Issue |
EAS Publications Series
Volume 40, 2010
3rd ARENA Conference: An Astronomical Observatory at CONCORDIA (Dome C, Antarctica)
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Page(s) | 11 - 20 | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/eas/1040002 | |
Published online | 23 December 2009 |
L. Spinoglio and N. Epchtein (eds)
EAS Publications Series, 40 (2010) 11-20
Site Characterization at Dome C – The ARENA Work
Max-Planck-Institut für Astronomie, Königstuhl 17, 69117 Heidelberg, Germany
In recent years, a large amount of data has been collected with the aim to
quantify the day- and nighttime astronomical observing conditions at Dome C.
The available data show that the precipitable water vapor is
below 0.75 mm in general, thus offering very good conditions for sub-mm observations.
The extremely low temperatures of the atmosphere cause a very low background in the
thermal infrared, which leads to significant savings
in the time required to carry out large observing programmes. The absence of strong
turbulence in the upper atmosphere results in a low scintillation and poses favorable
conditions for photometric programmes. The free atmosphere seeing is of the order of ,
but optical observations are impaired by the occurrence of a very strong turbulent boundary
layer which reaches up to median altitudes of some 23 m in winter and up to
some 400 m in summer. Detailed measurements of the vertical and temporal variation
of the various parameters are now needed, in order to draw robust conclusions about short-
and long-term stabilities and trends, and to constrain the specifications of
future instruments that are eventually being deployed at Dome C.
© EAS, EDP Sciences, 2010