A project for an infrared synoptic survey from Antarctica with the Polar Large Telescope (PLT)
Abstract
The Polar Large Telescope (PLT) aims at performing a new generation of astronomical Infrared Synoptic Survey from Antarctica (ISSA). It would carry out for the first time large scale periodic imaging surveys at ∼ 0.3 arcsec angular resolution in the short thermal infrared (2-5 micron) range benefiting from the extremely dry, cold, and stable polar atmosphere. The PLT consists of a 2.5 m class telescope equipped with a 250-Mpixel infrared camera. The survey would produce diffraction limited images at 2 micron covering a total of ∼ 5000 square degrees, explore the time domain from seconds to years down to mab =25.5 in Kd, generate alerts of transients and react quickly to alerts from other ground based or space borne facilities.
- Publication:
-
SF2A-2011: Proceedings of the Annual meeting of the French Society of Astronomy and Astrophysics
- Pub Date:
- December 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011sf2a.conf..107E
- Keywords:
-
- Infrared Surveys;
- Telescope;
- Antarctic Astronomy