Terahertz astronomy from the coldest place on earth

摘要

Many atoms and molecules have emission lines that occur at THz frequencies. These emission lines can be used to probe the conditions in giant molecular clouds (GMCs) throughout our galaxy. From studying the star formation process in GMCs we will gain a better understanding of the origin of planetary systems like our own. The high Antarctic plateau offers unique opportunities for observatories optimized for this important wavelength regime.