We have used the SPIREX telescope to conduct a wide-field thermal infrared imaging study of the star formation complex NGC 6334 in the southern Galactic plane. We imaged a 30' region along the main star-forming ridge of NGC 6334 with 0."6 pixel scale through broadband filters for L (3.5 mum) and M (4.8 mum) and through narrowband filters for the H-2 nu = 1-0 Q-branch (2.42 mum), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) (3.3 mum), and Br alpha (4.05 mum) lines. The images reveal the spectacular, complex structure of the photodissociation regions (PDRs) that pervade the region, with enhanced line emission around each of the seven sites of massive star formation along the ridge. Bubbles and loops of PAH emission, typically 1-1.5 pc across, have been carved out of the parent molecular cloud by the intense UV radiation from the massive stars and surround H II regions (seen in Br alpha) typically 0.2-0.3 pc across. The PAH emission regions coincide with both [C II] 158 mum line emission, indicating that the PAHs are excited in PDR gas, and extensive H-2 emission, which therefore must be fluorescent. However, the textures of the emission regions in PAH and H-2 are different. This is attributable to variations in the physical environment in which the gas is excited. Several compact reddened objects are observed; these are likely to be massive protostars.

In an extremely deep Kdark band (2.27-2.43 μm) image of the southern edge-on spiral galaxy ESO 240-G11, we detect halo emission extending to between 10 and 15 h−169 kpc away from the disk in vertical cuts near the nucleus. In vertical cuts taken well away from the nucleus, no halo emission is detected. To our detection limit, these data are well modeled by a spherically symmetric component having an exponential radial surface brightness profile plus a sech z disk. The exponential radial surface brightness profile suggests an unusually faint and extended spiral bulge. A ρ ∝ r-3.5 spheroid plus sech z disk is nearly as good a fit. It is also possible to fit these data with a ρ ∝ r-2 component tracing the massive halo. However, this requires a larger error in setting the sky level than appears likely. These data, which were taken with a 60 cm infrared optimized telescope at the South Pole, permit surface photometry reaching 25 mag arcsec-2. ESO 240-G11 is dynamically, environmentally, and morphologically similar to NGC 5907. In NGC 5907, several authors have detected red and near-infrared halo emission at comparable imaging depths that appears to trace the dark matter halo.

A Hartmann differential image motion monitor (H-DIMM) was used on two different telescopes situated at the South Pole to measure astronomical seeing. A series of observations conducted 12 m above the surface during two Austral winters indicates that the median "ground level" seeing at 500 nm was similar to 1.7 arcseconds. This is in good agreement with microthermal measurements from balloon flights which indicate that the seeing is dominated by a temperature inversion which appears within the first 220 m above the surface during the winter. Above this layer, the mean "free atmosphere" seeing is 0.37 +/- 0.07 arcseconds.

In very deep near infrared images taken with the South Pole Infrared Explorer (SPIREX), the rapidly rotating edge-on Sc type spiral galaxy ESO/Uppsala 240-G11 shows evidence of a faint near infrared halo. This similar to 2 sigma conclusion is not altered by variations in flatfielding or deconvolving the instrumental PSF. Confirmation in the near infrared and at other wavelengths is needed. Late type rapidly rotating edge-on spiral galaxies like 240-G11 and NGC5907 are likely to be profitable targets on which to concentrate future dark matter searches.

We describe the use of a multi-aperture Hartmann mask coupled to a slightly out-of-focus focal plane array imager to monitor atmospheric turbulence ('seeing') produced by refractive index fluctuations. The imager (a CCD) is located inside or outside the focal surface of the imaging system so that each sub-aperture of the Hartmann mask produces an image well separated from all of the other images produced by the mask. Since the depth of focus of the sub-apertures is an order of magnitude larger than that of the parent optical system, the individual images are still diffraction-limited, We obtain short (10 to 100 msec) exposures and monitor the position fluctuations of the images. Analysis of the position and intensity fluctuations of the images can be used to determine the atmospheric parameter ro, the wind direction and velocity, and, under some circumstances, the distance of the turbulent layer from the observing site.