1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 The Serpens Region

1.2 The Prestellar Core Mass Function

2 OBSERVATIONS

3 PHYSICAL ANALYSIS OF THE SERPENS REGION

3.1 Column Density & Temperature Maps

3.2 Mass and comparison with previous estimates

4 SOURCE DETECTION AND CLASSIFICATION

4.1 Estimation of Core Masses & Temperatures

4.2 Spatial distribution of cores

5 THE PRESTELLAR CORE MASS FUNCTION

6 FOCUS ON THE TWO SUBREGIONS

6.1 Serpens Main CMF

6.2 Aquila East CMF

7 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CORES AND FILAMENTARY STRUCTURE IN SERPENS

8 CONCLUSIONS