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[13.07] The Search for CH₄ in Disks around Young Stars

E.L. Gibb, T.W. Rettig, S.D. Brittain, J. Haywood (University of Notre Dame), T. Simon (University of Hawaii), C. Kulesa (University of Arizona)

High-resolution spectral information is critical for determining the nature of the environments surrounding protostars. While some theoretical models predict comparable column densities for CH₄ and CO in protostellar disks, others predict CH₄ to be much less abundant. We present high signal-to-noise, high-resolution, near-infrared spectral observations of the \nu₃ ro-vibrational band of CH₄ near 3.3 \mum in the disks around two young stars. Both objects exhibit strong CO emission and the rotational temperatures and column densities have been characterized. The data were obtained with NIRSPEC at the W.M. Keck Observatory. We present upper limit estimates for the CH₄ column density and compare this to CO.

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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 35#5
© 2003. The American Astronomical Soceity.