Following the Water: A Trek Through Interstellar Clouds to Other Star Systems
Gary Melnick, Harvard-Smithsonian
Abstract:
Water holds a special place among the growing collection of molecules detected beyond our solar system. Within molecular clouds, water may be the primary reservoir of oxygen – the third most abundant element in the universe after hydrogen and helium. As such, the abundance of water provides important insights into the detailed processes of the chemical factories at work within dense interstellar clouds. However, it’s water’s unique role as a facilitator of biological activity that confers singular interest upon this molecule. In 1998, NASA launched the Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS) with the primary goal of understanding water beyond our solar system and, where possible, within our solar system. This talk will present a few highlights from the highly successful 6-year SWAS mission, along with recent results from the Spitzer Space Telescope, with a focus on where water is found, its abundance, and how it formed. I will also present evidence for water in bodies orbiting another star.