The COMPLETE Survey of Nearby Star-Forming Molecular Clouds

Author(s)

J. Di Francesco, A. A. Goodman, J. Alves, H. Arce, P. Caselli, M. H. Heyer, D. Johnstone, S. Schnee, M. Tafalla, T. L. Wilson

Abstract

We report on the preliminary data and ongoing progress of the

COMPLETE* Survey of Nearby Star-Forming Molecular Clouds, an

international effort to provide the astronomical community with uniform,

wide-field observations of molecular line emission, dust continuum

emission, and dust extinction across the Ophiuchus, Perseus, and Serpens

molecular clouds. Such observations of ~10 square degrees are now only

feasible with the recent simultaneous availability of multi-element

mapping instruments at various facilities. Extensive data of

12CO and 13CO J = 1-0 rotational transition

emission across the 3 clouds will be obtained this winter using the

32-element SEQUOIA array of the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory

(FCRAO). Complementary 850 micron thermal continuum emission from dust

within these same regions may be obtained this winter using the

37-element Long-Wave SCUBA array of the James Clerk Maxwell Telescope

(JCMT). Dust extinction maps of these regions are being compiled

initially using Two-Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) data. The resulting

COMPLETE database, accessible freely to the public through a pilot

program of the National Virtual Observatory, will allow for

comprehensive studies of the relationships between star formation and

the physical conditions within molecular clouds, especially in

conjunction with sensitive near- to mid-infrared data of these regions

expected from the SIRTF Legacy program ``Cores to Disks" (c2d). (*

COMPLETE = CO-ordinated Molecular Probe Line, Thermal Emission, and

Extinction)

Organisation(s)

Department of Astrophysics

External organisation(s)

University of Massachusetts, Amherst, OAN, California Institute of Technology (Caltech), Harvard University, Joint ALMA Observatory, INAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri, National Research Council Canada (NRC-CNRC), Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie

Journal

Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society

Volume

34

Pages

1157

ISSN

0002-7537

Publication date

12-2002

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

103004 Astrophysics

Portal url

https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/the-complete-survey-of-nearby-starforming-molecular-clouds(2229b8fb-f649-4454-bb3a-f23f2920ac50).html