The naked T Tauri stars - The low-mass pre-main sequence unveiled
The search for low-mass premain-sequence (PMS) stars associated with X-ray sources in regions of star formation is discussed. The survey to date has revealed at least 30 low-mass PMS stars in the Tau-Aur region, and a comparable number in Oph. These stars are the naked T Tau stars, unveiled versions of the well-known classical T Tau stars. The properties of these newly discovered PMS stars and their relation to the classical T Tau stars are discussed, and it is concluded that the naked T Tau stars are the true low-mass PMS stars, and that the observable characteristics defining the classical T Tau stars are due to the interaction of an underlying, fairly normal star with a dominant circumstellar environment. The impact the naked T Tau stars are likely to have on models of the PMS evolution of low-mass stars is considered.