Optical Spectroscopy of HH-exciting Stars from Scattered Light Continua
Abstract
Optical spectra of the reflected light continua visible in parts of several Herbig-Haro objects are presented. HH 100 unmistakably scatters the chromospheric spectrum of a strong emission-line T Tau star. HH 48S also reflects a T Tau stellar spectrum, as perhaps do HH 24 and HH 55, but less convincingly. HH 55 reveals photospheric absorption features too, corresponding to an M3.5 T Tau star. The continuum in HH 120 (= CG 30 HH) is unclassifiable while that in HH 46A has dimmed considerably (by a factor of order 20) although, only 7 yr ago, it clearly reflected a strong-line T Tau spectrum. It is concluded that at least some of the stars that excite Herbig-Haro nebulae, even when those stars are not directly visible, pass through a strong-line T Tau phase, and can undergo abrupt and dramatic changes in visual luminosity.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- August 1986
- DOI:
- 10.1086/184721
- Bibcode:
- 1986ApJ...307L..21C
- Keywords:
-
- Herbig-Haro Objects;
- Light Scattering;
- Pre-Main Sequence Stars;
- Stellar Spectra;
- Visible Spectrum;
- Absorption Spectra;
- Continuous Spectra;
- Halos;
- Nebulae;
- T Tauri Stars;
- Astrophysics;
- NEBULAE: GENERAL;
- STARS: PRE--MAIN-SEQUENCE