Astrochemistry

The “Astrochemistry” section of Chemistry explores the molecular processes and chemical evolution in astronomical environments, ranging from the diffuse and dense regions of the interstellar medium (ISM) to star-forming clouds, protoplanetary disks, comets, and planetary atmospheres. This section provides an interdisciplinary platform linking chemistry, physics, astronomy, and planetary science. Its goal is to understand how molecules form, transform, and interact under extreme astrophysical conditions and across cosmic time. Astrochemistry also seeks to determine what molecules are present in different astronomical environments and to use these molecular signatures as diagnostic probes of the physical and chemical conditions of those environments, revealing how composition traces processes such as temperature, density, and radiation exposure.

Astrochemistry bridges observational, experimental, and theoretical/computational approaches to uncover molecular complexity in space. Observations from facilities such as ALMA and JWST have revealed new insights into interstellar and planetary chemistry. At the same time, laboratory spectroscopy provides essential reference data for molecular identification, while experimental simulations and quantum-chemical modeling deliver critical insights into the fundamental reactions and physical processes that govern molecular formation and transformation across astrophysical environments.

We welcome original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that advance our understanding of chemical processes in the ISM, circumstellar envelopes, and planetary systems. Studies employing observational, laboratory, or theoretical/computational methods are encouraged, as well as interdisciplinary studies that integrate multiple approaches to provide complementary perspectives on astrochemical phenomena.

This section encompasses a comprehensive range of topics, including but not limited to the following:

1. Observational Astrochemistry
Observational studies of molecular detection, abundance, and spatial distribution in astronomical environments using multi-wavelength spectroscopy from facilities such as ALMA, JWST, and other observatories; analysis of molecular and isotopic compositions to trace chemical evolution and physical conditions in the interstellar and planetary contexts.

2. Experimental Astrochemistry
Laboratory investigations under astrophysically relevant conditions, including spectroscopic measurements of key species, surface and solid-state chemistry on dust and ices, and studies of reaction kinetics and dynamics in gas-phase and heterogeneous processes that provide constraints for astrochemical models.

3. Theoretical and Computational Astrochemistry
Modeling of molecular formation and reaction networks using quantum chemistry, molecular dynamics, and kinetic simulations; prediction of spectroscopic properties and rate coefficients; and data-driven or machine-learning approaches to explore complex astrochemical systems.

Through this section, Chemistry promotes collaboration across disciplines and methods, encouraging innovative research into the molecular origins and evolution of matter in the cosmos. By combining spectroscopy, kinetics, and theory, Astrochemistry aims to illuminate the pathways from simple atoms to complex molecules, and ultimately, to the chemical precursors of life.