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VENGA is a large-scale extragalactic IFU survey, which maps the bulges, bars and large parts of the outer disks of 32 nearby normal spiral galaxies. The targets are chosen to span a wide range in Hubble types, star formation activities, morphologies, and inclinations, at the same time of having vast available multi-wavelength coverage from the far-UV to the mid-IR, and available CO and 21cm mapping. The VENGA dataset will provide 2D maps of the SFR, stellar and gas kinematics, chemical abundances, ISM density and ionization states, dust extinction and stellar populations for these 32 galaxies. The uniqueness of the VIRUS-P large field of view permits these large-scale mappings to be performed. VENGA will allow us to correlate all these important quantities throughout the different environments present in galactic disks, allowing the conduction of a large number of studies in star formation, structure assembly, galactic feedback and ISM in galaxies., 7 pages, 3 figures, proceedings of the "Third Biennial Frank N. Bash Symposium, New Horizons in Astronomy" held in Austin, TX, Oct. 2009. To be published in the Astronomical Society of the Pacific Conference Series, eds. L. Stanford, L. Hao, Y. Mao, J. Green

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We present high resolution (R = 75,000-100,000) mid-infrared spectra of the high-mass embedded young star IRS 1 in the NGC 7538 star-forming region. Absorption lines from many rotational states of C2H2, 13C12CH2, CH3, CH4, NH3, HCN, HNCO, and CS are seen. The gas temperature, column density, covering factor, line width, and Doppler shift for each molecule are derived. All molecules were fit with two velocity components between -54 and -63 km/s. We find high column densities (~ 10e16 cm^2) for all the observed molecules compared to values previously reported and present new results for CH3 and HNCO. Several physical and chemical models are considered. The favored model involves a nearly edge-on disk around a massive star. Radiation from dust in the inner disk passes through the disk atmosphere, where large molecular column densities can produce the observed absorption line spectrum., Accepted to ApJ, 15 pages, 8 figures

To study the physical and chemical evolution of ices in solar-mass systems, a spectral survey is conducted of a sample of 41 low-luminosity YSOs (L ~ 0.1 - 10 L☉) using 3 - 38 μm Spitzer and ground-based spectra. The sample is complemented with previously published Spitzer spectra of background stars and with ISO spectra of well-studied massive YSOs (L ~ 10⁵ L☉). The long-known 6.0 and 6.85 μm bands are detected toward all sources, with the Class 0-type YSOs showing the deepest bands ever observed. The 6.0 μm band is often deeper than expected from the bending mode of pure solid H₂O. The additional 5 - 7 μm absorption consists of five independent components, which, by comparison to laboratory studies, must be from at least eight different carriers. Much of this absorption is due to simple species likely formed by grain surface chemistry, at abundances of 1%-30% for CH₃OH, 3%-8% for NH₃, 1%-5% for HCOOH, ~6% for H₂CO, and ~0.3% for HCOO⁻ relative to solid H₂O. The 6.85 μm band has one or two carriers, of which one may be less volatile than H₂O. Its carrier(s) formed early in the molecular cloud evolution and do not survive in the diffuse ISM. If an NH4^+-containing salt is the carrier, its abundance relative to solid H₂O is ~7%, demonstrating the efficiency of low-temperature acid-base chemistry or cosmic-ray-induced reactions. Possible origins are discussed for enigmatic, very broad absorption between 5 and 8 μm. Finally, the same ices are observed toward massive and low-mass YSOs, indicating that processing by internal UV radiation fields is a minor factor in their early chemical evolution.

