The Antarctic Continent future platform for exceptional astronomical observations

Short note published in CNRS International Magazine, 18, July 2010 about Antarctic Astronomy

For their observations, astronomers have for years longed for a terrestrial site that would be devoid of man-made light and industrial pollution, and blessed with exceptional atmospheric conditions.

For the hundred or so specialists of the European ARENA network, such a site exists. It is located at an altitude of 3233 meters in the heart of Antarctica, at the Franco-Italian Concordia (1) research station, situated at Dome C. The ARENA network, set up in 2006 and funded for a 4-year period by the European Commission, was designed to determine the quality of the Dome C site and study the implementation of programs in astronomy and astrophysics. Its conclusions and suggestions were recently published as a roadmap.

"This is a unique site for astronomy,” explains the network’s coordinator Nicolas Epchtein, from the Hippolyte Fizeau laboratory in Nice. “The clarity of the atmosphere is ideal to study the formation of stars and distant galaxies in the infrared and submillimetric fields. Furthermore, the low level of atmospheric turbulence enables high-quality images for the detection of exoplanets, for example."

The report therefore highly recommends the construction of an observatory at Dome C. This would imply, first of all, building new instruments better adapted to winter temperatures, which can reach -80°C. The report also makes suggestions on instruments that could equip a Dome C observatory. Examples include the Aladdin project, an infrared interferometer that would be made up of two 1-meter telescopes positioned on a 40-meter diameter ring; the Polar Large Telescope (PLT) project, a 2.5-meter infrared telescope that could be installed on a 30-meter tower; and the 25-meter Antarctic Submillimeter Telescope (AST). The main hurdles to overcome are finding ways to ship the equipment to the site—which is only accessible during the summer—and the cost of such complex transshipments.

Finally, Epchtein reminds us that "today, countries such as China and the US are developing stations with comparable projects in Antarctica. If we want to remain competitive during the next 10 years, the station must be European and involve partners who can share the costs of the project, estimated between €50 to 100 million. The involvement of polar agencies and governments of each country, and the support of the European Southern Observatory (ESO), are also essential if we are to implement our recommendations."

Marion Papanian (CNRS International Magazine, N°18, July 2010)

1. Concordia is managed by the Institut Polaire Français Paul-Émile Victor (IPEV) and the Italian institute PNRA.

A public outreach web site is open at http://www.arena.ulg.ac.be/index.php?langue=en

(in English) and http://www.arena.ulg.ac.be/index.php?langue=fr (en Français)