Kavli Affiliate: Ruobing Dong
| First 5 Authors: Thayne Currie, Thayne Currie, , ,
| Summary:
We analyze high-contrast, medium-spectral-resolution $H_rm alpha$
observations of the star AB Aurigae using the Very Large Telescope’s Multi Unit
Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE). In multiple epochs, MUSE detects the AB Aur b
protoplanet discovered from Subaru/SCExAO data in emission at wavelengths
slightly blue-shifted from the $H_rm alpha$ line center (i.e. at
6558.88–6560.13 AA; $sim$ -100 km s$^-1$) and in absorption at redshifted
wavelengths (6562.8–6565.1 AA; $sim$ 75 km s$^-1$). AB Aur b’s $H_rm
alpha$ spectrum is inconsistent with that of the host star or the average
residual disk spectrum and is dissimilar to that of PDS 70 b and c. Instead,
the spectrum’s shape resembles that of an inverse P Cygni profile seen in some
accreting T Tauri stars and interpreted as evidence of infalling cold gas from
accretion, although we cannot formally rule out all other nonaccretion origins
for AB Aur b’s MUSE detection. AB Aurigae hosts only the second protoplanetary
system detected in $H_rm alpha$ thus far and the first with a source
showing a spectrum resembling an inverse P Cygni profile. Future modeling and
new optical data will be needed to assess how much of AB Aur b’s emission
source(s) originates from protoplanet accretion reprocessed by the disk, a
localized scattered-light feature with a unique $H_rm alpha$ profile, or
another mechanism.
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