Astronomical site testing of the Antarctic Plateau

We have assembled a team with expertise in astronomical site testing in the Antarctic and expertise in Antarctic meteorology, to answer the outstanding questions that must be answered before major facilities for optical and infrared astronomy can be deployed to the Antarctic plateau. Previous work has shown that the Antarctic Plateau is the best site on earth for many types of astronomical observation. The dry, tenuous and extremely cold air leads to considerable gains in sensitivity for the measurement of radiation fluxes incident on the earth from space across many wavebands. Optical turbulence in a boundary layer covering the plateau remains to be characterized, however. Understanding it is key to design of future telescopes or arrays of telescopes. Measurements should be made at a number of sites, including Dome A, Dome F, and a transantarctic mountain site