Science with ground based, single dish Submillimeter Wave Telescopes
Abstract
The submillimeter is a crucial part of the electromagnetic spectrum for studies of the cold universe, essential to understand the origins of galaxies, and the physical and chemical conditions within the interstellar medium in the dense and cold molecular clouds in which stars and planetary systems form. A next generation of single dish telescopes are uniquely poised to deliver accurate measurements of fundamental astrophysical processes that govern stellar birth and evolution, galaxy formation, and the coming-of-age of the universe itself. The submillimeter regime is accessible in several atmospheric windows from the ground, where single dish telescopes are able to exploit a rapidly growing detector technology to implement powerful instruments which can survey vast regions of the sky to unprecedented depths.In this white paper we will discuss key research areas that require ground-based Submillimeter Wave observatories, exploiting the crucial submillimeter diagnostics of the molecular ISM, and the redshifted dust and strong ISM cooling lines from all galaxies at z>1 — the first half of the history of our Universe, when galaxies were actively assembling and building their stellar populations. At the moment there are no submillieter single dish telescopes funded in Canada. Those that Canadian astronomers use are funded through individual academic grants, or through external collaborations. This white paper will bring together discussions of the science cases, and descriptions of the proposed facilities, along with prospects for Canadian involvement and timelines of single dish mm/submm facilities: CCAT-prime, JCMT upgrades, APEX upgrades, SPT, ACT, Polarbear, Simon's Observatory, CCAT-25, and AtLAST.
- Publication:
-
Canadian Long Range Plan for Astronomy and Astrophysics White Papers
- Pub Date:
- October 2019
- DOI:
- 10.5281/zenodo.3825288
- Bibcode:
- 2019clrp.2020...48C
- Keywords:
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- astrophysics;
- Zenodo community lpr2020