Spitzer Space Telescope - Legacy General Observer Proposal #30594


MIPSGAL II:  Surveying the innermost part of the Galactic plane at 24
and 70  microns with MIPS

Principal Investigator: Sean Carey
           Institution: SSC

Co-Investigators: 
Alberto Noriega-Crespo, Spitzer Science Center                        
Kathleen Kraemer, Air Force Research Laboratory                       
Jim Ingalls, Spitzer Science Center                                   
Don Mizuno, Boston College                                            
Stephan Price, Air Force Research Labortory                           
Deborah Padgett, Spitzer Science Center                               
Francine Marleau, Spitzer Science Center                              
Sachin Shenoy, Spitzer Science Center                                 
Thomas Kuchar, Boston College                                         
Babar Ali, IPAC                                                       
Bruce Berriman, IPAC                                                  
Sergio Molinari, Istituto Fisica Spazio Interplanetario-CNR           
Leonardo Testi, Arcetri Observatory                                   
Roc Cutri, IPAC                                                       
Remy Indebetouw, University of Virginia                               
Peter Martin, CITA                                                    
Bill Latter, IPAC                                                     
Francois Boulanger, IAS-Universite Paris-Sud                          
Marc-Antoine Miville-Deschenes, CITA/University of Toronto            
Luisa Rebull, Spitzer Science Center                                  
Roberta Paladini, Spitzer Science Center                              
Russ Shipman, SRON                                                    

Science Category: ISM 
 Observing Modes: MipsScan 
  Hours Approved: 158.0 

Abstract:
We propose a 72 square degree survey of the innermost Galactic disk
(abs(l) <10, up to (abs(b) <3) at 24 and 70  microns with MIPS.  These
observations will connect the two fields observed by MIPSGAL and are
complementary to the GLIMPSE II and proposed GLIMPSE 3D surveys.  This
data will finish the census of massive star formation inside the
molecular ring, provide detailed information on the distribution and
energetics of small dust grains toward the nucleus of our Galaxy, and
identify all massive evolved stars in the surveyed portion of the
Galactic bulge.  The data will be processed with the MIPSGAL pipeline
which significantly reduces artifacts caused by the bright backgrounds
and sources in the Galactic plane.  As a legacy program, we are
waiving the proprietary rights to the data and plan to distribute
enhanced data products such as image mosaics and source catalogs.