This publication contains presentations & poster papers of a conference that focussed on the many aspects of astrochemistry related to star formation. Topics covered include: the next generation of telescopes & detectors; studies of fundamental chemical processes both in the lab & in the field; an exploration of the connections between chemistry & physics in star-forming regions; the unique problems of high-mass star formation; the formation of hydrogen; deuterated molecules; molecular depletion; observations & modelling of embedded protostars; accretion disks & circumstellar disks; interstellar dust; and the chemistry, physical conditions, & structure of dark clouds. Includes indexes of subjects, authors, & astronomical objects.

The international colloquium Open Issues in Local Star Formation and Early Stellar Evolution was focused on: the physics of young stellar objects, which are observed with increasing angular resolution by the new generation of telescopes; and the processes that triggered large scale star formation in the solar neighbourhood. The scientific presentations were not limited to these two main topics as many new and interesting results related to star formation have been obtained.; The participants presented new findings in the fields of stellar groups and associations; young stellar objects; disks; outflows and jets; the ISM conditions for star formation; and early stages of star formation. The discussions on open issues, representing problems and unanswered questions, should make this book particularly useful for researchers and PhD students.

Astrobiology, a new exciting interdisciplinary research field, seeks to unravel the origin and evolution of life wherever it might exist in the Universe. The current view of the origin of life on Earth is that it is strongly connected to the origin and evolution of our planet and, indeed, of the Universe as a whole. We are fortunate to be living in an era where centuries of speculation about the two ancient and fundamental problems: the origin of life and its prevalence in the Universe are being replaced by experimental science. The subject of Astrobiology can be approached from many different perspectives. This book is focused on abiogenic organic matter from the viewpoint of astronomy and planetary science and considers its potential relevance to the origins of life on Earth and elsewhere. Guided by the review papers in this book, the concluding chapter aims to identify key questions to motivate future research and stimulate astrobiological applications of current and future research facilities and space missions. Today’s rich array of new spacecraft, telescopes and dedicated scientists promises a steady flow of discoveries and insights that will ultimately lead us to the answers we seek.

A few years ago, a motivation for organizing one more IAU Symposium on star for mation in Grenoble, was the anticipated completion of the IRAM interferometer on the Plateau de Bures, close to Grenoble. This choice was also a sort of late celebration of the genius of Joseph Fourier, born in Grenoble, whose work is the very fondation of in terferometry. At the time when we finally announced the advent of this conference, the first reactions we got from the community were expressions of saturation and even reject, the Symposium being unfortunately scheduled almost simultaneously as two other major meetings on closely related topics, and sponsored by different organizations. A wave of disappointment then reached the organizers. Some of us were enthusiastic enough to help the others overcome their discouragement. Let them be thanked here. There was, indeed, a deeper motivation for organizing this conference. It was to trigger the meeting and communication of physicists and astrophysicists since many of the difficulties met now in understanding the physics of the interstellar medium and its evolution toward star formation are common to several, if not most, other fields of physics. They are assigned to one origin: complexity.

Astrochemistry is a well-established interdisciplinary subject and the methods for describing time-dependent chemistry in static or slowly-changing regions of interstellar space have been well-developed over many years. Existing astrochemical books normally describe the subject in terms of chemistry in static or slowly-varying astronomical situations but the most significant astronomical regions are those in which the physical conditions change on timescales that are comparable to or shorter than chemical timescales. Written by leading experts in this area, this is the first book specifically devoted to the astrochemistry of dynamically evolving astronomical regions. It provides a comprehensive description of this important area of science, stressing in particular the methods that have been developed for specific purposes. It will be of interest to researchers in astrochemistry, including both chemists and physicists and could form the basis of a postgraduate course for research students in chemistry and physics.