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Register a new userInfrared point source variability between the Spitzer and MSX surveys of the Galactic mid-plane
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We present a list of 552 sources with suspected variability, based on a comparison of mid-infrared photometry from the GLIMPSE I and MSX surveys, which were carried out nearly a decade apart. We were careful to address issues such as the difference in resolution and sensitivity between the two surveys, as well as the differences in the spectral responses of the instruments. We selected only sources where the IRAC 8.0 and MSX 8.28 micron fluxes differ by more than a factor of two, in order to minimize contamination from sources where the difference in fluxes at 8 micron is due to a strong 10 micron silicate feature. We present a subset of 40 sources for which additional evidence suggests variability, using 2MASS and MIPSGAL data. Based on a comparison with the variability flags in the IRAS and MSX Point-Source Catalogs we estimate that at least a quarter of the 552 sources, and at least half of the 40 sources are truly variable. In addition, we tentatively confirm the variability of one source using multi-epoch IRAS LRS spectra. We suggest that most of the sources in our list are likely to be Asymptotic Giant Branch stars.
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We have carried out a statistical study on the mid- and far-infrared (IR) properties of Galactic IR bubbles observed by Spitzer. Using the Spitzer 8 ${mu}{rm m}$ images, we estimated the radii and covering fractions of their shells, and categorized them into closed, broken and unclassified bubbles with our data analysis method. Then, using the AKARI all-sky images at wavelengths of 9, 18, 65, 90, 140 and 160 ${mu}{rm m}$, we obtained the spatial distributions and the luminosities of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), warm and cold dust components by decomposing 6-band spectral energy distributions with model fitting. As a result, 180 sample bubbles show a wide range of the total IR luminosities corresponding to the bolometric luminosities of a single B-type star to many O-type stars. For all the bubbles, we investigated relationships between the radius, luminosities and luminosity ratios, and found that there are overall similarities in the IR properties among the bubbles regardless of their morphological types. In particular, they follow a power-law relation with an index of $sim$3 between the total IR luminosity and radius, as expected from the conventional picture of the Str$rm{ddot{o}}$mgren sphere. The exceptions are large broken bubbles; they indicate higher total IR luminosities, lower fractional luminosities of the PAH emission, and dust heating sources located nearer to the shells. We discuss the implications of those differences for a massive star-formation scenario.
We use the multi-epoch, mid-infrared Spitzer Deep, Wide-Field Survey to investigate the variability of 474,179 objects in 8.1 deg^2 of the NDWFS Bootes field. We perform a Difference Image Analysis of the four available epochs between 2004 and 2008, focusing on the deeper 3.6 and 4.5 micron bands. We find that 1.1% of the studied sample meet our standard selection criteria for being classed as a variable source. We require that the 3.6 and 4.5 micron light-curves are strongly correlated (r>0.8) and that their joint variance exceeds that for all sources with the same magnitude by 2 sigma. We then examine the mid-IR colors of the variable sources and match them with X-ray sources from the XBootes survey, radio catalogs, 24 micron-selected AGN candidates, and spectroscopically identified AGNs from the AGN and Galaxy Evolution Survey (AGES). Based on their mid-IR colors, most of the variable sources are AGNs (76%), with smaller contributions from stars (11%), galaxies (6%), and unclassified objects. Most of the stellar, galaxy and unclassified sources are false positives. For our standard selection criteria, 11-12% of the mid-IR counterparts to X-ray sources, 24 micron-selected AGN candidates and spectroscopically identified AGNs show variability. Mid-IR AGN variability can be well described by a single power-law structure function with a power-law index of 0.5 at both 3.6 and 4.5 microns, and an amplitude of 0.1 mag on rest-frame time scales of 2 years. The variability amplitude is higher for shorter rest-frame wavelengths and lower luminosities. (Abridged)
The combination of mid-infrared data from the MSX satellite mission and ground-based near-infrared photometry is used to characterise the properties of the mid-infrared population of the Galactic plane. The colours of the youngest sources still heavily embedded within their natal molecular clouds are in general different from evolved stars shrouded within their own dust shells. Our main motivation is to use MSX for an unbiased search for a large (~1000) sample of massive young stellar objects (MYSOs). A simple analysis shows that the MSX point source catalogue should contain most of the MYSOs within our Galaxy. We develop colour selection criteria using combined near- and mid-infrared data for MYSOs, which produces a list of 3071 objects, excluding the galactic centre region. The programme of follow-up observations already underway to separate the MYSOs from compact H II regions and other remaining objects is briefly described. We also show that these data can be used, just as IRAS data has been previously, to provide a separation between evolved stars with carbon rich and oxygen rich dust. These data may also be used to search for evidence of dust around normal main sequence stars, such as low mass pre-main sequence stars or the Vega-excess class of objects where debris disks are presumed to remain from the planet formation process. We discuss the accuracy and completeness of the MSX point source catalogue, and show that the errors present tend to be of a kind that is not significant for the main stellar populations we discuss in this paper.
We have identified 230 Tycho-2 Spectral Catalog stars that exhibit 8 micron mid-infrared extraphotospheric excesses in the MidCourse Space Experiment (MSX) and Spitzer Space Telescope Galactic Legacy MidPlane Survey Extraordinaire (GLIMPSE) surveys. Of these, 183 are either OB stars earlier than B8 in which the excess plausibly arises from a thermal bremsstrahlung component or evolved stars in which the excess may be explained by an atmospheric dust component. The remaining 47 stars have spectral classifications B8 or later and appear to be main sequence or late pre-main-sequence objects harboring circumstellar disks. Six of the 47 stars exhibit multiple signatures characteristic of pre-main-sequence circumstellar disks, including emission lines, near-infrared K-band excesses, and X-ray emission. Approximately one-third of the remaining 41 sources have emission lines suggesting relative youth. Of the 25 GLIMPSE stars with SST data at >24 microns, 20 also show an excess at 24 microns. Three additional objects have 24 micron upper limits consistent with possible excesses, and two objects have photospheric measurements at 24 microns. Six MSX sources had a measurement at wavelengths >8 microns. We modeled the excesses in 26 stars having two or more measurements in excess of the expected photospheres as single-component blackbodies. We determine probable disk temperatures and fractional infrared luminosities in the range 191 < T < 787 and 3.9x10^-4 < L_IR/L_* < 2.7x10^-1. We estimate a lower limit on the fraction of Tycho-2 Spectral Catalog main-sequence stars having mid-IR, but not near-IR, excesses to be 1.0+-0.3%.
We present a highly reliable flux-limited census of 18,949 point sources in the Galactic mid-plane that have intrinsically red mid-infrared colors. These sources were selected from the Spitzer Space Telescope GLIMPSE I and II surveys of 274 deg^2 of the Galactic mid-plane, and consist mostly of high- and intermediate- mass young stellar objects (YSOs) and asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars. The selection criteria were carefully chosen to minimize the effects of position- dependent sensitivity, saturation, and confusion. The distribution of sources on the sky and their location in IRAC and MIPS 24 microns color-magnitude and color-color space are presented. Using this large sample, we find that YSOs and AGB stars can be mostly separated by simple color-magnitude selection criteria into approximately 50-70% of YSOs and 30-50% of AGB stars. Planetary nebulae and background galaxies together represent at most 2-3% of all the red sources. 1,004 red sources in the GLIMPSE II region, mostly AGB stars with high mass- loss rates, show significant (>0.3 mag) variability at 4.5 and/or 8.0 microns. With over 11,000 likely YSOs and over 7,000 likely AGB stars, this is to date the largest uniform census of AGB stars and high- and intermediate mass YSOs in the Milky-Way Galaxy.
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