RADIO-CONTINUUM EMISSION FROM YOUNG STELLAR OBJECTS IN L1641

We present the results of a 6 and 20 cm radio continuum survey of young stellar objects in the L1641 region located south of the Orion Nebula. A total of 67 objects has been identified at 6 and 20 cm. While most of the sources detected are probably background extragalactic sources, four have been identified as low-luminosity young stellar objects in L1641 and three more as Herbig-Haro or Herbig-Haro-like objects. We find a correlation between the luminosity based on the 6 cm radio continuum emission and the bolometric luminosity of the source, though the radio emission is orders of magnitude greater than that expected for a zero-age main-sequence star of the same luminosity. The four radio-emitting young stellar objects have bolometric luminosities between 80 and 300 L⊙. The 6-20 cm spectral index for these four sources suggests optically thick, free-free emission. Furthermore, these four sources are characterized by a rising spectrum between 2.2 and 25 μm, have no optical counterparts, and are associated with stellar wind activity. Thus detectable radio continuum emission may be produced only by the youngest and most luminous objects in L1641.