ISO Status Report - May 2006
A first version of the ISO Astrophysical Spectroscopic Database has been released in CDS/Vizier. It contains extensive information (currently over 3000 entries) gathered from the literature for a number of spectral lines.
Science Highlights
ISO continues to have a significant presence in the literature, with over 1330 refereed papers published to date; of these 106 were published in 2005 and 17 to date in 2006. Recent highlights include the discovery of two very cold and massive molecular cloud cores in the region ISOSS J18364-0221 from the 170 micron ISOPHOT Serendipity Survey (ISOSS), obtained from follow-up sub-millimetre continuum and molecular line measurements. The first core, at a temperature of 16.5 K, is considered a genuine high-mass protostar and a high-mass analogue to the Class 0 objects. The second core has average gas and dust temperature of only ~ 12 K and a mass of M ~ 280 MSun. Its temperature and level of turbulence are below the values found for massive cores so far and are suggested to represent initial conditions from which high-mass star formation occurs. (Birkmann et al, ApJ, 637, 380).