Spectral Biases, Starspot Morphology, and Dynamo Transitions on the Pre-Main Sequence: Insights from the X-Shooter WTTS Library

TL;DR

This study reveals that starspots significantly distort spectral measurements of young stars, leading to biases in derived stellar parameters, and links magnetic field topology changes to stellar evolution during the pre-main sequence phase.

Contribution

We develop two-temperature spectral models that account for starspot effects, improving parameter accuracy and linking magnetic topology shifts to dynamo regime transitions in PMS stars.

Findings

Starspots cause effective temperature overestimates up to 700 K.

Spot-corrected models increase inferred stellar masses by up to 80%.

Magnetic topology shifts correlate with the formation of a radiative core.

Abstract

Starspots are ubiquitous in young, low-mass stars, yet their impact on the spectral classification and fundamental parameter inference of pre-main sequence stars (PMS) has been largely overlooked. In this study, we demonstrate that cool starspots systematically distort spectral morphology and bias the effective temperatures, surface gravities, and luminosities derived for non-accreting Weak-Lined T Tauri Stars (WTTS). Using a sample of 56 WTTS with high-resolution, broad-band X-Shooter spectra, we perform two-temperature spectral fits that explicitly account for spot coverages and temperature contrasts. These composite models consistently outperform traditional single-temperature fits, particularly in the 3350-4000 K regime, where spot contributions dominate the red-optical and near-infrared flux. Moreover, we propose that surface gravity discrepancies between optical and infrared measurements are a natural consequence of spot-dominated emission in PMS stars. We find that single-temperature models can overestimate effective temperatures by up to 700 K and underestimate log g by 1-2 dex. Using spot-corrected effective temperatures, we derive masses and ages from traditional, magnetic, and spotted evolutionary models, finding that spot-corrections systematically raise inferred masses by up to 80% and stellar ages by up to 0.5 dex. These discrepancies are strongest for stars in the 0.3-0.8 solar mass range. Using starspots as a proxy for magnetic topology, we find evidence that a shift from largely axisymmetric to non-axisymmetric magnetic fields dominated by small-scale structures coincides with the formation of a radiative core during PMS evolution, effectively distinguishing between the convective and interface dynamo regimes.