Seminario DAS // Complex Organic Molecules in Star- and Planet-Forming Regions

Speaker: Dr. Viviana Guzmán
Affiliation: Instituto de Astrofísica // Pontificia Universidad Católica

Abstract: Protoplanetary disks are the birthplaces of planetary systems and play a central role in setting the initial chemical conditions from which planets emerge. Their composition, shaped by both local  physical processes and the surrounding environment, directly influences the inventory of organic material available during planet formation. In particular, complex organic molecules (COMs) are of special interest as they represent key precursors to prebiotic species.

In this talk, I will present recent observational results on organic molecules in both the interstellar medium and protoplanetary disks. I will first discuss the Horsehead Nebula as a well-characterized photodissociation region, where we have detected and mapped the emission of several COMs, highlighting the key role of far-ultraviolet (FUV) radiation in their formation. I will then focus on protoplanetary disks, summarizing the main results on COMs in these environments, and presenting recent results on formaldehyde (H2CO), a key precursor of methanol (CH3OH),  including new results from the ALMA Large Program DECO.