Astrochemistry

Astrochemistry studies the chemical composition, reactions, and evolution of matter in space, from interstellar clouds and stars to planetary systems.

Interstellar medium: The matter and radiation occupying the space between stars in a galaxy. Its diffuse gas and dust provide the setting for much astrochemical activity.
Molecular spectroscopy: The study of how molecules absorb, emit, or scatter electromagnetic radiation. Spectral lines reveal molecular identities and physical conditions in space.
Star formation: The process by which dense regions of molecular clouds collapse to form stars. Chemical changes track the collapse and heating of material into new stars.
Sagittarius B2: A massive molecular cloud near the center of the Milky Way. Its rich molecular spectrum has yielded many detections of complex interstellar molecules.
Interstellar chemistry: The formation and destruction of molecules in gas and dust between stars. It describes the reactions astrochemistry studies in interstellar clouds.
Rotational spectroscopy: The measurement of transitions between a molecule’s quantized rotational energy levels. Many interstellar molecules are identified through their rotational emission lines.
Protoplanetary disk: A rotating disk of gas and dust surrounding a young star, where planets can form. Its molecular inventory records conditions during planet formation.
Orion KL: A chemically rich, active star-forming region in the Orion Molecular Cloud. Its warm gas and shocks showcase chemistry around newly forming massive stars.
Gas-phase ion chemistry: Chemical reactions involving ions in a gaseous environment. Ion–molecule reactions can proceed efficiently in cold interstellar gas.
Radio astronomy: The study of celestial objects through the radio waves they emit or absorb. Radio telescopes detect many molecular transitions from cold clouds.

Linked from 9 pages