Star-forming regions near the supernova remnant IC 443

The supernova remnant (SNR) IC 443 (3C 157), along with W28, W44, S147, and HB 21, represents a growing number of examples where SNRs appear to have collided with nearby molecular clouds or are surrounded by dense shells of neutral hydrogen. In the case of W28, far-infrared observations have shown that a massive, O-type star and possibly a pre-main-sequence B-type star are associated with the molecular cloud and its environment. In the current study, the northern component of the IC 443 molecular cloud has been detected at 20, 27, and 93 microns by the Far Infrared Sky Survey Experiment. The bolometric luminosity of this far-infrared source is about 130 solar luminosities, consistent with the expected luminosity of a B7 V star. From the far-infrared and radio observations the energetics of this region is described and compared with other known examples of SNR/molecular cloud associations. These findings are also discussed in the context of theoretical models where SNRs trigger star-forming activity in nearby molecular clouds.