NEAR-INFRARED IMAGING AND SPECTROSCOPY OF THE IRAS-20126+4104 REGION

In this paper we present near-infrared images and K'-band spectra (1.9 5-2.30 mu m) of the nebulae located in the IRAS 20126+4104 region. We find bright cometary shaped objects to the Northwest of the IRAS posit ion and other emission line objects to the Southeast. We have detected 6 low excitation emission lines of molecular hydrogen, and present sp atially resolved excitation temperatures, 1-0 S(1)/2-1 S(1) line ratio s and ortho-para ratios for the brighter emission line objects near th e IRAS source. The integrated flux in the H-2 1-0 S(1) line of the bri ghter object located to the Northwest of the IRAS position is 6.85 x 1 0(-13) erg cm(-2) s(-1), integrated within an aperture of 10.2 arcsec( 2). From a spectrophotometric analysis, we conclude that the H-2 emiss ion observed in this nebula is mainly produced by collisional excitati on combined with fluorescent H-2 emission. However, it is unclear from our observations whether the UV radiation field that would be respons ible for the fluorescent component is produced by the IRAS source itse lf, or by the stars embedded at the Eastern edges of two of the observ ed condensations.