Detection of the hydroperoxyl radical HO2 toward \rho Oph A: Additional
  constraints on the water chemical network
  Context: Hydrogen peroxide (HOOH) was recently detected toward \rho Oph A.
Subsequent astrochemical modeling that included reactions in the gas phase and
on the surface of dust grains was able to explain the observed abundance, and
highlighted the importance of grain chemistry in the formation of HOOH as an
intermediate product in water formation. This study also predicted that the
hydroperoxyl radical HO2, the precursor of HOOH, should be detectable. Aims: We
aim at detecting the hydroperoxyl radical HO2 in \rho Oph A. Methods: We used
the IRAM 30m and the APEX telescopes to target the brightest HO2 lines at about
130 and 260 GHz. Results: We detect five lines of HO2 (comprising seven
individual molecular transitions). The fractional abundance of HO2 is found to
be about 1e-10, a value similar to the abundance of HOOH. This observational
result is consistent with the prediction of the above mentioned astrochemical
model, and thereby validates our current understanding of the water formation
on dust grains. Conclusions: This detection, anticipated by a sophisticated
gas-grain chemical model, demonstrates that models of grain chemistry have
improved tremendously and that grain surface reactions now form a crucial part
of the overall astrochemical network.
