We report the results of the mid-infrared spectroscopy of 14 Galactic star-forming regions with the high-resolution modules of the Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) on board the Spitzer Space Telescope. We detected [SiII] 35um, [FeII] 26um, and [FeIII] 23um as well as [SIII] 33um and H2 S(0) 28um emission lines. Using the intensity of [NII] 122um or 205um and [OI] 146um or 63um reported by previous observations in four regions, we derived the ionic abundance Si+/N+ and Fe+/N+ in the ionized gas and Si+/O0 and Fe+/O0 in the photodissociation gas. For all the targets, we derived the ionic abundance of Si+/S2+ and Fe2+/S2+ for the ionized gas. Based on photodissociation and HII region models the gas-phase Si and Fe abundance are suggested to be 3-100% and <8% of the solar abundance, respectively, for the ionized gas and 16-100% and 2-22% of the solar abundance, respectively, for the photodissociation region gas. Since the [FeII] 26um and [FeIII] 23um emissions are weak, the high sensitivity of the IRS enables to derive the gas-phase Fe abundance widely in star-forming regions. The derived gas-phase Si abundance is much larger than that in cool interstellar clouds and that of Fe. The present study indicates that 3-100% of Si atoms and <22% of Fe atoms are included in dust grains which are destroyed easily in HII regions, probably by the UV radiation. We discuss possible mechanisms to account for the observed trend; mantles which are photodesorbed by UV photons, organometallic complexes, or small grains.
We present a preliminary study of the star formation distribution within three Virgo Cluster galaxies using the 24 micron Spitzer observations from the Spitzer Survey of Virgo (SPITSOV) in combination with H-alpha observations. The purpose of our study is to explore the relationship between the star formation distribution within galaxies and the type (and phase) of interactions experienced within the cluster environment. Neither highly-obscured star formation nor strongly enhanced star-forming regions along the leading edges of galaxies experiencing ICM-ISM interactions were found. However, ve…
We study the mid-infrared properties of 1315 spectroscopically confirmed members in eight massive (M>5x10^14 Msun) galaxy clusters covering the redshift range from 0.02 to 0.83. The selected clusters all have deep Spitzer MIPS 24um observations, Hubble and ground-based photometry, and extensive redshift catalogs. We observe for the first time an increase in the fraction of cluster galaxies with mid-infrared star formation rates higher than 4 solar masses per year from 3% at z=0.02 to 13% at z=0.83. This increase is reproduced even when considering only the most massive members (Mstars >4x10^10…
We analyze {\it Spitzer} and Magellan observations of a star forming core near IRS-2 in the young cluster NGC 2264. The submillimeter source IRAS 12 S1, previously believed to be an intermediate mass Class 0 object is shown to be a dense collection of embedded, low mass stars. We argue that this group of stars represents the fragmenting collapse of a dense, turbulent core, based on a number of indicators of extreme youth. With reasonable estimates for the velocity dispersion in the group, we estimate a dynamical lifetime of only a few x 10$^{4}$ years. Spectral energy distributions of stars in…
We present Spitzer/IRAC photometry on the star-forming HII region N 90, related to the young stellar association NGC 602 in the Small Magellanic Cloud. Our photometry revealed bright mid-infrared sources, which we classify with the use of a scheme based on templates and models of red sources in the Milky Way, and criteria recently developed from the Spitzer Survey of the SMC for the selection of candidate Young Stellar Objects (YSOs). We detected 57 sources in all four IRAC channels in a 6.2' x 4.8' field-of-view centered on N 90; 22 of these sources are classified as candidate YSOs. We compar…
Archival Spitzer observations of 41 starburst galaxies that span a wide range in metallicity reveal for the first time a correlation between the [FeII]/[NeII] 26.0/12.8 micron ratio and the electron gas density as traced by the 18.7/33.4 micron [SIII] ratio, with the [FeII]/[NeII] ratio decreasing with increasing gas density. We also find a strong correlation between the gas density and the PAH peak to continuum strength. Using shock and photoionization models, we see the driver of the observed [FeII]/[NeII] ratios is metallicity. The majority of [FeII] emission in low metallicity galaxies may…
