Mass and motion of globulettes in the Rosette Nebula
  We have investigated tiny molecular clumps in the Rosette Nebula. Radio
observations were made of molecular line emission from 16 globulettes
identified in a previous optical survey. In addtion, we collected images in the
NIR broad-band JHKs and narrow-band Paschen beta and H2. Ten objects, for which
we collected information from several transitions in 12CO and 13CO were
modelled using a spherically symmetric model. The best fit to observed line
ratios and intensities was obtained by assuming a model composed of a cool and
dense centre and warm and dense surface layer. The average masses derived range
from about 50 to 500 Jupiter masses, which is similar to earlier estimates
based on extinction measures. The globulettes selected are dense, with very
thin layers of fluorescent H2 emission. The NIR data shows that several
globulettes are very opaque and contain dense cores. Because of the high
density encountered already at the surface, the rims become thin, as evidenced
by our P beta images.
  We conclude that the entire complex of shells, elephant trunks, and
globulettes in the northern part of the nebula is expanding with nearly the
same velocity of ~22 km/s, and with a very small spread in velocity among the
globulettes. Some globulettes are in the process of detaching from elephant
trunks and shells, while other more isolated objects must have detached long
ago and are lagging behind in the general expansion of the molecular shell. The
suggestion that some globulettes might collapse to form planetary-mass objects
or brown dwarfs is strengthened by our finding of dense cores in several
objects.
