Organizers:
Dr. Martin A. Cordiner (NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center)
Prof. Christopher J. Bennett (University of Central Florida)
Overview:
Through the use of increasingly sensitive remote and in-situ
observational techniques, our knowledge regarding the degree of
molecular complexity in interstellar and planetary environments has
dramatically increased over the last few decades, with important
implications for our understanding of life's chemical origins. The
ongoing development of new spacecraft missions, multi-wavelength,
ground-based observatories and pioneering laboratory techniques promises
significant advances in our knowledge of chemical complexity in the
Universe in the coming decades. Understanding and interpreting these new
data requires dedicated computational and modeling efforts, which
ultimately produce new insights on the origin and evolution of complex
molecules, including species of possible prebiotic relevance, in
planetary systems. Analytical techniques are becoming increasingly
sensitive, with several methods offering: i) sub-femtomolar detection
levels, ii) spectroscopy at nanometer spatial resolution (i.e. beyond
the diffraction limit, such as nanoIR), iii) emerging 3D tomography
techniques approaching atomic resolution, and iv) novel correlated
multi-technique or multi-dimensional technique approaches. Since
astronomical samples are in very limited supply, it is essential that
the developers of these techniques collaborate/coordinate with planetary
scientists to maximize the utility of this work. Accordingly, this
symposium aims to bring together astrochemists and planetary scientists
with expertise in observations, sample analysis, laboratory experiments,
planetary missions, and development of novel analytical techniques,
theoretical modeling, and quantum chemical approaches. The aim is to
identify frontier research areas and foster new, interdisciplinary
collaborations to promote a deeper understanding of how and where
chemical complexity may arise on planetary surfaces.
Session Topics:
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