IRAS 06562−0337, The Iron Clad Nebula: A New Young Star Cluster

IRAS 06562−0337 has been the recent subject of a classic debate: protoplanetary nebula or young stellar object? We present the first 2μm image of IRAS 06562−0337, which reveals an extended diffuse nebula containing approximately 70 stars inside a 30 radius around a bright, possibly resolved, central object. The derived stellar luminosity function is consistent with that expected from a single coeval population, and the brightness of the nebulosity is consistent with the predicted flux of unresolved low-mass stars. The stars and nebulosity are spatially coincident with strong CO line emission. We therefore identify IRAS 06562−0337 as a new young star cluster embedded in its placental molecular cloud. The central object is likely a Herbig Be star, M ≈ 20M⊙, which may be seen in reflection. We present medium resolution, high S/N, 1997 epoch optical spectra of the central object. Comparison with previously published spectra shows new evidence for time variable permitted and forbidden line emission, including Si II, Fe II, [Fe II], and [O I]. We suggest the origin is a dynamic stellar wind in the extended, stratified atmosphere of the massive central star in IRAS 06562−0337. Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616