Far-Infrared heterodyne interferometry from space

摘要

Many studies on the formation of stars and planets require high angular and high spectral resolution in the far-infrared regime. Even with the upcoming operation of the Herschel Space Observatory, ALMA, and JWST, angular resolutions of better than 1 arcsec combined with high spectral resolution in the crucial far-infrared domain of 1 THz to ～ 10 THz (300 μm to 30 μm) are still beyond observational reach. Only a far-infrared heterodyne interferometer can close this gap. Here we present the general requirements for a FIR heterodyne interferometer in space and address a number of critical key technologies needed for such an instrument.