Dr. Eric Herbst (Ohio State University) will continue his research in astrochemistry. In order to understand fully what molecules reveal about the objects in which they reside, it is necessary to comprehend how the molecules are formed and destroyed. To this end Dr. Herbst has created large networks of chemical reactions, including both gas-phase and grain-surface processes. Coupled with physical models of sources, either homogeneous or heterogeneous, these chemical networks allow the modeler to calculate molecular abundances, both in the gas and on the surfaces of dust grains. Successful comparison with observational data then gives information on physical conditions and lifetimes of sources. The research builds on earlier work from this laboratory, and is mainly concerned with the process of star formation, which proceeds through a variety of different manifestations and stages. Through the study of molecular spectra, as analyzed through the prism of chemical calculations, one can begin to glimpse what is happening to gas and dust as stars form.
Astrochemistry has been instrumental in the burgeoning use of molecules as probes of the interstellar medium in our galaxy and others. Much of the knowledge of diffuse and dense interstellar clouds, and especially star and planetary formation, now comes from an understanding of what molecules in these regions are telling us. The field of molecular astronomy has become a worldwide endeavor in which observational astronomers, theoretical chemists, experimental scientists, and modelers collaborate on problems of mutual interest. In addition to working with both students and postdoctoral associates in his research, Dr. Herbst has tried to make the field known both to scientists in other fields and to the lay public by giving large numbers of talks outside of astronomy departments, publishing review articles, giving interviews for magazines and newspapers, and by going to local elementary, middle, and high schools to discuss the molecular universe. In addition, Dr. Herbst now runs a mini-conference on astrochemistry each June as part of the larger international spectroscopy symposium held in Columbus.
