The ODYSSEUS Survey. Spatial correlation of magnetospheric inclinations points to parsec-scale star-cloud connection

TL;DR

This study provides the first evidence of parsec-scale spatial correlations in stellar magnetospheric inclinations within a star-forming region, linking large-scale cloud structures to star system configurations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel analysis of spatial correlations of stellar inclinations at parsec scales, revealing a connection between large-scale cloud forces and star system orientations.

Findings

Magnetospheric inclinations are correlated over ~3 parsecs.

Spatial dependencies are stable against measurement uncertainties.

Lupus region shows non-uniform inclination distribution linked to filamentary structures.

Abstract

The properties of stars and planets are shaped by the initial conditions of their natal clouds. However, the spatial scales over which the initial conditions can exert a significant influence are not well constrained. We report the first evidence for parsec-scale spatial correlations of stellar magnetospheric inclinations ($i_{\rm mag}$), observed in the Lupus low-mass star forming region. Applying consensus clustering with a hierarchical density-based clustering algorithm, we demonstrate that the detected spatial dependencies are stable against perturbations by measurement uncertainties. The $i_{\rm mag}$ correlation scales are on the order of ~3 pc, which aligns with the typical scales of the Lupus molecular cloud filaments. Our results reveal a connection between large-scale forces -- in the form of expanding shells from the Upper Scorpius and Upper-Centaurus-Lupus regions -- and sub-au scale system configurations. We find that Lupus has a non-uniform $i_{\rm mag}$ distribution and suggest that this results from the preferential elongation of protostellar cores along filamentary axes. Non-uniformity would have significant implications for exoplanet occurrence rate calculations, so future work should explore the longevity of these biases driven by the star-cloud connection.