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Earth and Space Sciences · Glossary

What is T Tauri star, bipolar outflow?

Also known as: T Tauri star · bipolar outflow

Definition 1.12 University Earth and Space Sciences — Year 2 · Chapter 1 — The Interstellar Medium and Star Formation

A T Tauri star is a young star of less than about two solar masses that has shed its envelope and become visible but has not yet reached the main sequence: it shines by contraction, varies in brightness, and is usually surrounded by a disc from which it still accretes. A bipolar outflow is a pair of fast jets or winds of gas ejected by a young star in opposite directions along the rotation axis of its disc.

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