Speaker: Dr. Emmanuel E. Etim
Senior Lecturer
Department of Chemical Sciences,
Federal University Wukari, Nigeria
Title: “Computational Astrochemistry: Studies on Isomers and
Linear Carbon Chains in the Interstellar Medium.”
Day and Date: Friday, February 17, 2023
Time: 11.30 am.
Venue: Room no. 350, Chemistry Department
Second floor, Annex
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Hosted by Prof. Anindya Datta
Abstract The ever fascinating collaboration between spectroscopists and astrophysicists has led to the
successful detection of over 250 different molecular species in the Interstellar Medium
(ISM). These molecular species play significant roles in diverse fields such as atmospheric
chemistry, astrochemistry, prebiotic chemistry, astrophysics, astronomy, astrobiology, etc, and
in our understanding of the solar system ''the world around us''. Computational chemistry tools
have been employed in different studies aimed at “Understanding some of the chemistries of
the different classes of interstellar molecular species”. This presentation will focus on the
interstellar isomers and interstellar linear carbon chains. Beginning with the interstellar
isomeric species, a unique relationship; Energy, Stability and interstellar Abundance (ESA) is
found to exist among these molecular species which addresses some of the bugging questions
among the interstellar molecular species. The existence of Interstellar Hydrogen Bonding
which is responsible for the deviations from thermodynamically controlled processes is
reported. Accurate rotational constants within experimental accuracy of a few kHz have been
determined for hundreds of linear interstellar carbon chain species. Thermodynamics is utilized
in accounting for the known linear interstellar carbon chains and in examining the right
candidates for astronomical searches. These carbon chains molecular species are shown to also
obey the ESA relationship. In this presentation, some of these results will be highlighted.