The science case for a far-infrared interferometer in the era of JWST and ALMA
Author
Leisawitz, D.Bonato, M.
Farrah, D.
Hyde, T.T.
Lee, A.
Lovell, J.B.
Matthews, B.
Mundy, L.G.
Nixon, C.
Pokorny, P.
Ricketti, B.V.
Savini, G.
Scott, J.
Shivaei, I.
Spencer, L.
Su, K.
Urry, C.M.
Wilner, D.

Affiliation
The University of Arizona and Steward ObservatoryIssue Date
2023-10-20
Metadata
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SPIECitation
David Leisawitz, Matteo Bonato, Duncan Farrah, T. Tupper Hyde, Aláine Lee, Joshua Bennett Lovell, Brenda Matthews, Lee G. Mundy, Conor Nixon, Petr Pokorny, Berke V. Ricketti, Giorgio Savini, Jeremy Scott, Irene Shivaei, Locke Spencer, Kate Su, C. Megan Urry, David Wilner, "The science case for a far-infrared interferometer in the era of JWST and ALMA," Proc. SPIE 12686, Infrared Remote Sensing and Instrumentation XXXI, 1268609 (20 October 2023); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2682235Rights
© 2023 SPIE. (2023) Published by SPIE.Collection Information
This item from the UA Faculty Publications collection is made available by the University of Arizona with support from the University of Arizona Libraries. If you have questions, please contact us at repository@u.library.arizona.edu.Abstract
A space-based far-infrared interferometer could work synergistically with the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) to revolutionize our understanding of the astrophysical processes leading to the formation of habitable planets and the co-evolution of galaxies and their central supermassive black holes. Key to these advances are measurements of water in its frozen and gaseous states, observations of astronomical objects in the spectral range where most of their light is emitted, and access to critical diagnostic spectral lines, all of which point to the need for a far-infrared observatory in space. The objects of interest – circumstellar disks and distant galaxies – typically appear in the sky at sub-arcsecond scales, which rendered all but a few of them unresolvable with the successful and now-defunct 3.5-m Herschel Space Observatory, the largest far-infrared telescope flown to date. A far-infrared interferometer with maximum baseline length in the tens of meters would match the angular resolution of JWST at 10x longer wavelengths and observe water ice and water-vapor emission, which ALMA can barely do through the Earth’s atmosphere. Such a facility was conceived and studied two decades ago. Here we revisit the science case for a space-based far-infrared interferometer in the era of JWST and ALMA and summarize the measurement capabilities that will enable the interferometer to achieve a set of compelling scientific objectives. Common to all the science themes we consider is a need for sub-arcsecond image resolution. © 2023 SPIE · 0277-786X.Note
Immediate accessISSN
0277-786XISBN
978-151066586-6Version
Final Published Versionae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1117/12.2682235