Description
For the first time, we have detected (optical) spectral variability in massive Young Stellar Objects (mYSOs), in their spectral lines originating in their circumstellar disks remnant of their formation. It is not known how massive stars form, either as singles or in binaries, and the observed variability (amplitude, velocity range, timescale) is key to better understand the physical origin of the emission lines, and thus the formation process. This information can be used to map the disk morphology, to identify changes in the disk structure, and to
study the accretion process. Characterising the incident rate and extent of variability as well as a timescale associated with this behaviour would be a first step toward systematic spectral variability studies of mYSOs. Our final aim is to better understand the formation process of massive stars. These stars play an important role in shaping the Galaxy, producing supernovae and gamma-ray bursts, and in the chemical evolution of the Universe.
