Infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) are cold and dense reservoirs of gas potentially available to
form stars. Many of these clouds are likely to be pristine structures representing the initial
conditions for star formation. The study presented here aims to construct and analyze
accurate column density and dust temperature maps of IRDCs by using the first Herschel
data from the Hi-GAL galactic plane survey. These fundamental quantities, are essential for
understanding processes such as fragmentation in the early stages of the formation of stars …

Infrared dark clouds (IRDCs) are cold and dense reservoirs of gas potentially available to
form stars. Many of these clouds are likely to be pristine structures representing the initial
conditions for star formation. The study presented here aims to construct and analyze
accurate column density and dust temperature maps of IRDCs by using the first Herschel
data from the Hi-GAL galactic plane survey. These fundamental quantities, are essential for
understanding processes such as fragmentation in the early stages of the formation of stars …