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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Seeking Echoes of Circumstellar Disks in Kepler Light Curves

Light echoes of flares on active stars offer the opportunity for direct detection of circumstellar dust. We revisit the problem of identifying faint echoes in postflare light curves, focusing on debris disks from ongoing planet formation. Starting with simulations, we develop an algorithm for estimating the radial extent and total mass from disk echo profiles. We apply this algorithm to light curves from over 2100 stars observed by NASA’s Kepler mission, selected for multiple short-lived flares in either the long-cadence or short-cadence data sets. While flux uncertainties in light curves from individual stars preclude useful mass limits on circumstellar disks, catalog-averaged light curves yield constraints on disk mass that are comparable to estimates from known debris disks. The average mass in micron- to millimeter-sized dust around the Kepler stars cannot exceed 10% of an Earth mass in exo-Kuiper belts or 10% of a lunar mass in the terrestrial zone. We group stars according to IR excess, based on WISE W1–W3 color, as an indicator for the presence of circumstellar dust. The mass limits are greater for stars with strong IR excess, a hint that echoes are lurking not far beneath the noise in postflare light curves. With increased sensitivity, echo detection will let time-domain astronomy complement spectroscopic and direct-imaging studies in mapping how, when, and where planets form.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Gemini Planet Imager Spectroscopy of the Dusty Substellar Companion HD 206893 B

We present new near-infrared Gemini Planet Imager (GPI) spectroscopy of HD 206893 B, a substellar companion orbiting within the debris disk of its F5V star. The J, H, K1, and K2 spectra from GPI demonstrate the extraordinarily red colors of the object, confirming it as the reddest substellar object observed to date. The significant flux increase throughout the infrared presents a challenging atmosphere to model with existing grids. Best-fit values vary from 1200 to 1800 K for effective temperature and from 3.0 to 5.0 for log(g), depending on which individual wavelength band is fit and which model suite is applied. The extreme redness of the companion can be partially reconciled by invoking a high-altitude layer of submicron dust particles, similar to dereddening approaches applied to the peculiar red field L dwarf population. However, reconciling the HD 206893 B spectra with even those of the reddest low-gravity L dwarf spectra still requires the contribution of additional atmospheric dust, potentially due to the debris disk environment in which the companion resides. Orbit fitting from 4 yr of astrometric monitoring is consistent with a ∼30 yr period, an orbital inclination of 147°, and a semimajor axis of 10 au, well within the estimated disk inner radius of ∼50 au. As one of a very few substellar companions imaged interior to a circumstellar disk, the properties of this system offer important dynamical constraints on companion–disk interaction and provide a benchmark for substellar and planetary atmospheric study.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Census of the 32 Ori Association with Gaia*

I have used high-precision photometry and astrometry from the third data release of Gaia (DR3) to identify candidate members of the 32 Ori association. Spectral types and radial velocities have been measured for subsets of the candidates using new and archival spectra. For the candidates that have radial velocity measurements, I have used UVW velocities to further constrain their membership, arriving at a final catalog of 169 candidates. I estimate that the completeness of the survey is ~90% for spectral types of ≲M7 (≳0.06 M ⊙ ). The histogram of spectral types for the 32 Ori candidates exhibits a maximum at M5 (~0.15 M ⊙ ), resembling the distributions measured for other young clusters and associations in the solar neighborhood. The available UVW velocities indicate that the association is expanding, but they do not produce a well-defined kinematic age. Based on their sequences of low-mass stars in color–magnitude diagrams, the 32 Ori association and Upper Centaurus-Lupus/Lower Centaurus-Crux (UCL/LCC) are coeval to within ±1.2 Myr, and they are younger than the β Pic moving group by ~3 Myr, which agrees with results from previous analysis based on the second data release of Gaia. Finally, I have used mid-IR photometry from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer to check for excess emission from circumstellar disks among the 32 Ori candidates. Disks are detected for 18 candidates, half of which are reported for the first time in this work. The fraction of candidates at ≤M6 that have full, transitional, or evolved disks is 10/149 = 0.07$^{+0.03}_{-0.02'}$ which is consistent with the value for UCL/LCC.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

