Spitzer Space Telescope - General Observer Proposal #20755


A Multi-epoch IRS Accretion Variability Study of Actively Accreting T
Tauri Stars

Principal Investigator: Jeffrey Bary
           Institution: University of Virginia

Co-Investigators: 
Michael Skrutskie, University of Virginia                             
Dawn Peterson, University of Virginia                                 

Science Category: young stellar objects 
 Observing Modes: IrsStare 
  Hours Approved: 8.4 

Abstract:
We propose to use Spitzer and IRS in SL1 and SL2 modes to make
multiple observations of actively accreting T Tauri stars during the
course of Cycle 2.  In coordination with an ongoing near-infrared
spectroscopic survey of the same sources, we hope to characterize the
time dependence and nature of accretion variability in these sources
and determine if a correlation exists between inner and outer disk
accretion activity.  We expect the accretion variability to manifest
itself as fluctuations in the shapes of the near-IR and mid-IR
spectral energy distributions as well as variations in the line
strength and shapes of accretion-related emission line features.