CALISTO: A Far-Infrared Observatory for the Next Decade

Details CALISTO: A Far-Infrared Observatory for the Next Decade CALISTO: A Far-Infrared Observatory for the Next Decade

Dec 2006

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2006aas...20916402y&link_type=abstract

2007 AAS/AAPT Joint Meeting, American Astronomical Society Meeting 209, #164.02; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society,

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

1

Scientific paper

We present a design for a far-infrared space-based observatory, based on existing instrument and telescope technologies and launchable within the next decade for an estimated cost under $1.3B. The Cryogenic Aperture Large Infrared Space Telescope Observatory (CALISTO) utilizes a 4 m x 6 m monolithic off-axis telescope cooled to 4 K, with far-infrared cameras and moderate-resolution spectrographs operating in the critical 30-300 micron wavelength range. This wavelength range is crucial for charting the history of galaxies, yet is inaccessible from terrestrial platforms due to the opacity of the Earth's atmosphere at these wavelengths. CALISTO would also fill in the observation wavelength gap between the Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA) and the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). CALISTO’s excellent sensitivity in this band would enable detailed studies of the production of the cosmic far-IR background light, the repository of half the energy ever released in stars and black hole accretion. The galaxies which produced this background are now being revealed in surveys by the Spitzer Space Telescope. They appear to be Luminous and Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies (LIRGs and ULIRGs) at redshifts of 1 to 4. Their study requires capabilities beyond what Herschel will provide: deep imaging and sensitive spectroscopy from a large cryogenic aperture. CALISTO offers these capabilities on a reasonable timescale and budget.

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