Mid-Infrared Spectra of [CLC]Be[/CLC] Stars

We present the first medium-resolution ( R ∼ 600) mid-infrared (8–13.3 μm) spectra of 11 Be stars. A large number of lines are observed and identified in these spectra, including, as an example, 39 hydrogen recombination lines in the spectrum of γ Cas. In the majority of our spectra, all of the observed lines are attributable to hydrogen recombination. Two of the sources, β Lyr and MWC 349, also show emission from other species. Both of these objects show evidence of [Ne II] emission, and β Lyr also shows evidence of He I emission. We tabulate the effective line strength and line widths for the observed lines and briefly discuss the physical implications of the observed line series. We also use a simple model of free-free emission to characterize the disks around these sources.