SPECS: Scientific Objectives and Mission Concepts

Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astrophysics

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Scientific paper

A major goal of modern astrophysics is to understand the processes by which the universe evolved from its initial simplicity, as seen in measurements of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB), to the universe we see today, with complex structure on all scales. Major new space missions, like NGST, will open the epoch of structure formation to systematic study. Observations from IRAS showed that much of the luminosity of the universe is emitted in the far infrared. Regions of active star formation, which are important participants in the formation of galaxies, emit much of their luminosity in the far infrared, and dust obscuration prevents detailed optical studies. Measurements by COBE revealed a significant extragalactic background in the submillimeter released by galaxies in this epoch of formation. I will describe the SPECS mission concept. This far infrared and submillimeter interferometer can provide angular resolution and sensitivity comparable to NGST with adequate spectral resolution to allow us definitively determine the history of energy release and structure formation in the universe. The spectroscopic observations with this instrument will allow us to determine physical conditions in early galaxies and provide a detailed history of the formation of the elements.

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