Limits on eclipses of the pre-main-sequence star KH 15D in the first half of the 20th century

Abstract

Over the last decade, the pre-main sequence star KH 15D has exhibited periodic eclipses that are surprisingly deep (~3 mag) and long-lasting (~40% of the 48.4-day period). The cause of the eclipses is unknown, but it could be a feature in a nearly edge-on protoplanetary disk. Here we report on an analysis of archival photographs of KH 15D from the Harvard College Observatory plate collection, most of which were taken during the years 1913-1951. During this time range, the data are consistent with no eclipses; the duty cycle of 1 mag eclipses was less than 20%. The decadal timescale of this change in eclipse behavior is compatible with the expected timescale of protoplanet/disk interactions. Archival images from more recent epochs should reveal the onset of the eclipses.

arXiv commentApJ Letters, in press [10pp, 4 figs]

References in corpus (5)

• Three-dimensional Calculations of High and Low-mass Planets Embedded in Protoplanetary Discs
• Eclipses by a Circumstellar Dust Feature in the Pre-Main Sequence Star KH15D
• Fine Structure in the Circumstellar Environment of a Young, Solar-like Star: the Unique Eclipses of KH 15D
• Natural Coronagraphic Observations of the Eclipsing T Tauri System KH 15D: Evidence for Accretion and Bipolar Outflow in a WTTS
• Radiative Transfer on Perturbations in Protoplanetary Disks

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• The Orbit and Occultations of KH 15D
• Locating the Trailing Edge of the Circumbinary Ring in the KH 15D System
• Wave-like warp propagation in circumbinary discs II. Application to KH 15D
• The Peculiar Periodic YSO WL 4 in Rho Ophiuchus
• The History of the Mysterious Eclipses of KH 15D: Asiago Observatory, 1967-1982
• The Disappearing Act of KH 15D: Photometric Results from 1995 to 2004
• Spectropolarimetry and Modeling of the Eclipsing T Tauri Star KH 15D
• Spectroscopy of Molecular Hydrogen Emission from KH 15D
• H${}_2$ Emission Nebulosity Associated with KH 15D
• The History of the Mysterious Eclipses of KH 15D II. Asiago, Kiso, Kitt Peak, Mt. Wilson, Palomar, Tautenburg and Rozhen Observatories, 1954-97
• Complex Variability of the H$\alpha$ Emission Line Profile of the T Tauri Binary System KH 15D: The Influence of Orbital Phase, Occultation by the Circumbinary Disk, and Accretion Phenomenae
• Near-Infrared Photometric Monitoring of a Pre-Main-Sequence Object KH 15D
• Multi-Wavelength Photometry of the T Tauri Binary V582 Mon (KH 15D): A New Epoch of Occultations
• Blue and IR Light Curves of the Mysterious Pre-Main Sequence Star V582 Mon (KH 15D) from 1955 to 1970
• Seeing Through the Ring: Near-Infrared Photometry of V582 Mon (KH 15D)
• Extending the Model of KH 15D: Estimating the Effects of Forward Scattering and Curvature of the Occulting Ring Edge
• X-ray Emission from the Weak-lined T Tauri Binary System KH 15D
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• The Unique Eclipsing System KH 15D: New Photometric Data
• Evidence for Companion-Induced Secular Changes in the Turbulent Disk of a Be Star in the LMC MACHO Database
• The Impact of the Astro2010 Recommendations on Variable Star Science