INTRODUCTION TO ASTROCHEMISTRY (2024)
FOUR TUESDAYS: May 21, 28; June 4, 11
Online, 7-9 PM EDT
Space is filled with both well-known and exotic molecules. These are detected and identified by their specific radio signals. The distribution and kinds of molecules in space are a clue as to how the universe evolved from atomic particles, to atoms and molecules, to protoplanetary discs and dust granules, to stars, to planets and other objects.
This short course will examine radio and molecular spectroscopy, key findings on the composition and evolution of molecular species, and conclusions about past and future chemical events in the cosmos. This is an intermediate-level course which presumes some familiarity with electromagnetic (E/M) waves and spectra.
Topics.
May 21– Space Smells! Basics of Molecular Spectroscopy, including a review of Radio Telescopes.
May 28– Chemistry at the beginning of star formation (ISM, diffuse, dense clouds, protostars and disks)
June 4– Astrochemistry at the end of star formation (evolved stars, supernovae remnants)
June 11– Future of Astrochemistry: searching for biologically relevant species via ALMA and JWST
Our instructor is Samantha Scibelli, a Jansky Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NRAO) in Charlottesville, Virginia. Her research centers around topics in low-mass star formation, astrochemistry, astrobiology, and radio astronomy. She completed her PhD at the University of Arizona and Steward Observatory in Tucson, Arizona. There she worked on the complex chemistry at the earliest stages of low-mass star formation. Passionate about popular science writing, she also completed a Science Communication Certificate while at the University of Arizona.
