Gas and dust in star-forming region rho OphA

The stratified structure of this photon dominated region (PDR), seen edge-on, is clearly displayed. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and OI are seen throughout the region around the exciting star S1. At the interface to the molecular core 0.05pc away, atomic hydrogen is rapidly converted into H_2_, whereas OI protrudes further into the molecular core.

This provides oxygen atoms for the gas-phase formation of O_2_ in the core SM1, where X(O_2_)~5x10^-8^. There, the ratio of the O_2_ to H_2_O abundance [X(H_2_O)~5x10^-9^] is significantly higher than unity. Away from the core, O_2_ experiences a dramatic decrease due to increasing H_2_O formation.

Outside the molecular core, on the far side as seen from S1, the intense radiation from the 0.5pc distant early B-type star HD147889 destroys the molecules. Towards the dark core SM1, the observed abundance ratio X(O_2_)/X(H_2_O)>1, which suggests that this object is extremely young, which would explain why O_2_ is such an elusive molecule outside the solar system.