Detection of β Pictoris-like Gaseous Infall in 2 Andromedae

Abstract

Ultraviolet observations of 2 Andromedae with the Goddard High Resolution Spectrograph on board the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) clearly reveal the existence of circumstellar gas, in addition to previously known anomalous interstellar features, in the line of sight toward this nearby star. We also detect varying, redshifted Ca II absorptions, which we interpret as gaseous infalls. These variable Ca II absorption features and the presence of circumstellar absorptions from Al III λλ1854.716 and 1862.790 and from excited fine-structure levels of Fe II near 2600 Å seen in 2 And are similar to those observed in spectra of β Pic.

Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS 5-26555.