HIGH-SPATIAL-RESOLUTION OBSERVATIONS OF H2 VIBRATIONAL FLUORESCENCE IN NGC-2023

Using the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope, we have obtained a approxima tely 1'' spatial resolution image of vibrationally excited H-2 at 2.12 1 mum. The image shows narrow filamentary structure with striking spa tial correlations, but also anti-correlations, with the filamentary st ructure of extended red emission (ERE), with implications for the mech anism of ERE. Comparison is also made with earlier lower resolution ob servations at 2.121 mum and with 3.3 mum continuum emission. On the ba sis of the VUV excitation mechanism of H-2 vibrational fluorescence an d the filamentary nature of the H-2 emission, it is proposed that the surface of the illuminated cloud is characterized by a series of undul ations, traced by the emission.