Related papers: Astrochemistry on Galactic scales
The presence of short-lived ($\sim$\,Myr) radioactive isotopes in meteoritic inclusions at the time of their formation represents a unique opportunity to study the circumstances that led to the formation of the Solar System. To interpret…
The description of the tempo-spatial evolution of the composition of cosmic gas on galactic scales is called 'modelling galactic chemical evolution'. It aims to use knowledge about sources of nucleosynthesis and how they change the…
The increasing detection of new molecules in the interstellar medium (ISM) shows that stereoisomerism is a fundamental contributor to interstellar molecular complexity. This work presents the first comprehensive overview of interstellar…
The interstellar medium (ISM) can be thought of as the galactic atmosphere which fills the space between stars. When clouds within the ISM collapse, stars are born. When the stars die, they return their matter to the surrounding gas.…
Chemical models have been developed over the years by astrophysicists to study the pro- cesses at play in the various environments of the interstellar medium (ISM) that define the chemical composition of the gas and the dust. These…
Gas-phase processes were long thought to be the key formation mechanisms for complex organic molecules in star-forming regions. However, recent experimental and theoretical evidence has cast doubt on the efficiency of such processes.…
Galaxies are part of a vast cosmic ecosystem, embedded in an extensive gaseous reservoir that regulates their growth by providing the necessary fuel for star formation while preserving a fossil record of past interactions, outflows, and…
The determination of chemical abundances in star-forming galaxies and the study of their evolution on cosmological timescales are powerful tools for understanding galaxy formation and evolution. This contribution presents the latest results…
The wavelength range 912-2000A (hereafter far-UV) provides access to absorption lines of the interstellar medium (ISM), circumgalactic medium (CGM), and intergalactic medium (IGM) in phases spanning a wide range of ionization, density,…
Galactic interstellar dust has a profound impact not only on our observations of objects throughout the Universe, but also on the morphology, star formation, and chemical evolution of the Galaxy. The advent of massive imaging and…
Computational chemistry plays a relevant role in many astrochemical research fields, either by complementing experimental measurements or by deriving parameters difficult to be reproduced by laboratories. While the role of computational…
Nitrogen isotopic ratios are a key tool for tracing Galactic stellar nucleosynthesis. We present the first study of the $^{14}$N/$^{15}$N abundance ratio in the outer regions of the Milky Way (namely, for galactocentric distances, $R_{\rm…
Chemical abundances provide important clues to the evolution of galaxies. Ionized nebulae are one of the main sources of chemical abundance measurements, especially in external galaxies. Studies of H II regions have shown that the overall…
The field of astrochemistry has seen major advances triggered by the completion of new powerful radio telescopes, with gains in sensitivity of receivers and in bandwidth. To date, about 330 molecular species are detected, in interstellar…
The interstellar medium is the engine room for galactic evolution. While much is known about the conditions within the ISM, many important areas regarding the formation and evolution of the various phases of the ISM leading to star…
Massive star formation exhibits an extremely rich chemistry. However, not much evolutionary details are known yet, especially at high spatial resolution. Therefore, we synthesize previously published Submillimeter Array…
Isotopic ratios provide a powerful tool for understanding the origins of materials, including the volatile and refractory matter within solar system bodies. Recent high sensitivity observations of molecular isotopologues, in particular with…
This paper deals with the heating and the ionization of the interstellar medium (ISM) in the 500 central pc of the Milky Way (hereafter Galactic center, GC). We review the results of the Infrared Space Observatory (ISO) observations of a…
Interstellar chemistry in low metallicity environments is crucial to understand chemical processes in the past metal-poor universe. Recent studies of interstellar molecules in nearby low-metallicity galaxies have suggested that the…
The main achievements, current developments and prospects of molecular studies in external galaxies are reviewed. They are put in the context of the results of several decades of studies of molecules in local interstellar medium, their…