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New MIR Excess Sources north of the IRS 13 Complex
Author(s) -
Eckart A.,
Moultaka J.,
Viehmann T.,
Straubmeier C.,
Mouawad N.,
Genzel R.,
Ott T.,
Schödel R.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
astronomische nachrichten
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.394
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1521-3994
pISSN - 0004-6337
DOI - 10.1002/asna.200385059
Subject(s) - physics , astrophysics , stars , milky way , astronomy , adaptive optics , star cluster , cluster (spacecraft) , computer science , programming language
The ISAAC and NAOS/CONICA systems on the ESO VLT UT1 and UT4 telescopes have been used to image the central stellar cluster of the Milky Way in the MIR L and M band (3.3 μ m and 4.6 μ m) in order to obtain new information on the stellar populations within the central cluster. The NAOS/CONICA adaptive optics images of unprecedented sharpness and sensitivity have resulted in the detection of a small cluster (<0.13 light years) of 7 compact sources with a strong infrared excess. Our MIR imaging and spectroscopy data clearly show that this excess is due to the contribution of warm T < 500 K dust. The nature of these newly found sources is currently unclear. Three possible explanations are mentioned and briefly discussed: 1) The L band excess sources north of the IRS 13 complex may be heavily extincted luminous stars; 2) They may be hot stars that heat the more ambient environment of the local mini‐spiral; 3) Finally the newly found objects may even be young stars with luminous accretion disks.