First Images of the Protoplanetary Disk around PDS 201

Scattered light imaging has revealed nearly a dozen circumstellar disks around young Herbig Ae/Be stars—enabling studies of structures in the upper disk layers as potential signs of ongoing planet formation. We present the first images of the disk around the variable Herbig Ae star PDS 201 (V* V351 Ori) and an analysis of the images and spectral energy distribution through 3D Monte Carlo radiative transfer simulations and forward modeling. The disk is detected in three data sets with the Large Binocular Telescope Interferometer/Large Binocular Telescope mid-infrared camera at the Large Binocular Telescope, including direct observations in the Ks and L′ filters, and an L′ observation with the 360° vector apodizing phase plate coronagraph. The scattered light disk extends to a very large radius of ∼250 au, which places it among the largest of such disks. Exterior to the disk, we establish detection limits on substellar companions down to ∼5 M {sub Jup} at ≳1.″5 (≳500 au), assuming the Baraffe et al. models. The images show a radial gap extending to ∼0.″4 (∼140 au at a distance of 340 pc) that is also evident in the spectral energy distribution. The large gap is a possible signpost of multiple high-mass giant planets at orbital distances (∼60–100 au) that are unusually massive and widely separated compared to those of planet populations previously inferred from protoplanetary disk substructures.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

A Differential Measurement of Circumstellar Extinction for AA Tau’s 2011 Dimming Event

AA Tau is a classical T Tauri star with a highly inclined, warped circumstellar disk. For decades, AA Tau exhibited photometric and spectroscopic variabilities that were successfully modeled as occultations of the primary star by circumstellar material. In 2011, AA Tau entered an extended faint state, presumably due to enhanced levels of circumstellar dust. We use two sets of contemporaneous optical–near-IR (NIR) spectra of AA Tau, obtained in 2008 and 2014 December, to directly measure the wavelength-dependent extinction associated with the dust enhancement driving AA Tau’s 2011 optical fade. Taken alone, AA Tau’s apparent optical–NIR increased extinction curve cannot be fit well with standard extinction laws. At optical wavelengths, AA Tau’s dimming event is consistent with predictions of common extinction models for an increase of A {sub V} = 2, but no such model reproduces AA Tau’s color–color excess at NIR wavelengths. We show that veiling emission accounts for the apparent anomalous NIR extinction: after including this veiling flux, AA Tau’s dimming event is consistent with a standard A {sub V} = 2 extinction law across the full optical–NIR range. We also report an increase in AA Tau’s mid-IR flux since its 2011 fade and suggest that an increase in the height of AA Tau’s inner disk is the most likely explanation for both the IR brightening and the additional extinction along the line of sight. In addition to informing our understanding of AA Tau, this analysis demonstrates that caution should be exercised when inferring extinction (and stellar parameters) from the NIR color–color excess of young stars with measurable NIR veiling fluxes.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2021

The Anatomy of an Unusual Edge-on Protoplanetary Disk. II. Gas Temperature and a Warm Outer Region

We present high-resolution {sup 12}CO and {sup 13}CO 2–1 ALMA observations, as well as optical and near-infrared spectroscopy, of the highly inclined protoplanetary disk around SSTC2D J163131.2–242627. The spectral type we derive for the source is consistent with a 1.2 M {sub ⊙} star inferred from the ALMA observations. Despite its massive circumstellar disk, we find little to no evidence for ongoing accretion on the star. The CO maps reveal a disk that is unusually compact along the vertical direction, consistent with its appearance in scattered light images. The gas disk extends about twice as far away as both the submillimeter continuum and the optical scattered light. CO is detected from two surface layers separated by a midplane region in which CO emission is suppressed, as expected from freeze-out in the cold midplane. We apply a modified version of the tomographically reconstructed distribution method presented by Dutrey et al. to derive the temperature structure of the disk. We find a temperature in the CO-emitting layers and the midplane of ∼33 K and ∼20 K at R < 200 au, respectively. Outside of R > 200 au, the disk’s midplane temperature increases to ∼30 K, with a nearly vertically isothermal profile. The transition in CO temperature coincides with a dramatic reduction in the submicron and submillimeter emission from the disk. We interpret this as interstellar UV radiation providing an additional source of heating to the outer part of the disk.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2020

