Water Cooling in Protostellar Objects: Results from ISO-LWS and Future Role of FIRST
Abstract
We review the results of the far-infrared emission line spectra of the water molecule obtained with the Long Wavelength Spectrometer onboard of ISO on a sample of protostellar and pre-Main Sequence sources. Water is expected to play an important role in the cooling of shock-excited regions associated with the star formation process. ISO has found that in most of the sources water is not the dominant coolant and has lower abundances than expected according to current C-type shock models. These results have been recently confirmed by the observations of SWAS. We outline here the possible explanations. FIRST, with its high spatial and spectral resolution with respect to ISO, will be able to identify and disentangle different emitting regions and excitation conditions, allowing an accurate study of shock excited regions, including the measure of molecular abundances in post-shock chemical environment. Moreover, due to the improved sensitivity, statistically significant samples of protostellar and pre-Main Sequence objects will be observed with the FIRST spectrometers. Among other issues, FIRST is therefore expected to resolve the water problem.
- Publication:
-
The Promise of the Herschel Space Observatory
- Pub Date:
- July 2001
- Bibcode:
- 2001ESASP.460..495S
- Keywords:
-
- STARS: FORMATION;
- ISM: JETS AND OUTFLOWS;
- MISSIONS:ISO;
- FIRST