SPECS: the kilometer-baseline far-IR interferometer in NASA's space science roadmap

David T. Leisawitz; Tom Abel; Ronald J. Allen; Dominic J. Benford; Andrew Blain; Claudio Bombardelli; Daniela Calzetti; Michael J. DiPirro; Pascale Ehrenfreund; Neal J. Evans II; Jacqueline Fischer; Martin Harwit; Tristram T. Hyde; Marc J. Kuchner; Jesse A. Leitner; Enrico C. Lorenzini; John C. Mather; Karl M. Menten; Samuel Harvey Moseley Jr.; Lee G. Mundy; Takao Nakagawa; David A. Neufeld; John C. Pearson; Stephen A. Rinehart; Juan Roman; Shobita Satyapal; Robert F. Silverberg; H. Philip Stahl; Mark R. Swain; Theodore D. Swanson; Wesley Arthur Traub; Edward L. Wright; Harold W. Yorke

doi:10.1117/12.552150

12 October 2004 SPECS: the kilometer-baseline far-IR interferometer in NASA's space science roadmap

David T. Leisawitz, Tom Abel, Ronald J. Allen, Dominic J. Benford, Andrew Blain, Claudio Bombardelli, Daniela Calzetti, Michael J. DiPirro, Pascale Ehrenfreund, Neal J. Evans II, Jacqueline Fischer, Martin Harwit, Tristram T. Hyde, Marc J. Kuchner, Jesse A. Leitner, Enrico C. Lorenzini, John C. Mather, Karl M. Menten, Samuel Harvey Moseley Jr., Lee G. Mundy, Takao Nakagawa, David A. Neufeld, John C. Pearson, Stephen A. Rinehart, Juan Roman, Shobita Satyapal, Robert F. Silverberg, H. Philip Stahl, Mark R. Swain, Theodore D. Swanson, Wesley Arthur Traub, Edward L. Wright, Harold W. Yorke

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 5487, Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Space Telescopes; (2004) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.552150
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2004, Glasgow, United Kingdom

Abstract

Ultimately, after the Single Aperture Far-IR (SAFIR) telescope, astrophysicists will need a far-IR observatory that provides angular resolution comparable to that of the Hubble Space Telescope. At such resolution galaxies at high redshift, protostars, and nascent planetary systems will be resolved, and theoretical models for galaxy, star, and planet formation and evolution can be subjected to important observational tests. This paper updates information provided in a 2000 SPIE paper on the scientific motivation and design concepts for interferometric missions SPIRIT (the Space Infrared Interferometric Telescope) and SPECS (the Submillimeter Probe of the Evolution of Cosmic Structure). SPECS is a kilometer baseline far-IR/submillimeter imaging and spectral interferometer that depends on formation flying, and SPIRIT is a highly-capable pathfinder interferometer on a boom with a maximum baseline in the 30 - 50 m range. We describe recent community planning activities, remind readers of the scientific rationale for space-based far-infrared imaging interferometry, present updated design concepts for the SPIRIT and SPECS missions, and describe the main issues currently under study. The engineering and technology requirements for SPIRIT and SPECS, additional design details, recent technology developments, and technology roadmaps are given in a companion paper in the Proceedings of the conference on New Frontiers in Stellar Interferometry.

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David T. Leisawitz, Tom Abel, Ronald J. Allen, Dominic J. Benford, Andrew Blain, Claudio Bombardelli, Daniela Calzetti, Michael J. DiPirro, Pascale Ehrenfreund, Neal J. Evans II, Jacqueline Fischer, Martin Harwit, Tristram T. Hyde, Marc J. Kuchner, Jesse A. Leitner, Enrico C. Lorenzini, John C. Mather, Karl M. Menten, Samuel Harvey Moseley Jr., Lee G. Mundy, Takao Nakagawa, David A. Neufeld, John C. Pearson, Stephen A. Rinehart, Juan Roman, Shobita Satyapal, Robert F. Silverberg, H. Philip Stahl, Mark R. Swain, Theodore D. Swanson, Wesley Arthur Traub, Edward L. Wright, and Harold W. Yorke "SPECS: the kilometer-baseline far-IR interferometer in NASA's space science roadmap", Proc. SPIE 5487, Optical, Infrared, and Millimeter Space Telescopes, (12 October 2004); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.552150

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