* Astronomy

Title: The Taurus Spitzer Survey: New Candidate Taurus Members Selected Using Sensitive Mid-Infrared Photometry
Authors: L. M. Rebull (Spitzer Science Centre), D. L. Padgett (Spitzer Science Centre), C.-E. McCabe (Spitzer Science Centre), L. A. Hillenbrand (Caltech), K. R. Stapelfeldt (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), A. Noriega-Crespo (Spitzer Science Centre), S. J. Carey (Spitzer Science Centre), T. Brooke (Spitzer Science Centre), T. Huard (University of Maryland, College Park), S. Terebey (California State University, Los Angeles), M. Audard (ISDC Data Centre for Astrophysics and Observatoire de Geneve), J.-L. Monin (LAOG), M. Fukagawa (Osaka University), M. Guedel (ETH Zurich, Institute of Astronomy), G. R. Knapp (Princeton University), F. Menard (LAOG), L. E. Allen (NOAO), J. R. Angione (JPL and CSULA), C. Baldovin-Saavedra (ISDC Data Center for Astrophysics and Observatoire de Geneve), J. Bouvier (LAOG),
K. Briggs (ETH Zurich), C. Dougados (LAOG), N. J. Evans (University of Texas, Austin), N. Flagey (Spitzer Science Centre), S. Guieu (Spitzer Science Centre), N. Grosso (Observatoire astronomique de Strasbourg), A. M. Glauser (ETH Zurich and UK Astronomy Technology Centre), P. Harvey (University of Texas, Austin), D. Hines (Space Science Institute), W. B. Latter (NASA Herschel Science Centre), S. L. Skinner (CASA), S. Strom (NOAO), J. Tromp (CSULA), S. Wolf (University of Kiel)
et al. (14 additional authors not shown)

We report on the properties of pre-main-sequence objects in the Taurus molecular clouds as observed in 7 mid- and far-infrared bands with the Spitzer Space Telescope. There are 215 previously-identified members of the Taurus star-forming region in our ~44 square degree map; these members exhibit a range of Spitzer colours that we take to define young stars still surrounded by circumstellar dust (noting that ~20% of the bonafide Taurus members exhibit no detectable dust excesses). We looked for new objects in the survey field with similar Spitzer properties, aided by extensive optical, X-ray, and ultraviolet imaging, and found 148 candidate new members of Taurus. We have obtained follow-up spectroscopy for about half the candidate sample, thus far confirming 34 new members, 3 probable new members, and 10 possible new members, an increase of 15-20% in Taurus members. Of the objects for which we have spectroscopy, 7 are now confirmed extragalactic objects, and one is a background Be star. The remaining 93 candidate objects await additional analysis and/or data to be confirmed or rejected as Taurus members. Most of the new members are Class II M stars and are located along the same cloud filaments as the previously-identified Taurus members. Among non-members with Spitzer colours similar to young, dusty stars are evolved Be stars, planetary nebulae, carbon stars, galaxies, and AGN.

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