First detection of NH3 () from a low mass cloud core ***

Odin has successfully observed the molecular core ρ Oph A in the 572.5 GHz rotational ground state line of ammonia, NH3 (). The interpretation of this result makes use of complementary molecular line data obtained from the ground (C17O and CH3OH) as part of the Odin preparatory work. Comparison of these observations with theoretical model calculations of line excitation and transfer yields a quite ordinary abundance of methanol, X(. Unless NH3 is not entirely segregated from C17O and CH3OH, ammonia is found to be significantly underabundant with respect to typical dense core values, viz. X(.