Objectives
The project ACO (AstroChemical Origins) has two main goals:
The project ACO (AstroChemical Origins) has two main goals:
(1) to unveil the early history of the Solar System, using the chemical composition of today forming Solar-like planetary systems and comparing it with that of the Solar System primitive bodies;
(1) to unveil the early history of the Solar System, using the chemical composition of today forming Solar-like planetary systems and comparing it with that of the Solar System primitive bodies;
(2) to train a new generation of researchers able to tackle this highly interdisciplinary problem, providing them with a wide-range of transferable skills, including the ability to communicate Science to a large audience.
(2) to train a new generation of researchers able to tackle this highly interdisciplinary problem, providing them with a wide-range of transferable skills, including the ability to communicate Science to a large audience.
ACO has the following four specific objectives, illustrated in the figure:
ACO has the following four specific objectives, illustrated in the figure:
1- To improve the detection capabilities of radio/millimetre receivers, in order to observe weak sources and low abundance molecules;
1- To improve the detection capabilities of radio/millimetre receivers, in order to observe weak sources and low abundance molecules;
2- To build up a large and homogeneous database of astronomical spectral observations, in order to derive the chemical composition of forming Solar-like systems as a function of evolution and environment;
2- To build up a large and homogeneous database of astronomical spectral observations, in order to derive the chemical composition of forming Solar-like systems as a function of evolution and environment;
3- To understand the chemical processes in the exotic interstellar conditions via ad hoc quantum chemistry computations and laboratory experiments, in order to establish a reliable network of reactions occurring in the forming Solar-like systems;
3- To understand the chemical processes in the exotic interstellar conditions via ad hoc quantum chemistry computations and laboratory experiments, in order to establish a reliable network of reactions occurring in the forming Solar-like systems;
4- To develop sophisticated astrochemical models and tools, using modern techniques in order to predict the chemical composition of forming Solar-like planetary systems and compare it with observations, to finally build up a new model for the Proto Solar Nebula.
4- To develop sophisticated astrochemical models and tools, using modern techniques in order to predict the chemical composition of forming Solar-like planetary systems and compare it with observations, to finally build up a new model for the Proto Solar Nebula.
Each of the four objectives requires a specific expertise, possessed by different communities: instrumentation, astronomy, chemistry and computer science.
Each of the four objectives requires a specific expertise, possessed by different communities: instrumentation, astronomy, chemistry and computer science.