Keele Research Repository

We present a study of the long-term optical variability of young T Tauri stars using previously unpublished data from the Super-Wide Angle Search for Planets (SuperWASP) project. Other publicly available photometry from the Northern Sky Variability Survey (NSVS) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) K2 mission were used to check and supplement our results. Our sample includes 20 weak-lined T Tauri stars in the Taurus–Auriga star-forming region. We have performed a period search on the long time-series photometry and derived the mean periods of stars in our sample. We have found new periods for the stars V1334 Tau (HD 283782) and V1349 Tau (HD 31281), which are without any period estimation in the literature. The rotation period was found for the primary star in the binary V773 Tau (HD 283447). Several earlier results were updated. For the star V410 Tau (HD 283518), we have compared the light-curve changes found in previous studies with the new measurements and attributed the evolution of spots to a ∼15-year cycle similar to the solar 11-year cycle. We have also derived luminosities and effective temperatures for our targets, in order to locate them in the Hertzsprung–Russell diagram and calibrate the masses and ages of the target stars.