ar X iv : a st ro - p h / 00 08 31 1 v 2 2 0 Ju n 20 01 A Submillimeter Study of the Star - Forming Region NGC 7129

New molecular (CO J=3−2) and dust continuum (450μm and 850μm) maps of the NGC7129 star forming region are presented. The maps include the Herbig Ae/Be star LkHα 234, the far-infrared source NGC 7129 FIRS2 and several other pre-stellar sources embedded within the molecular ridge. The data are complemented with CO J=3−2 spectra at several positions within the mapped region. Both the submillimeter and the CO emission show a similar morphology, displaying a sharp boundary towards the cavity. The submillimiter maps also reveal a second source, SMM2, which is not clearly seen in any earlier data set. This is either a pre-stellar core or possibly a protostar. Also, the highest continuum peak emission is identified with the deeply embedded source IRS 6 a few arcseconds away from LkHα 234. These new 450 and 850μm observations are combined with previous continuum observations of the three compact far-infrared sources in the field, in order to make fits to the spectral energy distributions and to obtain the source sizes, dust temperatures, luminosities, and masses. For nine positions where both CO and CO spectra are available, gas masses have been obtained and compared with masses derived from the continuum fluxes. The masses are found to be consistent, implying little or no CO depletion onto grains. The dust emissivity index is found to be low towards the dense compact sources, β ∼1 − 1.6, and high, β ∼ 2.0, in the surrounding cloud. Subject headings: ISM: dust, molecules – submillimeter – stars: formation, pre-main sequence – stars: individual: LkHα 234