Signatures of Emission from Organic Molecules in Low Resolution Spitzer Spectra of T Tauri Stars
First Author:
Johanna Teske
Email: jteske AT as.arizona.edu
Steward/University of Arizona
933 N Cherry Ave., Rm. N204
Tucson AZ 85721-0065
Coauthors:
Najita, Joan, NOAO
Carr, John, US NRL
Pascucci, Ilaria, JHU
Furlan, Elise, Spitzer Fellow, JPL, Caltech
Abstract
We explore the extent to which Spitzer IRS spectra taken at low spectral resolution can be used to study organic molecule emission from disks surrounding low mass young stars. Guided by Spitzer IRS spectra taken at high spectral resolution (e.g., Carr & Najita 2008) and using low resolution IRS spectra of the same sources (Furlan et al. 2006), we investigate whether it is possible to define spectral indices that can measure the strength of molecular bands such as C2H2, HCN, and CO2 and blends of H2O lines in low resolution data. If suitable spectral indices can be identified, they can be used to search for and study molecular emission in the large number of circumstellar disk spectra taken at low resolution that now reside in the Spitzer archive. Such studies would complement results for the much smaller number of circumstellar disks that have been observed at high resolution with IRS.
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