2MASS/NICER Extinction Data
Final Extinction Maps Publically Released 02/23/06
Infrared extinction maps provide probably the most direct measure of column densities in star-forming regions. The data presented here use The Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) database and the NICER algorithm (Lombardi and Alves, 2001, A&A 377,1023) to create extiction maps based on the amount background starlight is redenned by the dust along the line of sight. Assuming a constant dust to gas ratio, this can easily be converted into a column density. The maps have a constant resolution scaled to be the smallest smoothing possible which avoids holes in the maps (for the alternative method, an adaptive grid, see the R-band maps of Cambresy).
Full extinction maps are now available. For archive purpose, extinction maps made from the 2MASS Second Incremental Data Release are still available, but most users will want to use the full extinction maps.
Available Data Products
Jonathan Foster, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics
COMPLETE Web Master: Sarah Block • COMPLETE PI: Alyssa Goodman
This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. AST-0407172.
Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s)
and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.
Document URL: www.cfa.harvard.edu/COMPLETE/data_html_pages/2MASS.html
Last Modified: Thursday, 23-Feb-2006 15:31:18 EST