Less than a hundred years ago astronomers believed that molecules could not survive in the harsh environments found in interstellar space. However, advancements in radio astronomy in the last 50 years have enabled a boom in the detection of new molecules. Today, our picture of the molecular universe has expanded and around 250 molecules have been identified in the interstellar medium, including exotic and unstable species as well as many molecules that are also found on Earth. These molecules can be used as tools by astronomers to probe the temperatures, densities and levels of radiation and ionization in star-forming regions. Interstellar space also represents the ultimate physical chemistry laboratory, providing the ideal testing grounds for fundamental theories of chemistry at temperatures approaching absolute zero.
I will introduce the experiments that we are building in the new UBC Astrochemistry Lab to simulate interstellar environments and support astronomical observations. I will present the major challenges in the field and how we use cutting-edge experiments to approach these questions. These experiments are critical in order to maximize the scientific return from large-scale telescopes like the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).
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2022-01-24T15:00:002022-01-24T16:00:00A Chemical Toolbox for Astronomers – What molecules can teach us about our universeEvent Information:
Less than a hundred years ago astronomers believed that molecules could not survive in the harsh environments found in interstellar space. However, advancements in radio astronomy in the last 50 years have enabled a boom in the detection of new molecules. Today, our picture of the molecular universe has expanded and around 250 molecules have been identified in the interstellar medium, including exotic and unstable species as well as many molecules that are also found on Earth. These molecules can be used as tools by astronomers to probe the temperatures, densities and levels of radiation and ionization in star-forming regions. Interstellar space also represents the ultimate physical chemistry laboratory, providing the ideal testing grounds for fundamental theories of chemistry at temperatures approaching absolute zero.
I will introduce the experiments that we are building in the new UBC Astrochemistry Lab to simulate interstellar environments and support astronomical observations. I will present the major challenges in the field and how we use cutting-edge experiments to approach these questions. These experiments are critical in order to maximize the scientific return from large-scale telescopes like the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA) and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST).Event Location:
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