B- and A-Type Stars in the Taurus-Auriga Star Forming Region
  We describe the results of a search for early-type stars associated with the
Taurus-Auriga molecular cloud complex, a diffuse nearby star-forming region
noted as lacking young stars of intermediate and high mass. We investigate
several sets of possible O, B and early A spectral class members. The first is
a group of stars for which mid-infrared images show bright nebulae, all of
which can be associated with stars of spectral type B. The second group
consists of early-type stars compiled from (i) literature listings in SIMBAD;
(ii) B stars with infrared excesses selected from the Spitzer Space Telescope
survey of the Taurus cloud; (iii) magnitude- and color-selected point sources
from the 2MASS; and (iv) spectroscopically identified early-type stars from the
SDSS coverage of the Taurus region. We evaluated stars for membership in the
Taurus-Auriga star formation region based on criteria involving: spectroscopic
and parallactic distances, proper motions and radial velocities, and infrared
excesses or line emission indicative of stellar youth. For selected objects, we
also model the scattered and emitted radiation from reflection nebulosity and
compare the results with the observed spectral energy distributions to further
test the plausibility of physical association of the B stars with the Taurus
cloud. This investigation newly identifies as probable Taurus members three
B-type stars: HR 1445 (HD 28929), tau Tau (HD 29763), 72 Tau (HD 28149), and
two A-type stars: HD 31305 and HD 26212, thus doubling the number of stars A5
or earlier associated with the Taurus clouds. Several additional early-type
sources including HD 29659 and HD 283815 meet some, but not all, of the
membership criteria and therefore are plausible, though not secure, members.
