Computer Science
Scientific paper
Feb 2008
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008noao.prop..572v&link_type=abstract
NOAO Proposal ID #2008A-0572
Computer Science
Scientific paper
Massive stars strongly influence galaxy evolution, including that of our own. Stars with Minit ≳ 20 M_&sun; evolve to become Wolf-Rayet (WR) stars. WRs are excellent markers and chronometers of very recent star formation and probes of the IMF in galaxies. Galactic optical line surveys for WRs are complete to B ≲ 14 mag; yet the number is low by 4-10× relative to Galaxy models: Many WRs must be obscured by the high visual extinction in the Plane. However, in the infrared (IR), extinction is far lower (e.g., A_K/A_V ~ 10%), greatly enhancing our chances of detecting ``hidden'' WRs. We have characterized the known WRs in the near-IR continuum and are continuing to characterize them further in the mid-IR+near-IR: Using the near-IR all-sky 2MASS in conjunction with the mid-IR Spitzer GLIMPSE-I Legacy survey of the Plane (which should straightforwardly reveal WRs still associated with their natal molecular clouds), we have already confirmed more than 20 previously unknown WRs across large spans of the Plane. We propose here to conduct the spectroscopic candidate confirmation of candidates, selected from the merging of GLIMPSE-II/GLIMPSE-3D with 2MASS, in both the optical and near-IR which are accessible in 2008A from CTIO. Both optical and near- IR spectra are necessary to fully characterize any newly discovered WRs. The overwhelming majority of the false positives turn out to be high- mass supergiant, pre-WR transition stars. We therefore hope to facilitate a more complete determination of massive star formation in the Galaxy and more accurate testing of massive stellar evolutionary scenarios.
Morris Patrick W.
Van Dyk Schuyler D.
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