Near infrared imaging and spectroscopy of the IRAS 20126+4104 region

In this paper we present near-infrared images and K'-band spectra (1.95-2.30 mu m) of the nebulae located in the IRAS 20126+4104 region. We find bright cometary shaped objects to the Northwest of the IRAS position and other emission line objects to the Southeast. We have detected 6 low excitation emission lines of molecular hydrogen, and present spatially resolved excitation temperatures, 1-0 S(1)/2-1 S(1) line ratios and ortho-para ratios for the brighter emission line objects near the IRAS source. The integrated flux in the H(2) 1-0 S(1) line of the brighter object located to the Northwest of the IRAS position is 6.85 x 10(-13) erg cm(-2) s(-1), integrated within an aperture of 10.2 arcsec(2). From a spectrophotometric analysis, we conclude that the H(2) emission observed in this nebula is mainly produced by collisional excitation combined with fluorescent H(2) emission. However, it is unclear from our observations whether the UV radiation field that would be responsible for the fluorescent component is produced by the IRAS source itself, or by the stars embedded at the Eastern edges of two of the observed condensations.