Over the next five years, European ground-based and space-based missions will open up the universe to high spatial and spectral resolution studies at infrared and submillimeter wavelengths. This will allow us to study, in much greater detail, the composition and the origin and evolution of molecules in space. Moreover, molecular transitions in these spectral ranges provide a sensitive probe of the dynamics and the physical and chemical conditions in a wide range of objects at scales ranging from budding planetary systems to galactic and extragalactic sizes. Hence,these missions provide us with the tools to study key astrophysical and astrochemical processes involved in the formation and evolution of planets, stars, and galaxies.

Molecular astrophysics is a highly interdisciplinary field where physics, chemistry, and astronomy intersect. Interpreting and analyzing the multitude of astronomical data that will become available will require a sound understanding of the basics of spectroscopy. collisional excitation, radiative transfer, and chemical reactions, involving molecules of astrophysical interest.

The European Network "The Molecular Universe" organizes a summerschool on "Molecules in Regions of Star Formation" from September 26 through September 30, 2005 at Les Houches, France.



This summerschool aims at providing graduate students and young postdocs with a thorough background in the techniques of molecular astrophysics and apply these to molecules in regions of star formation.