A Study of Light-curves of Nearby Dipper YSOs to Determine Circumstellar Disk Properties

The magnitudes of nearby young stellar objects, recorded in three filters (visual, red, and infra-red), have been observed by the Beacon Observatory since September 2015. Using the data up until November 2017, the light-curves of the objects were studied for the presence of dipper stars. The long term changes in magnitude were taken into account when searching for short dips caused by increased density of material along the line of sight in the inner disk. The depth and duration of these dips were observed and used alongside basic assumptions of stellar mass and distance from the star to estimate the mass and dimensions of material clumps in the inner disk. This was done so as to better understand the evolution of young stars, and the structure of accretion disks. The parameters of the dips found were consistent with previous work on the topic, and provide the starting blocks to produce a structural model of the inner disks of young stars.