Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Dec 2000
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2000pasa...17..260h&link_type=abstract
Publications Astronomical Society of Australia, vol. 17, no. 3, p. 260-269
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
18
Site Testing, Atmospheric Effects, Antarctic Astronomy
Scientific paper
The Antarctic Plateau provides the best terrestrial sites for infrared (IR) and submillimetre (sub-mm) astronomy. In this paper we examine the relative importance of temperature, aerosol content and precipitable water vapour to determine which parameters have the greatest influence on atmospheric transmission and sky brightness. We use the atmospheric modelling program MODTRAN to model the observed sky spectrum at the South Pole from the near-IR to the sub-mm. We find that temperature and aerosol content determine the quality of near-IR observing conditions, aerosol content is the determining factor in the mid-IR up to 20 mum, while at longer wavelengths, including the sub-mm, it is the water vapour content that matters. Finding a location where aerosol levels are minimised is a key constraint in determining the optimum site on the Antarctic Plateau for an IR observatory.
Burton Michael G.
Chamberlain Matthew A.
Hidas Marton G.
Storey John W. V.
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