The RBSE Journal 1 2007 V1.6 Methods of Determining Relative Age of Young Stellar Objects

The main goal of the project was to study various types of Young Stellar Objects, such as T Tauri Stars and Herbig Ae/Be stars, to compare the effectiveness of various systems of age categorization. Spectra of the stars were taken at Kitt Peak National Observatory near Tucson, Arizona, using the Coudé Feed Spectrograph. These spectra were analyzed for the presence of anomalies common to young stars, as well as chemistries. Spectral classes were determined by comparisons with stars in the Jacoby Atlas. LRGB images were taken remotely with the New Mexico Skies telescope near Cloudcroft, New Mexico. These images were analyzed for structural changes in the surrounding nebulae, as well as deviations in magnitude. Also, B-V and V-R photometric data were analyzed for use in correlations and plotting stars on an H-R diagram. It was found that determining relative age by plotting the stars on the H-R diagram proved the most effective. Also, a linear correlation was found between the emissive severity of the stars and the absolute magnitude of the stars