A Low-mass H2 Component to the Au Microscopii Circumstellar Disk

We present a determination of themolecular gas mass in the AUMicroscopii circumstellar disk. Direct detection of a gas component to the AUMic disk has proven elusive, with upper limits derived from ultraviolet absorption line and submillimeter CO emission studies. Fluorescent emission lines of H2, pumped by theO vi k1032 resonance line through the CYX (1Y1) Q(3) k1031.87 8 transition, are detected by the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer. These lines are used to derive the H2 column density associated with the AU Mic system. The derived column density is in the range N (H2)1⁄41:9 ; 10 to 2:8 ; 10 cm , roughly 2 orders of magnitude lower than the upper limit inferred from absorption line studies. This range of column densities reflects the range of H2 excitation temperature consistent with the observations, T (H2) 1⁄4 800Y2000 K, derived from the presence of emission lines excited by O vi in the absence of those excited by Ly . Within the observational uncertainties, the data are consistent with the H2 gas residing in the disk. The inferredN(H2) range corresponds to H2-to-dust ratios of P 1 30 :1 and a totalM (H2) 1⁄4 4:0 ; 10 4 to 5:8 ; 10 6 M . We use these results to predict the intensity of the associated rovibrational emission lines of H2 at infrared wavelengths covered by ground-based instruments, HST NICMOS, and the Spitzer IRS. Subject headinggs: circumstellar matter — planetary systems: protoplanetary disks — stars: individual (AU Microscopii, HD 197481) — ultraviolet: stars Online material: color figure