First ISOCAM images of the Milky Way

M. Pérault A. Omont G. Simon P. Séguin D. Ojha J. Blommaert M. Felli G. Gilmore F. Guglielmo H. Habing S. Price A. Robin B. de Batz C. Cesarsky D. Elbaz N. Epchtein P. Fouqué S. Guest D. Levine A. Pollock T. Prusti R. Siebenmorgen L. Testi D. Tiphène

Abstract:

ISOGAL is a 15 tex2html_wrap_inline210 m ISOCAM survey of tex2html_wrap_inline240 deg² in the Galactic Plane interior to tex2html_wrap_inline244 . 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 tex2html_wrap_inline246 with 6" pixels and completeness limit 8mJy. Of the tex2html_wrap_inline250 sources deg-2 detected, about half are KM giants, seen through extinction of up to A tex2html_wrap_inline254 , 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 15 tex2html_wrap_inline210 m. The dark regions are presumably dense filaments with A tex2html_wrap_inline258 .

Keywords:
The Galaxy: stellar content - Interstellar medium: general - Interstellar medium: dust, extinction - Infrared: galaxies - Infrared: stars

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