A Vision for the Future of Astrochemistry in the Interstellar Medium by 2050

IF 3.7 Q2 CHEMISTRY, PHYSICAL
Ryan C. Fortenberry*, 
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Abstract

By 2050, many, but not nearly all, unattributed astronomical spectral features will be conclusively linked to molecular carriers (as opposed to nearly none today in the visible and IR); amino acids will have been observed remotely beyond our solar system; the largest observatories ever constructed on the surface of the Earth or launched beyond it will be operational; high-throughput computation either from brute force or machine learning will provide unprecedented amounts of reference spectral and chemical reaction data; and the chemical fingerprints of the universe delivered by those of us who call ourselves astrochemists will provide astrophysicists with unprecedented resolution for determining how the stars evolve, planets form, and molecules that lead to life originate. Astrochemistry is a relatively young field, but with the entire universe as its playground, the discipline promises to persist as long as telescopic observations are made that require reference data and complementary chemical modeling. While the recent commissionings of the James Webb Space Telescope and Atacama Large Millimeter Array are ushering in the second “golden age” of astrochemistry (with the first being the radio telescopic boom period of the 1970s), this current period of discovery should facilitate unprecedented advances within the next 25 years. Astrochemistry forces the asking of hard questions beyond the physical conditions of our “pale blue dot”, and such questions require creative solutions that are influential beyond astrophysics. By 2050, more creative solutions will have been provided, but even more will be needed to answer the continuing question of our astrochemical ignorance.

Abstract Image

Abstract Image

展望 2050 年星际介质天体化学的未来
到 2050 年,许多(但不是几乎所有)未归因的天文光谱特征都将与分子载体有确凿的联系(而目前在可见光和红外光谱中几乎没有);氨基酸将在太阳系外被远程观测到;有史以来在地球表面建造或发射到地球以外的最大天文台将投入使用;我们这些自称为天体化学家的人所提供的宇宙化学指纹将为天体物理学家提供前所未有的分辨率,以确定恒星是如何演化的、行星是如何形成的,以及导致生命的分子是如何起源的。天体化学是一个相对年轻的领域,但由于整个宇宙都是它的游乐场,只要望远镜观测需要参考数据和补充化学建模,这门学科就有望继续存在下去。詹姆斯-韦伯太空望远镜(James Webb Space Telescope)和阿塔卡马大型毫米波阵列(Atacama Large Millimeter Array)最近的投入使用,使天体化学迎来了第二个 "黄金时代"(第一个黄金时代是 20 世纪 70 年代的射电望远镜繁荣期),而当前的发现期将促进在未来 25 年内取得前所未有的进展。天体化学迫使人们提出超越我们 "苍白蓝点 "物理条件的难题,而这些问题需要有创造性的、超越天体物理学影响的解决方案。到 2050 年,将会有更多创造性的解决方案,但还需要更多的解决方案来回答我们对天体化学的无知这一持续性问题。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
3.70
自引率
0.00%
发文量
0
期刊介绍: ACS Physical Chemistry Au is an open access journal which publishes original fundamental and applied research on all aspects of physical chemistry. The journal publishes new and original experimental computational and theoretical research of interest to physical chemists biophysical chemists chemical physicists physicists material scientists and engineers. An essential criterion for acceptance is that the manuscript provides new physical insight or develops new tools and methods of general interest. Some major topical areas include:Molecules Clusters and Aerosols; Biophysics Biomaterials Liquids and Soft Matter; Energy Materials and Catalysis
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