Submm/FIR astronomy in Antarctica: Potential for a large telescope facility

• Main Authors: Minier, Vincent, Minier, V., Olmi, L., Lagage, P.-O., Spinoglio, L., Durand, G.A., Daddi, Emanuele, Galilei, D., Gallee, H., Kramer, C., Marrone, D., Pantin, E., Sabbatini, L., Schneider, N., Tothill, N., Valenziano, L., Veyssiere, C.
• Other Authors: Astrophysique Interprétation Modélisation (AIM (UMR7158 / UMR_E_9005 / UM_112)), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Institut national des sciences de l'Univers (INSU - CNRS)-Université Paris Diderot - Paris 7 (UPD7)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Département d'Astrophysique (ex SAP) (DAP), Institut de Recherches sur les lois Fondamentales de l'Univers (IRFU), Université Paris-Saclay-Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (DRF (CEA)), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Université Paris-Saclay-Direction de Recherche Fondamentale (CEA) (DRF (CEA)), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA)-Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), Antarctic Research a European Network for Astrophysics (ARENA), Commissariat à l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives (CEA), ARENA
• Format: Conference Object
• Language: English
• Published: HAL CCSD 2006
• Subjects: submillimeter; far infrared; astronomy; antarctica; dome c; star formation; galaxy evolution; bolometer array; [PHYS.ASTR.CO]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph]/Cosmology and Extra-Galactic Astrophysics [astro-ph.CO]; Antarc*; Antarctica
• Online Access: https://hal.science/hal-00279998; https://hal.science/hal-00279998/document; https://hal.science/hal-00279998/file/minier_revised_vm.pdf

20 International audience Preliminary site testing datasets suggest that Dome C in Antarctica is one of the best sites on Earth for astronomical observations in the 200 to 500 micron regime, i.e. for far-infrared (FIR) and submillimetre (submm) astronomy. We present an overview of potential science cases that could be addressed with a large telescope facility at Dome C. This paper also includes a presentation of the current knowledge about the site characterics in terms of atmospheric transmission, stability, sky noise and polar constraints on telescopes. Current and future site testing campaigns are finally described.