Discovery of CO Gas in the Inner Disk of TW Hydrae

Terrence W Rettig; Joe Haywood; Theodore Simon; Sean D Brittain; Erika Gibb

doi:10.1086/426433

Discovery of CO Gas in the Inner Disk of TW Hydrae

Terrence W Rettig, Joe Haywood, Theodore Simon, Sean D Brittain, Erika Gibb

University of Missouri-St. Louis

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We report the detection of rovibrationally excited CO emission from the inner disk of the classical T Tauri star (cTTS) TW Hya. We observe ~6 × 10 21 g of CO gas with a rotational temperature of 430 ± 40 K. The linearity of the excitation plot suggests that the CO is optically thin. Atypical for cTTSs, hot CO was not detected, implying that TW Hya has cleared its inner disk region out to a radial distance of ~0.5 AU. We discuss implications for the structure of the disk as it relates to replenishment and planet formation.

Original language	American English
Journal	The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Volume	616
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/426433
State	Published - Dec 2004

Keywords

molecular data
planetary systems
protoplanetary disks
stars:individual (TW Hydrae)

Disciplines

Physical Sciences and Mathematics

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Cite this

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title = "Discovery of CO Gas in the Inner Disk of TW Hydrae",

abstract = " We report the detection of rovibrationally excited CO emission from the inner disk of the classical T Tauri star (cTTS) TW Hya. We observe ~6 × 10 21 g of CO gas with a rotational temperature of 430 ± 40 K. The linearity of the excitation plot suggests that the CO is optically thin. Atypical for cTTSs, hot CO was not detected, implying that TW Hya has cleared its inner disk region out to a radial distance of ~0.5 AU. We discuss implications for the structure of the disk as it relates to replenishment and planet formation. ",

keywords = "molecular data, planetary systems, protoplanetary disks, stars:individual (TW Hydrae)",

author = "Rettig, {Terrence W} and Joe Haywood and Theodore Simon and Brittain, {Sean D} and Erika Gibb",

year = "2004",

month = dec,

doi = "10.1086/426433",

language = "American English",

volume = "616",

journal = "The Astrophysical Journal Letters",

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T1 - Discovery of CO Gas in the Inner Disk of TW Hydrae

AU - Rettig, Terrence W

AU - Haywood, Joe

AU - Simon, Theodore

AU - Brittain, Sean D

AU - Gibb, Erika

PY - 2004/12

Y1 - 2004/12

N2 - We report the detection of rovibrationally excited CO emission from the inner disk of the classical T Tauri star (cTTS) TW Hya. We observe ~6 × 10 21 g of CO gas with a rotational temperature of 430 ± 40 K. The linearity of the excitation plot suggests that the CO is optically thin. Atypical for cTTSs, hot CO was not detected, implying that TW Hya has cleared its inner disk region out to a radial distance of ~0.5 AU. We discuss implications for the structure of the disk as it relates to replenishment and planet formation.

AB - We report the detection of rovibrationally excited CO emission from the inner disk of the classical T Tauri star (cTTS) TW Hya. We observe ~6 × 10 21 g of CO gas with a rotational temperature of 430 ± 40 K. The linearity of the excitation plot suggests that the CO is optically thin. Atypical for cTTSs, hot CO was not detected, implying that TW Hya has cleared its inner disk region out to a radial distance of ~0.5 AU. We discuss implications for the structure of the disk as it relates to replenishment and planet formation.

KW - molecular data

KW - planetary systems

KW - protoplanetary disks

KW - stars:individual (TW Hydrae)

U2 - 10.1086/426433

DO - 10.1086/426433

M3 - Article

VL - 616

JO - The Astrophysical Journal Letters

JF - The Astrophysical Journal Letters

ER -