Astrochemistry @ Illinois


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Double Major
Midwest Astrochemistry Consortium
Seminar Series

University of IL at Urbana Champaign

Questions?
Contact Ben McCall.

ASTROCHEMISTRY COURSES

Astrochemistry (ASTR/CHEM 450): Covers the foundations of astrochemistry, a young field at the intersection between chemistry and astronomy. Topics to be discussed include the interstellar medium, atomic and molecular physics, interstellar chemistry, molecular astronomy, and unresolved enigmas in the field. The class will involve lectures, discussion, and readings from the primary and review literature. Suitable for graduate students or advanced undergraduate students in chemistry, physics, or astronomy. Prerequisites: CHEM 442 and CHEM 444, or PHYS 427 and PHYS 486, or equivalent experience in quantum mechanics, thermodynamics, and statistical mechanics. Expected to be offered in the Fall semester of even-numbered years.
Syllabus from Fall 2008 (PDF)

Astrochemistry Laboratory (ASTR/CHEM 451): An active, hands-on introduction to observational astrochemistry, laboratory astrochemistry, and theoretical astrochemistry. Activities will include astronomical observations of interstellar molecules at the Observatory, spectroscopy of molecules in the laboratory, quantum chemical calculations and simulations of molecular spectra, and modeling of interstellar chemistry. Prerequisite: CHEM/ASTR 450. Expected to be offered in the Spring semester of odd-numbered years.
Syllabus from Spring 2009 (PDF)

A wide variety of courses indirectly related to astrochemistry are offered by the Astronomy and Chemistry departments, and are listed here.