1. 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

2. 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

3. 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 ( 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

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

5. 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

6. 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

7. Not usable
Usable

8. 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

9. AST/RO observations of NGC 6334

10. 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

11. Model of SP 10m and SPSM

12. 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

13. 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