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A Spitzer/IRAC survey of the Orion Molecular Clouds

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 November 2005

S. T. Megeath ,
K. M. Flaherty ,
J. Hora ,
L. E. Allen ,
G. G. Fazio ,
L. Hartmann ,
P. C. Myers ,
J. Muzerolle ,
J. L. Pipher  and
N. Siegler
...Show all authors
S. T. Megeath
Affiliation:
Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St, Cambridge, MA 02138 email: tmegeath@cfa.harvard.edu
K. M. Flaherty
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester
J. Hora
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester
L. E. Allen
Affiliation:
Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St, Cambridge, MA 02138 email: tmegeath@cfa.harvard.edu
G. G. Fazio
Affiliation:
Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St, Cambridge, MA 02138 email: tmegeath@cfa.harvard.edu
L. Hartmann
Affiliation:
Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St, Cambridge, MA 02138 email: tmegeath@cfa.harvard.edu
P. C. Myers
Affiliation:
Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden St, Cambridge, MA 02138 email: tmegeath@cfa.harvard.edu
J. Muzerolle
Affiliation:
Steward Observatory, University of Arizona
J. L. Pipher
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Rochester
N. Siegler
Affiliation:
Steward Observatory, University of Arizona
J. R. Stauffer
Affiliation:
Spitzer Science Center, California Institute of Technology
E. Young
Affiliation:
Steward Observatory, University of Arizona
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Abstract

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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 seven band data to identify stars with infrared excesses due to dusty disks and envelopes. Using the presence of an infrared excess as an indicator of youth, we show the distribution of young stars and protostars in the two molecular clouds. We find that roughly half of the stars are found in dense clusters surrounding the two regions of recent massive star formation in the Orion clouds, NGC 2024 and the Orion Nebula.

Keywords

stars:formationstars:pre-main sequencestars:protoplanetary disksISM:cloudsISM:dustextinctionISM:moleculesinfrared:stars
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 1 , Symposium S227: Massive Star Birth: A Crossroads of Astrophysics , May 2005 , pp. 383 - 388
Copyright
© 2005 International Astronomical Union