Bridging Laboratory Ice Experiments and Astronomical Observations

Complex organic molecules are thought to form on icy dust grains in interstellar environments, through a combination of energetic and non-energetic processes driven by photons, electrons, ions, and atoms. Thanks to the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (ALMA), we can now map and characterize ices and gases across various star-forming regions, enhancing our understanding of star formation and chemical evolution.
European large-scale experimental facilities are crucial for interpreting these observations, especially in simulating space-like conditions. In this presentation, I will discuss recent laboratory findings on the formation and stability of prebiotic molecules on ice grain analogs, which mimic the icy surfaces in space. These studies are key to understanding the potential pathways for the origin of life on Earth, and how we can bridge the gap between experimental data and astrochemical theory.