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Paper: Probing Chemistry During Star and Planet Formation
Volume: 352, New Horizons in Astronomy: Frank N. Bash Symposium 2005
Page: 47
Authors: Kessler-Silacci, J.E.
Abstract: The overlap between the fields of chemistry and astronomy is continually expanding. Molecular-line emission has long been used as a tracer of the density and temperature of star-forming environments. More recently, observations tracing the evolution of material in young stellar objects (YSOs) have begun to provide valuable insights into the development of complex molecules and ultimately, the origin of life. Observations of the composition of ice and dust in disks additionally suggest that chemistry plays a major role in determining the type of planetary system, if any, that can be formed around a given star. Thus, chemical models have now been constructed to interpret observations of solid and gaseous molecules in each stage of star formation, from molecular clouds to circumstellar disks. In this summary, I will outline the current understanding of the chemistry in these objects and the promise of future instrumentation and computation.

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