The Darkest Cloud: An IRAC/MIPS survey of the Pipe Nebula

Author(s)

Charles Lada, Joao Alves, Marco Lombardi, August Muench

Abstract

We propose to use Spitzer to perform an IRAC/MIPS imaging survey of the

Pipe Nebula, the massive dark cloud complex which is nearest the Sun.

Lacking the most obvious signposts of star formation, such as HII

regions, reflection nebulae, etc., this cloud appears to be a prime and

rare example of a massive molecular cloud in a very early stage of

evolutionary development. The primary goal of this survey will be to

obtain a complete census of protostellar and star formation activity in

this extremely young cloud. This data will be combined with the results

of a major observational program we have been conducting to map and

measure the structure of the entire cloud complex, including all its

dense cores, using deep near-infrared extinction observations obtained

from the ground. The synthesis of the extinction and Spitzer data will

used to construct a detailed empirical picture of the earliest stages of

dense core and protostellar evolution. As a secondary goal we also

intend to use the proposed Spitzer observations, in conjunction with the

near-infrared observations, to constrain the 1-8 micron extinction law

in the cloud and to measure the extinction in the most opaque (Av >

40 mag) dense cores, which cannot be penetrated by ground-based

observations alone.

Organisation(s)

Department of Astrophysics

Journal

Spitzer Proposal

Pages

20119

Publication date

06-2005

Austrian Fields of Science 2012

103004 Astrophysics

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