Using \emph{Spitzer} Infrared Spectrograph observations of G0--M4 III stars behind dark clouds, I construct $5-20μ$m empirical extinction curves for $0.3\leq A_K<7$, which is equivalent to $A_V$ between $\approx$ 3 and 50. For $A_K<1$ the curve appears similar to the \citet{mathis90} diffuse interstellar medium extinction curve, but with a greater degree of extinction. For $A_K>1$, the curve exhibits lower contrast between the silicate and absorption continuum, developes ice absorption, and lies closer to the \citet{wd01} $R_V=5.5$ case B curve, a result which is consistent with that of \citet…
Wide field near-infrared observations and Spitzer Space Telescope IRAC observations of the DR21/W75 star formation regions are presented. The photometric data are used to analyse the extinction, stellar content and clustering in the entire region by using standard methods. A young stellar population is identified all over the observed field, which is found to be distributed in embedded clusters that are surrounded by a distributed halo population extending over a larger projected area. The Spitzer/IRAC data are used to compute a spectral index value, "alpha", for each YSO in the field. We use …
We are conducting a survey of several regions of high-mass star formation to assess their content and structure. The observations include Spitzer observations, ground-based optical and near-IR imaging surveys, and optical and IR spectra of objects and locations in the molecular clouds. The goal of the survey is to gain a better understanding of the processes involved in high mass star formation by determining the characteristics of the stars detected in these regions and investigating the properties of the interstellar medium (ISM) environment in which these stars form. In this contribution, w…
Archival Spitzer observations of 41 starburst galaxies that span a wide range in metallicity reveal for the first time a correlation between the [FeII]/[NeII] 26.0/12.8 micron ratio and the electron gas density as traced by the 18.7/33.4 micron [SIII] ratio, with the [FeII]/[NeII] ratio decreasing with increasing gas density. The correlations of the [FeII]/[NeII] ratio, the PAH peak to continuum strength & metallicity found in an earlier paper were confirmed for a larger sample. We also find a strong correlation between the gas density and the PAH peak to continuum strength. Using shock and ph…
We present wide-field near-infrared images of the DR21/W75 high-mass star forming region, obtained with the Wide Field Camera, WFCAM, on the United Kingdom Infrared Telescope. Broad-band JHK and narrow-band H2 1-0S(1) images are compared to archival mid-IR images from the Spitzer Space Telescope, and 850 micron dust-continuum maps obtained with the Submillimeter Common User Bolometer Array (SCUBA). Together these data give a complete picture of dynamic star formation across this extensive region, which includes at least four separate star forming sites in various stages of evolution. The H2 da…
We present Spitzer-IRAC, NOAO 2.1meter-Flamingos, Keck-NIRC, and FCRAO-SEQUOIA observations of the massive star forming complex S254-S258, covering an area of 25x20 arc-minutes. Using a combination of the IRAC and NIR data, we identify and classify the young stellar objects (YSO) in the complex. We detect 510 sources with near or mid IR-excess, and we classify 87 Class I, and 165 Class II sources. The YSO are found in clusters surrounded by isolated YSO in a low-density distributed population. The ratio of clustered to total YSO is 0.8. We identify six new clusters in the complex. One of them,…
We present HST NICMOS+ACS and Spitzer IRAC+MIPS observations of 41 galaxies at 2<z<3.5 in the FIRES MS1054 field with red and blue rest-frame optical colors. About half of the galaxies are very compact (effective radii r_e < 1 kpc) at rest-frame optical wavelengths, the others are extended (1< r_e < 10 kpc). For reference, 1 kpc corresponds to 0.12 arcsec at z=2.5 in the adopted cosmology. We separate actively star forming galaxies from quiescent galaxies by modeling their rest-frame UV-NIR SEDs. The star forming galaxies span the full range of sizes, while the quiescent galaxies all have r_e<…
Spitzer IRAC and MIPS images of the Trifid Nebula (M20) reveal its spectacular appearance in infrared light, highlighting the nebula's special evolutionary stage. The images feature recently-formed massive protostars and numerous young stellar objects, and a single O star that illuminates the surrounding molecular cloud from which it formed, and unveil large-scale, filamentary dark clouds. The hot dust grains show contrasting infrared colors in shells, arcs, bow-shocks and dark cores. Multiple protostars are detected in the infrared, within the cold dust cores of TC3 and TC4, which were previo…
