Astrochemistry

Required knowledge from Quantum Physics and Atomic and Molecular Physics.

compulsory course

Total working time: 75 h (3ECTS)

32h lecture (30h) and consultations (2h)

43h individual work (preparations for presentations and the exam)

(in Polish) W1 - zna podstawowe linie widmowe pierwiastków i cząsteczek występujące w ośrodku międzygwiazdowym (K_W01 i K_W03)

W2 – zna złożoność materii ośrodka międzygwiazdowego i zachodzące w nim procesy fizyko-chemiczne (K_W03)

W3 – poznał najnowsze odkrycia astrochemiczne (K_W05)

(in Polish) U1 – potrafi samodzielnie wyszukać literaturę naukową na zadany temat i przeprowadzić dyskusję na temat omawianych badań i ich rezultatów (K_U05, K_U06, K_U07)

U2 – rozumie konieczność badań laboratoryjnych reakcji chemicznych i rozwoju technik obserwacyjnych (K_U04)

(in Polish) K1 – ma świadomość konieczności poznawania najnowszych odkryć w dziedzinie astrochemii (K_K01)

K2 – rozumie ważność nowoczesnych badań w poznawaniu Wszechświata (K_K06)

Traditional lecture with short presentations prepared by students on given topics.

- informative (conventional) lecture
- problem-based lecture

- seminar

We will study the history of chemical processes researches in interstellar medium and physical and chemical evolution from single atoms to complex molecules in the interstellar medium. Reading the astrophysical articles students will learn the newest discoveries in astrochemistry obtained using e.g. ALMA and JWST.

The following topics will be presented during lectures:

1) What is astrochemistry? Historical roots.

2) Basics rules and definitions in atomic astrophysics and spectroscopy.

3) Atomic processes.

4) Production of chemical elements in stars.

5) Astrochemical aspects of different astrophysical medium: nebulae, HII regions, AGNs and quasars.

6) Molecular complexity - "bottom-up" and "top-down" approaches. Organic molecules.

7) The Big Bang nucleosynthesis - first atoms.

8) Processes on dust grains.

9) How are water molecules created?

10) PAHs and COMs in interstellar medium.

11) Selected recent astrochemical results of simulations, calculations and observations.

A. Almudena, Friedrich-Karl Thielemann (2023) Origin of the elements, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00159-022-00146-x

M. De Becker (2013) Astrochemistry: the issue of molecular complexity in astrophysical environments, arXiv:1305.6243v1

E.F. van Dishoeck, E. Herbst, D. A. Neufeld (2013) Interstellar water chemistry: from laboratory to observations, Chemical Review, 113, 9043-9085

E.F. van Dishoeck (2014) Astrochemistry of dust, ice and gas: introduction and overview, Faraday Discussions, arXiv:1411.5280v1

E. Herbst, E.F. van Dishoeck,(2009), Complex organic interstellar molecules, Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 47, 427-80

Helge Kragh (2000) The chemistry of the universe: Historical roots of modern cosmochemistry, Annals of Science, 57:4, 353-368, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/000337900750013499

J.K. Jorgensen, A. Belloche, R.T. Garrod, (2020), Astrochemistry during the formations of stars, Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics, 58, 1-55

A.K. Pradhan, S.N. Nahar (2011) Atomic Astrophysics and Spectroscopy, Cambridge University Press

S. Schlemmer, Th. Giesen, H. Mutschke (2014) Laboratory Astrochemistry: From Molecules through Nanoparticles to Grains, Wiley

A.G.G.M. Tielens (2013) The molecular universe, Reviews of Modern Physics, 85 https://journals.aps.org/rmp/pdf/10.1103/RevModPhys.85.1021

Examples of web pages:

http://www.astrochem.org/

http://www.astrochemistry.eu/

http://astrochymist.org/

http://astropah-news.strw.leidenuniv.nl/download.html

https://wish.strw.leidenuniv.nl/index.php

Preparations and presentations of 5 minutes talks on given topics: instruments, discoveries concerning molecules in ISM, organic molecules.

Written exam based on knowledge presented during the lecture and given literature.

Grades:

50% - pass (satisfactory),

60% - satisfactory plus

70% - good

80% - good plus

90% - very good

Very good presentations make higher final grade.