Gas and dust in the Ophiuchus region

The interstellar gas and dust in the Ophiuchus molecular cloud region are studied through H I, CO, and IRAS observations. The generally good global correlation of H I with the infrared intensity and dust optical depth breaks down on the smaller scales that can be distinguished in this nearby region. The presence of an intense ultraviolet field and shocks caused by the early-type stars can account for this difference. Integrated emission from the CO molecule correlates with the dust optical depth. This correlation is used to derive the conversion factor between W(CO) and the atomic hydrogen column density. The region close to the early-type stars in Upper Scorpius shows a considerable amount of infrared emission, but negligible CO emission.