(Abridged) We present an initial look at the far infrared-radio correlation within the star-forming disks of four nearby, nearly face-on galaxies (NGC 2403, NGC 3031, NGC 5194, and NGC 6946). Using Spitzer MIPS imaging and WSRT radio continuum data, observed as part of the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey (SINGS), we are able to probe variations in the logarithmic 24mu/22cm (q_24) and 70mu/22cm (q_70) surface brightness ratios across each disk at sub-kpc scales. We find general trends of decreasing q_24 and q_70 with declining surface brightness and with increasing radius. The residual …
We study the correlation between the radio, mid-infrared and far-infrared properties for a sample of 28 blue compact dwarf (BCD) and low metallicity star-forming galaxies observed by Spitzer. We find that these sources extend the same far-infrared to radio correlation typical of star forming late type alaxies to lower luminosities. In BCDs, the 24um (or 22um) mid-infrared to radio correlation is similar to starburst galaxies, though there is somewhat larger dispersion in their q_24 parameter compared to their q_FIR. No strong correlations between the q parameter and galaxy metallicity or effec…
High resolution mid-infrared spectra are presented for 155 nuclear and extranuclear regions from the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey (SINGS). The fluxes for nine atomic forbidden and three molecular hydrogen mid-infrared emission lines are also provided, along with upper limits in key lines for infrared-faint targets. The SINGS sample shows a wide range in the ratio of [SIII]18.71um/[SIII]33.48um, but the average ratio of the ensemble indicates a typical interstellar electron density of 300-400 cm^{-3} on ~23"x15" scales and 500-600 cm^{-3} using ~11"x9" apertures, independent of wheth…
We present MAMBO 1.2mm observations of 40 extragalactic sources from the Spitzer First Look Survey that are bright in the mid-infrared (S_24um>1mJy) but optically obscured (log_10 (nu F_nu (24um))/(nu F_nu (0.7um))>1). We use these observations to search for cold dust emission, probing the similarity of their spectral energy distributions to star forming infrared galaxies or obscured AGN. The sample as a whole is well detected at mean S_1.2mm=0.74+-0.09mJy and S_1.2mm/S_24um=0.15+-0.03. Seven (three) of the sources are individually detected at >3sigma (>5sigma) levels. Mean millimeter fluxes a…
We examine the infrared properties of five low surface brightness galaxies (LSBGs) and compare them with related but higher surface brightness galaxies, using Spitzer Space Telescope images and spectra. All the LSBGs are detected in the 3.6 and 4.5um bands, representing the stellar population. All but one are detected at 5.8 and 8.0um, revealing emission from hot dust and aromatic molecules, though many are faint or point-like at these wavelengths. Detections of LSBGs at the far-infrared wavelengths, 24, 70, and 160um, are varied in morphology and brightness, with only two detections at 160um,…
The Spitzer Space Telescope is pushing into new frontiers in high redshift astronomy. Closer to home, Spitzer is making an equally large impact on our understanding of galaxy formation and evolution. In this contribution we present mid-infrared diagnostics based largely on data from the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey (SINGS). Our main result is that these mid-infrared diagnostics effectively constrain a target's dominant power source. The combination of a high ionization line index and PAH strength serves as an efficient discriminant between AGN and star-forming nuclei, confirming pro…
We present mid-infrared spectra of T Tauri stars in the Taurus star-forming region obtained with the Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS). For the first time, the 5-36 micron spectra of a large sample of T Tauri stars belonging to the same star-forming region is studied, revealing details of the mid-infrared excess due to dust in circumstellar disks. We analyze common features and differences in the mid-IR spectra based on disk structure, dust grain properties, and the presence of companions. Our analysis encompasses spectral energy distributions from the optical to the far-infrared, a morpholo…
