Prof. Dr. Serena Viti, Colloquium, Groningen, Netherlands
Molecules are present in most astrophysical environments within galaxies and, beside having a key role in the formation and shaping of such galaxies, they are also ideal tracers of their physical characteristics. It is now well established that chemistry in external galaxies is rich and complex. In this talk I will show how molecular emission from AGN/starburst galaxies can be used to explore and characterise the physical conditions and energetics of these galaxies, as well as, possibly, their evolutionary status. I will present examples of the chemical and radiative transfer models that have been developed in recent years to tackle the often unresolved (spatially and spectrally) extragalactic molecular emission. I will then show recent applications of such models in nearby galaxies, and how to make molecules into powerful diagnostics of the evolution and distribution of molecular gas.
