Molecule formation in the interstellar gas

Abstract

The chemical mechanisms that lead to the formation and destruction of molecules in the interstellar gas are reviewed. Grain surface catalysis is discussed briefly. Detailed attention is given to gas-phase chemical processes and to the modifications they produce in the molecular compositions of interstellar clouds following the initial molecular formation. The effects of chemical fractionation processes on the abundances of molecules containing different isotopes are explored. The review was completed in March 1976.