We present an initial look at the far infrared-radio correlation within the star-forming disks of four nearby, nearly face-on galaxies (NGC~2403, NGC~3031, NGC~5194, and NGC~6946). Using {\it Spitzer} MIPS imaging and WSRT radio continuum data, we are able to probe variations in the logarithmic 70~$μ$m/22~cm ($q_{70}$) flux density ratios across each disk at sub-kpc scales. We find general trends of decreasing $q_{70}$ with declining surface brightness and with increasing radius. We also find that the dispersion in $q_{70}$ within galaxies is comparable to what is measured {\it globally} among…
We present maps of 14.4 deg^2 of the Ophiuchus dark clouds observed by the Spitzer Space Telescope Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS). These high quality maps depict both numerous point sources as well as extended dust emission within the star-forming and non-star-forming portions of these clouds. Using PSF-fitting photometry, we detect 5779 sources at 24 um and 81 sources at 70 um at the 10 sigma level of significance. Three hundred twenty-three candidate young stellar objects (YSOs) were identified according to their positions on the MIPS/2MASS K versus K$-$[24] color-magnitude …
We explore the amount of obscured star-formation as a function of environment in the A901/902 supercluster at z=0.165 in conjunction with a field sample drawn from the A901 and CDFS fields, imaged with HST as part of the STAGES and GEMS surveys. We combine the COMBO-17 near-UV/optical SED with Spitzer 24um photometry to estimate both the unobscured and obscured star formation in galaxies with Mstar>10^{10}Msun. We find that the star formation activity in massive galaxies is suppressed in dense environments, in agreement with previous studies. Yet, nearly 40% of the star-forming galaxies have r…
We present Spitzer Space Telescope IRAC and MIPS observations toward a sample of nine high-mass star forming regions at a distance of around 2 kpc. Based on IRAC and MIPS 24 $μ$m photometric results and 2MASS JHKs data, we carry out a census of young stellar objects (YSOs) in a 5' by 5' field toward each region. Toward seven out of the nine regions, we detect parsec sized clusters with around 20 YSOs surrounded by a more extended and sparse distribution of young stars and protostars. For the other two regions, IRAS 20126+4104 and IRAS 22172+5549, the former has the lowest number of YSOs in the…
UltraCompact HII regions are signposts of high mass star formation. Since high-mass star formation occurs in clusters, one expects to find even earlier phases of massive star formation in the vicinity of UltraCompact HII regions. Here, we study the amount of deuteration and depletion toward pre/protocluster clumps found in a wide-field (10 X 10 arcmin) census of clouds in 32 massive star-forming regions that are known to harbour UCHII regions. We find that 65% of the observed sources have strong NH2D emission and more than 50% of the sources exhibit a high degree of deuteration, (0.1 < NH2D/NH…
We use a 24 micron selected sample containing more than 8,000 sources to study the evolution of star-forming galaxies in the redshift range from z=0 to z~3. We obtain photometric redshifts for most of the sources in our survey using a method based on empirically-built templates spanning from ultraviolet to mid-infrared wavelengths. The accuracy of these redshifts is better than 10% for 80% of the sample. The derived redshift distribution of the sources detected by our survey peaks at around z=0.6-1.0 (the location of the peak being affected by cosmic variance), and decays monotonically from z~…
New HI observations are presented for a complete sample of 109 low luminosity star-forming galaxies taken from the KPNO International Spectroscopic Survey (KISS), the first CCD-based wide-field objective-prism survey for emission-line galaxies. This sample consists of all star-forming galaxies with M_B > -18.0 and cz < 11,000 km/s from the first Halpha-selected survey list. Overall, 97 out of 109 galaxies have been detected in HI. We confirm the weak trend of increasing gas richness with decreasing luminosity found by previous authors. Gas richness is also shown to be weakly anti-correlated wi…
We present deep Spitzer 3.6 micron observations of three z~5 GRB host galaxies. Our observations reveal that z~5 GRB hosts are a factor of 3 less luminous than the median rest-frame V-band luminosity of spectroscopically confirmed z~5 galaxies in the GOODS fields and the UDF. The strong connection between GRBs and massive star formation implies that not all star-forming galaxies at these redshifts are currently being accounted for in deep surveys and GRBs provide a unique way to measure the contribution to the star-formation rate density from galaxies at the faint end of the galaxy luminosity …
