TAURUS MOLECULAR CLOUD: COAGULATION OR MANTLE FORMATION? 

   The Taurus molecular cloud is an important site to study processing
of interstellar grains. In my presentation I will be concentrating
on our work to decipher the predominant growth mechanism in this
cloud. Previous work has shown that mantle formation is observed
via absorption profiles of various chemical species and coagulation
maybe inferred along those lines of sight that have elevated values of
Rv, the ratio of total to selective extinction. To date there has been
no systematic study done to observe the existence of lack of correlation
between coagulation and mantle formation in dense cloud environments.
   This work will be a small step in that direction, we have procured 3.1
micron spectroscopic data and visible to IR extinction data along lines
of sight to field stars probing different environments of Taurus
molecular cloud. Our results show that though mantle formation is
the predominant growth mechanism in Taurus, coagulation does occur
in very dense region of the molecular cloud.
   I will also discuss some of our future plans to study processing of
grains in the Taurus and Rho Oph molecular clouds.