The luminosity functions of young dust-embedded clusters

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy

Scientific paper

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Satellite Imagery, Point Sources, T Tauri Stars, Protostars, Star Clusters, Star Formation, Stellar Envelopes, Molecular Clouds, Stellar Radiation, Stellar Mass Accretion, Accretion Disks, Stellar Evolution, Stellar Physics, Infrared Astronomy Satellite, Mathematical Models, Stellar Luminosity, Radiant Flux Density, Energy Distribution, Bolometers, Spectral Bands, Stellar Mass

Scientific paper

We have analyzed high sensitivity IRAS coadded survey data and Pointed Observations toward a 4.3 sq pc area comprising a dust-embedded cluster in the Ophiuchus molecular cloud. Using in-scan slices, we have obtained flux densities and positions for 65 IRAS 12 micron point sources. We have identified 43 of these sources with the young stellar objects responsible for their excitation and have constructed their energy distributions in the 1-100 micron spectral region. We also have derived estimates for their bolometric luminosities. We find that the shapes of the spectral energy distributions form a continuous sequence from heavily obscured objects (Class 1) to T Tauri stars (Class 2); with the aid of theoretical models we interpret this as an evolutionary sequence from accreting protostars (Class 1) to pre-main-sequence objects with circumstellar disks (Class 2). From the relative number of objects in each evolutionary state, we are able to estimate crudely the lifetime of the accretion phase, the mass accretion rate, and the duration of star formation in Ophiuchus. The luminosity function of the young cluster is also constructed. The cluster contains primarily low-luminosity objects and may be deficient in intermediate mass stars relative to the Initial Mass Function.

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