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2MASS/NICER Extinction Data

Final Extinction Maps Publically Released 02/23/06

Description

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

Contact Person

Jonathan Foster, Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

Telescope Information

2MASS