wl5 is a unique object that lies deeply embedded in the rho oph cloud complex. wl5 is unique because it is the only object towards which solid state h2, i.e. frozen molecular hydrogen, has been detected in interstellar ices. little else is known about this object although it is thought to be a protostar hidden by more than 50 magnitudes of visual extinction of intervening cold dense molecular cloud materials. because of this lack of data on wl5, it is not clear whether the presence of frozen h2 towards this object is a unique occurrence associated with some special property of this object and/or cloud or whether the overall material towards wl5 is similar to that of other dense clouds. if the latter is the case, then one would conclude that the presence of large amounts of frozen h2 probably reside in the ices in most interstellar ices. this would have profound implications for present astrochemistry and cometary models, which presently do not incorporate this possibility.
Instrument
SWS01
Temporal Coverage
1997-02-17T20:13:55Z/1997-02-17T21:11:29Z
Version
1.0
Mission Description
The Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) was the world's first true orbiting infrared observatory. Equipped with four highly-sophisticated and versatile scientific instruments, it was launched by Ariane in November 1995 and provided astronomers world-wide with a facility of unprecedented sensitivity and capabilities for a detailed exploration of the Universe at infrared wavelengths.
