Chemistry in low-mass star forming regions

Center for Astrochemical Studies, Max-Planck-Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics, Giessenbachstrasse 1, 85748 Garching, Germany

Abstract

Stars form in dense interstellar clouds, where molecules are the only tracers of cloud dynamics. Unveiling the process of star formation thus requires observing appropriate molecules and knowing their formation/destruction mechanisms. In other words, astrochemistry is crucial to understand how stars and stellar systems like our own originate. Thanks to great observatories, to the dedicated effort of laboratory experiments and theoretical work, important progress has been made in the past decade and it is briefly reviewed here.