EAI Seminars: The astrochemical trail: interstellar complex molecules in forming planetary systems

Описание: Dr. Eleonora Bianchi,
INAF - Osservatorio Astrofisico di Arcetri

1st April 2025 at 16:00 CET

Abstract:
Despite its complexity, terrestrial life is built from relatively small precursor molecules containing carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen.
To date, more than 330 different molecular species have been discovered in the interstellar medium, some of which could have served as building blocks for prebiotic chemistry. To determine whether these molecules played a role in the emergence of life on our planet, we must ask: How does molecular complexity arise and evolve during the process that leads to the formation of a Sun and its planetary system? Is this molecular complexity, at least in part, inherited by forming planetary systems?

To answer these questions, the field of astrochemistry adopts a synergistic approach, combining astronomical observations, laboratory experiments, quantum chemistry calculations, and astrochemical modeling.

In this talk, I will discuss recent observations of molecular species of prebiotic relevance, including interstellar complex organic molecules and complex carbon-bearing species, in Solar System analogs. I will also explore our current understanding of how these molecules form under the harsh conditions of interstellar space. I will particularly focus on the inner regions (~100 au) of young protostellar disks (younger than 1 Myr), as observations of these disks are crucial for understanding the initial physical and chemical conditions at the onset of planet formation.

While a chemical reset is expected in regions close to the protostar, a significant portion of molecular complexity in the outer protostellar disk is likely inherited from earlier stages. Comparing the chemical complexity observed in the early stages of star formation with that found in Solar System comets provides observational evidence supporting this inheritance scenario.

Finally, I will highlight the main challenges facing astrochemistry in the near future and emphasize the importance of upcoming observational facilities, particularly in the radio domain (ALMA Band 2, SKAO, ngVLA), in investigating chemical complexity in planet-forming regions.