Periodic Eruptive Variability of the Isolated Pre-main-sequence Star V347 Aurigae

V347 Aurigae is associated with the small dark cloud L1438 and appears to be an isolated pre-main-sequence star located at distance d ≈ 200 pc. Multi-epoch, archival photometry reveals periodic brightness variations with amplitude V ≈ 2.0 mag occurring on timescales of ~160 days that have persisted for decades. Regular-cadence, optical imaging of the source with the Zwicky Transient Facility shows that a small reflection nebula illuminated by V347 Aur also fluctuates in brightness, at times fading completely. Multi-epoch, Keck/HIRES data suggests the presence of two distinct spectral components: a prominent emission-line-dominated spectrum with a heavily veiled continuum correlated with the bright photometric state, and an M-type absorption line spectrum associated with quiescence. All spectra exhibit strong Balmer and He i line emission, consistent with accretion, as well as high velocity emission arising from the forbidden transitions of [O i], [N ii], and [S ii] that are generally associated with collimated jets and disk winds. There is no evidence in existing high-dispersion spectroscopy or high-resolution imaging for binarity of V347 Aur. The repeating outburst events are possibly linked to accretion instabilities induced by an undetected companion or a structure within the circumstellar disk that periodically increases the mass accretion rate. V347 Aur is perhaps analogous to an EXor-type variable, though more regularly recurring.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Discovery of a Nearby Young Brown Dwarf Disk

We report the discovery of the youngest brown dwarf with a disk at 102 pc from the Sun, WISEA J120037.79−784508.3 (W1200−7845), via the Disk Detective citizen science project. We establish that W1200−7845 is located in the 3.7{sub −1.4}{sup +4.6} Myr old ε Cha association. Its spectral energy distribution (SED) exhibits clear evidence of an infrared (IR) excess, indicative of the presence of a warm circumstellar disk. Modeling this warm disk, we find the data are best fit using a power-law description with a slope α = −0.94, which suggests that it is a young, Class II type disk. Using a single blackbody disk fit, we find T{sub eff,disk}=521 K and L{sub IR}/L{sub ∗}=0.14. The near-IR spectrum of W1200−7845 matches a spectral type of M6.0 γ ± 0.5, which corresponds to a low surface gravity object, and lacks distinctive signatures of strong Paβ or Brγ accretion. Both our SED fitting and spectral analysis indicate that the source is cool (T {sub eff} = 2784–2850 K), with a mass of 42–58 M {sub Jup}, well within the brown dwarf regime. The proximity of this young brown dwarf disk makes the system an ideal benchmark for investigating the formation and early evolution of brown dwarfs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Disk Evolution Study through Imaging of Nearby Young Stars (DESTINYS): A Panchromatic View of DO Tau’s Complex Kilo-astronomical-unit Environment

While protoplanetary disks are often treated as isolated systems in planet formation models, observations increasingly suggest that vigorous interactions between Class II disks and their environments are not rare. DO Tau is a T Tauri star that has previously been hypothesized to have undergone a close encounter with the HV Tau system. As part of the DESTINYS ESO Large Programme, we present new Very Large Telescope (VLT)/SPHERE polarimetric observations of DO Tau and combine them with archival Hubble Space Telescope (HST) scattered-light images and Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) observations of CO isotopologues and CS to map a network of complex structures. The SPHERE and ALMA observations show that the circumstellar disk is connected to arms extending out to several hundred astronomical units. HST and ALMA also reveal stream-like structures northeast of DO Tau, some of which are at least several thousand astronomical units long. These streams appear not to be gravitationally bound to DO Tau, and comparisons with previous Herschel far-IR observations suggest that the streams are part of a bridge-like structure connecting DO Tau and HV Tau. We also detect a fainter redshifted counterpart to a previously known blueshifted CO outflow. While some of DO Tau's complex structures could be attributed to a recent disk–disk encounter, they might be explained alternatively by interactions with remnant material from the star formation process. These panchromatic observations of DO Tau highlight the need to contextualize the evolution of Class II disks by examining processes occurring over a wide range of size scales.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Dust distribution around low-mass planets on converging orbits

