Radio and Millimetre Observations of Less Complex Molecules

Abstract

Progress in laboratory and astronomical instrumentation has renewed the already large interest for simple astrophysical molecules. On the laboratory side, one of the most notable advances has been the spectroscopic observation of an increasing number of small reactive molecular species. On the astronomical side, the access to submillimetre wavelengths and the completion of millimetric interferometers and large single-dish telescopes, have allowed the detection of many new molecular species and open the way for detailed studies of the distribution of molecules in interstellar and circumstellar clouds.