THE SPITZER INFRARED SPECTROGRAPH SURVEY OF T TAURI STARS IN TAURUS

Journal Article · Fri Jul 01 04:00:00 EDT 2011 · Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1088/0067-0049/195/1/3· OSTI ID:21562541

Furlan, E ^[1]; Luhman, K L ^[2]; Espaillat, C ^[3]

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1. Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, Mail Stop 264-723, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA 91109 (United States)
2. Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802 (United States)
3. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, MS-78, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)

We present 161 Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) spectra of T Tauri stars and young brown dwarfs in the Taurus star-forming region. All of the targets were selected based on their infrared excess and are therefore surrounded by protoplanetary disks; they form the complete sample of all available IRS spectra of T Tauri stars with infrared excesses in Taurus. We also present the IRS spectra of seven Class 0/I objects in Taurus to complete the sample of available IRS spectra of protostars in Taurus. We use spectral indices that are not significantly affected by extinction to distinguish between envelope- and disk-dominated objects. Together with data from the literature, we construct spectral energy distributions for all objects in our sample. With spectral indices derived from the IRS spectra we infer disk properties such as dust settling and the presence of inner disk holes and gaps. We find a transitional disk frequency, which is based on objects with unusually large 13-31 {mu}m spectral indices indicative of a wall surrounding an inner disk hole, of about 3%, and a frequency of about 20% for objects with unusually large 10 {mu}m features, which could indicate disk gaps. The shape and strength of the 10 {mu}m silicate emission feature suggests weaker 10 {mu}m emission and more processed dust for very low mass objects and brown dwarfs (spectral types M6-M9). These objects also display weaker infrared excess emission from their disks, but do not appear to have more settled disks than their higher-mass counterparts. We find no difference for the spectral indices and properties of the dust between single and multiple systems.

• OSTI ID: 21562541
• Journal Information: Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series, Journal Name: Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 195; ISSN 0067-0049; ISSN APJSA2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
BINARY STARS
DUSTS
EMISSION
ENERGY SPECTRA
ERUPTIVE VARIABLE STARS
INFRARED SPECTRA
PROTOPLANETS
PROTOSTARS
SPECTRA
SPECTROSCOPY
STARS
T TAURI STARS
VARIABLE STARS