Summary

The vast space between the stars is called the Interstellar Medium (ISM). It primarily consists of a tenuous gas, small sub-micron particles called grains and energetic radiations. The local concentration of matter in ISM is called cloud. These clouds are the sites of active star formation. In addition, these clouds also shield interstellar radiation field and allow a rich chemistry to occur. Which results in formation of complex molecules (in astrophysical context molecules with six or more atoms is considered as a complex). These molecules range in complexity from diatomic H2 to a 15-atom linear nitrile, HC₁₃N and many of these molecules are unusual to find in ISM by terrestrial standards. H2 is the most abundant molecule by far, with CO in the second position, nearly four order of magnitude lower. More complex molecules are at least 4 to 10 orders of magnitude lower than H2. Solar systems like ours are evolved in the ISM, therefore the study of generation mechanisms of these molecules in the ultra cold and ultra high vacuum conditions of ISM is of paramount importance. Analysis of cometary ices and meteoritic material also shows remarkable similarity with the interstellar ices. Thus study of the chemical evolution of ISM gives an insight to the primordial composition of our planet Earth, thereby addressing the issue how life originated on Earth. In the last few decades, it has become clear that gas phase reactions alone can not explain the molecular abundance in the ISM. The chemical reactions that occur on interstellar dust grains are needed to explain for the formation of several molecules, if not all. The dust grain surface, plays a key role as catalytic site in the formation of these molecular species. The research work aims to study the formation of complex organics in the star forming region with a combination of two lines of research:

The formation of complex molecules during star formation with the help of numerical simulation and

The laboratory study of interstellar ice analogs and formation of molecules. Which will be performed by using a state-of-the-art laboratory which can simulate dense interstellar environment

Current Research Interest

Using Numerical Simulation

a. Effect of metallicity on Chemical Complexity
b. Effect of grain growth and grain size distribution in the formation of molecules
c. Formation of water and prebiotic molecules in astrophysical environments
d. Effect of physical parameters in formation of complex molecules
e. Study of isotopic fractionation in the star forming regions
f. Study of cometary atmosphere
g. Understaning the atmosphere of Exoplanets

Using Laboratory Experiments

a. Measurement of the binding energies
b. Understanding of desorption kinetics
c. Measurement of sticking co-efficients
d. Study of photo-desorption and photo processing
e. Study of formation of Molecules