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Article Contents
ABSTRACT
- 1.GENERAL INTRODUCTION
- 1.1.Central role of the
interstellar medium (ISM) in the physics, structure, evolution and
multi-lambda emission of galaxies
- 1.2.Molecular gas is a major
component of the ISM
- 1.3.Landmarks of the history of
the discovery and studies of interstellar molecules in the Milky Way
(MW)
- 1.4.Main achievements of molecular
studies in external galaxies
- 2.COSMIC MOLECULES AND LOCAL
INTERSTELLAR MEDIUM
- 2.1.Physics and various components
of the local interstellar molecular gas
- 2.2.Observational techniques
- 2.3.Modelling (millimetre)
molecular line formation, and diagnostic of physical conditions and
molecular abundances in the ISM
- 2.4.Uniqueness of basic processes
of interstellar chemistry
- 2.5.Relation between interstellar
and other cosmic molecules
- 3.CO OBSERVATIONS AND GROSS STRUCTURE
OF MOLECULAR GAS IN THE MILKY WAY
- 3.1.Introduction: atomic and
molecular interstellar gas
- 3.2.Molecular gas in the Milky Way
at galactic scale
- 4.CO OBSERVATIONS AND GROSS STRUCTURE OF
MOLECULAR GAS IN OTHER GALAXIES
- 4.1.Molecular gas in spiral
galaxies from CO surveys of local galaxies
- 4.2.Molecular gas in other types
of galaxies
- 5.MOLECULES AS TRACERS OF STAR FORMATION
AT GALACTIC SCALES
- 5.1.Introduction. Star formation
rate
- 5.2.Star formation and molecular
clouds in non-starburst galaxies
- 5.3.Molecular gas and starbursts in luminous and
ultra-luminous infrared galaxies (LIRGs and ULIRGs)
- 5.4.OH mega-masers.
- 6.MOLECULAR ABUNDANCES IN VARIOUS LOCAL
GALACTIC ENVIRONMENTS
- 6.1.Summary of standard molecular
abundances in various regions of the Milky Way, and models of
interstellar chemistry
- 6.2.Observed abundance variations
in local galaxies: I. the Magellanic Clouds
- 6.3.Observed abundance variations
in local galaxies: II. Nearby starbursts and other galaxies
- 6.4.Abundance ratios of isotopic
varieties, and inferences for chemical evolution of galaxies
- 7.TRENDS IN MOLECULAR ABUNDANCES FROM
ABSORPTION LINES AT HIGH REDSHIFT
- 7.1.H2 UV absorption
lines in Damped Lyman-alpha systems of quasars
- 7.2.Millimetre and radio
absorption lines in lensing galaxies and radio-sources
- 8.MOLECULES, DUST AND PAHS (LARGE
AROMATIC MOLECULES)
- 8.1.Introduction. Interplay
between dust and molecules in galaxies
- 8.2.Mid-infrared emission of PAHs
in galaxies
- 8.3.Diffuse Interstellar Bands
(DIBs) in galaxies
- 8.4.Molecular infrared spectral
features in extragalactic dust
- 9.MILLIMETRE EMISSION OF MOLECULES AT
VERY HIGH REDSHIFT
- 9.1.Star formation and ULIRGs at
high redshift
- 9.2.CO studies
- 9.3.Molecules in the host galaxies
of high-z AGN
- 9.4.Other species and detailed
studies through strong gravitational lensing
- 10.INFRARED H2 EMISSION,
TRACER OF WARM MOLECULAR GAS, SHOCKS AND PHOTODISSOCIATION REGIONS
- 10.1.Basic features and physics
of H2 emission, and Milky Way observations
- 10.2.The 2µm
H2 emission in galaxies
- 10.3.Mid-IR H2
pure-rotational lines in galaxies
- 10.4.Prospects for detecting
H2 in forming galaxies
- 11.MOLECULES AND ACTIVE GALACTIC
NUCLEI (AGN)
- 11.1.Interplay between
super-massive black holes and their host galaxy
- 11.2.Molecules in the central
regions and fueling the AGN
- 11.3.H2O mega-masers
and AGN molecular disks
- 12.PROSPECTS
- 12.1.Waiting for ALMA: ongoing
studies and submillimetre breakthroughs
- 12.2.The ALMA revolution
- 12.3.Accompanying- and
post-ALMA: JWST, extremely large telescopes and SKA
- 13.GENERAL CONCLUSION
- REFERENCES
- List of Main Abbreviations