The PLATO antarctic site testing observatory

J. S. Lawrence; G. R. Allen; M. C.B. Ashley; C. Bonner; S. Bradley; X. Cui; J. R. Everett; L. Feng; X. Gong; S. Hengst; J. Hu; Z. Jiang; C. A. Kulesa; Y. Li; D. Luong-Van; A. M. Moore; C. Pennypacker; W. Qin; R. Riddle; Z. Shang; J. W.V. Storey; B. Sun; N. Suntzeff; N. F.H. Tothill; T. Travouillon; C. K. Walker; L. Wang; J. Yan; J. Yang; H. Yang; D. Yorko; X. Yuan; X. G. Zhang; Z. Zhang; X. Zhou; Z. Zhu

doi:10.1117/12.787166

The PLATO antarctic site testing observatory

J. S. Lawrence, G. R. Allen, M. C.B. Ashley, C. Bonner, S. Bradley, X. Cui, J. R. Everett, L. Feng, X. Gong, S. Hengst, J. Hu, Z. Jiang, C. A. Kulesa, Y. Li, D. Luong-Van, A. M. Moore, C. Pennypacker, W. Qin, R. Riddle, Z. ShangJ. W.V. Storey, B. Sun, N. Suntzeff, N. F.H. Tothill, T. Travouillon, C. K. Walker, L. Wang, J. Yan, J. Yang, H. Yang, D. Yorko, X. Yuan, X. G. Zhang, Z. Zhang, X. Zhou, Z. Zhu

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

Over a decade of site testing in Antarctica has shown that both South Pole and Dome C are xceptional sites for astronomy, with certain atmospheric conditions superior to those at existing mid-latitude sites. However, the highest point on the Antarctic plateau, Dome A, is expected to experience colder atmospheric temperatures, lower wind speeds, and a turbulent boundary layer that is confined closer to the ground. The Polar Research Institute of China, who were the first to visit the Dome A site in January 2005, plan to establish a permanently manned station there within the next decade. As part of this process they conducted a second expedition to Dome A, arriving via overland traverse in January 2008. This traverse involved the delivery and installation of the PLATeau Observatory (PLATO). PLATO is an automated self-powered astrophysical site testing observatory, developed by the University of New South Wales. A number of international institutions have contributed site testing instruments measuring turbulence, optical sky background, and sub-millimetre transparency. In addition, a set of science instruments are providing wide-field high time resolution optical photometry and terahertz imaging of the Galaxy. We present here an overview of the PLATO system design and instrumentation suite.

Original language	English (US)
Title of host publication	Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes II
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1117/12.787166
State	Published - 2008
Event	Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes II - Marseille, France Duration: Jun 23 2008 → Jun 28 2008

Publication series

Name	Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering
Volume	7012
ISSN (Print)	0277-786X

Other

Other	Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes II
Country/Territory	France
City	Marseille
Period	6/23/08 → 6/28/08

Keywords

Antarctic astronomy
Site testing

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials
Condensed Matter Physics
Computer Science Applications
Applied Mathematics
Electrical and Electronic Engineering

Access to Document

10.1117/12.787166

Cite this

Lawrence, J. S., Allen, G. R., Ashley, M. C. B., Bonner, C., Bradley, S., Cui, X., Everett, J. R., Feng, L., Gong, X., Hengst, S., Hu, J., Jiang, Z., Kulesa, C. A., Li, Y., Luong-Van, D., Moore, A. M., Pennypacker, C., Qin, W., Riddle, R., ... Zhu, Z. (2008). The PLATO antarctic site testing observatory. In Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes II Article 701227 (Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering; Vol. 7012). https://doi.org/10.1117/12.787166

Lawrence, JS, Allen, GR, Ashley, MCB, Bonner, C, Bradley, S, Cui, X, Everett, JR, Feng, L, Gong, X, Hengst, S, Hu, J, Jiang, Z, Kulesa, CA, Li, Y, Luong-Van, D, Moore, AM, Pennypacker, C, Qin, W, Riddle, R, Shang, Z, Storey, JWV, Sun, B, Suntzeff, N, Tothill, NFH, Travouillon, T, Walker, CK, Wang, L, Yan, J, Yang, J, Yang, H, Yorko, D, Yuan, X, Zhang, XG, Zhang, Z, Zhou, X & Zhu, Z 2008, The PLATO antarctic site testing observatory. in Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes II., 701227, Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering, vol. 7012, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes II, Marseille, France, 6/23/08. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.787166

