NASA Scientific and Technical Aerospace Reports

The questions of greatest scientific interest addressable at far-infrared and submillimeter wavelengths at the time SAFIR
would fly will have been shaped by the results from the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) and the Herschel Space
Observatory (HSO) as well as ongoing studies using the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) and the
Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA). In light of these other efforts, SAFIR must offer unique and compelling
capabilities.
Author
Spatial Resolution; Astronomical Observatories
20040074307 NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, USA
Complementarity of NGST, ALMA, and Far IR Space Observatories
Mather, John C.; New Concepts for Far-Infrared and Submillimeter Space Astronomy; April 2004, pp. 178-187; In English;
See also 20040074260; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A02, Hardcopy
The Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST) and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) will both start
operations long before a new far IR observatory to follow SIRTF into space can be launched. What will be unknown even after
they are operational, and what will a far IR space observatory be able to add? I will compare the telescope design concepts
and capabilities and the advertised scientific programs for the projects and attempt to forecast the research topics that will be
at the forefront in 2010.
Author
Spaceborne Telescopes; Infrared Space Observatory (Iso)
20040074308 New South Wales Univ., Sydney, Australia
Antarctica as a Stepping Stone to Space
Storey, J. W. V.; Burton, M. G.; Ashley, M. C. B.; New Concepts for Far-Infrared and Submillimeter Space Astronomy; April
2004, pp. 264-268; In English; See also 20040074260; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A01, Hardcopy
The high Antarctic plateau offers a unique observing environment that is in many ways intermediate between earth and
space. In the infrared, for example, the sky brightness is typically 10 to 100 times darker than at "temperate"
observatories. The sub-mm transmission is superior to that measured anywhere else on earth. However, perhaps the most
important feature of Antarctica is the extraordinary stability of the upper atmosphere, which dramatically reduces scintillation
and offers large gains in astrometric precision. In this presentation we will discuss the site-testing results to date, the science
that can be best be done, and the technology demonstrators that can best be tested in Antarctica.
Author
Antarctic Regions; Astrometry; Aerospace Environments; Spaceborne Astronomy
20040074313 California Inst. of Tech., Pasadena, CA, USA
Star and Early planet Formation and the Far-Infrared/Submillimeter Regime
Akeson, Rachel; New Concepts for Far-Infrared and Submillimeter Space Astronomy; April 2004, pp. 125-128; In English;
See also 20040074260; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A01, Hardcopy
This contribution was presented during the science panel discussion. The goal of this presentation is to describe why
observations in the far-infrared and submillimeter are crucial to the study of star formation and the early stages of planet
formation and to propose some specific areas that could be address by observations at these wavelengths.
Author
Star Formation; Planetary Evolution; Cosmic Dust
20040074315 Naval Research Lab., Washington, DC, USA
C+ in ULIRGs and the Cosmos
Dudley, C. C.; Fischer, J.; Luhman, M.; Wolfire, M.; Satyapal, S.; New Concepts for Far-Infrared and Submillimeter Space
Astronomy; April 2004, pp. 134-144; In English; See also 20040074260; No Copyright; Avail: CASI; A03, Hardcopy
The recently discovered and now confirmed C (sup)+ deficit in ULIGRs may indicate a quite sharp break in luminosity
space, which, if stable, suggests a potentially useful standard candle for future far infrared and submillimeter observatories of
sufficient sensitivity such as SAFIR.
Derived from text
Galaxies; Spaceborne Astronomy
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