Context : Super-Earths can form at large orbital radii and migrate inward due to tidal interactions with the circumstellar disk. In this scenario, convergent migration may occur and lead to the formation of resonant pairs of planets. Aim : We explore the conditions under which convergent migration and resonance capture take place, and what dynamical consequences can be expected on the dust distribution surrounding the resonant pair. Methods : We combine hydrodynamic planet–disk interaction models with dust evolution calculations to investigate the signatures produced in the dust distribution by a pair of planets in mean-motion resonances. Results : We find that convergent migration takes place when the outer planet is the more massive. However, convergent migration also depends on the local properties of the disk, and divergent migration may result as well. For similar disk parameters, the capture in low degree resonances (e.g., 2:1 or 3:2) is preferred close to the star where the resonance strength can more easily overcome the tidal torques exerted by the gaseous disk. Farther away from the star, convergent migration may result in capture in high degree resonances. The dust distribution shows potentially observable features typically when the planets are trapped in a 2:1 resonance. In other cases, with higher degree resonances (e.g., 5:4 or 6:5) dust features may not be sufficiently pronounced to be easily observable. Conclusions : The degree of resonance established by a pair of super-Earths may be indicative of the location in the disk where capture occurred. There can be significant differences in the dust distribution around a single super-Earth and a pair of super-Earths in resonance.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Random Forest Approach to Identifying Young Stellar Object Candidates in the Lupus Star-forming Region

The identification and characterization of stellar members within a star-forming region are critical to many aspects of star formation, including formalization of the initial mass function, circumstellar disk evolution, and star formation history. Previous surveys of the Lupus star-forming region have identified members through infrared excess and accretion signatures. We use machine learning to identify new candidate members of Lupus based on surveys from two space-based observatories: ESA’s Gaia and NASA’s Spitzer. Astrometric measurements from Gaia's Data Release 2 and astrometric and photometric data from the Infrared Array Camera on the Spitzer Space Telescope, as well as from other surveys, are compiled into a catalog for the random forest (RF) classifier. The RF classifiers are tested to find the best features, membership list, non-membership identification scheme, imputation method, training set class weighting, and method of dealing with class imbalance within the data. We list 27 candidate members of the Lupus star-forming region for spectroscopic follow-up. Most of the candidates lie in Clouds V and VI, where only one confirmed member of Lupus was previously known. These clouds likely represent a slightly older population of star formation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Keck/NIRC2 L’-band Imaging of Jovian-mass Accreting Protoplanets around PDS 70

We present L’-band imaging of the PDS 70 planetary system with Keck/NIRC2 using the new infrared pyramid wave front sensor. We detected both PDS 70 b and c in our images, as well as the front rim of the circumstellar disk. After subtracting off a model of the disk, we measured the astrometry and photometry of both planets. Placing priors based on the dynamics of the system, we estimated PDS 70 b to have a semimajor axis of 20{sub −4}{sup +3} au and PDS 70 c to have a semimajor axis of 34{sub −6}{sup +12} au (95% credible interval). We fit the spectral energy distribution (SED) of both planets. For PDS 70 b, we were able to place better constraints on the red half of its SED than previous studies and inferred the radius of the photosphere to be 2–3 R {sub Jup}. The SED of PDS 70 c is less well constrained, with a range of total luminosities spanning an order of magnitude. With our inferred radii and luminosities, we used evolutionary models of accreting protoplanets to derive a mass of PDS 70 b between 2 and 4 M {sub Jup} and a mean mass accretion rate between 3 × 10{sup −7} and 8 × 10{sup −7} M {sub Jup}/yr. For PDS 70 c, we computed a mass between 1 and 3 M {sub Jup} and mean mass accretion rate between 1 × 10{sup −7} and 5 × 10{sup −7} M {sub Jup}/yr. The mass accretion rates imply dust accretion timescales short enough to hide strong molecular absorption features in both planets’ SEDs.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

