The Origins of Fluorescent H2Emission From T Tauri Stars

We survey fluorescent H 2 emission in HST STIS spectra of the classical T Tauri stars (CTTSs) TW Hya, DF Tau, RU Lupi, T Tau, and DG Tau, and the weak-lined T Tauri star (WTTS) V836 Tau. From each of those sources we detect between 41 and 209 narrow H 2 emission lines, most of which are pumped by strong Lyα emission. H 2 emission is not detected from the WTTS V410 Tau. The fluorescent H 2 emission appears to be common to circumstellar environments around all CTTSs, but high spectral and spatial resolution STIS observations reveal diverse phenomenon. Blueshifted H 2 emission detected from RU Lupi, T Tau, and DG Tau is consistent with an origin in an outflow. The H 2 emission from TW Hya, DF Tau, and V836 Tau is centered at the radial velocity of the star and is consistent with an origin in a warm disk surface. The H 2 lines from RU Lupi, DF Tau, and T Tau also have excess blueshifted H 2 emission that extends to as much as -100 km s -1 . The strength of this blueshifted component from DF Tau and T Tau depends on the upper level of the transition. In all cases, the small aperture and attenuation of H 2 emission by stellar winds restricts the H 2 emission to be formed close to the star. In the observation of RU Lupi, the Lyα emission and the H 2 emission that is blueshifted by 15 km s -1 are extended to the SW by ~0 07, although the faster H 2 gas that extends to ~100 km s -1 is not spatially extended. We also find a small reservoir of H 2 emission from TW Hya and DF Tau consistent with an excitation temperature of ~2.5 × 10 4 K.