The nature of the embedded population in the Rho Ophiuchi dark cloud - Mid-infrared observations

The authors present results of mid-infrared (primarily 10 and 20 μm wavelength) observations of previously identified members of the embedded populatin of the ρ Ophiuchi dark cloud. These observations enable determination of broad-band energy distributions for 32 of the 44 sources known to be embedded in the cloud. The majority of the sources emit the bulk of their luminosity between 1 μm and 20 μm. These sources apparently are surrounded by dust shells and are probably pre-main-sequence in nature. It is found that the embedded cluster is predominantly composed of low-luminosity objects with luminosities in the range 0.1 ≤ L/L_sun; ≤ 25. When corrected for observational selection effects, the resulting luminosity function appears to be deficient in intermediate-luminosity stars compared with the luminosity function for field stars.

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