Forbidden Emission Line spectro-imaging of the RU Lupi jet and Low Velocity Component

TL;DR

This study uses adaptive optics spectro-imaging to analyze forbidden emission lines from the RU Lupi jet and low velocity component, supporting the MHD disk wind origin and estimating the mass loss rate and launch parameters.

Contribution

It provides the first imaging-based estimates of the wind launching radius, opening angle, and height of the emission region for RU Lupi, confirming the wind's characteristics in high accretors.

Findings

Supports MHD wind origin for the narrow component

Estimates wind launch radius at ≤2 au and opening angle at 19°

Determines the wind's height at approximately 35 au, with a mass loss rate of 2.6 x 10^-11 M_sun/yr

Abstract

The first images of the jet and low velocity component (LVC) from the strongly accreting classical T Tauri star RU Lupi are presented. Adaptive optics assisted spectro-imaging of forbidden emission lines was used. The main aim of the observations was to test the conclusion from a recent spectro-astrometric study that the narrow component of the LVC is tracing an MHD disk wind, and to estimate the mass loss rate in the wind. The structure and morphology of the component supports a wind origin for the NC. An upper limit to the launch radius and semi-opening angle of the wind in [O I]{\lambda}6300 emission are estimated to be 2 au and 19{\deg} in agreement with MHD wind models for high accretors. The height of the [O I]{\lambda}6300 wind emitting region, a key parameter for the derivation of the mass loss rate, is estimated for the first time at approximately 35 au giving M_out = 2.6 x 10^-11 M_sun/yr. When compared to the derived mass accretion rate of M_acc = 1.6 x 10^-7 M_sun/yr, the efficiency in the wind is too low for the wind to be significantly contributing to angular momentum removal.