| Abstract: | The ISO-SWS instrument offering a large wavelength coverage and a resolution well adapted to the solid phase has changed our
knowledge of the physical-chemical properties of ices in space. The discovery of many new ice features was reported and the
comparison with dedicated laboratory experiments allowed the determination of more accurate abundances of major ice components.
The presence of CO2 ice has recently been confirmed with the SWS (Short Wavelength Spectrometer) as a dominant ice component of interstellar
grain mantles. The bending mode of CO2 ice shows a particular triple-peak structure which provides first evidence for extensive ice segregation in the line-of-sight
toward massive protostars. A comparison of interstellar and cometary ices using recent ISO data and ground-based measurements
has revealed important similarities but also indicated that comets contain, beside pristine interstellar material, admixtures
of processed material. The investigation of molecules in interstellar clouds is essential to reveal the link between dust
in the interstellar medium and in the Solar System.
This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date. |
