Interstellar and interplanetary carbonaceous solids in the laboratory

Abstract

The interstellar medium (ISM) is a physico-chemical laboratory where extreme conditions are encountered and where particular environmental parameters (e.g., density, reactant nature, radiation, temperature, time scales) define the composition of matter. With present observational possibilities, the fundamental question regarding the possible link between ISM and solar system samples can be addressed by astrophysicists, planetologists, and cosmochemists. This article focuses on observations of diffuse ISM and dust components of molecular clouds, setting constraints on the composition of organic solids and large molecules associated with matter cycling in the Galaxy. This study aims at drawing some commonalities and differences between the materials found in the Solar System and those found in interstellar dust.