Astrochemistry

The chemical processes involved in the formation and destruction of molecules are widespread in astronomy. They occur in comets, planetary and stellar atmospheres, circumstellar shells and interstellar clouds, and may have played an important role in the early universe. The chemical processes taking place in different objects are diverse due to different physical conditions, but there is an underlying unity in this diversity. This volume brings together scientists from a variety of disciplines in an attempt to understand the physics and chemistry of these processes. Past achievements are dealt with, the state of the art is explored and possible future directions are presented. Basic atomic, molecular and grain physics, experimental and observational data, and theoretical calculations and modeling are all given attention. (Auth.)