2MASS wide field extinction maps. I. The Pipe nebula
- Author(s)
- M. Lombardi, J. Alves, C. J. Lada
- Abstract
Context: . Aims: . We present a 8°×6°, high resolution extinction map of the Pipe nebula using 4.5 million stars from the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) point source catalog. Methods: . The use of Nicer (Lombardi & Alves 2001, A&A, 377,1023), a robust and optimal technique to map the dust column density,allows us to detect a AV = 0.5 mag extinction at a 3-σlevel with a 1 arcmin resolution. Results: . (i ) We find forthe Pipe nebula a normal reddening law, E(J - H) = (1.85 ± 0.15)E(H - K). (ii ) We measure the cloud distance using Hipparchos and Tycho parallaxes, and obtain 130+24-58 pc. This,together with the total estimated mass, 10^4 {M}_⊙, makes the Pipe the closest massive cloud complex to Earth. (iii ) We compare the Nicer extinction map to the NANTEN {}12CO observations and derive with unprecedented accuracy the relationship between the near-infrared extinction and the 12CO column density and hence (indirectly)the 12CO X-factor, that we estimate to be 2.91 ×1020 cm-2 K-1 km-1 s in the range AV in [0.9, 5.4] mag. (iv ) We identify approximately1500 OH/IR stars located within the Galactic bulge in the direction of the Pipe field. This represents a significant increase of the known numbers of such stars in the Galaxy. Conclusions: . Our analysis confirms the power and simplicity of the color excess technique to study molecular clouds. The comparison with the NANTEN {}12CO data corroborates the insensitivity of CO observations to low column densities (up to approximately 2 mag in A_V), and shows also an irreducible uncertainty in the dust-CO correlation of about 1 mag of visual extinction.
- Organisation(s)
- Department of Astrophysics
- External organisation(s)
- Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, European Southern Observatory (Germany)
- Journal
- Astronomy & Astrophysics
- Volume
- 454
- Pages
- 781-796
- ISSN
- 0004-6361
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20042474
- Publication date
- 08-2006
- Peer reviewed
- Yes
- Austrian Fields of Science 2012
- 103004 Astrophysics
- Keywords
- Portal url
- https://ucris.univie.ac.at/portal/en/publications/2mass-wide-field-extinction-maps-i-the-pipe-nebula(696029f9-23e7-44b2-8b47-6a22bebc13ce).html