The Exploration of the ISM from Antarctica

Antarctica presents a unique environment for the exploration of the interstellar medium. The low column of water vapor opens windows for sub-mm and THz astronomy from ground and sub-orbital observatories while the stable atmosphere holds promise for THz interferometry. Various current and potentially future facilities occupy a niche not available to current space or stratospheric instruments. These allow line and continuum observations addressing key questions in e.g., star formation, galactic evolution, and the life-cycle of interstellar clouds. This review presents scientific questions that can be addressed by the suite of current and future Antarctic observatories.