The
"The Role of Atoms and Molecules in Astrophysics"
ABSTRACT: While
spectacular astronomy images from the Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra
X-ray Observatory make for great publicity, the maximum scientific return from
such endeavors result from detailed analysis and modeling of spectroscopic
observations. Since the vast majority of information about the Universe comes
to us in the form of photons, with these photons primarily produced by atoms
and molecules, it would seem obvious that atomic and molecular physics would
play an important role in astrophysics. This situation, however, is often
overlooked. In this colloquium, I will describe a few cases, out of a multitude
of possible examples, in which a detailed understanding of the atomic and
molecular physics is crucial to an accurate description of the astrophysical phenomenon
including 1) the effect of the cosmological opacity of Li on microwave
background anisotropies, 2) alkali halide chemistry in brown dwarfs, and 3)
x-ray emission from comets and the heliosphere. An
overview of other current projects being pursued in my group will also be given.