2RE J0241-525 - A NEARBY POST-T TAURI VISUAL BINARY-SYSTEM

We present high-spatial-resolution X-ray observations, photometry and spectroscopy of the two low-mass, active stars proposed as optical cou nterparts to the extreme ultraviolet source 2RE J0241-525 (=EUVE J0241 -530). It is confirmed that both stars, which are of types dK7e and dM 3e and separated by 22 arcsec, are sources of soft X-ray emission and exhibit substantial chromospheric activity. Radial velocity measuremen ts indicate that the two components are physically associated and most probably single. The projected equatorial velocities are measured as 75+/-3 and 11.7+/-0.7 km s(-1) for the hotter and cooler components re spectively and, whilst the hotter component has a relatively high phot ospheric lithium abundance, log N(Li)=1.5+/-0.2, we are unable to dete ct any lithium in the cooler star. Isochrone fitting to this 'mini-clu ster' yields an age of 3-70 Myr and a distance of 19-60 pc. An empiric al comparison of the lithium abundances with those for similar stars i n young clusters and associations suggests a narrower age range of 5-3 0 Myr and a corresponding distance of 26-50 pc. We conclude that this object is a nearby post-T Tauri system, but we cannot locate any possi ble birth site, It appears unlikely that the system can have been ejec ted from a nearby open cluster in a two-or three-body encounter.