The Gas-phase Chemical Evolution of Dark Clouds

Abstract

A rich chemistry exists within dark clouds. In the most chemically studied dark cloud, Taurus molecular cloud one (TMC-l), more than 40 molecules have been detected. In this paper I look at the current isochoric, i.e. constant density, isothermal time-dependent gas-phase chemical models of dark clouds such as TMC-l and very briefly outline the present understanding of the chemistry of these objects. The above chemical models agree very well with the observed abundances of almost all chemical species at times earlier than steady state, i.e. earlier than thirty million years. However, the models are fraught with uncertainty and are not physically realistic representations of the full dynamical evolution of dark clouds from a more diffuse state. Nevertheless the agreement with observation is striking.