Astrochemistry in the terahertz gap

Abstract

Studies of the atomic and molecular universes rely heavily on various spectra recorded in the long- wavelength range of the electromagnetic spectrum. At those wavelengths, astronomers identify the fingerprints of organic molecules, determine the conditions inside stellar nurseries, and detect redshifted transitions of atoms in distant galaxies. The false- color image on the opposite page, for example, shows the W3-W4-W5 complex of molecular clouds and star- forming regions in the Milky Way.