Current and Future Space and Airborne Observatories for ISM Studies
Abstract
A tremendous amount of radiation is emitted by the Interstellar Medium in the mid- and far-infrared (3-500 $\mu$m) that represents the majority of the light emitted by a galaxy. In this article we motivate ISM studies in the infrared and the construction of large specialized observatories like the Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), which just concluded its mission on a scientific high note, and the newly launched James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) that just begun its exciting scientific mission. We introduce their capabilities, present a few examples of their scientific discoveries and discuss how they complemented each other. We then consider the impact of the conclusion of SOFIA for the field in a historic context and look at new opportunities specifically for far-infrared observatories in space and in the stratosphere.
- Publication:
-
Physics and Chemistry of Star Formation: The Dynamical ISM Across Time and Spatial Scales
- Pub Date:
- February 2023
- DOI:
- 10.48550/arXiv.2301.05808
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2301.05808
- Bibcode:
- 2023pcsf.conf..330S
- Keywords:
-
- Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies;
- Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- doi:10.18716/kups/64624