TY - JOUR
T1 - Where is the best site on Earth? Domes A, B, C., and F., and Ridges A and B
AU - Saunders, Will
AU - Lawrence, Jon S.
AU - Storey, John W V
AU - Ashley, Michael C B
AU - Kato, Seiji
AU - Minnis, Patrick
AU - Winker, David M.
AU - Liu, Guiping
AU - Kulesa, Craig
N1 - Copyright 2009 The Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Originally published in Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific by University of Chicago Press.
PY - 2009/9
Y1 - 2009/9
N2 - The Antarctic plateau contains the best sites on earth for many forms of astronomy, but none of the existing bases was selected with astronomy as the primary motivation. In this article, we try to systematically compare the merits of potential observatory sites. We include South Pole, Domes A, C., and F., and also Ridge B (running northeast from Dome A), and what we call "Ridge A" (running southwest from Dome A). Our analysis combines satellite data, published results, and atmospheric models, to compare the boundary layer, weather, aurorae, airglow, precipitable water vapor, thermal sky emission, surface temperature, and the free atmosphere, at each site. We find that all Antarctic sites are likely to be compromised for optical work by airglow and aurorae. Of the sites with existing bases, Dome A is easily the best overall; but we find that Ridge A offers an even better site. We also find that Dome F is a remarkably good site. Dome C is less good as a thermal infrared or terahertz site, but would be able to take advantage of a predicted "OH hole" over Antarctica during spring.
AB - The Antarctic plateau contains the best sites on earth for many forms of astronomy, but none of the existing bases was selected with astronomy as the primary motivation. In this article, we try to systematically compare the merits of potential observatory sites. We include South Pole, Domes A, C., and F., and also Ridge B (running northeast from Dome A), and what we call "Ridge A" (running southwest from Dome A). Our analysis combines satellite data, published results, and atmospheric models, to compare the boundary layer, weather, aurorae, airglow, precipitable water vapor, thermal sky emission, surface temperature, and the free atmosphere, at each site. We find that all Antarctic sites are likely to be compromised for optical work by airglow and aurorae. Of the sites with existing bases, Dome A is easily the best overall; but we find that Ridge A offers an even better site. We also find that Dome F is a remarkably good site. Dome C is less good as a thermal infrared or terahertz site, but would be able to take advantage of a predicted "OH hole" over Antarctica during spring.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=70349334524&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1086/605780
DO - 10.1086/605780
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:70349334524
SN - 0004-6280
VL - 121
SP - 976
EP - 992
JO - Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
JF - Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific
IS - 883
ER -