The astrochemistry is the branch of astronomy that combines chemistry, astronomy and physics to explain the behavior of matter at the molecular level, under the various conditions that prevail in space.
Chemical elements outside the Earth are also present on our planet. However, the way in which they combine and the forms that the compounds take differ from those observed here..
This is because the conditions of space such as pressure, temperature and level of radiation exposure are very different. This variety of extreme environments causes elements to behave in unexpected ways.
Thus, astrochemists study celestial bodies, look for molecules in stars and planets, and analyze their behavior to explain their properties, using light and other electromagnetic radiation..
They also take advantage of the data collected by space missions, and when the opportunity presents itself, they also use meteorites and the large amount of cosmic dust that reaches the immediate vicinity..
With all this information, simulations are designed and an attempt is made to reproduce various environments in the laboratory. From the observations obtained, they develop models to describe not only the origin, but also the physical and chemical conditions in different places in the universe..
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In 1937 scientists found evidence of the first compounds outside the Earth: some hydrocarbons and the cyanide ion CN. Naturally, the presence of atoms was already known, but not of more complex substances.
However, the interest of chemists in the composition of the extraterrestrial environment dates back much further..
The discovery of the first molecules in space took place thanks to spectroscopic techniques, developed by the experiments of the German physicist and optician Joseph Fraunhofer (1787-1826) in 1814.
Fraunhofer analyzed the light passing through common substances such as table salt and was surprised to see that they left their unique signature in the form of dark absorption lines there in the light..
Thus, scientists soon managed to find out the chemical composition of substances by analyzing the light that passes through them, a discipline they called spectroscopy.
This German physicist became perhaps the first astrochemist in history, because when he invented the spectroscope, he did not hesitate to direct it to other sources of light: the Sun, Sirius and other stars, discovering that each had a distinctive light pattern.
Around 1938, the Swiss chemist Victor Goldschmidt observed, after analyzing the composition of meteorites, that the minerals of extraterrestrial origin had certain differences with the terrestrial ones..
This is because, even though they were made up of the same elements, the conditions of their formation were remarkably different..
Since then more and more chemical compounds have appeared in space since those first molecules of the early 20th century. A very important one that was discovered during the 1960s is the OH radical, followed by formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and water. All these discoveries are due to astrochemistry.
This last molecule, that of water, is also very important, since knowing that its existence is relatively frequent in other places, apart from Earth, boosts the probabilities of future human settlements on other planets..
Today, astrochemists face a fascinating task: to find out everything about the chemistry of exoplanets. The number of discovered exoplanets increases every year.
The objects of study of astrochemistry are the elements and compounds present in space and other celestial bodies apart from the Earth, their interactions and the effects that electromagnetic radiation has on them..
Cosmic dust experiments were carried out in NASA astrochemistry research laboratories.
To do this, the researchers simulated condensed interstellar dust in the vicinity of stars, combining chemicals in a furnace, from which they extracted powdered silicates..
The idea was to observe the transformations of this simile of cosmic dust, both in the presence and in the absence of light. And they found that under conditions similar to those of interstellar space, it is possible to create hundreds of new compounds..
In astrochemistry, the techniques of experimental chemistry are applied to analyze the samples, if they are kept on hand. They usually arrive with meteorites, which are highly valued, as they offer the opportunity to directly analyze an object that did not form on Earth..
Hence, work in astrochemistry is generally divided into two large areas of work. Before going on to describe them, it should be noted that it is not a rigorous division, since astrochemistry is a totally interdisciplinary science:
It is the branch of astrochemistry in charge of studying the isotopes and compounds present in the solar system, using experimental techniques to analyze all the extraterrestrial matter that manages to reach Earth..
These materials include meteorites, which are fragments of celestial bodies belonging to the solar system, as well as the continuously falling cosmic dust and lunar rocks brought by space missions..
They also make use of all the data recovered by these space missions. With all this information, astrochemists create models and check them through computer simulations.,
With this they try to explain the formation of the elements and compounds detected. Thus they elaborate a descriptive panorama of the mechanisms that gave rise to them.
This is the name given to the investigation of the elements and compounds present in the interstellar medium, and their interaction with electromagnetic radiation, of which visible light is just a part..
And it is that not only visible light brings information about the environment it passes through, other radiations do as well..
This information is also used for computer simulations and controlled laboratory experiments. From there new theories arise about the formation of stars and planetary systems..
Among the main techniques used in astrochemistry are:
It is the technique that analyzes the light that passes through the interstellar medium, as well as that produced by the stars. In this light is the trace of the identity of the compounds present in the medium.
Focuses on electromagnetic radiation from celestial bodies at radio wavelengths.
Radio telescopes equipped with amplifying antennas are used to capture radio signals, thanks to which it has been possible to detect the presence of numerous organic and inorganic compounds.
Infrared radiation reveals the presence of characteristic wavelengths of certain compounds, especially minerals.
It is captured by special infrared telescopes located on top of high mountains or detectors placed on artificial satellites, since the Earth's atmosphere absorbs almost all infrared radiation from space..
Cosmic dust is transparent to infrared radiation, so using it reveals structures that otherwise remain hidden, such as the center of the galaxy, for example..
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