Spitzer Observations of IC 2118

Creators: Guieu, S.; Rebull, L. M.; Stauffer, J. R.; Vrba, F. J.; Noriega-Crespo, A.; Spuck, T.; Roelofsen Moody, T.; Sepulveda, B.; Weehler, C.; Maranto, A.; Cole, D. M.; Flagey, N.; Laher, R.; Penprase, B.; Ramirez, S.; Stolovy, S.

Abstract

IC 2118, also known as the Witch Head Nebula, is a wispy, roughly cometary, ~5 degree long reflection nebula, and is thought to be a site of triggered star formation. In order to search for new young stellar objects (YSOs), we have observed this region in seven mid- and far-infrared bands using the Spitzer Space Telescope and in four bands in the optical using the U. S. Naval Observatory 40 inch telescope. We find infrared excesses in four of the six previously known T Tauri stars in our combined infrared maps, and we find six entirely new candidate YSOs, one of which may be an edge-on disk. Most of the YSOs seen in the infrared are Class II objects, and they are all in the "head" of the nebula, within the most massive molecular cloud of the region.

Additional Information

© 2010 The American Astronomical Society. Received 2009 December 4; accepted 2010 June 30; published 2010 August 5. We acknowledge all of the students who contributed their time and energy to early reductions, analysis, discussion, and poster papers based on this work. They include the following, from 2005–2007. From Oil City Area Senior High School (w/T. Spuck): D. H. Bowser II, B. R. Ehrhart, I. Frost, M. T. Heath, N. Kelley, P. Morton, M. Walentosky, S. P. Weiser, and D. Yeager. From Phillips Exeter Academy (w/A. Maranto): M. T. Greer, J. V. Preis, and P. D.Weston. From Lincoln High School (w/B. Sepulveda): A. S. Hughes, S. Meyer, N. D. Sharma, and E. Sharma. From Luther Burbank High School (w/C.Weehler): J. M. Herrera. We also acknowledge conversations with Gaspard Duchene regarding our edge-on disk candidate and fluxes for some comparison SEDs. This work is based in part on observations made with the Spitzer Space Telescope, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with NASA. Support for this work was provided by NASA through an award issued by JPL/Caltech. This work was also supported by the Spitzer Research Program for Teachers and Students. The research described in this paper was partially carried out at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. We thank the Palomar Observatory and of course the Spitzer staff for their assistance using the telescope. This research has made use of NASA's Astrophysics Data System (ADS) Abstract Service, and of the SIMBAD database, operated at CDS, Strasbourg, France. This research has made use of data products from the Two Micron All-Sky Survey (2MASS), which is a joint project of the University of Massachusetts and the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center, funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Science Foundation. These data are served by the NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive, which is operated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. This research has made use of the Digitized Sky Surveys, which were produced at the Space Telescope Science Institute under U.S. Government grant NAG W-2166. The images of these surveys are based on photographic data obtained using the Oschin Schmidt Telescope on Palomar Mountain and the UK Schmidt Telescope. The plates were processed into the present compressed digital form with the permission of these institutions.

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