The far-infrared spectroscopic surveyor (FIRSS)

Journal article

Abstract We are standing at the crossroads of powerful new facilities emerging in the next decade on the ground and in space like ELT, SKA, JWST, and Athena. Turning the narrative of the star formation potential of galaxies into a quantitative theory will provide answers to many outstanding questions in astrophysics, from the formation of planets to the evolution of galaxies and the origin of heavy elements. To achieve this goal, there is an urgent need for a dedicated space-borne, far-infrared spectroscopic facility capable of delivering, for the first time, large scale, high spectral resolution (velocity resolved) multiwavelength studies of the chemistry and dynamics of the ISM of our own Milky Way and nearby galaxies. The Far Infrared Spectroscopic Surveyor (FIRSS) fulfills these requirements and by exploiting the legacy of recent photometric surveys it seizes the opportunity to shed light on the fundamental building processes of our Universe.

Authors: Rigopoulou, D; Pearson, C; Ellison, B; Wiedner, M; Okada, VO

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Springer
• Journal: Experimental Astronomy
• Volume: 51
• Issue: 3
• Pages: 699-728
• Publication date: 2021-05-26
• DOI: 10.1007/s10686-021-09716-w
• EISSN: 1572-9508
• ISSN: 0922-6435
• Language: English
• Keywords: Galactic astronomy; Milky Way; Star formation; Planet; Astronomy; Far infrared; James Webb Space Telescope; Astrobiology; Physics; Galaxy; Astrophysics; Infrared