From the laboratory to the interstellar medium: a strategy to search for exotic molecules in space

Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences

Astronomy and Space Sciences

Víctor M. Rivilla¹  Luca Bizzocchi²  Silvia Alessandrini²  Mattia Melosso²  Cristina Puzzarini² 

[1] Centro de Astrobiología (CAB, CSIC-INTA), Madrid, Spain;ROT&Comp Lab, Department of Chemistry “Giacomo Ciamician”, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy;

关键词: astrochemistry;    interstellar medium;    unstable/reactive species;    quantum chemistry;    rotational spectroscopy;    astronomical observations;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fspas.2023.1211784

 received in 2023-04-25, accepted in 2023-07-31,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

The chemistry of the interstellar medium occurs under extreme conditions and can lead to the formation of exotic molecules. These are species that on Earth are unstable and/or highly reactive. Their discovery in space is usually based on the astronomical observation of their rotational fingerprints, which requires an accurate laboratory investigation. This is based on a strategy that starts from the interplay of experiment and theory. State-of-the-art quantum-chemical calculations are used to predict the relevant spectroscopic information required to guide the spectral recording, analysis and assignment. Rotational spectra measurements are then performed in the centimeter-/millimeter-/submillimeter-wave region, thereby exploiting efficient on-the-fly production protocols for exotic molecules. Subsequently, the spectral analysis leads to accurate spectroscopic parameters, which are then used for setting up accurate line catalogs for astronomical searches and detections. This review is based on the strategy developed and the results obtained at the ROT&Comp Lab of the University of Bologna.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Puzzarini, Alessandrini, Bizzocchi, Melosso and Rivilla.