A Survey for New Stars and Brown Dwarfs in the Ophiuchus Star-forming Complex

We have performed a survey for new members of the Ophiuchus cloud complex using high-precision astrometry from the second data release of Gaia, proper motions measured with multi-epoch images from the Spitzer Space Telescope, and color–magnitude diagrams constructed with photometry from various sources. Through spectroscopy of candidates selected with those data, we have identified 155 new young stars. Based on available measurements of kinematics, we classify 102, 47, and 6 of those stars as members of Ophiuchus, Upper Sco, and other populations in Sco–Cen, respectively. We have also assessed the membership of all other stars in the vicinity of Ophiuchus that have spectroscopic evidence of youth from previous studies, arriving at a catalog of 373 adopted members of the cloud complex. For those adopted members, we have compiled mid-infrared photometry from Spitzer and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer and have used mid-infrared colors to identify and classify circumstellar disks. We find that 210 of the members show evidence of disks, including 48 disks that are in advanced stages of evolution. Finally, we have estimated the relative median ages of the populations near the Ophiuchus clouds and the surrounding Upper Sco association using absolute K-band magnitudes (M {sub K}) based on Gaia parallaxes. If we adopt an age 10 Myr for Upper Sco, then the relative values of M {sub K} imply median ages of ∼2 Myr for L1689 and embedded stars in L1688, 3–4 Myr for low-extinction stars near L1688, and ∼6 Myr for the group containing ρ Oph.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Spatially Resolved Velocity Structures in Jets of DF Tau and UY Aur A

Young stars accrete mass and angular momentum from their circumstellar disks. Some of them also drive outflows, which can be distinguished in optical forbidden emission lines. We analyze a sample of binary T Tauri stars observed with long-slit spectroscopy by the Hubble Space Telescope between 1998 and 2000, searching for spatially resolved outflows. We detect resolved [O i] emission in 2 cases out of 21. In DF Tau we resolve high- and medium-velocity outflows in a jet and counterjet out to 60 au. The outflows are accelerated within the inner 12 au and retain a constant speed thereafter. In UY Aur, we detect a blue- and a redshifted outflow from UY Aur A, as well as a blueshifted jet from UY Aur B. All of these features have been seen in [Fe ii] with data taken 10 years apart indicating that the underlying outflow pattern is stable on these timescales.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2020

Refining the Census of the Upper Scorpius Association with Gaia

We have refined the census of stars and brown dwarfs in the Upper Sco association (∼10 Myr, ∼145 pc) by (1) updating the selection of candidate members from our previous survey to include the high-precision astrometry from the second data release of Gaia, (2) obtaining spectra of a few hundred candidate members to measure their spectral types and verify their youth, and (3) assessing the membership (largely with Gaia astrometry) of 2020 stars toward Upper Sco that show evidence of youth in this work and previous studies. We arrive at a catalog of 1761 objects that are adopted as members of Upper Sco. The distribution of spectral types among the adopted members is similar to those in other nearby star-forming regions, indicating a similar initial mass function. In previous studies, we have compiled mid-infrared photometry from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer and the Spitzer Space Telescope for members of Upper Sco and used those data to identify the stars that show evidence of circumstellar disks; we present the same analysis for our new catalog of members. As in earlier work, we find that the fraction of members with disks increases with lower stellar masses, ranging from ≲10% for >1 M {sub ⊙} to ∼22% for 0.01–0.3 M {sub ⊙}. Finally, we have estimated the relative ages of Upper Sco and other young associations using their sequences of low-mass stars in M{sub G{sub R{sub P}}} versus G {sub BP} − G {sub RP}. This comparison indicates that Upper Sco is a factor of two younger than the β Pic association (21–24 Myr) according to both nonmagnetic and magnetic evolutionary models.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Multicolor Variability of Young Stars in the Lagoon Nebula: Driving Causes and Intrinsic Timescales

