The Structured Chromosphere and Wind of TW Hya

A continuous set of echelle spectra of TW Hya, taken with the MIKE spectrograph on the Magellan2/Clay telescope at Las Campanas Observatory in April 2006 reveals systematic variations in the flux, velocity, and profile of the H-alpha emission line which appear to be consistent with the photometric period of 2.8 days. Absorption features recur at high outflow velocities in the wind. This behavior suggests that: (a) accretion is not uniformly distributed over the stellar hemisphere in view; (b) stable structures are present in the chromosphere, most likely due to the stellar magnetic field configuration. Semi-empirical models of the atmosphere are constructed to reproduce line profiles of H-alpha and He I, 10830A and to define the wind structure. These preliminary calculations suggest the mass loss rate is variable and comparable to H-alpha mass accretion rates in the literature, requiring a very efficient mechanism if the wind is powered only by accretion.