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University of Massachusetts Amherst
Advanced Technology Large-Aperture Space Telescope (ATLAST); ultraviolet/optical space telescopes; astrophysics; astrobiology; technology development
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Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
Science Drivers And Requirements For An Advanced Technology Large Aperture Space Telescope (Atlast): Implications For Technology Development And Synergies With Other Future Facilities, M Postman, T Brown, K Sembach, M Giavalisco, W Traub, K Stapelfeldt, D Calzetti
Science Drivers And Requirements For An Advanced Technology Large Aperture Space Telescope (Atlast): Implications For Technology Development And Synergies With Other Future Facilities, M Postman, T Brown, K Sembach, M Giavalisco, W Traub, K Stapelfeldt, D Calzetti
Astronomy Department Faculty Publication Series
The Advanced Technology Large-Aperture Space Telescope (ATLAST) is a concept for an 8-meter to 16-meter UVOIR space observatory for launch in the 2025-2030 era. ATLAST will allow astronomers to answer fundamental questions at the forefront of modern astronphysics, including "Is there life elsewhere in the Galaxy?" We present a range of science drivers that define the main performance requirements for ATLAST (8 to 16 milliarcsec angular resolution, diffraction limited imaging at 0.5 μm wavelength, minimum collecting area of 45 square meters, high sensitivity to light wavelengths from 0.1 μm to 2.4 μm, high stability in wavefront sensing and control). We …