Astrochemistry Lecture Note Prepared by Adwin Boogert Herschel Science
Center - NASA A short lecture note. Kind of a nice basic course on
astrochemistry, though: the chemistry of interstellar space, chemical reactions
in space, techniques for observing interstellar molecules, evolution of the
molecule and its implications for astrobiology.
Author(s): Adwin Boogert, NASA Herschel Science
Center
This is a lecture note by Prof. Jesse Kroll, focusing on chemical
transformations in trace species of Earth's atmosphere. The note highlighted how
human activity impacts both air quality and climate-from covering major concepts
such as photochemistry and ozone-depleting compounds to aerosol chemistry. The
note provides a comprehensive summary of what drives atmospheric chemistry, from
sources and sinks of greenhouse gases to names and processes. The paper is
designed for better understanding of the atmospheric processes concerning
anthropogenic influences and their implication in environmental science.
Professor Nigel Mason
discusses in his paper the chemical origins of life, covering the synthesis of
nucleobases and DNA. Included in this also are the historical experiments, such
as Urey-Miller, and examines the chemistry of prebiotic types in conditions
similar to those prevailing on early Earth. This note covers important results
with regard to the question of life on Mars: investigations about meteorites
from Mars and ozone formation and depletion. It is an interesting overview of
astrochemical processes that could well have led to the origin of life on Earth
and elsewhere in the universe, founded on a blend of experimental data and
theoretical insights.