Welcome
to the Web site of
the ... Chandra
Orion Ultradeep Project
See COUP press information at the Chandra X-ray Center
with press release, images & animations on
Planetary Protection: X-ray superflares aid formation of solar systems
See COUP press information at the Chandra X-ray Center
with press release, images & animations on
Planetary Protection: X-ray superflares aid formation of solar systems
What is COUP?
Stars like the Sun emit a tiny bit of their light in the X-ray band due to magnetic flaring at their surface. In the 1980-90s, X-ray astronomers found out that young solar-like stars are hundreds or thousands of times more X-ray luminous than the Sun today. But these early studies observed only small samples of young stars with short exposures, and left unanswered many questions. The Chandra X-ray Observatory launched in 1999 is far more capable than earlier satellite X-ray telescopes. In COUP, a collaboration of 37 scientists from 8 countries observed the nearest rich cluster of very young stars in the Orion Nebula with Chandra for 13 days in 2003. This Chandra Orion Ultradeep Project gives the most comprehensive view of magnetic activity in young stars ever achieved.
What did COUP find out?
COUP is a multifaceted project touching many issues of stellar physics, evolution and formation. It even may have important implications for planet formation. The links below take you to a page on each COUP science topic where you can find some of the main results, a selection of high-quality JPEG images and diagrams, as well as access to the full-text scientific papers.
Color adaptively smoothed image of the full 17'x17' ACIS-I field. Absorbed sources are blue, unabsorbed - red.
Color adaptively smoothed image of the 4'x4' central region.
MPEG movie of COUP variability from adaptively smoothed light curves (Pat Broos). All of these variations are statistically significant. Note that bright sources maintain their true color here. This is 100-frame movie with zoom.
MPEG movie of COUP variability from the data (Ettore Flaccomio). This is 100-frame movie with blank frame, indicating the end of the movie.
QuickTime movie comparing COUP with the deep VLT JHK color image (Mark McCaughrean).
This Web site is maintained by Eric Feigelson, COUP Principal Investigator
Direct inquiries to Dr. Feigelson at edf@astro.psu.edu, 814-865-0162
Last update: May 9 2005
Stars like the Sun emit a tiny bit of their light in the X-ray band due to magnetic flaring at their surface. In the 1980-90s, X-ray astronomers found out that young solar-like stars are hundreds or thousands of times more X-ray luminous than the Sun today. But these early studies observed only small samples of young stars with short exposures, and left unanswered many questions. The Chandra X-ray Observatory launched in 1999 is far more capable than earlier satellite X-ray telescopes. In COUP, a collaboration of 37 scientists from 8 countries observed the nearest rich cluster of very young stars in the Orion Nebula with Chandra for 13 days in 2003. This Chandra Orion Ultradeep Project gives the most comprehensive view of magnetic activity in young stars ever achieved.
What did COUP find out?
COUP is a multifaceted project touching many issues of stellar physics, evolution and formation. It even may have important implications for planet formation. The links below take you to a page on each COUP science topic where you can find some of the main results, a selection of high-quality JPEG images and diagrams, as well as access to the full-text scientific papers.
- Observations and data analysis
- Membership of the Orion population
- Global X-ray properties of the Orion Nebula region
- Evolution of X-ray emission as stars age
- Origins of magnetic activity in young stars
- Detailed examination of young Suns
- Stellar rotation and X-ray variations
- Understanding the brightest flares
- X-ray illumination of the protoplanetary disk
- X-rays from proplyds (Orion stars with imaged disks)
- The embedded very young protostars
- The massive stars in the Orion Nebula
- The low mass brown dwarfs in the Orion Nebula
Color adaptively smoothed image of the full 17'x17' ACIS-I field. Absorbed sources are blue, unabsorbed - red.
Color adaptively smoothed image of the 4'x4' central region.
MPEG movie of COUP variability from adaptively smoothed light curves (Pat Broos). All of these variations are statistically significant. Note that bright sources maintain their true color here. This is 100-frame movie with zoom.
MPEG movie of COUP variability from the data (Ettore Flaccomio). This is 100-frame movie with blank frame, indicating the end of the movie.
QuickTime movie comparing COUP with the deep VLT JHK color image (Mark McCaughrean).
This Web site is maintained by Eric Feigelson, COUP Principal Investigator
Direct inquiries to Dr. Feigelson at edf@astro.psu.edu, 814-865-0162
Last update: May 9 2005