AN INFRARED SURVEY FOR EMBEDDED YOUNG STARS IN THE PERSEUS MOLECULAR CLOUD COMPLEX

We searched the Perseus molecular cloud complex for isolated, embedded , and presumably young stars using the survey data collected with the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) and previously published visual extinction data. Of the 23 source positions which satisfied both our IRAS color and visual extinction tests, we imaged 18 (the other five h ave been previously studied at 2 mum) and identified the 2 mum counter parts of 11 IRAS sources. We have estimated the luminosities and mean frequencies of these sources and compare these properties with a simil arly selected group of sources from the Taurus-Aurip cloud. We find th at the isolated sources in Perseus cloud have a slightly higher averag e luminosity and a distinctly lower average mean frequency than the so urces in our Taurus sample. These results suggest that the Perseus clo ud is intermediate in its star-forming character between the predomina ntly low-mass star-forming regions like Taurus, and those which are ca pable of producing very high mass stars, like the clouds in Orion.