Abstract :
[en] Astrochemistry aims at studying chemical processes
in astronomical environments. This discipline -- located at the
crossroad between astrophysics and chemistry -- is rapidly evolving
and explores the issue of the formation of molecules of increasing
complexity in particular physical conditions that deviate signi -
cantly from those frequently encountered in chemistry laboratories.
The main goal of this paper is to provide an overview of this
discipline. So far, about 170 molecules have been identi ed in the
interstellar medium (ISM). The presence of this molecular diversity
constitutes a rm evidence that e cient formation processes
are at work in the interstellar medium. This paper aims at summarizing
most of present ideas that are explored by astrochemists
to investigate the chemistry taking place in various astronomical
environments, with emphasis on the particular conditions which
are met in space (including radiation elds, cosmic-rays, low densities...).
The more ambitious question of the molecular complexity
is addressed following two approaches presented to be converging.
The rst approach considers the growing complexity starting from
the most simple chemical species in interstellar environments, and
the second approach envisages successive precursors of the most
complex species commonly found on Earth, and in particular in
our biochemistry. The issue of molecular complexity constitutes
one of the main modern scienti c questions addressed by astrochemistry,
and it is used as a guideline across this paper.
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