spectra cover the temporal evolution of the main burst in the 2021 TESS light curve. We compared the strength and morphology of emission lines from different species and ionization stages. We determined the mass accretion rate from selected emission lines and from the UV continuum excess emission at different epochs, and we examined its relation to the photometric light curves. The emission lines in the optical spectrum of HM Lup delineate a temperature stratification along the accretion flow. While the wings of the H I and He I lines originate near the star, the lines of species such as Na I, Mg I, Ca I, Ca II, Fe I, and Fe II are formed in an outer and colder region. The shape and periodicity of the 2019 and 2021 TESS light curves, when qualitatively compared to predictions from magnetohydrodynamic models, suggest that HM Lup was in a regime of unstable ordered accretion during the 2021 TESS observation due to an increase in the accretion rate. Although HM Lup is not an extreme accretor, it shows enhanced emission in the metallic species during this high accretion state that is produced by a density enhancement in the outer part of the accretion flow.