The Chemistry of Interstellar Space

Abstract Within the last ten to twenty years, radioastronomers have discovered the existence of almost 100 different molecules in interstellar space. Ranging in complexity from two to thirteen atoms, these molecules are found in cold, rarefied regions called interstellar clouds, which are giant accumulations of gas and dust located in our galaxy as well as many others. Interstellar clouds are also the birthplaces of future generations of stars and are of great interest to astronomers. The observation of the large sample of gaseous molecules, detected mainly via their rotational spectral patterns, tells astronomers about the detailed physical conditions in interstellar clouds, and tells chemists about the extent of molecular synthesis possible under the seemingly harsh conditions of low temperature and density. The molecules are mainly organic in nature and comprise species known to be both stable and common in the laboratory as well as those both unstable and uncommon under terrestrial conditions, including radicals and molecular ions. Although the gas phase of interstellar clouds is well studied via spectroscopic techniques, the dust particles are much more poorly characterized via their scattering and absorption of visible radiation as well as some broad resonances in the ultraviolet and infrared regions of the spectrum. It is normally thought that these submicron‐sized particles consist of cores that are composites of silicate and carbonaceous materials with mantles that contain material deposited from the gas such as ices of water, ammonia, and methane. In addition to the dust particles and gaseous molecules, there is some evidence for very large aromatic molecules (the so‐called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or PAH's) which occupy a nether region in between large gas‐phase species and small dust particles. As our understanding of the chemical processes in interstellar clouds increases, it may be possible to speculate how large interstellar molecules can come into existence and whether or not there is a clear connection between interstellar chemistry and the start of life on earth.