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FOR THE PAST two years as part of its Antarctic astronomy program
UNSW has been collaborating with a consortium of US universities to
show that conducting an observational astronomy program from the South
Pole can be a reality. Using a 60-cm telescope and an infrared
camera equipped with a 1024x1024 array detector the largest available
we have conducted a series of programs imaging star forming regions along
the Galactic plane in the thermal infrared band from 3-5µm. Despite the
many challenges and problems encountered we have actually obtained data
imaging
such as the emission from organic "polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons"
(or PAHs) at 3.3µm from the massive star forming regions of Eta Carina and
NGC 6334. We have found this particular emission band to be ubiquitous in
such environments, excited where the molecule absorbs far-UV photons
from the young stars. The picture shows the spectacular structure that has
been carved out of the ambient molecular cloud by the stars which form
within it.
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Having established that it is possible to work successfully in this
harsh environment, we are now developing plans for a full-scale observatory a
2-
m class telescope which is capable of making more sensitive observations
in the infrared than any other telescope on the Earth. We have called it
the 'Douglas Mawson Telescope'. We hope to begin construction in 2004 at
Dome C one of the high points on the Antarctic plateau 50 years on from
the founding of Australia's first Antarctic station, Mawson Station in 1954.
Further information on SPIREX/Abu
Michael Burton |