We present the initial results of a study of the surface lithium abundance in a sample of low-mass members (M~0.4-1.0 Msun) of the Orion Nebula Cluster (ONC) that provide an independent clock to estimate stellar ages. We report discovery of significant depletion of lithium in four stars with estimated mass of ~0.4 Msun and age ~10Myr. Comparison with the predictions of numerical and analytical models shows excellent agreement between the isochronal age and lithium depletion time scale for two objects, the first case in lithium-poor pre-main sequence stars. Our results bear on the issue of the …
This paper analyses the radio properties of a subsample of optically obscured (R>25.5) galaxies observed at 24um by the Spitzer Space Telescope within the First Look Survey. 96 F[24um]>0.35 mJy objects out of 510 are found to have a radio counterpart at 1.4 GHz, 610 MHz or at both frequencies respectively down to ~40uJy and ~200uJy. IRAC photometry sets the majority of them in the redshift interval z [1-3] and allows for a broad distinction between AGN-dominated galaxies (~47% of the radio-identified sample) and systems powered by intense star-formation (~13%), the remaining objects being impo…
We report on IRAC-4.5mic, IRAC-8.0mic and MIPS-24mic deep observations of 16 Gamma-Ray Burst (GRBs) host galaxies performed with the Spitzer Space Telescope, and we investigate in the thermal infrared the presence of evolved stellar populations and dust-enshrouded star-forming activity associated with these objects. Our sample is derived from GRBs that were identified with sub-arcsec localization between 1997 and 2001, and only a very small fraction (~20%) of the targeted sources is detected down to f_4.5mic ~3.5microJy and f_24mic ~85microJy (3sigma). This likely argues against a population d…
We present evidence that the 8 $μ$m (dust) and 24 $μ$m luminosities of star-forming galaxies are both strongly correlated with their 1.4 GHz and H$α$ luminosities over a range in luminosity of two-to-three orders of magnitude. At the bright end, the correlations are found to be essentially linear over a luminosity range of about two orders of magnitude (corresponding to star-formation rates of several-tenths to several tens of solar masses per year). However, at the faint end, there appears to be a slope change for dwarf galaxies, possibly due to the lower dust-to-gas ratios and lower metallic…
A proper analysis of the evolution of sources emitting in the Mid-Infrared is strongly dependent on their broad-band spectral properties (SEDs) at different redshifts and luminosities and on a reliable classification allowing to disentangle AGN from star-formation activity. The diagnostic diagrams based on the optical line ratios are often ambiguous and/or misleading not allowing a proper separation of the galaxy/AGN populations. Thanks to the combination of deep Spitzer and X-rays data a much better census of the hidden AGN activity and dust-obscured star-forming galaxies can be obtained, con…
We present initial results from a survey of the Orion A and B molecular clouds made with the InfraRed Array Camera (IRAC) onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope. This survey encompasses a total of 5.6 square degrees with the sensitivity to detect objects below the hydrogen burning limit at an age of 1 Myr. These observations cover a number of known star forming regions, from the massive star forming clusters in the Orion Nebula and NGC 2024, to small groups of low mass stars in the L1641. We combine the IRAC photometry with photometry from the 2MASS point source catalog and use the resulting seve…
We present Spitzer observations of the blue compact dwarf galaxy (BCD) Haro 3, with an oxygen abundance of 12+log(O/H)=8.32. These data are part of a larger study of star formation and dust in low-metallicity environments.The IRS spectrum of Haro 3 shows strong narrow Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) emission, with high equivalent widths. Gaseous nebular fine-structure lines are also seen. Despite the absence of optical high-excitation lines, a faint high-ionization [O IV] line at 25.89 micron indicates the presence of radiation as hard as 54.9 eV. A CLOUDY model suggests that the MIR lin…
