A Low-Mass H2 Component to the AU Microscopii Circumstellar Disk

TL;DR

This study detects and estimates the amount of molecular hydrogen gas in the AU Microscopii disk using ultraviolet fluorescent emission lines, providing new insights into its gas content and physical conditions.

Contribution

First detection of H2 gas in the AU Mic disk via fluorescent emission lines, with quantitative estimates of its column density and mass, improving understanding of the disk's composition.

Findings

H2 column density is between 1.9 x 10^{17} and 2.8 x 10^{15} cm^{-2}

H2-to-dust ratio is less than 1/30:1

Total H2 mass is approximately 4.0 x 10^{-4} to 5.8 x 10^{-6} Earth masses

Abstract

We present a determination of the molecular gas mass in the AU Microscopii circumstellar disk. Direct detection of a gas component to the AU Mic disk has proven elusive, with upper limits derived from ultraviolet absorption line and submillimeter CO emission studies. Fluorescent emission lines of H2, pumped by the OVI 1032 resonance line through the C-X (1 -- 1) Q(3) 1031.87 \AA\ transition, are detected by the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer. These lines are used to derive the H2 column density associated with the AU Mic system. The derived column density is in the range N(H2) = 1.9 x 10^{17} - 2.8 x 10^{15} cm^{-2}, roughly two orders of magnitude lower than the upper limit inferred from absorption line studies. This range of column densities reflects the range of H2 excitation temperature consistent with the observations, T(H2) = 800 -- 2000 K, derived from the presence of emission lines excited by OVI in the absence of those excited by LyA. Within the observational uncertainties, the data are consistent with the H2 gas residing in the disk. The inferred N(H2) range corresponds to H2-to-dust ratios of < 1/30:1 and a total M(H2) = 4.0 x 10^{-4} - 5.8 x 10^{-6} Earth masses. We use these results to predict the intensity of the associated rovibrational emission lines of H2 at infrared wavelengths covered by ground-based instruments, HST-NICMOS, and the Spitzer-IRS.