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The Source of Cold Molecular Hydrogen In AU Mic
Presentation #208.07D in the session “Stars I”.
Published onJun 18, 2021
The Source of Cold Molecular Hydrogen In AU Mic
We have detected molecular hydrogen in the AU Mic system using high-resolution FUV spectra from HST-STIS. We measured the temperature of the gas at ~1000 K. Based on the velocities and dispersion of the H2 lines, we believe that it is unlikely to be from the disk or the planet, making star spots the most likely origin of this gas. However, the temperature of this gas is significantly below the temperature of the photosphere (~3800 K) and the predicted temperature of its star spots. We discuss two possibilities: a very cold star spot or a cold layer between the photosphere and the chromosphere like the CO-mosphere in the Sun.
