Hard X-ray emissions from star forming regions

ASCA is the first satellite which has an imaging capability in high energies up to 10 keV, hence can peer deeply into the molecular cloud where protostar candidates may reside. We have carried out a systematic survey of hard X-rays from the core of molecular clouds, and discovered hard X-rays from protostar candidates (Class I objects) in the core of Rho Oph dark cloud. Two of them showed clear time variability; one (EL29) is flare-like and the other (WL6) is sinusoidal flux variation. On the other hand, in Taurus dark cloud, we have detected a giant flare of a weak-lined TTS, V773 Tau in hard X-ray band. The plasma temperature was extremely high, about 8 keV, at the maximum flux, then it decreased as the flux decreased. The decay time and estimated electron density were found to be comparable to those of the sun, but the geometrical flare size was equal or even larger than the stellar size. The absorption column during the flare was large, about 3.6 x 10(22) H cm(-3), and it makes impossible to detect the flare in soft X-ray band. Interestingly, in the decay phase, we found the apparent change of the metal abundance.