IRAS 17380-3031 - A NEW DUSTY LATE WC-TYPE WOLF-RAYET STAR

Systematic 12-mu-m flux-limited surveys of the complete IRAS LRS (Low Resolution Spectrometer) data base show that late-type WC (WCL) stars with circumstellar dust emission have unique mid-infrared spectra, suggesting a new method for the detection of such stars. By optical spectroscopy, we have confirmed that the prime LRS-selected WCL candidate, IRAS 17380-3031, is a very red WCL star. We classify it as WC8-9, with a probable distance of 3 +/- 1 kpc, and a total extinction of A(v) approximately 12.5 mag. This confirmation demonstrates the power of the LRS technique for discovery of dusty WCL stars with IRAS.