Analysis of Deep Sky Sources Found by the Infrared Astronomy Satellite.

This program was aimed at understanding the number and types of sources found in the fields observed with greatest sensitivity by the IRAS satellite. The initial phase of the study emphasized observation and analysis of sources found in the less sensitive all sky survey carried out with Infrared Astronomy Satellite. Significant differences between the bright and faint 12 um sources were found, which constrain their relative spatial distributions and luminosities. A study focussed one one, large population of infrared-bright stars -- those whose atmospheres are rich in carbon - yielded measurements of their space distribution range of mass loss rates, and lifetimes. An analysis of 60 um sources from the IRAS survey showed that eighty-five percent of those located more than thirty degrees above the plane of the Galaxy are extragalactic objects, provided a measure of the space density of galaxies of different infrared luminosities, and showed that there are significant differences in the environment and infrared properties of the most luminous and least luminous galaxies. Studies of galaxies with particularly strong mid-infrared emission resulted in the discovery of ultraluminous objects. Initial studies of results from the IRAS pointed observations show effects of contamination by low-surface-brightness intestellar clouds.