The 20/20 Vision of SOFIA: Scientific and Technical Opportunities in the next 20 years
Abstract
The SOFIA 2020 Vision Workshop explored the technical and scientific opportunities for the SOFIA observatory for the next two decades. More than 120 scientists attended the workshop and discussed future directions in instrumentation and astronomy. The participants found that long term success of the facility depended on a vigorous instrumentation program, and that the new instrumentation offered potentially many new investigations. The general trend in instruments depended on the development of very large format far-infrared direct detection and heterodyne arrays. It was emphasized that for a significant period time (after Herschel and before a large space mission like SPICA or SAFIR), SOFIA will be the only access to much of the key far-infrared and sub-millimeter wavelength range.
- Publication:
-
The 20/20 Vision of SOFIA: Scientific and Technical Opportunities in the next 20 years
- Pub Date:
- September 2008
- Bibcode:
- 2008ttvs.rept.....Y