Intercombinational line profiles in the UV spectra of T Tauri stars and analysis of the accretion zone

We have analyzed for the first time profiles of the SiIII 1892 Å and CIII 1909 Å intercombinational lines in HST spectra of the stars RY Tau and RU Lup. The widths of these optically thin lines exceeded 400 km/s, ruling out formation in the stellar chromosphere. Since the intensity of the Si line exceeds that of the C line, it is unlikely that a large fraction of the observed line flux is formed in a stellar wind. The observed profiles can be reproduced in the framework of an accretion shock model if the velocity field in the accretion zone is appreciably nonaxisymmetric. In this case, the line profiles should display periodic variations, which can be used to determine the accretion zone geometry and the topology of the magnetic field near the stellar surface; corresponding formulas are presented. In addition, periodic variations of the 0.3–0.7 keV X-ray flux should be observed.