Antarctic radio telescope for atmospheric chemistry and radioastronomy

摘要

The Antarctica is an extremely attractive site for ground-based sub-millimeter wave remote sensing and radio astronomy. In particular, a very low water vapor concentration of the Antarctic atmosphere is advantageous in millimeter and sub-millimeter wave observations of the upper atmosphere and astronomical objects. A radio telescope under our planning will be the first Japanese millimeter wave instrument in the Antarctica. The telescope has an antenna of 60cm aperture diameter with low noise superconducting receivers covering the frequency range from 200 to 280GHz. This telescope has two main missions, atmospheric chemistry and astronomy. In atmospheric chemistry, chlorine monoxide and hydroperoxyl, which are concerned with ozone chemistry, will be observed. In astronomy, observation of Milky Way of southern heaven and Magellanic Clouds at 230GHz of carbon monoxide emission line is an important subject. The telescope is now under development at the Communications Research Laboratory in collaboration with University of Tokyo. The millimeter wave observation will start in 1994 at Syowa Station.