Low Mass Companions to T~Tauri Stars: a Mechanism for Rapid-rise FU~Orionis Outbursts
Abstract
We show that outside-in disc instabilities, which can produce rapid- rise FU Orionis outbursts in T~Tauri systems, are a natural consequence of the existence of protoplanetary protostellar companions. The would be formed through gravitational instability on a dynamical timescale ( 105), and provided it was formed at less than a few , it would be swept in to 15 in less than 105. A companion of mass 10-2 at this radius would act as a flood gate which stores material upstream and periodically releases it following the ignition of the thermal ionisation instability.
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