Variation of mid-IR extinction

Based on the data obtained from the Spitzer/Galactic Legacy Infrared Midplane Survey Extraordinaire (GLIPMSE) Legacy Program and the Two Micron All Sky Survey (2MASS) project, we derive the extinction in the four IRAC bands, [3.6], [4.5], [5.8], and [8.0]um, relative to the 2MASS Ks band (at 2.16um) for 131 GLIPMSE fields along the Galactic plane within |l|<=65{deg}, using red giants and red clump giants as tracers. As a whole, the mean extinction in the IRAC bands (normalized to the 2MASS Ks band), A_[3.6]_/A_Ks_~0.63+/-0.01, A_[4.5]_/A_Ks_~0.57+/-0.03, A_[5.8]/A_Ks_~0.49+/-0.03, A_[8.0]_/A_Ks_~0.55+/-0.03, exhibits little variation with wavelength (i.e., the extinction is somewhat flat or gray).

As far as individual sightline is concerned, however, the wavelength dependence of the mid-infrared interstellar extinction A_{lambda}_/A_Ks_ varies from one sightline to another, suggesting that there may not exist a "universal" IR extinction law.