We present observations with the Submillimeter Array of the continuum emission at $\lambda = 1.3$ mm from 62 young stars surrounded by a protoplanetary disk in the Serpens star-forming region. The typical angular resolution for the survey in terms of beam size is $3.5^{ \prime \prime}\times2.5^{ \prime \prime}$ with a median rms noise level of 1.6 mJy beam$^{ -1}$. These data are used to infer the dust content in disks around low-mass stars $(0.1$-$2.5\,M_{ \odot})$ at a median stellar age of $1$-$3$ Myr. Thirteen sources were detected in the 1.3 mm dust continuum with inferred dust masses of ${ \approx} 10$-$260\,M_{ \oplus}$ and an upper limit to the median dust mass of $5.1_{ -4.3}^{ +6.1}\,M_{ \oplus}$, derived using survival analysis. Comparing the protoplanetary disk population in Serpens to those of other nearby star-forming regions, we find that the populations of dust disks in Serpens and Taurus, which have a similar age, are statistically indistinguishable. This is potentially surprising since Serpens has a stellar surface density two orders of magnitude in excess of Taurus. Hence, we find no evidence that dust disks in Serpens have been dispersed as a result of more frequent and/or stronger tidal interactions due its elevated stellar density. We also report that the fraction of Serpens disks with $M_{ \rm{ dust}} \geq 10\,M_{ \oplus}$ is less than 20%, which supports the notion that the formation of giant planets is likely inherently rare or has substantially progressed by a few Myrs.
Categories: astro-ph.GA astro-ph.SR