27-10-2012, 02:18 PM
Star Formation as Seen by the Infrared Array Camera on Spitzer
ABSTRACT
The Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) onboard Spitzer has imaged regions of star formation (SF) in its four IR bands with
spatial resolutions of approximately 2"/pixel. IRAC is sensitive enough to detect very faint, embedded young stars at
levels of tens of Jy, and IRAC photometry can categorize their stages of development: from young protostars with infalling
envelopes (Class 0/1) to stars whose infrared excesses derive from accreting circumstellar disks (Class 11) to evolved stars
dominated by photospheric emission. The IRAC images also clearly reveal and help diagnose associated regions of shocked
and/or PDR emission in the clouds; we find existing models provide a good start at explaining the continuum of the SF regions
IRAC observes.