Spectrophotometry of compact H II regions from 4 to 8 microns
Spectrophotometric observations from 4 to 8 microns of the compact H II regions W51-IRS 2 and K3-50 are reported. Two broad absorption features at approximately 6.0 and 6.8 microns are observed in the spectra of W51-IRS 2, and the 6.0-micron feature is seen in K3-50. These features may be due to absorption by silicate grains. A more speculative identification is absorption by hydrocarbon molecules. The continuum flux from 2 to 13 microns is broader than emission from a single-temperature blackbody; this suggests a distribution of dust temperatures within the H II regions. Failure to detect hydrogen Pfund-alpha in W51-IRS 2 indicates significant 7.5-micron extinction. Upper limits are placed on the abundance of Ar(+).