| This research presents the results of three observational studies of obscured young stars. Specifically, I investigate the infrared companion phenomenon in the T Tau and Haro 6-10 multiple systems, the historical variability of T Tau, and the multiplicity of the young embedded star forming cluster NGC 2024.; In the first of these studies, I present angularly resolved spectra of T Tau and Haro 6-10 in the 3 mum water ice feature and K-band. In both cases, most of the water ice absorption lies along the line of sight toward the infrared companion in the system, confirming that they are viewed through stronger extinction. I detect variability in the optical depth of the water ice absorption feature toward T Tau S (the IRC), Haro 6-10 S, and the Haro 6-10 IRC. I also find hydrogen Brgamma emission in the spectra of all of the stars, and H 2 emission toward the three systems which display water-ice absorption. My results suggest that the near IR variability exhibited by the stars is probably caused by both variations in accretion rate and variable extinction along the line of sight.; In the second study, I present the historical light curve of T Tau derived from photographic plates in the Harvard College Observatory archives. I find that the optical light of T Tau varied by 2--3 (or more) magnitudes on time scales as short as a month prior to ∼1917, consistent with the results of Lozinskii (1949). Extreme light fluctuations of greater than 2 magnitudes abruptly ceased in the late 1910's and, to the best of my knowledge, have not repeated since this time. I compare the observed light variations of T Tau to the T Tauri stars RY Tau and RW Aur, whose light curves we also constructed from inspection of the archival plates. I find that variable extinction along the line of sight to the star is the most likely explanation for the observed light fluctuation of T Tau during the early part of the 20th century.; In the third investigation, I present the results of a high resolution near infrared adaptive optics survey of the young obscured star forming region NGC 2024. Out of 73 stars detected in the adaptive optics survey of the cluster, I find 3 binaries and one triple. The resulting companion star fraction, 5.9 +/- 2.0%, is consistent with that expected from the multiplicity of mature solar-type stars in the local neighborhood. Contrary to the findings of other deep surveys of star forming clusters in Orion, I find very few faint young stars in the region. This implies that there may not be a significant population of brown dwarfs in NGC 2024. |
