Date of Award

2005

Document Type

Restricted Thesis

Terms of Use

© 2005 Katie Schlesinger. All rights reserved. Access to this work is restricted to users within the Swarthmore College network and may only be used for non-commercial, educational, and research purposes. Sharing with users outside of the Swarthmore College network is expressly prohibited. For all other uses, including reproduction and distribution, please contact the copyright holder.

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Department

Physics & Astronomy Department

First Advisor

Eric L.N. Jensen

Abstract

Locating young stars is critical for studies of planet formation, as planets and stars are hypothesized to develop concurrently. Locating these young stars, known as post T Tauris, is difficult, as they are no longer near the giant molecular clouds of their birth. To find these stars we searched for stars that were x-ray bright with kinematics similar to Hipparcos stars known to be young. These candidates are projected near the Lower Centaurus Crux, but not within the boundaries of this OB association. To determine stellar age, we combined spectral analysis of lithium, x-ray luminosity, and location on a Hertzsprung-Russell diagram. Combining three youth indicators is more powerful than applying each individual method alone. Using these methods of determining stellar age resulted in a group of about seven stars out of a sample of 138 that we are confident are post T Tauris. This multifaceted system to evaluate stellar age will prove useful in the future , as it provides a clear method to finding good locations for further planetary research.

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