Document Type

Article

Publication Date

6-1-2011

Publication Title

The Astrophysical Journal

Volume

738

Publisher

The American Astronomical Society

Abstract

We present high-resolution near-infrared spectra of β Pictoris—a nearby young star with a debris disk. Fundamental low-J CO absorption lines are detected and strict upper limits are placed on the flux of v = 2–1 low-J CO emission lines. The limit on the UV fluorescent emission flux in the v = 2–1 lines is used to place a tight constraint on the inner extent of the CO gas. Assuming Hi is the primary collision partner, the sub-thermal population of the low-J v = 0 rotational levels constrains the density of the gas in the disk to nH = (2.5+7.1 −1.2)×105 cm−3. If the distribution of hydrogen follows that of the other metals in the disk, we find that the mass of the gas in the disk is 0.17+0.47 −0.08M⊕. We compare this mass to the gas mass necessary to brake the metals in the disk through ion–neutral reactions.

Comments

This manuscript has been published in the journal The Astrophysical Journal. Please find the published version here (note that a subscription may be necessary to access this version):

http://iopscience.iop.org/0004-637X/738/1/12

The American Astronomical Society holds the copyright in this article.

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