VLT-detection of two edge-on Circumstellar Disks in the rho Oph dark cloud

Observations of the rho Ophiuchi star forming region with VLT ANTU and ISAA C under 0." 35 seeing conditions reveal two bipolar reflection nebulosities intersected by central dust lanes. The sources (OphE-MM3 and CRBR 2422.8-3 423). can be identified as spatially resolved circumstellar disks viewed cl ose to edge-on, similar to edge-on disk sources discovered previously in th e Taurus and Orion star forming regions. Millimeter continuum fluxes yield disk masses of the order of 0.01 M., i.e. about the mass deemed necessary f or the minimum solar nebula. Follow-up spectroscopic observations with SUBA RU and CISCO show that both disk sources exhibit featureless continua in th e K-band. No accretion or outflow signatures were detected. The slightly le ss edge-on orientation of the disk around CRBR 2422.8-3423 compared to HH 3 0 leads to a dramatic difference in the flux seen in the ISOCAM 4.5 mum to 12 mum bands. The observations confirm theoretical predictions on the effec t of disk geometry and inclination angle on the spectral energy distributio n of young stellar objects with circumstellar disks.