SUBMM/FIR ASTRONOMY IN ANTARCTICA POTENTIAL FOR A LARGE TELESCOPE FACILITY

Preliminary site testing datasets suggest that Dome C in Antarctica is one of the best sites on Earth for astronomical observa- tions in the 200 to 500-µm regime, i.e. for far-infrared (FIR) and sub- millimetre (submm) astronomy. We present an overview of potential science cases that could be addressed with a large telescope facility at Dome C. This paper also includes a presentation of the current knowl- edge about the site characterics in terms of atmospheric transmission, stability, sky noise and polar constraints on telescopes. Current and future site testing campaigns are finally described.

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