Interstellar Molecules: Their Laboratory and Interstellar Habitat (Springer Tracts in Modern Physics Book 241)

This book deals with the astrophysics and spectroscopy of the interstellar molecules. In the introduction, overview and history of interstellar observations are described in order to help understanding how the modern astrophysics and molecular spectroscopy have been developed interactively. The recent progress in the study of this field, after the 4 th Cologne-Bonn-Zermatt symposium 2003 is briefly summarized. Furthermore, the basic knowledge of molecular spectroscopy, which is essential to correctly comprehend the astrophysical observations, is presented in a compact form. Front Matter....Pages i-ix History....Pages 1-26 Molecules Detected in Interstellar Space....Pages 27-42 Fundamentals of Spectroscopy for Astrophysics....Pages 43-178 Laboratory Experimental Methods....Pages 179-217 List of Molecules Observed in Interstellar Space....Pages 219-223 Back Matter....Pages 225-230 History -- Molecules Detected In Interstellar Space -- Fundamentals Of Spectroscopy For Astrophysics -- Laboratory Experimental Methods -- List Of Molecules Observed In Interstellar Space. Koichi M.t. Yamada, Gisbert Winnewisser, Editors. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.