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Handbook of Astrochemistry
- 1st Edition - July 1, 2025
- Editors: Wendy A. Brown, Martin R.S. McCoustra, Serena Viti
- Language: English
- Paperback ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 9 9 9 8 3 - 0
- eBook ISBN:9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 9 8 4 8 0 - 5
Handbook of Astrochemistry provides a comprehensive overview of astrochemistry as a series of tutorial reviews by leading experts on all experimental, theoretical, comput… Read more
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Request a sales quoteHandbook of Astrochemistry provides a comprehensive overview of astrochemistry as a series of tutorial reviews by leading experts on all experimental, theoretical, computational, and astronomical aspects of this field. Starting from an overview of the observational molecular Universe, it then moves on to describe the state-of-the-art knowledge in the fields of gas-phase and solid-phase laboratory and computational astrochemistry; its use in astrochemical modelling; and finally how observations of molecules shape our understanding of how stars and planets form and of the chemical origins of biology.
Combining the knowledge and experience of an international team of experts, this book is an authoritative, accessible guide for all those working in related fields.
Combining the knowledge and experience of an international team of experts, this book is an authoritative, accessible guide for all those working in related fields.
- Explores both theoretical and experimental astrochemistry across different physical systems including gases, grains, aerosols, and ices
- Places astrochemical exploration in a broader context by highlighting how insights at the molecular-scale impact planets and life
- Includes guidance on the use and interpretation of complex astrochemical datasets
Senior undergraduates, masters and graduate students, and researchers in astrochemistry and related fields, including astronomy, astrophysics and astrobiology
Part 1: Introduction
1. General Introduction: historical perspective and current state-of-the-art
2. Observations and history: From clouds to proto-stars
3. Observations and history: From disks to planets
Part 2: Observations
4. Observations of gas phase: simple molecules inc. mapping
5. Observations of gas phase: COMs inc. mapping
6. Observations of ices
Part 3: Astrochemical modelling
7. The use of databases in astrochemistry
8. Astrochemical modelling
Part 4: Gas phase astrochemistry
9. Experimental gas phase atomic and molecular spectroscopy
10. Theoretical gas phase spectroscopy
11. Experimental gas phase processes: scattering, photodissociation, dynamics and kinetics of molecule formation
12. Theoretical gas phase processes: scattering, photodissociation, dynamics and kinetics of molecule formation
Part 5: Grain and aerosol chemistry
13. Grains: origins, observations and astrophysical roles; composition, size and shape origins, space-weathering, surface composition
14. Bare grain chemistry: small molecule formation; theory and experimental
15. Aerosol Processes – Experiment and Theory
Part 6: Chemistry in ices
16. Ice formation: experimental and theoretical
17. Thermal and non-thermal desorption of ices
18. Energetic processing of ices
19. Ice spectroscopy/solid state spectroscopy/optical constants and theory
Part 7: Moving from molecules to planets and life
20. From dust to planetesimals
21. Experimental, Computational and Modelling studies of Exoplanetary Atmospheres
22. From astrochemistry towards astrobiology
23. The origins of chirality
Part 8: Conclusions
24. Conclusions and Forward Look
1. General Introduction: historical perspective and current state-of-the-art
2. Observations and history: From clouds to proto-stars
3. Observations and history: From disks to planets
Part 2: Observations
4. Observations of gas phase: simple molecules inc. mapping
5. Observations of gas phase: COMs inc. mapping
6. Observations of ices
Part 3: Astrochemical modelling
7. The use of databases in astrochemistry
8. Astrochemical modelling
Part 4: Gas phase astrochemistry
9. Experimental gas phase atomic and molecular spectroscopy
10. Theoretical gas phase spectroscopy
11. Experimental gas phase processes: scattering, photodissociation, dynamics and kinetics of molecule formation
12. Theoretical gas phase processes: scattering, photodissociation, dynamics and kinetics of molecule formation
Part 5: Grain and aerosol chemistry
13. Grains: origins, observations and astrophysical roles; composition, size and shape origins, space-weathering, surface composition
14. Bare grain chemistry: small molecule formation; theory and experimental
15. Aerosol Processes – Experiment and Theory
Part 6: Chemistry in ices
16. Ice formation: experimental and theoretical
17. Thermal and non-thermal desorption of ices
18. Energetic processing of ices
19. Ice spectroscopy/solid state spectroscopy/optical constants and theory
Part 7: Moving from molecules to planets and life
20. From dust to planetesimals
21. Experimental, Computational and Modelling studies of Exoplanetary Atmospheres
22. From astrochemistry towards astrobiology
23. The origins of chirality
Part 8: Conclusions
24. Conclusions and Forward Look
- No. of pages: 610
- Language: English
- Edition: 1
- Published: July 1, 2025
- Imprint: Elsevier
- Paperback ISBN: 9780323999830
- eBook ISBN: 9780323984805
WB
Wendy A. Brown
Wendy Brown is a surface scientist who has studied surface processes of relevance to astrochemistry for almost 20 years. Her main areas of expertise related to astrochemistry include experimental studies of adsorption, reaction, dynamics and surface processing of species adsorbed on model grain surfaces at ~25 K and under ultra-high vacuum using a wide range of surface analytical techniques. She is currently Professor of Physical Chemistry and Head of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Sussex, where she has been since 2013.
Affiliations and expertise
Professor, Department of Chemistry, School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, United KingdomMM
Martin R.S. McCoustra
Martin McCoustra is ScotChem Professor of Chemical Physics at Heriot-Watt University and a surface scientist with over 30 years experience. His expertise lies in the surface physics and chemistry of thermal and energetic processes on complex surfaces (dust grains, ices and polymers) in ultra-high vacuum over a wide range of temperatures. He is especially interested in the dynamics and kinetics of such processes and employs a range of tools in his work including molecular beam and laser methods in addition to classical surface analytical methods.
Affiliations and expertise
Professor, Institute of Chemical Sciences, School of Engineering & Physical Sciences, Heriot-Watt University Edinburgh, United KingdomSV
Serena Viti
Serena Viti is an astronomer who has worked in the field of Astrochemistry for over 20 years. Her research interests span a wide range of topics but they are all centred on the role of molecules in space, especially in the dense gas of the interstellar medium, of star forming regions and of nearby galaxies. She is currently a Professor of Astronomy at Leiden University where she has been since 2020, after moving from University College London where she was the Head of the Astrophysics Group.
Affiliations and expertise
Astronomer, Leiden Observatory, Leiden University,The Netherlands