103
interdisCiPLinary researCh
and low- temperature tunneling reactions. In addition, cosmic ray and
extreme ultraviolet processing of the interstellar ices coating silicate
nanoparticles are thought to generate reactive species that can undergo
barrierless reactions to build larger molecules. Although these mecha-
nisms may be exotic, they have created nature’s largest reservoirs of
chemically bonded matter in the space between the stars.
In this new field of astrochemistry an understanding of mecha-
nistic interstellar chemistry becomes essential for astronomers to
understand the structure and evolution of astronomical objects. If a
common chemical evolution associated with the star and planet for-
mation process can be identified, then the chemica ...