Publication Date:
2011-08-19
Description:
A 1 to 20 micron mapping of the centers of galaxies encompassing the regions that extend out to several kiloparsecs from the nuclei is reviewed. Power emerging at or = 5 microns is a direct measure of the number of young stars present. This conclusion is strongly supported by the large-scale association of the infrared-emitting regions with visual continuum and line emission indicative of young stars, and by the similarity of the energy distributions to those of Galactic HII region/molecular cloud complexes. Much of the young-star activity is completely hidden from view. At shorter wavelengths, a variety of processes, including bremsstrahlung, are evident.
Keywords:
ASTRONOMY
Type:
Royal Observatory Star Formation Workshop; p 183-198
Format:
text