How molecules form in space
Temperatures in the thin gas and dust between the stars in the universe can be as low as minus 270 degrees Celsius. Yet new molecules can be created there. How is this possible? Henning Schmidt’s research team is attempting to understand fundamental processes behind the formation of new stars.
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Photo: Magnus Bergström/KAW
Enormous gas clouds drift between the stars. This ”interstellar medium” is a dilute gas mixture of ions, atoms and molecules, along with dust grains, cosmic radiation and magnetic fields.
The atoms moving there are mostly hydrogen – but there are also small quantities of helium and carbon atoms – existing at temperatures as low as minus 270 degrees Celsius.
“The extremely low temperature inhibits chemical reactions, but the atoms present can still move slowly,” explains Schmidt, who is a professor of atomic physics at Stockholm University. He heads a research team studying how new matter is created in space.
“Despite the extreme cold, new molecules can form in the clouds, potentially leading to the birth of a new star.”
Such “star births” often occur in dark, denser parts of the gas clouds.
Schmidt and his team are seeking answers to the mystery of how matter can form in interstellar clouds.
Read full article at Knut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation´s website
Last updated: 2026-03-09
Source: Communications Office