Water and ammonia factories

(PhysOrg.com) -- Complex molecules, including many organic species, exist in a wide range of environments in the cosmos, and are especially abundant in giant molecular clouds of gas and dust where new stars form. The rich chemistry underway in these clouds, and in the dense disks of material around young stars, creates molecules are ingredients in living systems. Astronomers use radio, millimeter, and infrared wavelength telescopes to detect the distinct spectral lines signatures of these molecules. But what determines the relative abundances of these molecules in the first place?

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