Michihiro Takami
Academia Sinica Institute of Astronomy and Astrophysics (ASIAA), Taipei, Taiwan
& NOAO South Visiting Astronomer
 

"Extended Infrared Emission Associated with Protostars: Views from Spitzer IRAC"
 

The Infrared Array Camera (IRAC) on Spitzer Space Telescope has observed extended infrared emission associated with a number of young stellar objects and star forming regions. These are in many cases attributed to either shocks in molecular gas, scattered continuum in the outflow cavity, or PAH emission due to illumination by ultraviolet radiation.
We present our recent studies of such emission, and show that such emission holds keys for understanding important issues for star formation: .e.g., driving and propagation of jet flows, evolution, circumstellar environments and the mechanism of mass accretion for high-mass protostars.