Progress in understanding the embedded stars in Lk H \alpha 225 has been hampered by their variability , making it hard to compare data taken at different times , and by the limited resolution of the available data , which can not probe the small scales between the two stars .
In an attempt to overcome these difficulties , we present new near-infrared data on this object taken using the ALFA adaptive optics system with the MPE 3D integral field spectrometer and the near-infrared camera Omega-Cass .
The stars themselves have K-band spectra which are dominated by warm dust emission , analagous to class I–II for low mass YSOs , suggesting that the stars are in a phase where they are still accreting matter .
On the other hand , the ridge of continuum emission between them is rather bluer , suggestive of extincted and/or scattered stellar light rather than direct dust emission .
The compactness of the CO emission seen toward each star argues for accretion disks ( which can also account for much of the K-band veiling ) rather than a neutral wind .
In contrast to other YSOs with CO emission , Lk H \alpha 225 has no detectable Br \gamma emission .
Additionally there is no H _ { 2 } detected on the northern star , although we do confirm that the strongest H _ { 2 } emission is on the southern star , where we find it is excited primarily by thermal mechanisms .
A second knot of H _ { 2 } is observed to its northeast , with a velocity shift of -75 km s ^ { -1 } and a higher fraction of non-thermal emission .
This is discussed with reference to the H _ { 2 } O maser , the molecular outflow , and [ S ii ] emission observed between the stars .