This introduction to laboratory astrochemistry reviews recent advances in molecular spectroscopy, photodissociation, gas-phase processes, surfaces of grains, dust formation, and their spectroscopic properties. The 28 contributions describe techniques for finding answers about the fundamental questions of the physics and chemistry of interstellar gas, calculating rate coefficients for the gas-phase reactions and inelastic processes needed to model the chemistry of molecular clouds, determining absorption and photodissociation cross sections, and understanding surface reactions under interstellar conditions. The closing chapters share laboratory techniques for characterizing grain optical properties, the infrared spectra of amorphous silicates and crystalline silicates, and the gas-phase condensation of magnesium iron silicates, carbon grains, and other cosmic dust grains. Annotation ©2015 Ringgold, Inc., Portland, OR (protoview.com)