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C.H. Chen, M. Jura (UCLA)
We present a far ultraviolet spectrum of the dusty debris disk star \sigma Her, obtained with the \emph{Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer} (\emph{FUSE}). We observe absorption in the excited fine structure lines of \ion{C}{2} at 1037 Å\ and \ion{N}{2} at 1085 and 1086 Å \ with zero velocity relative to the star. Since these features are considerably narrower than the stellar features and broader than than the interstellar features, the \ion{C}{2} and \ion{N}{2} are circumstellar. We derive column densities, gas kinetic temperatures, and minimum gas masses for the \ion{C}{2} and \ion{N}{2} to compare with the amount of dust inferred from the infrared. We also place upper limits on the column denisities of CO and \ion{C}{1} to elucidate the carbon chemistry around \sigma Her.
The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: cchen@astro.ucla.edu