SIMBAD references

Using the 170µm ISOPHOT Serendipity Survey we have identified more than 50 cold, massive and compact molecular clouds. The large mass (M ∼1000 M_☉) and low dust temperature (T∼ 15 K) as well as the absence of embedded radio continuum sources make them promising candidates of massive star-forming regions at an early evolutionary stage. In order to explore the nature of these objects in detail, ground based follow-up observations were performed. The far infrared sources could be resolved in the (sub)mm dust continuum and ammonia molecular line emission. The temperatures of cold dust and gas in the ISOSS sample are significantly lower than found in previous studies of massive star-forming regions.