Summary

We address the need for laboratory research into the long-wavelength spectra of astrophysical dust and ice materials for the interpretation of data obtained by future far-infrared observatories. Our group has recently submitted a proposal to study the optical properties of astrophysical dust and ice analogs at long wavelength (from about 50 µm to 3 mm) using the technique of time-domain THz spectroscopy. There is a general lack of data in this spectral range for astrophysical materials. This technique has advantages over standard FTIR spectroscopy in that the optical constants of the materials will be measured directly. We will focus our studies on the mixtures of ices in the interstellar medium and in planetary environments as indicated by the most recent mid-infrared data (e.g., H2O, CO, CO2, CH3OH, CH4, and some others), as well as interstellar non-ice solids such as PAHs and silicates. This work will provide valuable physical data for the interpretation of data obtained by far-infrared missions such as Herschel and SOFIA as well as sub-mm observatories such as ALMA. The Need for Laboratory Data In the past two decades, great strides have been made in the area of infrared astronomy from space-based and ground-based observatories. Observations at near- and mid-infrared wavelengths (0.8-25 µm) have returned a wealth of data from the Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes as well as the Europea