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This article discusses the status of infrared astronomy after the mission of the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS). Important scientific results from IRAS include: the origin of the interplanetary dust cloud, the formation of solar type stars, the energetics of the interstellar medium, the discovery of ultra-luminous infrared galaxies and their possible relation to the origin of quasars, and the large scale structure of the universe.
The discovery of broad CO wings in four high-latitude molecular clouds which do not have associated internal energy sources is reported. The velocity width of the wings is as much as five times greater than the width of the cloud cores. Neither visible stars brighter than the background population, optical nebulosity, nor IRAS point sources are found at the position of the wings, except for one case with an IRAS source 3 arcmin from the peak position of the wings. The possibility that the wings are the result of conductive interfaces resulting from cold molecular clouds in a hotter ambient medium is examined, and it is concluded that the expected column density of such gas is more than three orders of magnitude smaller than that observed.
The aim was to obtain visual and infrared lightcurves of Pluto-Charon mutual eclipse event lightcurves and to analyze them to derive models of the Pluto-Charon system, including separations, relative sizes, some orbital parameters, system density, and an albedo map of the hemisphere of Pluto facing Charon. Researchers obtained observations of Pluto-Charon mutual events with the Palomar 1.5 and 5-meter, Kitt Peak 1.3-meter, and NASA Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF) 3-meter telescope. IRAS survey observations of Pluto were combined with the results of eclipse models to show that the thermal flux observed by IRAS cannot be explained using the standard thermal model for atmospherless solar system bodies but can be explained if Pluto behaves as an isothermal body, e.g., as would be the case if it had a thermally significant atmosphere (Tedesco et al., 1987). A water frost spectrum of Charon was obtained (Buie et al., 1987) and IR lightcurves of two asteroids were used to demonstrate that their visual lightcurves were due primarily to their irregular shapes (Lebofsky et al., 1988.
A high-sensitivity sample of IRAS-detected emission-line galaxies (ELGs) is used to investigate the FIR properties of these galaxies and the relative selection biases of the UM Curtis Schmidt and IRAS surveys. Color-color diagrams indicate that the FIR emission from the UM ELGs is due primarily to warm dust heated directly by the active star-forming regions that are responsible for the strong optical emission lines. The FIR luminosity of the UM ELGs is found to correlate with both H-beta and blue luminosities, suggesting that the current star-formation rate in these objects is more closely coupled to the past star-formation history than is generally acknowledged.
A detailed statistical evaluation of IRAS survey data of main-sequence stars within 25 pc indicates that the presence of cool shells around A, F, and G main-sequence stars is the rule, rather than the exception. While luminosity bias favors A and F stars, the typical G star still appears to have almost three orders of magnitude more excess than the excess of the solar system due to known zodiacal dust and all planets combined. The Vega effect is thus not restricted to stars of particularly young age. The finding that the 'archetypical' solar system appears to have much less far-IR excess than the majority of G stars supports a speculation that the sun could have a cloud of cold particles beyond the outer planets, undetected by IRAS viewing from earth.
The complexity and variety of objects in the infrared universe have been revealed by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS). Further exploration of this universe will be possible with the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF), which offers vast improvements in sensitivity and resolution over IRAS. SIRTF's planned capabilities and current status are briefly reviewed.
Deep direct images of five IRAS-selected QSOs with similar IR luminosities and spectral indices have been analyzed. The present objects possess IR luminosities similar to those of the IRAS flux-lined sample of ultraluminous galaxies, but have IR spectral indices similar to those of normal QSOs. Four of the objects are in strong tidal interaction and have blue host galaxies and reddened nuclei. It is suggested that these objects are QSOs and AGN in an intermediate stage of their activity, which lies between that of ultraluminous galaxies and optically selected QSOs.
A probable correlation between radio structure and IRAS spectrum in Seyfert galaxies is reported. For Seyfert galaxies known to exhibit the observational characteristics of vigorous star formation, the correlation between 1.4 GHz and 60 micron fluxes is in excellent agreement with that found for other extragalactic star formation regions. The far-IR radiation observed by IRAS from these galaxies is predominantly thermal emission from dust heated by hot stars. On the other hand, Seyfert galaxies with radio emission dominated by 'linear' structures tend to have relatively flat 25-100 micron spectra, and the ratio of their 1.4 GHz to 60 micron flux densities is considerably higher than that for star-forming regions. The radio and far-IR emission from this class appear to be dominated by the Seyfert nucleus, with the far-IR originating directly from a nonthermal source or from dust heated by one.
