Recurrent Strong Outbursts of an EXor-like Young Eruptive Star Gaia20eae

Abstract

Abstract We present follow-up photometric and spectroscopic observations, and subsequent analysis of Gaia20eae. This source triggered photometric alerts during 2020 after showing a ∼3 mag increase in its brightness. Its Gaia Alert light curve showed the shape of a typical eruptive young star. We carried out observations to confirm Gaia20eae as an eruptive young star and classify it. Its pre-outburst spectral energy distribution shows that Gaia20eae is a moderately embedded Class II object with L bol = 7.22 L ⊙ . The color–color and color–magnitude diagrams indicate that the evolution in the light curve is mostly gray. Multiple epochs of the H α line profile suggest an evolution of the accretion rate and winds. The near-infrared spectra display several emission lines, a feature typical of EX Lupi-type (EXor) eruptive young stars. We estimated the mass accretion rate during the dimming phase to be <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" overflow="scroll"> <mml:mrow> <mml:mover accent="true"> <mml:mi>M</mml:mi> <mml:mo>˙</mml:mo> </mml:mover> </mml:mrow> </mml:math> = 3–8 × 10 −7 M ⊙ yr −1 , higher than typical T Tauri stars of similar mass and comparable to other EXors. We conclude Gaia20eae is a new EXor-type candidate.