The Solar System was born 4.5 billions years ago, after a complex process whose details are not fully understood. The large number of detected extrasolar planets tells us that they are a common product of the star formation process, their variety that there are many ways of building them. How can then we recover the path followed by the Solar System?
Understanding the Solar-type star formation process currently taking place in the Milky Way is mandatory to answer this question. Astrochemistry, the science of how atoms and molecules combine and evolve in the interstellar medium, is a powerful diagnostics to follow the evolution that turns a molecular cloud dense clump into a planetary system. But it can only be exploited once we know how to interpret the chemistry occurring in the exotic conditions of the interstellar medium, where quantum chemical effects dominate.
In this presentation, I will provide an overview of the major progresses of our understanding in astrochemistry and, more specifically, the one involved in the Solar System formation history.
02/02/2021
The program QUID ULTRA? Frontiers and Controversies in Astrophysics is a series of monthly prestigious colloquia that will be
running from early February till December 2021. This initiative has been funded by Sapienza University with the co-sponsorship
of INAF/Astronomical Observatory of Rome and of the joint PhD program in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Science of Sapienza,
Tor Vergata University and INAF.
Due to the pandemic situation, the first 6 colloquia will be held online via zoom.
The scientific program and all the information on how to attend the meeting can be found on the project website: www.quidultra.it.
Looking forward to seeing you soon,
Raffaella Schneider (on behalf of the SOC)