The Stratospheric THz Observatory (STO)

C. Walker; C. Kulesa; P. Bernasconi; H. Eaton; N. Rolander; C. Groppi; J. Kloosterman; T. Cottam; D. Lesser; C. Martin; A. Stark; D. Neufeld; C. Lisse; D. Hollenbach; J. Kawamura; P. Goldsmith; W. Langer; H. Yorke; J. Sterne; A. Skalare; I. Mehdi; S. Weinreb; J. Kooi; J. Stutzki; U. Graf; M. Brasse; C. Honingh; R. Simon; M. Akyilmaz; P. Puetz; Mark Wolfire

doi:10.1117/12.857765

28 July 2010 The Stratospheric THz Observatory (STO)

C. Walker, C. Kulesa, P. Bernasconi, H. Eaton, N. Rolander, C. Groppi, J. Kloosterman, T. Cottam, D. Lesser, C. Martin, A. Stark, D. Neufeld, C. Lisse, D. Hollenbach, J. Kawamura, P. Goldsmith, W. Langer, H. Yorke, J. Sterne, A. Skalare, I. Mehdi, S. Weinreb, J. Kooi, J. Stutzki, U. Graf, M. Brasse, C. Honingh, R. Simon, M. Akyilmaz, P. Puetz, Mark Wolfire

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 7733, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes III; 77330N (2010) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.857765
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2010, San Diego, California, United States

Abstract

The Stratospheric TeraHertz Observatory (STO) is a NASA funded, Long Duration Balloon (LDB) experiment designed to address a key problem in modern astrophysics: understanding the Life Cycle of the Interstellar Medium (ISM). STO will survey a section of the Galactic plane in the dominant interstellar cooling line [C II] (1.9 THz) and the important star formation tracer [N II] (1.46 THz) at ~1 arc minute angular resolution, sufficient to spatially resolve atomic, ionic and molecular clouds at 10 kpc. STO itself has three main components; 1) an 80 cm optical telescope, 2) a THz instrument package, and 3) a gondola [1]. Both the telescope and gondola have flown on previous experiments [2,3]. They have been reoptimized for the current mission. The science flight receiver package will contain four [CII] and four [NII] HEB mixers, coupled to a digital spectrometer. The first engineering test flight of STO was from Ft. Sumner, NM on October 15, 2009. The ~30 day science flight is scheduled for December 2011.

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C. Walker, C. Kulesa, P. Bernasconi, H. Eaton, N. Rolander, C. Groppi, J. Kloosterman, T. Cottam, D. Lesser, C. Martin, A. Stark, D. Neufeld, C. Lisse, D. Hollenbach, J. Kawamura, P. Goldsmith, W. Langer, H. Yorke, J. Sterne, A. Skalare, I. Mehdi, S. Weinreb, J. Kooi, J. Stutzki, U. Graf, M. Brasse, C. Honingh, R. Simon, M. Akyilmaz, P. Puetz, and Mark Wolfire "The Stratospheric THz Observatory (STO)", Proc. SPIE 7733, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes III, 77330N (28 July 2010); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.857765

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