Cool Stars 14 - Submitted Abstract # 149
This version created on 05 October 2006

The highly variable CTTS binary S CrA


H.C. Stempels, St Andrews University
F.M. Walter, Stony Brook University
G.F. Gahm, Stockholm Observatory

S CrA is one of the most active and variable classical T Tauri Stars.
It is a binary system, with a separation of 1.3''.  Both components
show strong variability in brightness, up to two magnitudes, on short
timescales.  Also the emission lines in the spectrum are extremely
strong and variable, indicating very high and time-dependent accretion
rates.  It is not known what drives the short-term variability, nor if
it is related to binarity.  Using the UVES spectrograph at the VLT, we
have obtained a timeseries of high-resolution (R=60000) and high
signal-to-noise spectra of this system.  In parallel we have obtained
photometric imaging (BVRI/JHK) with the SMARTS facility at CTIO.  Both
the spectroscopic and photometric observations resolve the system
spatially, allowing us, for the fist time, to study the two stars
individually.  We present the first results of our analysis, such as
the properties of the two stars and possible correlations between the
photometric and spectroscopic diagnostics.

----------------------------------