A survey of dust features in the 3 micron spectra of YSO candidates

We present the results of spectrophotometry from 1.3 to 4.2 μm of 45 IRAS sources in the list of Campbell, Persson, & Matthews that have been presumed to be luminous young stellar objects because of their infrared colors and large IRAS fluxes. About 70% of the objects show 3.1 μm H₂O ice absorption or 3.3 μm unidentified infrared emission, or both. Among those with 3.1 μm H₂O ice absorption, three objects seem to have a distinct absorption near 3.4 μm, and their absorption profiles are different than the optical depth profiles of young stellar objects in the literature. In the HKL two-color diagram, objects with ice absorption occupy the same region as previously known young stellar objects with the ice feature, and those with unidentified infrared emission overlap with Herbig Ae/Be stars. We interpret the distribution in the HKL two-color diagram as indicating the evolutionary sequence of intermediate-to high-mass young stars.