Granato et al(2004) have elaborated a physically grounded model exploiting the mutual feedback between star-forming spheroidal galaxies and the active nuclei growing in their cores to overcome, within the hierarchical clustering scenario for galaxy formation, one of the main challenges facing such scenario, the fact that massive spheroidal galaxies appear to have formed earlier and faster than predicted by previous models. Adopting the choice by Granato et al for the parameters governing the history of the SF,of chemical abundances and of the gas and dust content of galaxies, we are left with …
(abridged) Infrared selection is a potentially powerful way to identify heavily obscured AGN missed in even the deepest X-ray surveys. Using a 24 micron-selected sample in GOODS-S, we test the reliability and completeness of three infrared AGN selection methods: (1) IRAC color-color selection, (2) IRAC power-law selection, and (3) IR-excess selection; we also evaluate a number of infrared excess approaches. We find that the vast majority of non-power-law IRAC color-selected AGN candidates in GOODS-S have colors consistent with those of star-forming galaxies. Contamination by star-forming galax…
CH4 is proposed to be the starting point of a rich organic chemistry. Solid CH4 abundances have previously been determined mostly toward high mass star forming regions. Spitzer/IRS now provides a unique opportunity to probe solid CH4 toward low mass star forming regions as well. Infrared spectra from the Spitzer Space Telescope are presented to determine the solid CH4 abundance toward a large sample of low mass young stellar objects. 25 out of 52 ice sources in the $c2d$ (cores to disks) legacy have an absorption feature at 7.7 um, attributed to the bending mode of solid CH4. The solid CH4 / H…
New images of M31 at 24, 70, and 160 micron taken with the Multiband Imaging Photometer for Spitzer (MIPS) reveal the morphology of the dust in this galaxy. This morphology is well represented by a composite of two logarithmic spiral arms and a circular ring (radius ~10 kpc) of star formation offset from the nucleus. The two spiral arms appear to start at the ends of a bar in the nuclear region and extend beyond the star forming ring. As has been found in previous work, the spiral arms are not continuous but composed of spiral segments. The star forming ring is very circular except for a regio…
Data from the Spitzer Space Telescope (the First Look Survey - FLS) have recently been made public. We have compared the 24 micron images with very deep WSRT 1.4 GHz observations, centred on the FLS verification strip (FLSv). Approximately 75% of the radio sources have corresponding 24 micron identifications. Such a close correspondence is expected, especially at the fainter radio flux density levels, where star forming galaxies are thought to dominate both the radio and mid-IR source counts. However, a significant fraction of radio sources detected by WSRT (25%) have no mid-IR detection in th…
Using the Spitzer Space Telescope, we have observed 90 weak-line and classical T Tauri stars in the vicinity of the Ophiuchus, Lupus, Chamaeleon, and Taurus star-forming regions as part of the Cores to Disks (c2d) Spitzer Legacy project. In addition to the Spitzer data, we have obtained contemporaneous optical photometry to assist in constructing spectral energy distributions. These objects were specifically chosen as solar-type young stars with low levels of H alpha emission, strong X-ray emission, and lithium absorption i.e. weak-line T Tauri stars, most of which were undetected in the mid-t…
We report discovery of significant depletion of Li on the surfaces of F dwarf stars in the 150-Myr-old open cluster M35, analagous to a feature in the 700-Myr-old Hyades cluster that has been referred to as the ``Li gap.'' We have caught the gap in the act of forming: using high resolution, high S/N, WIYN/Hydra observations, we detect Li in all but a few M35 F stars; the maximum depletion lies at least 0.6-0.8 dex below minimally depleted (or undepleted) stars. The M35 Li depletion region, a) is quite wide, with clear depletion seen from 6000K to 6700K or hotter; b) shows a significant dispers…
We present large-area maps of the CO J=3-2 emission obtained at the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope for four spiral galaxies in the Virgo Cluster. We combine these data with published CO J=1-0, 24 micron, and Halpha images to measure the CO line ratios, molecular gas masses, and instantaneous gas depletion times. For three galaxies in our sample (NGC 4254, NGC4321, and NGC 4569), we obtain molecular gas masses of 7E8-3E9 Msun and disk-averaged instantaneous gas depletion times of 1.1-1.7 Gyr. We argue that the CO J=3-2 line is a better tracer of the dense star forming molecular gas than the CO J…
