The Spectral Energy Distribution of the Earliest Phases of Massive Star Formation

We have selected cold and massive (M > 100M⊙) cores as candidates for early phases of star formation from millimeter continuum surveys without associations at short wavelengths. We compared the millimeter continuum peak positions with IR and radio catalogs and excluded cores that had sources associated with the cores’ peaks. We compiled a list of 173 cores in over 117 regions that are candidates for very early phases of Massive Star Formation (MSF). Now with the Spitzer and Herschel archives, these cores can be characterized further. We are compiling this data set to construct the complete spectral energy distribution (SED) in the mid- and far-infrared with good spatial resolution and broad spectral coverage. This allow us to disentangle the complex regions and model the SED of the deeply embedded protostars/clusters. We present a status report of our efforts: a preview of the IR properties of all cores and their embedded source inferred from a grey body fit to the compiled SEDs.