Astrochemistry

The molecular component of our galaxy is the focus of numerous studies. Although molecular clouds represent only a tiny fraction of the volume of the Milky Way, they play a key role in the formation of stars and planetary systems. Interestingly, these clouds offer physical conditions that allow the formation of a large number of molecular species. More than 300 astromolecules have been identified to date, mainly on the basis of submillimetre and millimetre observations. The existence of such a wealth of molecular species in the interstellar medium prompts in-depth research aimed at understanding the processes likely to produce them, and potentially to produce other species that have yet to be discovered in these environments.

To do this, it is essential to take into account the influence of astrophysical conditions on processes operating at the molecular scale. For example, dense molecular clouds have little exposure to ultraviolet radiation from nearby stellar populations, but they are considerably affected by the interaction of cosmic rays accelerated by various sources in the galaxy. They are very cold (10 to 20 K), but certain astrophysical circumstances modify their temperature and enhance astrochemical processes, such as a collapse that triggers star formation or the passage of shock fronts that deposit  thermal energy in the medium.

Among the key questions addressed by astrochemistry are the search for the most complex molecular species and an understanding of the mechanisms likely to produce them. Tackling such questions requires multidisciplinary approaches, at the crossroads of different disciplines such as astrophysics, chemistry, physics and space sciences in general. These scientific questions are among the themes addressed by the galactic pole of this group