Infrared spectroscopy of the Herbig Ae-Be stars

Infrared spectroscopy from 1.5-2.3 microns is presented for nine Ae and Be stars believed to be pre-main-sequence. Brackett-gamma emission is seen in most or all the spectra, and higher-order Brackett recombination lines are visible in a number of the spectra. The strengths of the emission lines are generally less than or equal to the expected fluxes from H II regions which have been postulated to explain Balmer and Paschen continuum excesses in these stars. The circumstellar H II regions may be optically thick in some of the Brackett lines. No other lines are visible in the spectra, e.g., He or H2. The infrared continua are generally smooth; they confirm the presence of excess emission over that expected from the stellar photospheres. If the excesses are produced by thermal emission from dust, the dust grains must exist up to temperatures of 1300 K-1500 K.