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Prospecting for Heavy Elements with Future Far-IR/Submillimeter Observatories

D. Leisawitz·D. J. Benford·A. Kashlinsky·C. R. Lawrence·J. C. Mather·S. H. Moseley·S. A. Rinehart·R. F. Silverberg·H. W. Yorke
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Abstract

To understand the cosmic history of element synthesis it will be important to obtain extinction-free measures of the heavy element contents of high-redshift objects and to chart two monumental events: the collapse of the first metal-free clouds to form stars, and the initial seeding of the universe with dust. The information needed to achieve these objectives is uniquely available in the far-infrared/submillimeter (FIR/SMM) spectral region. Following the Decadal Report and anticipating the development of the Single Aperture Far-IR (SAFIR) telescope and FIR/SMM interferometry, we estimate the measurement capabilities of a large-aperture, background-limited FIR/SMM observatory and an interferometer on a boom, and discuss how such instruments could be used to measure the element synthesis history of the universe.

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D. Leisawitz, D. J. Benford, A. Kashlinsky, C. R. Lawrence, J. C. Mather, S. H. Moseley, S. A. Rinehart, R. F. Silverberg, H. W. Yorke. 2002-10-01. Prospecting for Heavy Elements with Future Far-IR/Submillimeter Observatories. https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0209631

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