Program: GN-2020B-Q-128

Recent deep H2 narrow-band imagery of planetary nebulae using large telescopes have unveiled the presence of molecular hydrogen in small-scale structures with strong low-ionization lines (LISs). Such deep observations showed new H2 reservoirs and helped revealed the presence molecular gas in LISs. We propose to carry out the deepest H2 imaging survey of PNe, by observing the strong near-IR ro-vibrational line at 2.122 mu using both Gemini telescopes. A sample of 8 PNe with LISs will be observed. This ultra deep imagery of PNe will allow us to seek for the weak H2 emission that emanates from LISs, will provide valuable information about the distribution of molecular gas in PNe, in addition of the link with these intriguing substructures. Moreover, a target list of PNe for follow-up spectroscopic observations will be provided either for large ground-based telescopes and/or JWST, which is crucial for understanding the excitation and formation mechanisms of H2 gas.