Frontiers of chemical complexity in the interstellar medium: unveiling the cosmic origins of life
The paper argues that a next-generation ALMA facility, ALMA2040, is necessary to comprehensively study chemical complexity in the interstellar medium. Current limitations prevent detecting rare molecules and heavy elements with sufficient sensitivity across various scales. ALMA2040's improvements will allow systematic detection of new complex species, helping determine if prebiotic chemistry precursors are widespread throughout the galaxy.