A 10-m Diameter Submillimeter-wave Telescope for the South Pole Antony A. Stark A report to the Decadal Survey Committee of the National Academy of Sciences 11/23/2018

Single-dish sub-mm in the next decade Large focal-plane arrays will dramatically increase data rates of wide-field single dish sub-mm telescopes. Fast, large-area surveys will enhance the effectiveness of interferometric arrays like MMA and SMA. South Pole is the best site for a new single-dish telescope. 2 11/23/2018

Unique capabilities of SP 10m Possible Key Projects Deep (~ 1 mJy) large scale (many square degree) studies of Cosmic Far-Infrared Background Radiation detection of thousands of protogalaxies Studies of Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation at arcminute scales and high frequency (90 - 300 GHz) Zel’dovich-Sunyaev velocity effect in distant clusters (z~1) Survey of deeply embedded cloud cores throughout the Galaxy Polarization studies of extended objects 3 11/23/2018

Image sizes of sub-mm telescopes ~104 seconds ~102 seconds

SP 10m—New Opportunities New optical design enables full exploitation of focal-plane arrays shaped optics can increase field of view 20X Superior sky noise and transparency enables deep observations in 350 m and 450 m windows 200 m window [N II] 11/23/2018

Site Testing PWV at Pole is exceptionally small, stable and well-understood Sub-mm skydips show South Pole best among all observatory sites Reduced sky noise 7 11/23/2018

Not usable Usable

Feasibility of Operations at Pole AST/RO and VIPER have operated in winter AST/RO acquired astronomical data 85% of time in winter 1998 evolution to a full user-facility instrument VIPER measured acoustic peak of CMBR during winter Logistical requirements of 10m well within capacity of Modernized South Pole Station 9 11/23/2018

AST/RO observations of NGC 6334

Phase A Design Off-axis design provides low background, large flexible detector space Choice of offset angles makes aberrations as small as on-axis Proven primary mirror technology—carbon fiber reinforced truss with metal nodes, machined aluminum panels titanium nodes? Design will be refined and critiqued in Phase B 11/23/2018

Model of SP 10m and SPSM

Budget Proposed to NSF Office of Polar Programs as user-facility instrument Total Capital Cost: $24.7M (1998), including logistical support and instrumentation some costs already funded as part of South Pole redevelopment International Partners (MPIfR, It. Ant., Leiden, UK) Annual operating budget $5.6M (2008) includes logistical costs routinely covered by U.S. Antarctic program This is ~1/2 of current expenditure on Antarctic Astronomy 12 11/23/2018

South Pole 10m Best sub-mm sky routine observations in 450 m and 350 m windows 200 m window exceptionally low sky noise Arcminute-scale CMBR at high frequency, velocity S-Z effect Effective use of large sub-mm focal plane arrays Wide-field, fast, deep surveys for protogalaxies, cloud cores Support and funding by U.S. Antarctic Program If and only if there is a strong positive recommendation by astronomers 11/23/2018