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The infrared region of the spectrum is critical for probing the cool, dense interstellar medium out of which new stars and planetary systems form. In recent years, the enhanced capabilities of Herschel and other facilities have provided a wide range of exciting new results ranging from molecules observed in protostellar disks to distant galaxies observed in dust continuum and fine structure cooling lines. New and anticipated suborbital flights (SOFIA and balloons) and space missions will further enhance observational capabilities. The multiplicity of observing platforms and the development of new instrumentation are important considerations for future far-infrared astronomy initiatives.
Since 2002, with refinements in the years leading up to the 2010 Decadal Survey, the community has steadfastly supported a widely-publicized plan for U.S. involvement in space-based IR astrophysics. However, the programmatic landscape has changed as a result of new scientific results, community priorities, advancements in key technology areas, and budget pressures. It is now time to revisit the 'IR Community Plan,' and chart a path forward that addresses science questions of Decadal significance by optimally tapping international efforts and wisely exploiting constrained resources.
This Infrared Science Interest Group [SIG #1] will work with the COPAG to collect community input and address long-term objectives of the far-infrared astronomy community. Through the SIG, the community will update the existing community-based roadmap for technology development for missions of different scales. The SIG activities are expected to occur over an extended period of time, with results reported at periodic intervals (quarterly or semi-annually) to the COPAG Executive Committee and the Astrophysics Subcommittee.
News and Updates!
- Check out our most recent IR SIG newsletter: January 2020 Newsletter. More information about the newsletter and how to submit updates to it can be found on the Documents page of this website.
- We are working to update our mailing list- If you would like to join, send an email to the mailing list manager, Meredith MacGregor, at irsiglc [at] gmail [dot] com or meredith [dot] macgregor [at] colorado [dot] edu.
- We will have a splinter session at the 235th AAS meeting in Honolulu, HI on January 7th from 9:30am-11:40am in Room 304AB. More details including a schedule and WebEx connection can be found on our Upcoming Events page.
- We are recruiting new members! The IR SIG Leadership Council (LC) invites applications to fill up to three council vacancies. Membership terms are flexible: 1, 2, or 3 years depending on availability. We welcome applications from individuals working in areas relevant to the infrared astronomy community, including any area of science and any instrument development domain. We are especially interested in applications from people who are dedicated to growing and developing community activities, and representing the needs of the community to NASA. Applications, consisting of a cover letter plus two-page CV, are due by February 28th 2020, 5pm Pacific time, and should be sent by email to the IR SIG LC co-chairs: Naseem Rangwala (naseem [dot] rangwala [at] nasa [dot] gov) and Eric Murphy (emurphy [at] nrao [dot] edu).
