1997A&A...321..888W

We present high resolution spectral observations of the absorption lines of CaII and NaI associated with the circumstellar disk surrounding the star β Pictoris. The observations were taken over a four night period in January 1996 and reveal substantial profile variability between successive nights. High velocity absorption features at velocities of +58km/s were observed in the CaII data, but were not present in the NaI profiles. An unusually high CaII: NaI ratio of ∼150:1 was found for the central, stable V=+22km/s component.