Spitzer Space Telescope - General Observer Proposal #50807


Spitzer IRS follow-up of low-luminosity objects in Taurus

Principal Investigator: Carla Baldovin Saavedra
           Institution: University of Geneva

     Technical Contact: Carla Baldovin Saavedra, University of Geneva

Co-Investigators: 
Marc Audard, University of Geneva                                     
Deborah Padgett, SSC                                                  
Luisa Rebull, SSC                                                     
Karl Stapelfeldt, JPL                                                 
Susan Terebey, California State University Los Angeles                
Lynne Hillenbrand, Caltech                                            
Manuel Guedel, ETH Zurich                                             
Adrian Glauser, ETH Zurich                                            

Science Category: young stellar objects 
 Observing Modes: IrsStare 
  Hours Approved: 9.3

Abstract:
We propose to obtain IRS spectra of a sample of low-luminosity young stars in
the Taurus Molecular Cloud that were identified in our Spitzer IRAC and MIPS
Legacy survey of the cloud complex. Our sample contains Class 0/I and II
sources, transitional disks, edge-on disks, and brown dwarfs with accretion
disks. This IRS follow-up proposal is complementary to the IRS GTO program on
previously known, bright Taurus members and will provide information on the disk
properties of hitherto unknown low-mass and sub-stellar objects. Our goals
include a comparison of IRS spectra low-luminosity members and the bright
members; a determination of the proto-planetary disk properties; a
quantification of dust processing in their disks; and a study of the properties
of transitional disks and enveloppes in embedded protostars..