The Impact of Starspots on Mass and Age Estimates for Pre-main Sequence Stars. Issue Volume 10:Issue S314(2015) (November 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Somers, Garrett; Pinsonneault, Marc H.
• Editors: Kastner, J. H.; Stelzer, B.; Metchev, S. A.
• Is Part Of: Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union. Volume 10:Issue S314(2015)
• Page Start: 91
• Page End: 94
• Publication Date: 2015-11
• Subjects: stars: starspots – stars: pre-main sequence – stars: fundamental parameters – stars: activity; Astronomy -- Congresses; Astronomy -- Periodicals; 520
• DOI: 10.1017/S1743921315006092
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1743-9213

Abstract

Abstract: We investigate the impact of starspots on the evolution of late-type stars during the pre-main sequence (pre-MS). We find that heavy spot coverage increases the radii of stars by 4–10%, consistent with inflation factors in eclipsing binary systems, and suppresses the rate of pre-MS lithium depletion, leading to a dispersion in zero-age MS Li abundance (comparable to observed spreads) if a range of spot properties exist within clusters from 3-10 Myr. This concordance with data implies that spots induce a range of radii at fixed mass during the pre-MS. These spots decrease the luminosity and T eff of stars, leading to a displacement on the HR diagram. This displacement causes isochrone derived masses and ages to be systematically under-estimated, and can lead to the spurious appearance of an age spread in a co-eval population.