Continuing operation of the High Elevation Antarctic Terahertz telescope at Ridge A, Antarctica

银河系和其他星系中的恒星是由主要由氢和氦组成的巨大气体云在自身重力下坍塌而形成的，从而将气体加热到引发核聚变并形成恒星的程度。 这些星际云的生命周期驱动着所有星系的内部演化。 该项目的目标是通过观察某些原子和分子种类的光谱来研究这些云形成的最早阶段，这些原子和分子种类可以作为这些寒冷的乌云的示踪剂。 该项目将使用NSF支持的高海拔南极太赫兹（HEAT）望远镜进行这些观测。 在太空之外，HEAT望远镜所在的南极高原是地球上少数几个可以进行这些观测的地方之一。 该项目将使用HEAT望远镜以前所未有的分辨率和灵敏度沿着银河系平面绘制这些巨大的云。目前的分子云形成理论受到星际介质中云气体的原子（HI）和分子（CO）观测的指导和约束。 然而，HI和CO调查是不太敏感的分子云形成的早期阶段。 通过用HEAT测量CI和CII线发射率，该项目将绘制云形成的早期阶段，即氢原子云向H2巨分子云的过渡。 该项目还计划观测NII线，以确定OB星的电离光度，这是星星形成率的标准度量。 这些数据将与CII观测测量的附近GMC的破坏率相关联。HEAT望远镜是一个全自动的设施，设计为在两次服务任务之间无人值守运行一年。 该提案指出，实际上有两个全功能的HEAT望远镜/接收器设施;一个部署在南极洲，另一个正在亚利桑那州进行翻新，明年将使用。 该项目将建立在PI以前的努力基础上，培训新一代的科学家和工程师，不仅让他们参与设施的科学，而且在翻新休班HEAT望远镜时提供仪器的实践经验。 该项目打算以两种方式向公众宣传其成果。 首先，该项目将利用下班后的设施在亚利桑那大学举行公众外联示范。 其次，该项目打算通过为PBS制作的节目来展示HEAT项目。新星电视系列。

Stars within the Milky Way and other galaxies are formed as giant clouds of gas composed primarily of hydrogen and helium collapse under their own gravity, thus heating up the gas to the point where nuclear fusion is triggered and stars are formed. The life cycles of these interstellar clouds drives the internal evolution of all galaxies. The goal of this project is to study the earliest stages of the formation of these clouds by observing the spectra from certain atomic and molecular species, which serve as tracers of these otherwise cold, dark clouds. The project will carry out these observations by using the NSF supported High Elevation Antarctic Terahertz (HEAT) telescope. Outside of space, the Antarctic plateau on which the HEAT telescope is located is one of the few places on Earth that these observations can be made. The project will use the HEAT telescope to map these giant clouds along the plane of our galaxy with unprecedented resolution and sensitivity.Current theories of molecular cloud formation are guided and constrained by atomic (HI) and molecular (CO) observations of the cloud gas in the interstellar medium. However, HI and CO surveys are less sensitive to the early stages of the molecular cloud formation. Through measurements of CI and CII line emissivity with HEAT, the project will map the early stages of cloud formation as clouds of atomic hydrogen transition to Giant Molecular Clouds of H2. The project also plans to observe the NII line to determine the ionizing luminosity of OB stars, which is a standard metric for star formation rate. This data will be correlated with the rate of destruction of nearby GMCs as measured by the CII observations.The HEAT telescope is a fully automated facility designed to run unattended for a year between servicing missions. The proposal points out that there are actually two fully functional HEAT telescope/receiver facilities; one that is deployed in Antarctica while the other is being refurbished in Arizona for the following year. This project will build upon previous efforts by the PI to train of a new generation of scientists and engineers by involving them not only in the science from the facility, but by providing a hands-on experience with the instrumentation as the off-duty HEAT telescope is refurbished. The project intends to communicate its results to the general public in two ways. First, the project will use the off-duty facility for public outreach demonstrations held at the University of Arizona. Second, the project intends to present the HEAT project via a program produced for PBS?s NOVA television series.