Astrochemistry is an interdisciplinary field investigating molecular chemistry across a diverse range of astrophysical environments. It represents a crucial probe of the many chemical, physical, and dynamical processes in the Universe. Molecular line observations and chemical models now span many types of regions, including (exo)planetary atmospheres, circumstellar matter around evolved stars, protostellar and protoplanetary disks, and molecular cores and clouds from the Milky Way to the early universe. The chemistry of these environments can vary drastically between each other, from highly energetic irradiation, to warm temperatures, to the coldest gas in galaxies. Combined, though, they provide a complete picture of the chemistry in the molecular universe. Astronomers who specialize in these environments often utilize different tracers, and their chemistry provides unique laboratories to probe both fundamental physics and chemistry.

In recent years, ALMA and JWST, along with deep line surveys from large single-dish telescopes, have provided an explosion of gas- and ice-phase observational data, from discoveries of new diatomic molecules to a deeper understanding of complex organic and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) chemistry. Astrochemical models have become increasingly more complex, including much more sophisticated treatments of the gas-grain chemistry and more complex processes such as state-specific and suprathermal chemistry. Finally, laboratory and theoretical chemistry work has significantly expanded our view of chemistry across the range of molecular complexities, from constraining PAH formation to ice irradiation chemistry to molecular spectroscopy.

The diversity of the studied environments enables many interesting and innovative probes into physics and chemistry. The special session will bring together experts across a range of environments that utilize the tool of astrochemistry along with laboratory astrophysicists, astrochemists, and spectroscopists. In particular, the special session will aim to be truly interdisciplinary, with talks from astronomers and chemists, including observational, theoretical, modeling, and laboratory studies. We expect that bringing together experts in these many environments will help chart the future of astrochemistry toward a complete picture of our molecular universe.

Programme

• Local interstellar medium chemistry
• Dense proto- or prestellar cores
• Protostellar disks
• Evolved stars
• Planetary bodies, (exo)moons, comets, asteroids, etc
• Laboratory and theoretical astrochemistry

Invited speakers

• Felix Priestley (Cardiff University)
• Samantha Scibelli (National Radio Astronomy Observatory)
• Marie Van de Sande (Leiden Observatory)
• Yasuhiro OBA (Hokkaido University)

Scientific organisers

Brandt Gaches (chair), Giuliana Cosentino (co-chair), Elvire De Beck, Marco Padovani, Serena Viti, Víctor M. Rivilla, Peter Schilke

Contact

brandt.gaches @ chalmers.se