1997. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A.( THE STAR-FORMING CORE OF MONOCEROS R2

The central region of the Monoceros R2 molecular cloud has been studied using molecular line maps, maps in continuum emission, and an M-band (4.7 km) absorption spectrum toward Mon R2 IRS 3. Maps were made in the emission lines CO (3È2) and HCN (4È3), all with a 14A beamH2CO (51,5È41,4),size. CO (2È1) and 13CO (3È2) spectra were obtained at a dozen positions. Maps of continuum emission were made at 1300 km (25A resolution), 1100 km (20A resolution), 800 km (14A resolution), and 450 km (14A resolution). The M-band spectrum of IRS 3 has a velocity resolution of 5.2 km s~1 and shows fundamental vibrational band absorption lines of CO and 13CO over a range of rotational states. The CO map has numerous intensity peaks which, if interpreted as clumps, have masses from 0.1 to 3 M _ The large velocity dispersion of these structures implies that they cannot be gravitationally bound. The brightest CO-emitting gas shows no bipolar distribution with velocity. Di†use CO-emitting gas with low velocities does have a generally bipolar distribution, but there are no collimated lobes pointing to a particular source. We conclude that the source (or sources) of the very extended Mon R2 outÑow is (are) now inactive. The highest velocity gas is found toward the embedded young stellar object IRS 3, suggest-ing that IRS 3 is the source of a compact outÑow, unresolved at our 14A resolution. The presence o