Molecular Astrophysics

Focusing on the organic inventory of regions of star and planet formation in the interstellar medium of galaxies, this comprehensive overview of the molecular universe is an invaluable reference source for advanced undergraduates through to entry-level researchers. It includes an extensive discussion of microscopic physical and chemical processes in the universe; these play a role in the excitation, spectral characteristics, formation, and evolution of molecules in the gas phase and on grain surfaces. In addition, the latest developments in this area of molecular astrophysics provide a firm foundation for an in-depth understanding of the molecular phases of the interstellar medium. The physical and chemical properties of gaseous molecules, mixed molecular ices, and large polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon molecules and fullerenes and their role in the interstellar medium are highlighted. For those with an interest in the molecular universe, this advanced textbook bridges the gap between molecular physics, astronomy, and physical chemistry.

Preface; 1. Introduction; 2. Introduction to chemistry; 3. Molecular spectroscopy; 4. Molecular emission and absorption; 5. Chemical thermodynamics; 6. Gas phase chemical processes; 7. Chemistry on interstellar grain surfaces; 8. Physics and chemistry of large molecules; 9. Diffuse clouds; 10. Molecular clouds; 11. Star formation; 12. The aromatic universe.

Alexander Tielens is a professor of astronomy at both Leiden University and the University of Maryland. He has held appointments at the University of California, Berkeley, NASA Ames Research Center, the University of Groningen, and the Dutch Space Agency; was the project scientist of the HIFI instrument on board of the Herschel Space Observatory; and was the NASA project scientist of the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA). He is a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and was awarded the Spinoza Prize in 2012.