A Model of Molecular Emission from Protoplanetary Disks
Abstract
We present results from a new model describing the mid-infrared emission of simple organic molecules from the protoplanetary disks of low-mass stars. We will test whether indicators of disk evolution, such as grain growth, dust settling, and dust crystallinity, enhance the emission of simple organic molecules in the mid-infrared, in particular that of HCN and C2H2, from the inner few AU of the disk. The Q branches of HCN at 13.9 um and of C2H2 at 13.7 um have been detected in the spectra of disks around T-Tauri stars using Spitzer's IRS (Carr & Najita, 2008). Our new model, pisco, calculates the steady-state disk structure and molecular level populations via non-LTE, 3D radiative transfer. The chemical abundances are determined through a chemical evolutionary code. This work is supported by the NSF GRFP.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #217
- Pub Date:
- January 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011AAS...21733906H