Abstract

Millimeter wave observations of molecular lines provide a useful tool to study the chemistry of bipolar outflows. In this contribution we discuss recent observational results which have permitted to assess the chemical alterations of the ambient medium produced by the presence of bipolar collimated winds driven by young protostars. Discussed first are the results from molecular line surveys which have allowed to identify several species whose abundances in the outflow lobes are considerably enhanced with respect to that of the ambient medium. These enhancements are useful diagnostics of physical and chemical processes in the outflow lobes, such as sputtering of grain cores and/or desorption of grain mantles. Then we discuss the characteristics of the line profiles and of the spatial distribution of the emission in specific enhanced species, which provide information about the mechanisms responsible for the enhancements. In particular we give emphasis to the results derived from observations of two highly enhanced species, SiO and CH(3)OH, which are observed to trace different components of the outflows.