Dynamical Evolution of the TW Hya Association

Abstract

Using Galactic dynamics we have determined the age of the low mass post-T Tauri stars TW Hya Association (TWA). To do so we applied the method of Ortega et al.(2002, 2004) to five stars of the association with Hipparcos measured distances (TWA 1, TWA 4,TWA 9,TWA 11,TWA 19).The method is based on the calculation of the past 3D orbits of the stars. Of these stars only TWA 9 presents a quite different orbit so that it does not appear to be a dynamical member of TWA. The four remaining stars have a first maximum orbits' confinement at the age of -8.3 $\pm 0.8$ Myr which is considered the dynamical age of TWA. This confinement fixes the probable 3D forming region of TWA with a mean radius of 14.5 pc. This region is related to the older subgroups of the Sco-Cen OB association, Lower Centaurus Crux (LCC) and Upper Centaurus Lupus (UCL), both with a mean age of about 18 Myr. This dynamical age of TWA and that of the $\beta$ Pic Moving Group (BPMG) with an age of 11 Myr, also discussed here, introduce a more precise temporal scale for studies of disks evolution and planetary formation around some stars of these associations. Using the retraced orbit of the runaway star HIP 82868 we examine the possibility that the formation of TWA was triggered by a supernova (SN) explosion. It is shown that for the four considered TWA stars, the expansion in volume is a factor of five since their origin to the present state. This is mainly due to the presently more distant star TWA 19.

Accepted to Astronomical Journal

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