Abstract

In the terahertz and far-infrared (FIR) band, from approximately 0.3 THz to 15 THz (1 mm to 20 μm), the pure rotation band of water vapor renders the terrestrial atmosphere opaque over nearly all of the Earth’s surface. Early radiometric measurements below 1 THz at Dome A (80° 22′ S, 77° 21′ E), the highest point of the cold and dry Antarctic ice sheet, suggest that it may offer the best possible access to the terahertz and FIR band from the ground. In this talk we will introduce a Fourier transform spectrometer (FTS) deployed to Dome A for the measurement of atmospheric transmission from 20 μm to 350 μm wavelength. Also some measurement results will be presented.

© 2016 Optical Society of America