We present Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph spectra of 28 Class I protostars in the Taurus star-forming region. The 5 to 36 micron spectra reveal excess emission from the inner regions of the envelope and accretion disk surrounding these predecessors of low-mass stars, as well as absorption features due to silicates and ices. Together with shorter- and longer-wavelength data from the literature, we construct spectral energy distributions and fit envelope models to 22 protostars of our sample, most of which are well-constrained due to the availability of the IRS spectra. We infer that the envelope…
Infrared Dark Clouds (IRDCs) represent the earliest observed stages of clustered star formation, characterized by large column densities of cold and dense molecular material observed in silhouette against a bright background of mid-IR emission. Up to now, IRDCs were predominantly known toward the inner Galaxy where background infrared emission levels are high. We present Spitzer observations with the Infrared Camera Array toward object G111.80+0.58 (G111) in the outer Galactic Plane, located at a distance of ~3 kpc from us and ~10 kpc from the Galactic center. Earlier results show that G111 is…
AIMS: To study the structure of nearby (< 500 pc) dense starless and star-forming cores with the particular goal to identify and understand evolutionary trends in core properties, and to explore the nature of Very Low Luminosity Objects (< 0.1 L_sun; VeLLOs). METHODS: Using the MAMBO bolometer array, we create maps unusually sensitive to faint (few mJy per beam) extended (approx. 5 arcmin) thermal dust continuum emission at 1.2 mm wavelength. Complementary information on embedded stars is obtained from Spitzer, IRAS, and 2MASS. RESULTS: Our maps are very rich in structure, and we characterize …
New surveys with the Spitzer space telescope identify distant star-forming and active galaxies by their strong emission at far-infrared wavelengths, which provides strong constraints on these galaxies' bolometric energy. Using early results from Spitzer surveys at 24 micron, we argue that the faint sources correspond to the existence of a population of infrared-luminous galaxies at z > 1 that are not expected from predictions based on previous observations from ISO and IRAS. Combining Spitzer images with deep ground-based optical and Hubble Space Telescope imaging, we discuss the properties of…
We report the first fully sampled maps of the distribution of interstellar CO2 ices, H2O ices and total hydrogen nuclei, as inferred from the 9.7 micron silicate feature, toward the star-forming region Cepheus A East with the IRS instrument onboard the Spitzer Space Telescope. We find that the column density distributions for these solid state features all peak at, and are distributed around, the location of HW2, the protostar believed to power one of the outflows observed in this star-forming region. A correlation between the column density distributions of CO2 and water ice with that of tota…
We present a comprehensive study of a low-mass star-forming region,L1251B, at wavelengths from the near-infrared to the millimeter. L1251B, where only one protostar, IRAS 22376+7455, was known previously, is confirmed to be a small group of protostars based on observations with the Spitzer Space Telescope. The most luminous source of L1251B is located 5" north of the IRAS position. A near-infrared bipolar nebula, which is not associated with the brightest object and is located at the southeast corner of L1251B, has been detected in the IRAC bands. OVRO and SMA interferometric observations indi…
We present ground-based optical and Spitzer infrared imaging observations of the interacting galaxy UGC 10214, the "Tadpole Galaxy" (z = 0.0310), focusing on the star formation activity in the nuclear, disk, spiral arms and tidal tail regions. The major findings of this study are that the Tadpole is actively forming stars in the main disk outside of the nucleus and in the tidal plume, with an estimated mean star formation rate of ~2 to 4 M_sun/yr. The most prominent sites of mid-infrared emission define a "ring" morphology that, combined with the overall morphology of the system, suggest the i…
