Gas Phase Chemistry in Space

Book excerpt: Astrochemistry, the study of chemistry in space, is a rapidly growing field in astrophysics. Molecules are found everywhere; from our solar system to high-redshift galaxies. Gas-Phase Chemistry in Space: From elementary particles to complex organic molecules addresses the physics and chemistry of astrophysical molecules with a focus on gas-phase processes. Edited by François Lique and Alexandre Faure, alongside a collection of experts in the field, this book introduces essential concepts that govern the formation, excitation and destruction of molecules at postgraduate and research levels. A broad range of topics are covered, including early universe chemistry and stellar nucleosynthesis, and the study of bimolecular reaction kinetics. Detailed descriptions of the gas-phase process are provided and recent examples of the interplay between observational and laboratory astrophysics are examined. Coinciding with the timely arrival of powerful new telescopes, this work examines numerous advances in astrochemistry and paves the way for these advances to be implemented in the future. More than 100 figures are used, alongside examples, providing both theoretical and experimental perspectives. Book jacket.