Long-term cyclicity of the Herbig Ae star BF Ori: Giant protocomets and accretion from a protoplanetary disk

Having analyzed the light curve for the Herbig Ae star BF Ori, we justify the hypothesis of a giant protocomet, GPC I BF Ori, with a period of 6.3 years and semimajor axis a = 10 ± 3 AU. Passing through periastron, such a giant protocomet partially breaks up. During each passage through periastron, the protocomet and the fragments that follow it supply dust to circumstellar space for a certain period of time. This hypothesis can account for the entire complex of observable phenomena of cyclic Algol-like activity in Herbig Ae/Be and T Tauri stars. Conditions in a protoplanetary disk after cocoon breakup are discussed. We adduce arguments for the absence of a dust disk and for the weak effect of objects other than comets on cyclic large-scale variability.

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