A shallow though extensive H2 2.122-μm imaging survey of Taurus–Auriga–Perseus – I. NGC 1333, L1455, L1448 and B1 |
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| Authors: | C J Davis P Scholz P Lucas M D Smith A Adamson |
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| Institution: | Joint Astronomy Centre, 660 North A'ohōkūPlace, University Park, Hilo, Hawaii 96720, USA;Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada;Centre for Astrophysics Research, Science &Technology Research Institute, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9AB;Centre for Astrophysics &Planetary Science, School of Physical Sciences, The University of Kent, Canterbury CT2 7NR |
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| Abstract: | We discuss wide-field near-infrared (near-IR) imaging of the NGC 1333, L1448, L1455 and B1 star-forming regions in Perseus. The observations have been extracted from a much larger narrow-band imaging survey of the Taurus–Auriga–Perseus complex. These H2 2.122-μm observations are complemented by broad-band K imaging, mid-IR imaging and photometry from the Spitzer Space Telescope , and published submillimetre CO J = 3–2 maps of high-velocity molecular outflows. We detect and label 85 H2 features and associate these with 26 molecular outflows. Three are parsec-scale flows, with a mean flow lobe length exceeding 11.5 arcmin. 37 (44 per cent) of the detected H2 features are associated with a known Herbig–Haro object, while 72 (46 per cent) of catalogued HH objects are detected in H2 emission. Embedded Spitzer sources are identified for all but two of the 26 molecular outflows. These candidate outflow sources all have high near-to-mid-IR spectral indices (mean value of α～ 1.4 ) as well as red IRAC 3.6–4.5 μm and IRAC/MIPS 4.5–24.0 μm colours: 80 per cent have 3.6]–4.5] > 1.0 and 4.5]–24] > 1.5. These criteria – high α and red 4.5]–24] and 3.6]–4.5] colours – are powerful discriminants when searching for molecular outflow sources. However, we find no correlation between α and flow length or opening angle, and the outflows appear randomly orientated in each region. The more massive clouds are associated with a greater number of outflows, which suggests that the star formation efficiency is roughly the same in each region. |
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| Keywords: | stars: formation ISM: individual: Perseus ISM: jets and outflows ISM: kinematics and dynamics infrared: stars |
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