With the goal to study the physical and chemical evolution of ices in solar-mass systems, a spectral survey is conducted of a sample of 41 low luminosity YSOs using 3-38 um Spitzer and ground-based spectra. The long-known 6.0 and 6.85 um bands are detected toward all sources, with the Class 0-type YSOs showing the deepest bands ever observed. In almost all sources the 6.0 um band is deeper than expected from the bending mode of pure solid H2O. The depth and shape variations of the remaining 5-7 um absorption indicate that it consists of 5 independent components, which, by comparison to laboratory studies, must be from at least 8 different carriers. Simple species are responsible for much of the absorption in the 5-7 um region, at abundances of 1-30% for CH3OH, 3-8% for NH3, 1-5% for HCOOH, ~6% for H2CO, and ~0.3% for HCOO- with respect to solid H2O. The 6.85 um band likely consists of one or two carriers, of which one is less volatile than H2O because its abundance relative to H2O is enhanced at lower H2O/tau_9.7 ratios. It does not survive in the diffuse interstellar medium (ISM), however. The similarity of the 6.85 um bands for YSOs and background stars indicates that its carrier(s) must be formed early in the molecular cloud evolution. If an NH4+ salt is the carrier its abundance with respect to solid H2O is typically 7%, and low temperature acid-base chemistry or cosmic ray induced reactions must have been involved in its formation. Possible origins are discussed for the carrier of an enigmatic, very broad absorption between 5 and 8 um. Finally, all the phenomena observed for ices toward massive YSOs are also observed toward low mass YSOs, indicating that processing of the ices by internal ultraviolet radiation fields is a minor factor in the early chemical evolution of the ices. [abridged], Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 22 pages, 18 b&w figures

We have identified four circumstellar disks with a deficit of dust emission from their inner 15-50 AU. All four stars have F-G spectral type, and were uncovered as part of the Spitzer Space Telescope ``Cores to Disks'' Legacy Program Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) first look survey of ~100 pre-main sequence stars. Modeling of the spectral energy distributions indicates a reduction in dust density by factors of 100-1000 from disk radii between ~0.4 and 15-50 AU, but with massive gas-rich disks at larger radii. This large contrast between the inner and outer disk has led us to use the term `cold disks' to distinguish these unusual systems. However, hot dust [0.02-0.2 Mmoon] is still present close to the central star (R ~0.8 AU). We introduce the 30/13 micron, flux density ratio as a new diagnostic for identifying cold disks. The mechanisms for dust clearing over such large gaps are discussed. Though rare, cold disks are likely in transition from an optically thick to an optically thin state, and so offer excellent laboratories for the study of planet formation., 13 pages, 3 figures, accepted to ApJL

Aims. We search for Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) features towards young low-mass (T Tauri) stars and compare them with surveys of intermediate mass (Herbig Ae/Be) stars. The presence and strength of the PAH features are interpreted with disk radiative transfer models exploring the PAH feature dependence on the incident UV radiation, PAH abundance and disk parameters. Methods. Spitzer Space Telescope 5-35 µm spectra of 54 pre-main sequence stars with disks were obtained, consisting of 38 T Tauri, 7 Herbig Ae/Be and 9 stars with unknown spectral type. Results. Compact PAH emission is detected towards at least 8 sources of which 5 are Herbig Ae/Be stars. The 11.2 µm PAH feature is detected in all of these sources, as is the 6.2 µm PAH feature for the 4 sources for which short wavelength data are available. However, the 7.7 and 8.6 µm features appear strongly in only 1 of these 4 sources. Based on the 11.2 µm feature, PAH emission is observed towards at least 3 T Tauri stars, with 14 tentative detections, resulting in a lower limit to the PAH detection rate of 8%. The lowest mass source with PAH emission in our sample is T Cha with a spectral type G8. All 4 sources in our sample with evidence for dust holes in their inner disk show PAH emission, increasing the feature/continuum ratio. Typical 11.2 µm line intensities are an order of magnitude lower than those observed for the more massive Herbig Ae/Be stars. Measured line fluxes indicate PAH abundances that are factors of 10-100 lower than standard interstellar values. Conversely, PAH features from disks exposed to stars with T_(eff) ≤ 4200 K without enhanced UV are predicted to be below the current detection limit, even for high PAH abundances. Disk modeling shows that the 6.2 and 11.2 µm features are the best PAH tracers for T Tauri stars, whereas the 7.7 and 8.6 µm bands have low feature over continuum ratios due to the strongly rising silicate emission.

We present submillimeter observations of dark clouds that are part of the Spitzer Legacy Program, From Molecular Cores to Planet-Forming Disks (c2d). We used the Submillimetre Common User's Bolometer Array to map the regions observed by Spitzer by the c2d program to create a census of dense molecular cores including data from the infrared to the submillimeter. In this paper, we present the basic data from these observations: maps, fluxes, and source attributes. We also show data for an object just outside the Perseus cloud that was serendipitously observed in our program. We propose that this object is a newly discovered, evolved protostar., 37 pages, accepted to The Astronomical Journal