Tycho-2 stars with infrared excess in the MSX Point Source Catalogue

Abstract

Stars of all evolutionary phases have been found to have excess infrared emission due to the presence of circumstellar material. To identify such stars, we have positionally correlated the infrared Mid-Course Space Experiment (MSX) Point Source Catalogue and the Tycho-2 optical catalogue. Near-mid-infrared colour criteria have been developed to select infrared excess stars. The search yielded 1938 excess stars; over half (979) have never previously been detected by IRAS. The excess stars were found to be young objects such as Herbig Ae/Be and Be stars, and evolved objects such as OH/IR (infrared) and carbon stars. A number of B-type excess stars were also discovered whose infrared colours could not be readily explained by known catalogued objects. © 2005 RAS.