@inproceedings{9312f6092c7e4369a7e27c13cb54cb4c,

title = "The PLATO antarctic site testing observatory",

abstract = "Over a decade of site testing in Antarctica has shown that both South Pole and Dome C are xceptional sites for astronomy, with certain atmospheric conditions superior to those at existing mid-latitude sites. However, the highest point on the Antarctic plateau, Dome A, is expected to experience colder atmospheric temperatures, lower wind speeds, and a turbulent boundary layer that is confined closer to the ground. The Polar Research Institute of China, who were the first to visit the Dome A site in January 2005, plan to establish a permanently manned station there within the next decade. As part of this process they conducted a second expedition to Dome A, arriving via overland traverse in January 2008. This traverse involved the delivery and installation of the PLATeau Observatory (PLATO). PLATO is an automated self-powered astrophysical site testing observatory, developed by the University of New South Wales. A number of international institutions have contributed site testing instruments measuring turbulence, optical sky background, and sub-millimetre transparency. In addition, a set of science instruments are providing wide-field high time resolution optical photometry and terahertz imaging of the Galaxy. We present here an overview of the PLATO system design and instrumentation suite.",

keywords = "Antarctic astronomy, Site testing",

author = "Lawrence, {J. S.} and Allen, {G. R.} and Ashley, {M. C.B.} and C. Bonner and S. Bradley and X. Cui and Everett, {J. R.} and L. Feng and X. Gong and S. Hengst and J. Hu and Z. Jiang and Kulesa, {C. A.} and Y. Li and D. Luong-Van and Moore, {A. M.} and C. Pennypacker and W. Qin and R. Riddle and Z. Shang and Storey, {J. W.V.} and B. Sun and N. Suntzeff and Tothill, {N. F.H.} and T. Travouillon and Walker, {C. K.} and L. Wang and J. Yan and J. Yang and H. Yang and D. Yorko and X. Yuan and Zhang, {X. G.} and Z. Zhang and X. Zhou and Z. Zhu",

year = "2008",

doi = "10.1117/12.787166",

language = "English (US)",

isbn = "9780819472229",

series = "Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering",

booktitle = "Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes II",

note = "Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes II ; Conference date: 23-06-2008 Through 28-06-2008",

}

TY - GEN

T1 - The PLATO antarctic site testing observatory

AU - Lawrence, J. S.

AU - Allen, G. R.

AU - Ashley, M. C.B.

AU - Bonner, C.

AU - Bradley, S.

AU - Cui, X.

AU - Everett, J. R.

AU - Feng, L.

AU - Gong, X.

AU - Hengst, S.

AU - Hu, J.

AU - Jiang, Z.

AU - Kulesa, C. A.

AU - Li, Y.

AU - Luong-Van, D.

AU - Moore, A. M.

AU - Pennypacker, C.

AU - Qin, W.

AU - Riddle, R.

AU - Shang, Z.

AU - Storey, J. W.V.

AU - Sun, B.

AU - Suntzeff, N.

AU - Tothill, N. F.H.

AU - Travouillon, T.

AU - Walker, C. K.

AU - Wang, L.

AU - Yan, J.

AU - Yang, J.

AU - Yang, H.

AU - Yorko, D.

AU - Yuan, X.

AU - Zhang, X. G.

AU - Zhang, Z.

AU - Zhou, X.

AU - Zhu, Z.

PY - 2008

Y1 - 2008

N2 - Over a decade of site testing in Antarctica has shown that both South Pole and Dome C are xceptional sites for astronomy, with certain atmospheric conditions superior to those at existing mid-latitude sites. However, the highest point on the Antarctic plateau, Dome A, is expected to experience colder atmospheric temperatures, lower wind speeds, and a turbulent boundary layer that is confined closer to the ground. The Polar Research Institute of China, who were the first to visit the Dome A site in January 2005, plan to establish a permanently manned station there within the next decade. As part of this process they conducted a second expedition to Dome A, arriving via overland traverse in January 2008. This traverse involved the delivery and installation of the PLATeau Observatory (PLATO). PLATO is an automated self-powered astrophysical site testing observatory, developed by the University of New South Wales. A number of international institutions have contributed site testing instruments measuring turbulence, optical sky background, and sub-millimetre transparency. In addition, a set of science instruments are providing wide-field high time resolution optical photometry and terahertz imaging of the Galaxy. We present here an overview of the PLATO system design and instrumentation suite.

AB - Over a decade of site testing in Antarctica has shown that both South Pole and Dome C are xceptional sites for astronomy, with certain atmospheric conditions superior to those at existing mid-latitude sites. However, the highest point on the Antarctic plateau, Dome A, is expected to experience colder atmospheric temperatures, lower wind speeds, and a turbulent boundary layer that is confined closer to the ground. The Polar Research Institute of China, who were the first to visit the Dome A site in January 2005, plan to establish a permanently manned station there within the next decade. As part of this process they conducted a second expedition to Dome A, arriving via overland traverse in January 2008. This traverse involved the delivery and installation of the PLATeau Observatory (PLATO). PLATO is an automated self-powered astrophysical site testing observatory, developed by the University of New South Wales. A number of international institutions have contributed site testing instruments measuring turbulence, optical sky background, and sub-millimetre transparency. In addition, a set of science instruments are providing wide-field high time resolution optical photometry and terahertz imaging of the Galaxy. We present here an overview of the PLATO system design and instrumentation suite.

KW - Antarctic astronomy

KW - Site testing

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=66749114936&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=66749114936&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1117/12.787166

DO - 10.1117/12.787166

M3 - Conference contribution

AN - SCOPUS:66749114936

SN - 9780819472229

T3 - Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering

BT - Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes II

T2 - Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes II

Y2 - 23 June 2008 through 28 June 2008

ER -

The PLATO antarctic site testing observatory

Abstract

Publication series

Other

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this