Weissman Lecture with Dr. Ewine van Dishoeck from Leiden University at 4:15pm

Join us for our annual Weissman Lecture with Dr. Ewine van Dishoeck from Leiden University. Please see the abstract of her seminar below:

The space between the stars is not empty but filled with a very dilute gas.  In spite of the extremely low temperatures and densities, these  clouds contain a surprisingly rich chemistry, as evidenced by the  detection of more than 300 different molecules, from simple to complex  and from gas to solid-state ices.  These clouds are also the birthplaces of stars and planets. New powerful facilities such as the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) and the James Webb Space  Telescope (Webb) have found water and a surprisingly rich variety of  organic materials near forming stars, including simple sugars, ethers  and alcohols. How are these molecules formed in space? Which molecular processes play a role?  How common are they and can they be delivered to new planets?

To learn more about the history of the Weissman lectures, please click here.