Document Type
Article
Publication Date
4-20-2005
Keywords
Dust, Extinction - infrared: ISM - ISM: clouds
Abstract
We present near-infrared (JHKL) photometry of 103 southern stars located behind translucent interstellar clouds at high Galactic latitude. Our data are combined with visual photometry and spectral type information from the literature in a detailed analysis of the wavelength dependence of interstellar extinction by dust in these high-latitude clouds. We investigate the shape of the near-infrared extinction curve and evaluate the total line-of-sight extinction ( AV) and ratio of total-to-selective extinction ( RV) in each line of sight. Sources of uncertainty in RV arising from photometric errors and spectral classification errors are carefully assessed and quantified as functions of the line-of-sight reddening. We detect appreciable differences in our results compared with the average extinction curve for dust in the diffuse interstellar medium ( ISM) close to the Galactic plane. Assuming a power-law form in the near-infrared, we find the mean for high-latitude clouds to be well described by [Aλ] α λ-2.3, somewhat steeper than that for the diffuse ISM ([Aλ] α λ-1.8). Our sample includes a substantial number of lines of sight with low RV values (47% with RV < 2.8) relative to the diffuse ISM average of 3.05 ± 0.15. We conclude that many high-latitude clouds have enhanced abundances of relatively small grains.
Publication Title
Astrophysical Journal
Volume
623
First Page
897
Last Page
910
DOI
10.1086/428877
Required Publisher's Statement
Copyright 2005. The American Astronomical Society
K. A. Larson and D. C. B. Whittet 2005 ApJ 623 897 doi:10.1086/428877
Recommended Citation
Larson, Kristen A. and Whittet, D. C. B., "Reddening and the Extinction Law at High Galactic Latitude" (2005). Physics & Astronomy. 2.
https://cedar.wwu.edu/physicsastronomy_facpubs/2
Subjects - Topical (LCSH)
Interstellar reddening; Cosmic grains; Molecular clouds; Cosmic dust
Genre/Form
articles
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf