Laboratory Study of Reactive Molecules of Interest to Radio Astronomy: A Program of Research and Instrumental Development

Drs。哈佛大学的Thaddeus和Gottlieb将继续对天体物理学感兴趣的分子进行实验室研究。在美国国家科学基金会的支持下，他们开发了用于研究可能存在于星际空间的许多分子的发射特性的设备。开发阶段基本上已经完成，这笔拨款的主要重点将放在可以应用于天文观测的测量上。对可能存在于星际气体和星周壳中的分子进行的实验室研究，在鉴定目前已知存在于空间中的相当一部分外来分子方面发挥了关键作用。由于新的毫米波和亚毫米波天文台刚刚开始运行，这一努力正在加快。Drs。Thaddeus和Gottlieb将继续指导美国领先的实验室天体物理学研究工作之一。

Drs. Thaddeus and Gottlieb at Harvard University will continue a program of laboratory investigation of molecules which are of astrophysical interest. With prior NSF support they have developed equipment for studying the emission characteristics of a number of molecules which may be present in interstellar space. The development phase is essentially complete, and the major emphasis with this grant will be on measurements which can be applied to astronomical observations. Laboratory research on molecules which may be present in interstellar gas and in circumstellar shells has played a crucial role in the identification of a significant fraction of the exotic molecules which are now known to exist in space. This effort is quickening because of new millimeter-wave and submillimeter-wave observatories which are just beginning operation. Drs. Thaddeus and Gottlieb will continue to direct one of the leading laboratory astrophysics research efforts in the United States.