IRAS images of nearby dark clouds

Abstract

view Abstract Citations (57) References (24) Co-Reads Similar Papers Volume Content Graphics Metrics Export Citation NASA/ADS IRAS Images of Nearby Dark Clouds Wood, Douglas O. S. ; Myers, Philip C. ; Daugherty, Debra A. Abstract We have investigated approximately 100 nearby molecular clouds using the extensive, all-sky database of IRAS. The clouds in this study cover a wide range of physical properties including visual extinction, size, mass, degree of isolation, homogeneity and morphology. IRAS 100 and 60 micron co-added images were used to calculate the 100 micron optical depth of dust in the clouds. These images of dust optical depth compare very well with (12)CO and (13)CO observations, and can be related to H2 column density. From the optical depth images we locate the edges of dark clouds and the dense cores inside them. We have identified a total of 43 `IRAS clouds' (regions with Av greater than 2) which contain a total of 255 `IRAS cores' (regions with Av greater than 4) and we catalog their physical properties. We find that the clouds are remarkably filamentary, and that the cores within the clouds are often distributed along the filaments. The largest cores are usually connected to other large cores by filaments. We have developed selection criteria to search the IRAS Point Source Catalog for stars that are likely to be associated with the clouds and we catalog the IRAS sources in each cloud or core. Optically visible stars associated with the clouds have been identified from the Herbig and Bell catalog. From these data we characterize the physical properties of the clouds including their star-formation efficiency. Publication: The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series Pub Date: December 1994 DOI: 10.1086/192107 Bibcode: 1994ApJS...95..457W Keywords: Cosmic Dust; Infrared Astronomy; Infrared Imagery; Interstellar Extinction; Interstellar Matter; Molecular Clouds; Spaceborne Astronomy; Star Formation; Astronomical Catalogs; Astronomical Maps; Continuums; Infrared Astronomy Satellite; Astronomy; INFRARED: ISM: CONTINUUM; ISM: DUST; EXTINCTION; ISM: MOLECULES full text sources ADS | data products SIMBAD (391) CDS (2) Related Materials (1) Catalog: 1997yCat..20950457W