Molecular Outflows from High-Mass Protostars

The youngest protostars are obscured from direct view by a high column of molecular gas. Nevertheless, their presence is betrayed through spectacular infrared outflows. I demonstrate here that infrared spectroscopy has the potential to reveal a remarkable variety of details concerning the underlying physics. Near-infrared spectroscopic analyses of the OMC-1, DR 21 & Cepheus A outflows are discussed here. Molecular hydrogen is vibrationally excited by collisions in shock waves. In OMC-1, the ortho-para ratio has been mapped. The ratio is close to 3, suggesting efficient shock thermalisation. In DR 21, shocked (up to the first vibrational level) and fluorescent (higher v-levels) components have been successfully separated. In Cepheus A, non-LTE effects imply low densities. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.