2 - 5 μm Spectroscopy of Red Point Sources in the Galactic Center

We present preliminary results of our long-term (2009-2017) observing campaign using the NASA IRTF at Mauna Kea, to obtain $2-5{\mu}m$ spectroscopy of ~200 red point sources in the line of sight to the Galactic center. Point sources in our sample were selected from the mid-infrared images of the Spitzer Space telescope, and include candidate massive young stellar objects, which have previously been identified from our Spitzer/IRS spectroscopy. We show high foreground extinction of these sources from deep $3.1{\mu}m$ H2O ice and aliphatic hydrocarbon absorption features, suggesting that they are likely located in the central 300 pc region of the Galactic center. While many sources reveal photospheric $2.3{\mu}m$ gas CO absorption, few of them clearly indicate $3.54{\mu}m$ CH3OH ice absorption, possibly indicating a large dust column density intrinsic to a massive young stellar object.