Spatially Resolved H2 Emission In The GG Tau A Binary System
Résumé
We present a high-resolution image of molecular hydrogen emission from the GG Tau A binary system. Using NIFS+AO on Gemini North to achieve 0.1" resolution, we clearly resolve the emitting gas to be located within the unstable region between the stellar cores and the circumbinary ring. The brightest arc of H2 emission observed to the northeast of the companions closely aligns with the location of a accretion "streamer" suggested by the high resolution millimeter observations presented in Pietu et al. 2011. The proximity of the H2 emission to the infalling streamer strongly suggests that the H2 emission is the result of a shocked gas residing in the orbital environment of the stellar companions. Near-infrared H2 line ratios predict an excitation temperature on the order of 1700 K and are compared to standard shock models.