Adaptive optics observations of molecular hydrogen towards T Tauri

Physics – Optics

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

1

Adaptive Optics, Hydrogen, Electron Transitions, Stellar Mass Ejection, Stellar Mass Accretion, Accretion Disks, T Tauri Stars, Observatories

Scientific paper

We present images of the (v = 1-0) S(1) transition of molecular hydrogen at 2.121 microns towards T Tauri, observed with the SHARP II camera attached to the ADONIS adaptive optics system at ESO's 3.6-m telescope on La Silla, Chile. With an image scale of 0.1 arcsec per pixel, we could cover a field of 25 arcsec in each exposure. Positioning T Tauri successively in the four quadrants of the detector, we obtained a 35-arcsec mosaic centered on the star. In the 2.12-micron continuum, the 0.7-arcsec binary is easily resolved. In continuum-subtracted images in the emission line, we detect a very complex structure: strong emission at the position of the IR companion, a very bright knot 2-3 arscec northwest, three thin filaments, strong emission extending 10 arcsec south towards Burnham's nebula, and a faint arc 10 arcsec north. While the material north and south of the stars may be associated with an outflow, we argue that the knots and filaments may be shock-excited material in the equatorial plane. They could be either tidal tails caused by the interaction of the two star-disk systems (T Tau N and T Tau S), accretion streams from the inner edge of the circumbinary disk, or spiral shocks in this disk.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Adaptive optics observations of molecular hydrogen towards T Tauri does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Adaptive optics observations of molecular hydrogen towards T Tauri, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Adaptive optics observations of molecular hydrogen towards T Tauri will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1199027

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.