Infrared and radio studies of massive star formation

• Main Author: Cox, James
• Published: Cardiff University 2007
• Subjects: 520
• Online Access: http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.584092

The 6.67 GHz methanol maser is uniquely associated with the phenomena of the earliest stages of high mass star formation, high mass protostellar objects (HMPOs), hot molecular starless cores (HMSCs), and compact HII regions. An unbiased survey for these masers in the plane of the Galaxy, the Methanol Maser Multibeam (MMB) Survey, is outlined. It is noted that for the subsequent exploration of these regions highly spatially resolved mid and far infrared observations are required, since this is where the emission from HMSCs and HMPOs peak. I discuss a new far infrared camera, THUMPER, which was designed and built in Cardiff. THUMPER was capable of making such observations of HMSCs and HMPOs. The observations that were carried out with THUMPER on the JCMT are presented. These are the characterisation of the atmospheric transmission at 200 /im on Mauna Kea and the first 200 /zm ground based astronomical images. I present the results of the MMB survey and compare the maser detections with various infrared parameters. The spectral indices (a) of the infrared sources are calculated and a correlation between a and the flux of the associated maser is found. This is explained in terms of the mass of dust present and age of the source. The more dust associated with the source, the brighter the maser.