SCIENTIFIC ABSTRACT
The prime scientific goal is to obtain precise, well spectrally sampled
absolute photometry in the 2.5 - 200  microns wavelength range of a
complete sample of a compact dense condensations of cold dust and gas,
selected by sensitive, high angular resolution surveys of cloud cores at
mm/sub mm wavelengths. The high precision FIR/MIR spectra, supplemented by
MIR/NIR diffraction limited imaging, will differentiate between various
evolutionary stages, allowing true isothermal protostars, disk and cocoon
stars to be distinguished from one another. The relative detection rate of 
these phenomena will reflect the true incidence of these objects within 
each of the cloud cores surveyed in the submm, and will therby allow
statements to be made about the duration of the evolutionary stages of star
formation. 
OBSERVATION SUMMARY
For investigation of nearby protostar candidates and their parent clouds:
P25 rasters of subfields (3x3 up to 7x7 depending on cloud size)
at 200, 100, 60 micron with Tint = 5s. Raster step interval = array 
repeat length (180, 138 arcsec for C200, C100). To be performed concatenated.
For each individual protostar candidate within cloud, perform concatenated:
P05 1x11,1x10 rasters at 25 micron, using 10 arcsec aperture and minimal 
raster step of 10 arcsec. The sum of these will provide 5" sampling over a
100" scanlength. To provide information about the background outside the 
cloud an additional P05 1x7 raster with 50" raster step is proposed. All 
P05 rasters use Tint=5s.
P32 at 200, 160, 120 micron (4x2)raster, O/S 2,   Tint = 10s per S/C raster
                                                         point
P32 at 100,  70,  60 micron (4x2)raster, O/S 2/3, Tint = 10s per S/C raster
                                                         point
P40 in a 5x1 raster Tint = 32s. (Raster interval chosen to provide 1 point 
on protostar candidate, 2 points on parent cloud, 2 points on background)

For investigation of distant star forming clouds we propose the following:
P25 rasters of subfields (3x3) 200, 100, 60 micron with Tint = 5s.
Raster step interval = array  repeat length (180, 138 arcsec for C200, C100).
Centered at the cloud core, perform concatenated:
P05 1x5 raster at 25 micron, using Tint=5s and 23 arcsec aperture 
(Raster interval chosen to provide 1 point on cloud core, 2 points on cloud,
2 points on background)
P40 in an identical  5x1 raster Tint = 32s.
P32 at 200, 160, 120 micron (4x2)raster, O/S 2,   Tint = 10s per S/C raster
                                                         point
P32 at 100,  60 micron (4x2)raster, O/S 2/3, Tint = 10s per S/C raster point