First ISOCAM images of the Milky Way.
Elbaz, D.; Prusti, T.; Cesarsky, C.; Epchtein, N.; Felli, M.; Fouque, P.; Gilmore, G.; Habing, H.; Omont, A.; Perault, M.; Price, S.; Robin, A.; Simon, G.; Siebenmorgen, R.; Testi, L.; Blommaert, J.; Guest, S.; Tiphene, D.; de Batz, B.; Pollock, A.; Seguin, P.; Ojha, D.; Guglielmo, F.; Levine, D.
Abstract
ISOGAL is a 15μm ISOCAM survey of ~12deg^2^ in the Galactic Plane interior to |l|=45°. In combination with IJK data from the near-infrared southern sky survey DENIS, the ISO images allow the first detailed study of stellar populations throughout the inner Galaxy. We present preliminary results from a test observation at l= -45° with 6" pixels and completeness limit 8mJy. Of the ~3000 sources deg^-2^ detected, about half are KM giants, seen through extinction of up to A_v_~30, while most of the remainder are probably dusty young stars. Although away from bright IRAS regions, the field displays spectacular emission features, and, unexpectedly, a number of regions which are optically thick at 15μm. The dark regions are presumably dense filaments with A_v_>25.