Silvia Spezzano
MPE
The physical and chemical structure of pre-stellar cores
The gas composing the interstellar medium (ISM) is inherited from old stars and, at the same time, feeds into new stars and, eventually, new planets. Understanding the chemistry in the processes of star and planet formation is a crucial step into revealing not only the chemical, but also the physical processes that drive these phenomena. Stars form in dense cloud cores that can be studied through the emission of cold dust and molecules. Dense cores have a relatively high column density of dust, which effectively blocks the ambient radiation in the optical and ultraviolet regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Thanks to this shielding, molecules can survive, and molecular complexity can be built. Molecular emission in such dense cores is how we can observe the process of star-formation and study the chemical evolution from clouds to stars and planets. Because of the interconnection between the chemistry and the physics of dense cores, identification of molecules can be used to study the dynamics of the star-formation process, as well as the chemical budget that will finally be inherited by the forming planets. In my talk i will discuss the most recents results of my group and highlight the necessity of studying astrochemistry through its three pillars: laboratory spectroscopy, astronomical observations, and modelling.
