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D. Y. Gezari, W. C. Danchi (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center), F. Varosi (Univ. Florida, Gainsville), M. Elitzur (Univ. Kentucky), F. Vinkovic (Inst. for Advanced Study, Princeton), L. J. Greenhill (Center for Astrophysics), E. Dwek (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center)
Mid-infrared array camera images of the BN/KL infrared complex have been obtained with the Keck I telescope in eight filter bands between 4.8 and 20.0 microns. The ~0.5 arcsec resolution images are modeled pixel-by-pixel to obtain the warm emitting dust temperature, opacity and bolometric luminosity distributions, as well as the LOS extinction, using a planar dust model. Several of the IRc sources were also modeled individually using a spherical radiative transfer model. The results suggest that luminous objects are imbedded at the IRc source positions and heat the extended dust surrounding them. We conclude that: 1) The compact sources IRc2, IRc7, n and BN are all local hot spots in the BN/KL dust complex; 2) The dust density peaks are not correlated with the IRc source positions, suggesting that the IRc sources must contain imbedded stars. 3) KL (IRc4) is a dense, cool cloud, which may not be internally heated; 4) The radio continuum point source I, the BN Object, and IRc2 are the important luminosity sources in BN/KL, while sources I and n appear to drive the mechanical outflow.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 36 5
© 2004. The American Astronomical Society.