A&A Supplement Ser., Vol. 124, September 1997, 449-467
Received July 29; accepted December 3, 1996
A. Magazzù - E.L. Martín
- M.F. Sterzik
- R. Neuhäuser
- E. Covino
- J.M. Alcalá
Send offprint request: A. Magazzù
Osservatorio Astrofisico di Catania, Città Universitaria, I-95125 Catania, Italy
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, E-38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
Max-Planck-Institut für Extraterrestrische Physik, D-85740 Garching, Germany
Osservatorio Astronomico di Capodimonte, Via Moiariello 16, I-80131 Napoli, Italy
We present results of intermediate resolution spectroscopy of 131
optical counterparts to 115 ROSAT All-Sky Survey X-ray sources south of
the Taurus-Auriga dark cloud complex. These objects have been selected
as candidate young stars from a total of 1084 ROSAT sources in a square degree area. We identify 30 objects as low-mass PMS stars
on the basis of the LiI
doublet in their spectrum, a signature of
their young age. All these stars have a spectral type later than F7 and
show spectral characteristics typical of weak-line and post-T Tauri
stars. The presence of young objects several parsecs away from the
regions of ongoing star formation is discussed in the light of the
current models of T Tauri dispersal.
keywords: stars: formation -- stars: late-type -- stars: pre-main sequence -- X-rays: stars