Abstract

Invited Talk - Plenary

Tuesday, 16 September 2025, 09:15   (Kuppelsaal / virtual plenum)

Our Astrochemical Origins

Paola Caselli
Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics

Molecules are powerful diagnostic tools for studying the interstellar medium and the physical processes regulating star and planet formation. Molecules in space also help us to understand how chemical complexity grows during the evolution of interstellar matter, from clouds to protoplanetary disks to planets, which is essential to unveil our astrochemical origins. This is the realm of Astrochemistry, an interdisciplinary field where astrophysical observations and modeling, laboratory experiments, and theoretical chemistry proceed hand in hand. Much progress has been made so far thanks to impressive radio, millimeter, and infrared telescopes, both on the ground and in space (ALMA, APEX, GBT, Herschel, IRAM, JWST, Yebes). These telescopes have shown that essential ingredients for life, such as water and organic molecules, precursors of prebiotic species, start forming in molecular clouds before protostars are born. These molecules are then stored in thick icy mantles on top of dust grains and later at least partially delivered into protoplanetary disks and eventually planetesimals and planets. Still, much work is needed to provide a complete picture of the intricate chemical processes happening in the gas phase and on the surface of dust grains during the various stages of star and planet formation. In this Karl Schwarzschild Lecture, I present astrochemical achievements and an astrochemical journey from clouds to planets, highlighting the open questions and future perspectives.