The Astrophysical Journal (Jan 2024)

JWST-MIRI Spectroscopy of Warm Molecular Emission and Variability in the AS 209 Disk

  • Carlos E. Muñoz-Romero,
  • Karin I. Öberg,
  • Andrea Banzatti,
  • Klaus M. Pontoppidan,
  • Sean M. Andrews,
  • David J. Wilner,
  • Edwin A. Bergin,
  • Ian Czekala,
  • Charles J. Law,
  • Colette Salyk,
  • Richard Teague,
  • Chunhua Qi,
  • Jennifer B. Bergner,
  • Jane Huang,
  • Catherine Walsh,
  • Viviana V. Guzmán,
  • L. Ilsedore Cleeves,
  • Yuri Aikawa,
  • Jaehan Bae,
  • Alice S. Booth,
  • Gianni Cataldi,
  • John D. Ilee,
  • Romane Le Gal,
  • Feng Long,
  • Ryan A. Loomis,
  • François Menard,
  • Yao Liu

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ad20e9
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 964, no. 1
p. 36

Abstract

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We present MIRI Medium-resolution Spectrograph observations of the large, multi-gapped protoplanetary disk around the T Tauri star AS 209. The observations reveal hundreds of water vapor lines from 4.9–25.5 μ m toward the inner ∼1 au in the disk, including the first detection of rovibrational water emission in this disk. The spectrum is dominated by hot (∼800 K) water vapor and OH gas, with only marginal detections of CO _2 , HCN, and a possible colder water vapor component. Using slab models with a detailed treatment of opacities and line overlap, we retrieve the column density, emitting area, and excitation temperature of water vapor and OH, and provide upper limits for the observable mass of other molecules. Compared to MIRI spectra of other T Tauri disks, the inner disk of AS 209 does not appear to be atypically depleted in CO _2 nor HCN. Based on Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph observations, we further find evidence for molecular emission variability over a 10 yr baseline. Water, OH, and CO _2 line luminosities have decreased by factors of 2–4 in the new MIRI epoch, yet there are minimal continuum emission variations. The origin of this variability is yet to be understood.

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