Abstract
Apolar ices have been observed in several regions in dense clouds and are likely dominated by molecules such as CO and the IR inactive molecules O2 and N2. Recent ISO results showed the ubiquitous presence of abundant CO2 ice and the presence of CO2-rich ice mantles as well as strong CO2 outgassing from Comet Hale–Bopp. CO and CO2 have strong, sharp bands in the IR and their position and band width indicate not only the polar and apolar character of the ice, but also give an indication of the temperature and radiation history of grains. The study of CO and CO2 band profiles provides a powerful tool to determine the grain mantle composition, in particular the presence of solid O2 and N2, and the grain evolution in the cycle of interstellar clouds.
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