Report - School of Physics

SOFIA: SOFIA (Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy) is a joint endeavour
of NASA and the German DLR (http://www.sofia.arc.nasa.gov/). A modified
Boeing 747SP carrying a 2.7-m telescope will operate at an altitude of about
12 km. The first call for proposals will be issued in August 2005 for the first observing
cycle starting in January 2006. A total of nine instrument have been selected,
providing imaging and spectroscopy in the range 1–600 µm. Operating out of NASA
Ames Research Center, the facility is to observe three or four nights a week for at
least twenty years. Its location above the bulk of Earth’s atmosphere will provide
access to the mid-infrared region without the limitations of observatories on the
ground. Its long projected lifetime will make it possible to conduct muli-epoch
observations for variable or evolving objects and the ability to easily exchange instruments
will ensure that the latest technology can be incorporated as it becomes
available.
The science with SOFIA will revolve around cold matter in our solar system, the
interstellar medium, stars and galaxies. Similar to Spitzer, SOFIA is not expected
to contribute directly to the discovery of extra-solar planets, but it will enhance
understanding of planet formation by studying circumstellar disks. Furthermore it
will provide interesting information on the infrared spectra of solar system bodies
including the chemistry of atmospheres.
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