Infrared, optical, and X-ray observations are presented for a sample of 'warm' infrared selected galaxies listed in the IRAS Point Source Catalog. These galaxies have also been observed serendipitously in X-rays by the Einstein Observatory. From low-resolution optical spectra, it is found that all have emission lines, indicating a Seyfert or H II region type nucleus. Many of these galaxies were previously uncataloged. Based on the X-ray detection rate of this sample, it is concluded that large numbers of warm IRAS Seyfert 1-1.9 galaxies may be detectable in X-rays by future surveys such as Rosat.
The phenomenon which produces the spectra classified as Seyfert 1.8 or 1.9 is investigated through CCD spectropolarimetry and through analysis of three highly variable objects. The Seyfert 1.9 galaxy IRAS 1958-183 has a highly polarized continuum and a broad H-alpha line which is 30 percent polarized. The variability of NGC 2622, NGC 7603 (= Mrk 530), and Mrk 1018 are studied. The changes in flux of the broad lines and the continuum near H-alpha and H-beta are consistent with changes in the extinction in all cases. Improved IRAS photometry supports the conclusion that most Seyfert 1.8s and 1.9s are normal Seyfert 1s seen through a screen of dust located in or just outside of the broad-line regions. Variability is due to changes in the optical depth of this screen.
A new method for identifying massive stars inside molecular clouds is described which makes use of their characteristic FIR flux density distribution. A two-color selection criterion has been developed and carefully calibrated using stars which are known to be embedded in molecular clouds. When applied to the sensitive IRAS all-sky survey, a direct measure of the total number and distribution of embedded massive stars in the Galaxy is obtained. A lower limit is derived on the current O star formation rate in the Galaxy, the contribution O stars make to the FIR luminosity of the Galaxy is estimated, and it is shown that the number of IRAS sources found is consistent with a Galactic supernova rate of about one every 25 yrs.
Cometary atmospheres exhibit abundant sulfur and sulfur compounds, which are absent in planetary atmospheres. Sulfur compounds were also detected in interstellar media, including SO, SO2, CS, etc., but excluding S2 which was identified only in IRAS-Araki-Alcock 1983d. Fluorescence calculations are used to analyze the B-X system of S2 which appeared in IUE and ground-based spectra of IRAS-Araki-Alcock 1983d. Single- and multiple-cycle fluorescence calculations indicate that fluorescent equilibrium accounts for the observed spectra despite the fact that the S2 lifetime against solar ultraviolet radiation is relatively short. This analysis confirms unambiguously that emission peaks in the 3000 to 4000 A spectral range of the ground-based data are due to the B-X bands of S2. New evidence is presented of at least one S2 outburst before it was detected by A'Hearn, Feldman, and Schleicher. The time variation of S2 outgassing rates and discussion on the correlation between solar wind flux and the S2 outbursts will be presented.
Planetary nebulae of the galactic disk are generally seen to emit a thermal continuum due to dust grains heated by stellar and nebular photons. This continuum typically peaks between 25 and 60 micron m, so that the total power emitted by the dust is sampled well by the broad-band measurements made by IRAS. Researchers examine here the characteristics of the infrared emission from the four planetary nebulae which are believed on the basis of their low overall metallicities to belong to the halo population. These nebulae are of particular interest because they are the most metal-poor ionized nebulae known in our Galaxy, and offer the opportunity to probe possible dependences of the dust properties on nebular composition. Researchers present fluxes extracted from co-addition of the IRAS data, as well as ground-based near infrared measurements. Each of the four halo objects, including the planetary nebula in the globular cluster M15, is detected in at least one infrared band. Researchers compare the estimated infrared excesses of these nebulae (IRE, the ratio of measured infrared power to the power available in the form of resonantly-trapped Lyman alpha photons) to those of disk planetary nebulae with similar densities but more normal abundances. Three of the halo planetaries have IRE values similar to those of the disk nebulae, despite the fact that their Fe- and Si-peak gas phase abundances are factors of 10 to 100 lower. However, these halo nebulae have normal or elevated C/H ratios, due to nuclear processing and mixing in their red giant progenitors. Unlike the other halo planetaries, DDDM1 is deficient in carbon as well as in the other light metals. This nebula has a substantially lower IRE than the other halo planetaries, and may be truly dust efficient. Researchers suggest that the deficiency is due to a lack of the raw material for producing carbon-based grains, and that the main bulk constituent of the dust in these planetary nebulae is carbon.
