Dome Fuji in Antarctica as a Site for Infrared and Terahertz Astronomy

Abstract

AbstractDome Fuji on the Antarctic high plateau may be a good site for terahertz astronomy because of its high altitude of 3,810 m and low average temperature of −54°C. We have demonstrated that the opacity at 220 GHz from Dome Fuji in summer is very good and stable; τ = 0.045 ± 0.007. We have developed a transportable 30 cm telescope to map the Milky Way in the CO (J=4–3) and the [CI] (3P1–3P0) lines at Dome Fuji from 2014. It has a 9′ beam. Physical conditions such as density and temperature of molecular clouds could be derived from a direct comparison of CO (J=4–3) and [CI] (3P1–3P0) with CO (J=1–0) taken by the Columbia–CfA survey. We are also developing a 1.2 m sub-millimeter telescope. It will be equipped with a dual superconducting device (SIS) receiver for 500/800 GHz. The 1.2 m telescope produces a 2.2′ beam at 492 GHz and could map a molecular cloud entirely. It could also observe nearby galaxies in the CO (J=4–3), CO (J=7–6), [CI] (3P1–3P0), [CI] (3P2–3P1) and in continuum emission between 460–810 GHz.