The Serpens South Protocluster Core as Viewed by SOFIA/FORCAST
Abstract
With a high ratio of protostars to young stellar objects, the Serpens South Protocluster is among the youngest known clusters. At the time of its discovery, 91 protostars and YSOs were identified based on excess infrared emission; half of these members are found within the densest part, or core, of the cluster. Subsequent studies, including millimeter continuum observations, have increased the number of likely members. Using SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy), we observed the core of the cluster at 19.7, 25.4, and 37.1 μm with FORCAST (Faint Object InfraRed CAmera for the SOFIA Telescope), detecting more than two dozen members. Our FORCAST observations reveal a faint protostar about 7″ (2900 AU at 415 pc) from a previously known protostar, demonstrating a strength of SOFIA/FORCAST in discovering faint sources previously unresolved from brighter neighboring sources. Including observations from the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Herschel Space Observatory, we construct infrared spectral energy distributions of members, estimate their internal luminosities, and discuss the content of the cluster's core.
- Publication:
-
American Astronomical Society Meeting Abstracts #225
- Pub Date:
- January 2015
- Bibcode:
- 2015AAS...22541401H