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Description
This database will eventually contain all the published infrared lines observed by ISO, the Infrared Space Observatory. At this stage only a few percent of the total content is included but it is increasing steadily. Thus what is presented at this stage is a beta-version of the final product. ISO - the Infrared Space Observatory - was operational during about 28 months, between November 1995 and May 1998, until its cooling fluid (liquid helium) burnt out (Kessler et al. 1996A&A...315L..27K). It was the first far-infrared satellite equipped with two medium and high resolution spectrometers, SWS (Short Wavelength Spectrometer, 2.38-45.2{mu}m, de Graauw et al. 1996A&A...315L..49D) and LWS (Long Wavelength Spectrometer, 43-197{mu}m, Clegg et al. 1996A&A...315L..38C). Both spectrometers could be operated in grating or Fabry-Perot mode. In addition, the two other ISO instruments also provided spectroscopic data: ISOCAM (the ISO Camera, Cesarsky et al. 1996A&A...315L..32C) had a CVF (Circular Variable Filter) mode in 3 bands covering the range 2.3-17.3{mu}m, and ISOPHOT (The Imaging Photo-Polarimeter, Lemke et al. 1996A&A...315L..64L) had a dual grating spectrometer (PHOT-S) with resolving power of order 90 in two bands (2.5-4.9{mu}m and 5.8-11.6{mu}m). Detailed information about ISO and its four ISO instruments can be found in "The ISO Handbook" available on-line at http://www.iso.vilspa.esa.es/ The novelty, the richness and the unicity of the ISO spectroscopic data is what motivated us in compiling this data in a systematic and homogeneous way in order to make it available to the whole astronomical community. No other past, current or foreseen space project will overwrite this data, hence the importance of this compilation. In addition, queries on the database content will be a useful tool for the preparation of follow-up observations with other space, airborne or ground-based observatories such as Herschel, SOFIA, ALMA, VLT and more. In this early version, the database is very incomplete. It contains about 3000 lines which represents only a few percent of the total. Each observed and published ISO spectroscopic line corresponds to a physical line in IASD with up to 39 parameter/information fields. The description of the various columns is given below.
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