Detection of interstellar hydrogen peroxide (P. Bergman et al.)

Vol. 531In section 1. Letters to the Editor

Detection of interstellar hydrogen peroxide

by P. Bergman, B. Parise, R. Liseau, B. Larsson, H. Olofsson, K. M. Menten, and R. Güsten, A&A 531, L8

This is the first interstellar detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which is a key species for understanding the oxygen budget in molecular clouds. H2O2 is likely to be linked chemically to molecular oxygen O2, which is difficult to detect directly and which is currently under consideration as a use for instruments on the Herschel satellite. Read ESO press release.