The Taurus Spitzer Survey: New Candidate Taurus Members Selected Using Sensitive Mid-Infrared Photometry

Understand

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 colors 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.