MOLECULAR GAS NEAR HD-104237 AND EPSILON CHAMAELEONTIS

We present the results of a search for molecular gas near the candidat e Herbig Ae/Be star HD 104237 and its common proper motion companion e psilon Cha. The molecular gas found near these stars is clumpy, of ver y low mass, and is far from virial equilibrium. Our results can be int erpreted as providing evidence in favour of the pre-main sequence natu re of HD 104237 and, by implication, of epsilon Cha. We suggest that t hese stars may have recently cleared away the molecular cloud in which they have formed. The HD 104237/epsilon Cha system may be an example of isolated intermediate mass star formation within the complex of Cha maeleon dark clouds.