Space observatories have provided unprecedented depictions of the many variability behaviors typical of low-mass, young stars. However, those studies have so far largely omitted more massive objects (~2 M {sub ⊙} to 4–5 M {sub ⊙}) and were limited by the absence of simultaneous, multiwavelength information. We present a new study of young star variability in the ~1–2 Myr old, massive Lagoon Nebula region. Our sample encompasses 278 young, late B to K-type stars, monitored with Kepler/K2. Auxiliary u, g, r, i, Hα time-series photometry, simultaneous with K2, was acquired at the Paranal Observatory. We employed this comprehensive data set and archival infrared photometry to determine individual stellar parameters, assess the presence of circumstellar disks, and tie the variability behaviors to inner disk dynamics. We found significant mass-dependent trends in variability properties, with B/A stars displaying substantially reduced levels of variability compared to G/K stars for any light-curve morphology. These properties suggest different magnetic field structures at the surface of early-type and later-type stars. We also detected a dearth of some disk-driven variability behaviors, particularly dippers, among stars earlier than G. This indicates that their higher surface temperatures and more chaotic magnetic fields prevent the formation and survival of inner disk dust structures corotating with the star. Finally, we examined the characteristic variability timescales within each light curve and determined that the day-to-week timescales are predominant over the K2 time series. These reflect distinct processes and locations in the inner disk environment, from intense accretion triggered by instabilities in the innermost disk regions to variable accretion efficiency in the outer magnetosphere.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2023

A Census of the Taurus Star-forming Region and Neighboring Associations with Gaia*

I have used high-precision photometry and astrometry from the third data release of Gaia to perform a survey for members of the Taurus star-forming region and young associations in its vicinity. This work has produced a new catalog of 532 adopted members of Taurus, which has only minor changes relative to the previous catalog from Esplin & Luhman. I have used the Gaia astrometry to divide the Taurus members into 13 groups that have distinct kinematics. Meanwhile, I have identified 1378 candidate members of seven associations near Taurus. All of these associations have histograms of spectral types that peak near M5 (~0.15 M ⊙ ), resembling other young populations in the solar neighborhood. For the Taurus groups and neighboring associations, I have estimated ages from their sequences of low-mass stars in Hertzsprung–Russell diagrams. Most of the Taurus groups have median ages of ~1–3 Myr, while the associations have ages ranging from 13 to 56 Myr. I have used mid-infrared photometry from the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer to search for excess emission from circumstellar disks among the candidate members of the associations. Disks are detected for 51 stars, 20 of which are reported for the first time in this work. Some recent studies have proposed that samples of older stars (≳10 Myr) found in the vicinity of Taurus represent a distributed population that is associated with the Taurus cloud complex. However, I find that most of those stars have kinematics that are inconsistent with any relationship with Taurus.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2022

Pre-main-sequence Brackett Emitters in the APOGEE DR17 Catalog: Line Strengths and Physical Properties of Accretion Columns

Very young (t ≲ 10 Myr) stars possess strong magnetic fields that channel ionized gas from the interiors of their circumstellar disks to the surface of the star. Upon impacting the stellar surface, the shocked gas recombines and emits hydrogen spectral lines. To characterize the density and temperature of the gas within these accretion streams, we measure equivalent widths of Brackett (Br) 11–20 emission lines detected in 1101 APOGEE spectra of 326 likely pre-main-sequence accretors. For sources with multiple observations, we measure median epoch-to-epoch line strength variations of 10% in Br11 and 20% in Br20. We also fit the measured line ratios to predictions of radiative transfer models by Kwan & Fischer. We find characteristic best-fit electron densities of n e = 10 11 –10 12 cm -3 , and excitation temperatures that are inversely correlated with electron density (from T ~ 5000 K for n e ~ 10 12 cm -3 to T ~ 12,500 K at n e ~ 10 11 cm -3 ). These physical parameters are in good agreement with predictions from modeling of accretion streams that account for the hydrodynamics and radiative transfer within the accretion stream. We also present a supplementary catalog of line measurements from 9733 spectra of 4255 Brackett emission-line sources in the APOGEE Data Release 17 data set.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