The Diffuse Infrared Background Experiment (DIRBE) is one of three experiments to be carried aboard the Cosmic Background Explorer (COBE) satellite scheduled to be launched by NASA on a Delta rocket in 1989. The DIRBE is a cryogenic absolute photometer operating in a liquid helium dewar at 1.5 K. Photometric stability is a principal requirement for achieving the scientific objectives of this experiment. The Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS), launched in 1983, which used detectors similar to those in DIRBE, revealed substantial changes in detector responsivity following exposure to ionizing radiation encountered on passage through the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA). Since the COBE will use the same 900 Km sun-synchronous orbit as IRAS, ionizing radiation-induced performance changes in the detectors were a major concern. Here, ionizing radiation tests carried out on all the DIRBE photodetectors are reported. Responsivity changes following exposure to gamma rays, protons, and alpha particle are discussed. The detector performance was monitored following a simulated entire mission life dose. In addition, the response of the detectors to individual particle interactions was measured. The InSb photovoltaic detectors and the Blocked Impurity Band (BIB) detectors revealed no significant change in responsivity following radiation exposure. The Ge:Ga detectors show large effects which were greatly reduced by proper thermal annealing.
Detailed results of an IRAS survey of a large portion of the Monoceros OB1 molecular cloud for discrete far-IR sources are presented. IRAS spectral energy distributions are constructed for 27 of the 30 sources identified in the region. Many are bright class I energy distributions, indicating that star formation is still occurring in the complex which produced the visible cluster, NGC 2264. Far-IR luminosities are calculated for each source, and the bolometric luminosity functions for class I and class II sources in the Mon OB1 cloud are found to be significantly different. Of all class I and II sources more luminous than 5 solar, 50 percent of class I sources are more luminous than 60 solar while only 4 percent of class II sources are. An attempt is made to determine the type of young stellar object in the cloud with which molecular outflows are associated.
Ground-based observations have been obtained for eight F and G supergiant-like stars showing large IR excesses. The combination of ground-based and IRAS data shows that these objects have dual-peak energy distributions, with comparable amounts of energy emitted in the visible and the IR. The IR-emitting cool dust shells are likely to represent the remnants of ejecta from an earlier phase of evolution. It is suggested that these eight objects are similar to IRAS 18095 + 2704 and are intermediate-mass stars in a post-AGB phase of evolution. Model fittings to the 0.4-100 micron energy distribution of these objects suggest that they left the AGB within the last 1000 yr.
The source discovered by the IRAS satellite near the center of the globular cluster M22, IRAS 18333-2357, has been studied using the IUE satellite and a ground-based optical telescope. The northern component of the close pair of stars is not a member of the cluster. The southern component is a hot star with T(eff) of about 50,000 K illuminating a small planetary nebula and is a member of M22. Both the planetary nebula and its central star are extremely hydrogen deficient. The luminosity of the central star is in good agreement with that expected on theoretical grounds and with the observed luminosity of the tip of the red giant branch.
The IRAS data for a sample of nearby radio galaxies (z less than 0.13) are analyzed. Comparison of the infrared, radio, and optical data suggests that most of the long-wavelength infrared emission comes from cool interstellar dust for almost all of the galaxies; these galaxies may contain large amounts (10 to the 8th - 10 to the 10th solar masses of interstelar matter. About 15 percent of the galaxies show evidence for a hotter thermal component emitting at the shorter IRAS wavelengths; this could be due to dust in the inner regions of the galaxy heated by the active galactic nucleus.