Astrochemistry @ Illinois
GRADUATE CONCENTRATION
Astrochemistry is an emerging interdisciplinary field at the intersection between chemistry and astronomy. As a few examples, topics of active research in this area include identifying organic molecules in interstellar space, building models of the chemical reactions that occur in interstellar space, laboratory measurements of astronomically important molecules, searching for Earthlike planets using molecular signatures, and understanding the contributions of interstellar molecules to the chemical origin of life. To succeed in this field, students require training in both of the traditional disciplines of chemistry and astronomy, as well as formal (transcript) recognition that they are qualified astrochemists. This graduate concentration provides these benefits. More information about graduate concentrations at Illinois is available here.
Requirements:
- At least 12 hours of 400- and 500-level Chemistry
courses
- At least 12 hours of 400- and 500-level Astronomy
courses
- ASTR/CHEM 450 required, can count as either a
Chemistry or Astronomy course
- At least one member of each department on PhD
thesis committee
- Thesis research related to astrochemistry,
broadly defined
Approved courses: (courses listed with * are especially well-suited for astrochemistry concentrators)
| *ASTR/CHEM 451 Astrochemistry Laboratory | |
| ASTR 404 Stellar Astrophysics | *CHEM 442 Physical Chemistry I (Quantum) |
| *ASTR 405 Solar System / Interstellar Medium | CHEM 444 Physical Chemistry II (Thermo/Stat Mech) |
| ASTR 406 Galaxies & The Universe | *CHEM 522 Experimental Spectroscopy |
| ASTR 502 Theory of Diffuse Matter Dynamics | CHEM 532 Reaction Mechanisms (Physical Organic) |
| *ASTR 503 Observational Astronomy | *CHEM 540 Quantum Mechanics |
| ASTR 504 Theoretical Stellar Physics | *CHEM 542 Quantum Mechanics and Spectroscopy |
| CHEM 544 Statistical Thermodynamics | |
| CHEM 548 Molecular Electronic Structure | |
| CHEM 550 Quantum Dynamics | |
Notes
for Chemistry PhD students:
Chemistry PhD students
concentrating in astrochemistry may apply all 12 hours of astronomy courses to
satisfy their out of area requirement.
Physical chemists, who usually take CHEM 540 and either 542 or 544, can
apply these courses to satisfy their in area requirement, and would only need
to take 4 extra hours of (chemistry) coursework to complete the astrochemistry
concentration. Chemists in other areas
(e.g. organic or analytical) may need to take 8 extra hours of coursework to
concentrate in astrochemistry, unless they identify other courses in their area
that the steering committee considers relevant to astrochemistry.
Notes for Astronomy PhD
students:
The twelve hours of astronomy
coursework required by the astrochemistry concentration would also count
towards the astronomy PhD requirements.
Astronomy students would then only need to complete 12 hours of
chemistry courses (which could include CHEM 450) to satisfy the concentration
requirements. The astronomy requirements
are being modified so that the twelve hours of chemistry courses undertaken as
part of the astrochemistry concentration could also be counted towards the
astronomy course requirements.
Contact:
Prof. Ben McCall, 166 Roger
Other courses may be substituted if approved by the
Astrochemistry Concentration Steering Committee. ASTR 596 and CHEM 554 (special topics courses)
are also eligible, when approved by the committee.