Robert Blum
NOAO
 

"Dissecting Newly Born Massive Stars with NIFS"
 

I will discuss recent observations of newly born massive stars using the Gemini North Near infrared Integral Field Spectrometer. NIFS can isolate weak, hot star photospheric features even against the backdrop of strong nebular emission when used in conjunction with the facility adaptive optics module Altair by concentrating the point source and enhancing the contrast with respect to the back ground. We have classified hot stars in G45.45+0.06 by obtaining NIFS spectra of previously identified "seeing limited" candidates. I will also show data for objects too buried even for NIFS to reveal directly, but which can be studied through the emission lines produced by the hot central source. NIFS works well here too with its broad spectral coverage at medium spectral resolution (R=5000) by recording the emission from many diagnostic atomic and molecular lines including previously unidentified high excitation lines of KrIII and SeIV seen in the spectra of PNe.