ABOUT THE COURSE
Our universe is full of molecules, from the simplest – molecular hydrogen – all the way up to the complex molecular structures essential to the chemistry of life on Earth. A large and diverse array of chemical species has been detected not only on planets but in interstellar clouds, in regions of star formation, in protoplanetary disks, and in comets and meteorites within the solar system. But how and when was all this material formed, and how does it evolve over time? How much molecular content is inherited from one stage of star and planet formation to the next? What role does the chemistry of the universe through cosmic time play in the origins of life? A major unanswered question remains whether the molecules essential to life were produced on the early Earth (endogenous origin), or whether they were produced in the parent interstellar medium or planet-forming disk and delivered to Earth via asteroids, comets and their meteoritic remains (exogenous origin).
This lecture course will be devoted to astrochemistry and the exploration of topics related to the chemical origins of life. In 18 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.
GALS 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.
GALS in summer semester 2024 is supported by the COST Action ”Nanospace” (CA21126) and accredited by the Faculty of Sciences, University of La Laguna (ULL, Spain). The course carries a credit weighting of 3 ECTS. After the course, the organizers provide participants with a participation certificate including the course workload and ECTS credits.
LECTURERS
- Edwin Bergin, University of Michigan, USA
- Dieter Braun, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany
- 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
- Laura Kreidberg, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Germany
- 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, Germany
- Sean Raymond, University of Bordeaux, France
- Barbara Ryden, The Ohio State University, USA
- Dima Semenov, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Germany
- Alexander Tielens, University of Maryland, USA and Leiden University, The Netherlands
- Catherine Walsh, University of Leeds, UK
- Rens Waters, Radboud University and SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, The Netherlands
COURSE PROGRAM
1. Basics of astrophysics
Dima Semenov, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Germany
30.01.2024 15:00 CET
2. Big Bang and the history of the early molecular universe
Barbara Ryden, The Ohio State University, USA
02.02.2024 15:00 CET
3. Formation of the elements
Hans Olofsson, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
06.02.2024 15:00 CET
4. Cosmic life cycle of matter and environmental conditions in space
Alexander Tielens, University of Maryland, USA and Leiden University, The Netherlands
09.02.2024 16:00 CET
5. Chemical processes in space: histories and current understanding
Eric Herbst, University of Virginia, USA
13.02.2024 15:00 CET
6. Astrochemical observations: theory
Edwin Bergin, University of Michigan, USA
15.02.2024 15:00 CET
7. Astrochemical observations: instruments
Rens Waters, Radboud University and SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research, The Netherlands
20.02.2024 15:00 CET
8. From atoms to the seeds of life: the astrochemical journey
Paola Caselli, Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Germany
23.02.2024 15:00 CET
9. Chemical modelling of astrophysical environments and their reaction networks
Robin Garrod, University of Virginia, USA
26.02.2024 15:00 CET
10. Laboratory astrochemistry. Gas-phase processes
Wolf Geppert, Stockholm University, Sweden
29.02.2024 15:00 CET
11. Laboratory astrochemistry. Solid-state and surface processes
Martin McCoustra, Heriot-Watt University, Scotland
05.03.2024 15:00 CET
12. Physical and chemical processes in protoplanetary disks
Catherine Walsh, University of Leeds, UK
07.03.2024 15:00 CET
13. Chemistry in (exo)planet atmospheres
Laura Kreidberg, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Germany
11.03.2024 15:00 CET
14. Evolution of planetary systems
Sean Raymond, University of Bordeaux, France
14.03.2024 15:00 CET
15. Origin of the solar system
Alessandro Morbidelli, Côte d’Azur Observatory, France
18.03.2024 15:00 CET
16. Exogenous synthesis and delivery of biomolecule precursors to early Earth
Alexey Potapov, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
22.03.2024 15:00 CET
17. Basics of (bio)chemistry
Dieter Braun, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany
09.04.2024 15:00 CET
18. Evolution of biomolecule precursors and formation of biopolymers and first cells
Dieter Braun, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany
11.04.2024 15:00 CET