Spitzer Spectroscopy of the Transition Object TW Hya

Abstract

We report sensitive Spitzer IRS spectroscopy in the region of TW Hya, a nearby T Tauri star. The unusual spectral energy distribution of the source, that of a "transition object", indicates that the circumstellar disk in the system has experienced significant evolution, possibly as a result of planet formation. The spectrum we measure is strikingly different from that of other classical T Tauri stars reported in the literature, displaying no strong emission features of H2O, C2H2, or HCN. The difference indicates that the inner planet formation region of the gaseous disk has evolved physically and/or chemically away from the classical T Tauri norm. Nevertheless, TW Hya does show a rich spectrum of emission features of atoms and molecules, some of which are also detected in classical T Tauri spectra. The properties of the neon emission are consistent with an origin for the emission in a disk irradiated by X-rays.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 24, 2010
Accession Number
ADA522664

Entities

People

  • Dan M. Watson
  • David Hollenbach
  • Ilaria Pascucci
  • Joan R. Najita
  • John S. Carr
  • Luke Keller
  • Stephen E. Strom
  • Uma Gorti

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Materials and Manufacturing Processes

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Data Sets
  • Electron Density
  • Electrons
  • Emission
  • Energy Levels
  • Ground Based
  • High Resolution
  • Ionization
  • Jet Propulsion
  • Lepidoptera
  • Literature
  • Observatories
  • Personal Information Managers
  • Spectra
  • Spectral Energy Distribution
  • Spectroscopy
  • X Rays

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Astronomy/Astrophysics
  • Molecular Photonics/Laser Physics