WIND-DISK-AMBIENT CLOUD INTERACTIONS IN THE NEAR ENVIRONMENT OF T-TAURI

Fabry-Perot images of the near environment of T Tauri taken in the 2.1 22 mu m, v = 1 - 0 S(1) quadrupole emission line of molecular hydrogen reveal a complex system of interlocking loops and arcs within 15 '' o f the central stars. Long slit echelle spectra in the S(1) transition at several position angles indicate that the kinematics of the gas is also complex. To the north of T Tau, the redshift of the H-2 line incr eases linearly with distance. Lower resolution spectra covering the en tire K and H photometric bands reveal shock excited H-2 and Fell throu ghout the region. Model fits to the molecular lines paint to a constan t or slightly decreasing excitation temperature with distance from the stars, The interaction with the ambient molecular cloud of two, almos t perpendicular outflow systems can explain the complex molecular hydr ogen morphology of T Tau. Orbital motion may produce the apparent curv ature of the structures. The NW-SE outflow probably energizes Burnham' s Nebula to the south of the stars. This region contains several molec ular hydrogen arcs resembling bow shocks opening back toward T Tau, Si milar arcs, seen in previously published [S II] images, lie interior t o the H-2, signalling the presence of a magnetic precursor to the shoc ks, The radial velocities and velocity dispersion in Burnham's Nebula remain enigmatic, however. Spatially resolved near- and mid-infrared p hotometry of the binary reveals evidence for circumstellar disks in bo th stars. These disks may collimate the outflows responsible for the H -2, [S II], and [Fe II] structures. The spectral energy distribution o f the infrared companion has a strong silicate absorption near 10 mu m . while the primary shows the silicate feature in emission. This resul t resolves earlier contradictory observations, some of which showed li ttle or no Si emission in the primary, After subtraction of a model ph otosphere plus disk, the companion's absorption feature appears somewh at wider than the primary's emission line, consistent with optical dep th or particle size effects expected from tho photometric properties o f the stars. The model stellar radius of the visible primary, coupled with published v, sin i observations, imply an inclination of the T Ta uri system of 19 degrees. (C) 1997 American Astronomical Society.