Protostars in Infrared Dark Clouds

Details Protostars in Infrared Dark Clouds Protostars in Infrared Dark Clouds

May 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006sptz.prop30120j&link_type=abstract

Spitzer Proposal ID #30120

Computer Science

Scientific paper

We propose to use data from two Spitzer Space Telescope Legacy projects, GLIMPSE and MIPSGAL, to characterize a sample of compact cores within Infrared Dark Clouds (IRDCs), a new class of objects recently identified as mid-infrared extinction features in the Galactic plane. We have identified10,961 IRDCs in the Galaxy, and using 13CO molecular line emission maps, have obtained reliable kinematic distances to 312. Our molecular line and millimeter continuum data toward 38 IRDCs suggest that IRDCs are the cold molecular precursors to cluster-forming clumps. Each IRDC contains several dense, cold cores with characteristic masses of ~120 Msun. We find that 1/3 of these cores are sites of active star formation. In GLIMPSE images the active cores show extended 3-8 micron emission, with an apparent enhancement at 4.5 microns that might arise from shocked molecular hydrogen. Coincident with these active cores are bright, compact 24 micron point sources in MIPSGAL images. Follow-up molecular line observations of high-density tracing molecular lines confirm the star formation activity within several of these cores. Combining the GLIMPSE and MIPSGAL surveys with our catalog of IRDCs and their derived distances, we can identify and characterize a large sample of protostars within IRDCs across the Galaxy. Preliminary detection rates suggest that we will identify ~520 protostars of which we expect ~220 to be high-mass protostars. This study will increase the number of known high-mass protostars by at least an order of magnitude.

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