Speaker
Description
Star-planet interaction (SPI) signatures in young stellar systems offer a unique window into the magnetic environment of planetary systems. In this work, we present a systematic search for SPI-related radio emission in a sample of ~7,000 T Tauri stars. By crossmatching these targets with the LOFAR Two-metre Sky Survey (LoTSS, 144 MHz) and the VLA Sky Survey (VLASS, 2–4 GHz), we investigate the prevalence of intense nonthermal, circularly polarized and coherent radio signatures. Our analysis reveals a population of candidate radio counterparts with multi-frequency detections. At low frequencies (144 MHz), the emission is consistent with coherent processes such as Electron-Cyclotron Maser (ECM), potentially driven by star-planet magnetic coupling. At GHz frequencies, we leverage multi-epoch VLASS observations to characterize variability, distinguishing between steady stellar emission and transient SPI events. Complementary infrared data from 2MASS and WISE allow us to correlate these radio detections with the evolutionary stage of the circumstellar environment. These findings provide the first large-scale statistical view of radio emission in T Tauri systems, identifying a priority set of candidates for high-resolution follow-up. Future full- Stokes observations and spectral index monitoring will be key to confirming the SPI origin of this emission, establishing radio astronomy as a powerful tool to probe the magnetospheres of young exoplanets.
