Laboratory studies of simple dust analogs in astrophysical environments

Laboratory studies of simple dust analogs in astrophysical environments 

Laboratory astrophysics is not an oxymoron. Laboratory studies are one of the very few means to understand the chemical and physical processes that occur in the outlandish environments (by terrestrial standards) observed by astronomers. Such processes often occur under conditions that are far removed from what is considered normal by most chemists and physicists, and the application of a terrestrially honed chemical intuition to processes in astrophysical systems is likely to yield incorrect interpretations of the observations unless the environmental effects are carefully considered. The design of experiments that address processes active in astrophysical environments must also account for differences between the laboratory and reality. Often one finds that it is neither necessary or even desirable to carry out experiments under typical astrophysical conditions. Few funding agencies will support experiments lasting ten million (or even ten ) years to duplicate processes in the interstellar medium, and few institutions will hire or promote a 

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Laboratory studies of simple dust analogs in astrophysical environments 153 5.5.2 Catalytic effects of dust on synthesis of biomolecules... 

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