The B[e] Phenomenon in Pre-Main-Sequence Herbig Ae/Be Stars

In this review I describe the intermediate mass pre-main-sequence Herbig Ae/Be stars and their role in studies of star formation. They play a particularly important part in understanding the differences between the accretion of matter onto low and high mass stars. Once these differences are understood, further progress can be made in high mass star formation. Given that the B[e] phenomenon is a spectroscopic one, I will present recent developments in the spectroscopic studies of the Herbig Ae/Be stars, and then move to the [e] phenomenon in these object. Based on a large sample, it is found that forbidden lines are present for half of the Herbig Ae/Be stars, implying that the “[e]” phenomenon is widespread in Herbig Ae/Be stars. I will describe how the presence and properties of these lines can be used to our advantage in learning about their circumstellar environments, and their disks in particular. I conclude with a forward look.