Resolving the interstellar carbon crisis with multilaser spectroscopy

该项目旨在为未来的天文学家提供可靠的诊断工具，以识别和了解星际介质中的奇异碳物种。地球上的生命是在彗星和陨石将碳基生物前物质运送到这颗年轻的行星上后开始的。这种物质来自太阳系外，但我们还不知道星际物质的化学组成。这是因为我们并不确切地了解星际分子和尘埃如何与星光相互作用。该项目将在实验室中创建和研究星际物质的模型，并将确定星际介质中碳的化学形态。这将对天体物理模型以及生命起源理论产生持久的影响。

This project aims to provide astronomers of the future with firm diagnostic tools to identify and understand exotic carbon species in the interstellar medium. Life on Earth began after delivery of carbon-based pre-biotic material to the young planet by comets and meteorites. This material came from outside the solar system, but we do not yet know the chemical make-up of the interstellar matter. This is because we do not understand precisely how the interstellar molecules and dust interact with starlight. This project will create and study models of interstellar matter in the laboratory, and will determine the chemical form of carbon in the interstellar medium. This will have lasting impact on astrophysical models, as well as theories of the origin of life.