  This paper reports molecular observations towards the Bright Eastern Knot
(BEK) in the SNR Puppis A, a feature where radio and X-ray studies suggest that
the shock front is interacting with a dense molecular clump. We performed
high-resolution millimetric observations towards the BEK of Puppis A using the
SEST telescope in the 12CO J=1-0 and 2-1 lines (beams of 45" and 23"
respectively). More extended, lower angular resolution 12CO J=1-0 observations
taken from NANTEN archival data were also analyzed to obtain a complete
picture. In the velocity range near 16 km/s, the Puppis A systemic velocity,
our study revealed two important properties: (i) no dense molecular gas is
detected immediately adjacent to the eastern border of the BEK and (ii) the
molecular clump detected very close to the radiocontinuum maximum is probably
located in the foreground along the line of sight and has not yet been reached
by the SNR shock front. We propose two possible scenarios to explain the
absence of molecular emission eastwards of the BEK border of Puppis A. Either
the shock front has completely engulfed and destroyed a molecular clump or the
shock front is interacting with part of a larger cloud and we do not detect CO
emission immediately beyond it because the molecules have been dissociated by
photodissociation and by reactions with photoionized material due to the
radiative precursor.
