The structure and emission of the accretion shock in T Tauri stars. II. The ultraviolet-continuum emission

We compare accretion-shock models with optical and ultraviolet spectra of pre-main-sequence stars to (1) make the first determinations of accretion rates in intermediate-mass T Tauri stars from continuum emission and (2) derive improved estimates of accretion rates and extinctions for continuum T Tauri stars. Our method extends the shock models developed by Calvet & Gullbring to enable comparisons with optical and archival International Ultraviolet Explorer ultraviolet spectra. We find good agreement between the observations and the model predictions, supporting the basic model of magnetospheric accretion shocks as well as previous determinations of accretion rates and interstellar reddening for the low-mass T Tauri stars. The accretion rates determined for the intermediate-mass T Tauri stars agree well with values obtained through the other methods of Muzerolle and coworkers that use near-infrared hydrogen line strengths.