Complex molecules in space: How do they form and how do they cool down?

ZOOM:https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89236785442

Complex molecules in space: How do they form and how do they cool down?

Although mostly empty and cold, the interstellar medium (ISM) is beaming with molecules, with over 200 different species already identified. The goals of laboratory astrophysics are to measure properties of molecules in conditions similar to those of the ISM in order to identify new species and understand the processes by which they are formed, destroyed, and the evolution of their internal energy. Recent years have seen the comissioning of the cryogenic storage ring (CSR), which is quickly establishing itself as the most advanced tool of laboratory astrophysics. In this talk the CSR will be introduced, and  our recent measurements on the cooling of symmetric molecules in the ISM will be discussed. In addition, our works on the intra-cluster bond formation will be presented, and their implication as possible mechanisms for formation of complex molecules in the ISM.