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A. K. Dupree, E. H. Avrett, S. R. Cranmer (CfA)
Infrared and ultraviolet spectra recently revealed the presence of hot (300,000 K), fast (450 km s-1) winds from 2 classical (accreting) T Tauri stars: TW Hya and T Tau. The mass loss rate attributed to these outflows may be related to the mass accretion rate, but this and other possible explanations can only be tested by determining the mass loss rates, wind speeds, and temperature variations in the outer atmospheres of these stars. In addition, a sufficiently robust wind may lead to optical jets, could remove accreted angular momentum from the star, might contribute to the opacity needed for X-ray absorption, and may influence the diminution of dust in accretion disks. We are constructing detailed models of wind-sensitive line profiles for expanding and rotating atmospheres using both: (1) the Avrett/Loeser PANDORA code for full non-LTE effects, and (2) a simpler line-specific code that will allow complex three-dimensional mass flows to be varied with minimal computational expense. These models will constrain both the atmospheric structure and the mass loss rate indicated by the observed P Cygni line profiles.
This research is supported in part by NASA and the Smithsonian Institution.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 37 #4
© 2005. The American Astronomical Soceity.