Lyman-alpha Scattering Models Trace Accretion and Outflow Kinematics in T Tauri Systems

TL;DR

This study models Lyman-alpha emission lines in T Tauri stars to understand how accretion and outflow processes influence disk environments, revealing evolutionary trends in line profiles linked to disk clearing and wind activity.

Contribution

It introduces a simple spherical shell scattering model to interpret Lyman-alpha line profiles and correlates these with disk evolution indicators, providing new insights into star-disk interactions.

Findings

Resonant scattering reproduces high velocity line wings

Line profiles correlate with disk accretion and wind activity

Evolution of Lyman-alpha irradiation affects disk chemistry

Abstract

T Tauri stars produce broad Lyman-alpha emission lines that contribute $\sim$88% of the total UV flux incident on the inner circumstellar disks. Lyman-alpha photons are generated at the accretion shocks and in the protostellar chromospheres and must travel through accretion flows, winds and jets, the protoplanetary disks, and the interstellar medium before reaching the observer. This trajectory produces asymmetric, double-peaked features that carry kinematic and opacity signatures of the disk environments. To understand the link between the evolution of Lyman-alpha emission lines and the disks themselves, we model HST-COS spectra from targets included in Data Release 3 of the Hubble UV Legacy Library of Young Stars as Essential Standards (ULLYSES) program. We find that resonant scattering in a simple spherical expanding shell is able to reproduce the high velocity emission line wings, providing estimates of the average velocities within the bulk intervening H I. The model velocities are significantly correlated with the K band veiling, indicating a turnover from Lyman-alpha profiles absorbed by outflowing winds to emission lines suppressed by accretion flows as the hot inner disk is depleted. Just 30% of targets in our sample have profiles with red-shifted absorption from accretion flows, many of which have resolved dust gaps. At this stage, Lyman-alpha photons may no longer intersect with disk winds along the path to the observer. Our results point to a significant evolution of Lyman-alpha irradiation within the gas disks over time, which may lead to chemical differences that are observable with ALMA and JWST.