bok globules are the smallest and simplest molecular clouds capable of forming new stars. past work using the iras data base has helped to identify samples of nearby globules with infrared signatures of current embedded star formation. perhaps equally important, iras data have been used to identify bok globules which appear to not have embedded star formation. subsequent studies of this starless sample of globules have been initiated, with the goal of characterizing the physical conditions of these simple clouds before stars have formed. however, iras was not able to detect all low mass stars, and the quality of the starless sample of bok globules is unknown, if not suspect. using iso with the isocam instrument, we propose to conduct a very deep search for stars in the starless globule sample. the detection limit is set so that any hydrogen burning star or any yso will be clearly identified within the globule cores and very near envelopes. the results of such a search will be analyzed in order to: 1) establish a bona fide sample of truly starless bok globules; 2) determine the star formation rates and efficiencies for stars in the 0.08 - 0.7 solar mass range (fainter than iras, but detectable by iso) for the globules here found to contain low-mass stars; and 3) test for low-mass stellar clustering in bok globules to see if such clustering is universal in star forming regions. this survey will be conducted using the isocam instrument in the lw2 (6.75 micron) and lw3 (15 micron) filters in a micro-stepping map mode to return maps of 3 arcsecond resolution (pfov) over areas of 3.7 x 3.7 arcmin square.
Instrument
CAM01 , PHT03
Temporal Coverage
1996-02-26T05:53:34Z/1998-03-16T16:32:37Z
Version
1.0
Mission Description
The Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) was the world's first true orbiting infrared observatory. Equipped with four highly-sophisticated and versatile scientific instruments, it was launched by Ariane in November 1995 and provided astronomers world-wide with a facility of unprecedented sensitivity and capabilities for a detailed exploration of the Universe at infrared wavelengths.
European Space Agency, 1999, Are Starless Bok Globules Really Devoid Of Starsquestionmark Isocam Imaging Of Starless Bok Globules, 1.0, European Space Agency, https://doi.org/10.5270/esa-xhprv9u