Mid-infrared diagnostics are presented for a large portion of the Spitzer Infrared Nearby Galaxies Survey (SINGS) sample plus archival data from the Infrared Space Observatory and the Spitzer Space Telescope. Our main result is that these mid-infrared diagnostics effectively constrain a target's dominant power source. The combination of a high ionization line index and PAH strength serves as an efficient discriminant between AGN and star-forming nuclei, confirming progress made with ISO spectroscopy on starbursting and ultraluminous infrared galaxies. The sensitivity of Spitzer allows us to pr…
We present Spitzer IRAC (3.6, 4.5, 5.8, 8.0 um) and MIPS (24 um) observations of the SCUBA submillimeter sources and uJy VLA radio sources in a 5'x5' area in the Lockman Hole East region. Out of the ~40 SCUBA/VLA sources in the field, Spitzer counterparts were detected for nearly all except for the few low-weight SCUBA detections. We show that the majority (80-90%) of the detected sources are cold (i.e., starburst-like) infrared-luminous galaxies (L_{IR} > 10^{11} Lsun) at redshift 0.5<z<3.5, whose star-formation rate density (SFRD) is comparable to that of the optically-selected star-forming …
IZw18, a blue compact dwarf (BCD) galaxy with the 2nd lowest metallicity measured in a star-forming object, has been observed with all three instruments on board the Spitzer Space Telescope. We present the deepest 5-36 micron mid-infrared (mid-IR) spectrum of this galaxy as yet obtained, as well as 3.6 to 70 micron imaging results. As with SBS0335-052E, another BCD with similar metallicity, IZw18 shows no detectable emission from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). However, the continuum emission, from 15 to 70 micron, of IZw18 has a much steeper slope, more characteristic of a typical st…
We present deep Ks<21.5 (Vega) identifications, redshifts and stellar masses for most of the sources composing the bulk of the 24 micron background in the GOODS/CDFS. Our identified sample consists of 747 Spitzer/MIPS 24 micron objects, and includes ~94% of all the 24 micron sources in the GOODS-South field which have fluxes Snu(24)>83 microJy (the 80% completeness limit of the Spitzer/GTO 24 micron catalog). 36% of our galaxies have spectroscopic redshifts (mostly at z<1.5) and the remaining ones have photometric redshifts of very good quality, with a median of |dz|=|zspec-zphot|/(1+zspec)=0.…
We use deep far-IR, submm, radio and X-ray imaging and mid-IR spectroscopy to explore the nature of a sample of Spitzer-selected dust-obscured galaxies (DOGs) in GOODS-N. A sample of 79 galaxies satisfy the criteria R-[24]>14 (Vega) down to S24>100 microJy. Twelve of these galaxies have IRS spectra available which we use to measure redshifts and classify these objects as being dominated by star formation or active galactic nuclei (AGN) activity in the mid-IR. The IRS spectra and Spitzer photometric redshifts confirm that the DOGs lie in a tight redshift distribution around z~2. Based on mid-IR…
We present {\it Spitzer} images of the relatively sparse, low luminosity young cluster L988e, as well as complementary near-infrared (NIR) and submillimeter images of the region. The cluster is asymmetric, with the western region of the cluster embedded within the molecular cloud, and the slightly less dense eastern region to the east of, and on the edge of, the molecular cloud. With these data, as well as with extant H$α$ data of stars primarily found in the eastern region of the cluster, and a molecular $^{13}$CO gas emission map of the entire region, we investigate the distribution of formi…
We present a Spitzer based census of the IC 348 nebula and embedded star cluster. Our Spitzer census supplemented by ground based spectra has added 42 class II T-Tauri sources to the cluster membership and identified ~20 class 0/I protostars. The population of IC 348 likely exceeds 400 sources after accounting statistically for unidentified diskless members. Our Spitzer census of IC 348 reveals a population of protostars that is anti-correlated spatially with the T-Tauri members, which comprise the centrally condensed cluster around a B star. The protostars are instead found mostly at the clus…
We discuss infrared Spitzer observations of early type galaxies in the SAURON sample at 24, 60 and 170 microns. When compared with 2MASS Ks band luminosities, lenticular (S0) galaxies exhibit a much wider range of mid to far-infrared luminosities then elliptical (E) galaxies. Mid and far-infrared emission from E galaxies is a combination of circumstellar or interstellar emission from local mass-losing red giant stars, dust buoyantly transported from the galactic cores into distant hot interstellar gas and dust accreted from the environment. The source of mid and far-IR emission in S0 galaxies …
