This image, taken with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, shows a massive galaxy cluster, about 4.6 billion light years away. Along its borders four bright arcs are visible; these are copies of the same distant galaxy, nicknamed the Sunburst Arc. The Sunburst Arc galaxy is almost 11 billion light-years away and the light from it is being lensed into multiple images by gravitational lensing. The Sunburst Arc is among the brightest lensed galaxies known and its image is visible at least 12 times within the four arcs. Three arcs are visible in the top right of the image, the fourth arc in the lower left. The last one is partially obscured by a bright foreground star, which is located in the Milky Way.
Global Online Lecture Series

“Astrochemistry:

From the Big Bang to Life”

ABOUT THE COURSE

One of the most fascinating questions arising from studies of our planet, and of the wider Universe, is the origin of life on Earth. There are two main hypotheses describing the source of the organic compounds that could have served as the basis of life: the formation of prebiotic molecules under the conditions assumed to have existed on the primitive Earth (endogenous hypothesis); and their formation in the Solar Nebula or in its parent molecular cloud and delivery to Earth via asteroids, comets and their meteoritic remains (exogenous hypothesis).

The course will be devoted to astrochemistry and the exogenous hypothesis of the origin of life. In 14 lectures from the world-leading experts, we will discuss the history of the early molecular universe starting from the Big Bang; environmental conditions and key physico-chemical processes in space; astronomical observations (from ground to space) of objects of astrochemical interest; chemical models describing astrophysical environments and their reaction networks; key laboratory techniques and approaches for studying astrochemical processes; chemistry in specific environments, such as the interstellar medium, protoplanetary disks, and atmospheres of (exo)planets; exogenous synthesis and delivery of biomolecule precursors; and, finally, evolution of these precursors on the early Earth.

The course is organized by a consortium of scientists from different universities and research organizations and is aimed at providing a broad overview of scientific issues, problems, achievements, and open questions in astrochemistry; and at helping senior undergraduate and postgraduate students as well as early career scientists to expand their interests and develop a firm understanding of this area, sufficient to choose an appropriate direction for their future career. The course is open to students and scientists from all over the world, but the organizers reserve the right to be selective in terms of access and to limit the total number of participants.

LECTURERS


  • Edwin Bergin, University of Michigan, USA

  • Dieter Braun, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany

  • Ludmila Carone, Space Research Institute, Austria

  • Paola Caselli, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Germany

  • Robin Garrod, University of Virginia, USA

  • Wolf Geppert, Stockholm University, Sweden

  • Eric Herbst, University of Virginia, USA

  • Martin McCoustra, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland

  • Alessandro Morbidelli, Côte d’Azur Observatory, France

  • Hans Olofsson, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden

  • Alexey Potapov, Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Germany

  • Barbara Ryden, The Ohio State University, USA

  • Alexander Tielens, University of Maryland, USA and Leiden University, The Netherlands

  • Catherine Walsh, University of Leeds, UK

COURSE PROGRAM
  • 1.  Big Bang and the history of the early molecular universe
    Barbara Ryden, The Ohio State University, USA

    29.03.2023 15:00 – 17:00 CET

  • 2.  Stellar nucleosynthesis and origin of elements
    Hans Olofsson, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden

    05.04.2023 15:00
    17:00 CET
  • 3.  Cosmic life cycle of matter and environmental conditions in space
    Alexander Tielens, University of Maryland, USA and Leiden University, The Netherlands

    12.04.2023 16:00 – 17:00 CET
    13.04.2023 16:00 – 17:00 CET
    14.04.2023 16:00 – 17:00 CET

  • 4.  Chemical processes in space: histories and current understanding
    Eric Herbst, 
    University of Virginia, USA
    20.04.2023 15:00 – 17:00 CET

  • 5.  Astronomical observations of objects of astrochemical interest
    Edwin Bergin, University of Michigan, USA

    26.04.2023 15:00
    17:00 CET
  • 6.  Chemical modelling of astrophysical environments and their reaction networks
    Robin Garrod, University of Virginia, USA

    03.05.2023 15:00
    18:00 CET
  • 7.  Laboratory astrochemistry. Surface and solid-state processes in space
    Martin McCoustra, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland

    11.05.2023 15:00
    17:00 CET
  • 8.  Laboratory astrochemistry. Gas-phase processes in space
    Wolf Geppert, Stockholm University, Sweden

    19.05.2023 15:00
    17:00 CET
  • 9. Chemistry in the interstellar medium and its role in the formation of molecular clouds and stars
    Paola Caselli, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Germany

    25.05.2023 15:00
    18:00 CET
  • 10. Physical and chemical processes in protoplanetary disks
    Catherine Walsh, University of Leeds, UK

    01.06.2023 15:00
    18:00 CET
  • 11. Chemistry in (exo)planet and satellite atmospheres
    Ludmila Carone, 
    Space Research Institute, Austria
    08.06.2023 15:00
    17:00 CET
  • 12.  Evolution of planetary systems and origin of the solar system
    Alessandro Morbidelli, Côte d’Azur Observatory, France

    15.06.2023 16:00
    17:30 CET
    16.06.2023 16:00 – 17:30 CET

  • 13.  Exogenous synthesis and delivery of biomolecule precursors to early Earth
    Alexey PotapovFriedrich Schiller University Jena and Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Germany
    22.06.2023 15:00 17:00 CET
  • 14.  Evolution of biomolecule precursors and formation of biopolymers and first cells
    Dieter Braun, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany

    28.06.2023 15:00
    18:00 CET
ORGANIZERS
Robin Garrod

University of Virginia, USA

Wolf Geppert

Stockholm University, Sweden


Martin McCoustra

Heriot-Watt University, Scotland


Alexey Potapov

Friedrich Schiller University Jena and Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Germany

REGISTRATION

To register, send an email containing your name and family name, status (bachelor, master, PhD student, postdoc, staff, professor), supervisors's name (if applicable), affiliation and address to alexey.potapov at uni-jena.de.

Registration deadline: March 26.

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