NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2004B-0486
|
NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2004B-0486 |
|
PI: Tracy L. Huard, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, thuard@cfa.harvard.edu
Address: Radio & Geoastronomy, 60 Garden Street, M.S. 42, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
CoI: Philip C. Myers, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
CoI: Lionel J. Crews, University of Tennessee at Martin
CoI: David C. Murphy, Carnegie Institute of Washington
Title: Infrared Reddening Law: Characterizing the dust grain populations and density profiles of cores
Abstract:
We propose to observe a set of isolated, dense molecular cloud cores
at H and K with FLAMINGOS to supplement our Spitzer IRAC mid-infrared
observations of these cores. By obtaining these H and K observations to
a comparable depth as the IRAC observations, we will be able to
construct the first infrared reddening law for dense environments
applicable for a large range of column densities. The proposed
observations will be sufficient to determine whether this infrared
reddening law changes from core to core as well as whether it changes
within a core from the densest regions to the more diffuse surrounding
regions of the molecular cloud. We will then use the observed reddening
law to discriminate between and constrain models of dust grain
populations within dense cores. It is possible that such observations
could detect the first clear and direct evidence for differentiation in
the dust grain population within molecular clouds.
The same observations will be used to study the extinction structure
of the target cores. Our target cores have been selected to include
cores exhibiting a wide range of characteristics: starless, collapsing,
isolated star formation, cluster star formation. We will also use these
observations to construct high-resolution maps of the column densities
through these cores to discriminate between a number of different
initial conditions for the collapse of a core.
National Optical Astronomy Observatory, 950 North Cherry Avenue, P.O. Box 26732, Tucson, Arizona 85726, Phone: (520) 318-8000, Fax: (520) 318-8360
|
NOAO > Observing Info > Approved Programs > 2004B-0486 |
|