Oral Presentation

Variability in young high-mass stars: a new window to star-disk-magnetosphere studies

Author(s): Nanda Kumar, Guilherme Teixeira, Phil Lucas and Leigh Smith

Presenter: Nanda Kumar (Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences, Porto)

The phenomenon of variability (including that of high-amplitude) was unknown in young massive stars until recently. The VISTA VVV survey led to the discovery of 13 high-amplitude (deltaK > 1mag) young high-mass stars associated with the atlasgal cores and infrared-dark-clouds. Subsequent analysis have led us to identify 56 young high mass stellar candidates displaying variability at a lower amplitude. The light curves are grouped into periodic and non-periodic types, mostly representing accretion phenomenon. This study has provided a new target sample that will allow examining the star-disk and possible magnetosphere in intermediate and high-mass young stars.