PI: Paul Scowen (ASU)

Last Updated: April 22, 2009

The Star Formation Camera (SFC) is a wide-field (~15'x19', >~280 arcmin^2), high-resolution (18x18 mas pixels) UV/optical dichroic camera for a 4-m space-based telescope concept. SFC will deliver diffraction-limited images at lambda > 300 nm in both a Blue (190--517nm) and a Red (517--1075nm) Channel simultaneously. Our aim is to conduct a comprehensive and systematic study of the astrophysical processes and environments relevant for the births and life cycles of stars and their planetary systems, and to investigate and understand the range of environments, feedback mechanisms, and other factors that most affect the outcome of the star and planet formation process. We present the design and performance specifications resulting from an implementation study of the camera. The result is a lightweight, low-cost instrument that will provide deep, high-resolution imaging across a wide angular field enabling a wide variety of community science as well as completing the core science that drives the design of the camera. The technology associated with the camera is next generation but still relatively high TRL, allowing a low-risk solution with moderate technology development investment over the next 10 years.

Science Whitepapers Submitted to the 2010 NAS Decadal Survey on Astronomy and Astrophysics that support the SFC concept:

  1. Scowen et al., SWP, "Understanding Global Galactic Star Formation", NAS, arXiv
  2. Scowen et al., SWP, "The Magellanic Clouds Survey: a Bridge to Nearby Galaxies", NAS, arXiv
  3. Scowen et al., SWP, "From Protostars to Planetary Systems : FUV Spectroscopy of YSOs, Protoplanetary Disks, and Extrasolar Giant Planets", NAS, arXiv
  4. Jansen et al., SWP, "A Systematic Study of the Stellar Populations and ISM in Galaxies out to the Virgo Cluster", NAS, arXiv
  5. Jansen et al., SWP, "Galaxy Assembly and SMBH/AGN-growth from Cosmic Dawn to the End of Reionization", NAS, arXiv

Technology and Mission Activity Whitepapers also submitted to the Decadal Survey as part of this work:

  1. Scowen et al., AWP, "The Star Formation Camera", NAS, arXiv
  2. Scowen et al., TWP, "Large Focal Plane Arrays for Future Missions", NAS, arXiv
  3. Scowen et al., AWP, "The HORUS Origins Science Probe Mission", NAS

Appendices to the Final Report submitted to NASA April 24, 2009 on the results of the instrument study:

  1. Jansen et al., "An Optional NIR Camera for Theia", PDF
  2. Scowen et al., "The Star Formation Camera - Descope Options", PDF

Mission Design Poster Papers presented at the 213th Meeting of the AAS in Long Beach, CA, Jan 4-8, 2009:

  1. Scowen et al., "Design and Implementation of the Widefield High-Resolution UV/Optical Star Formation Camera for the THEIA Mission", PDF
  2. Jansen et al., "From Cosmic Dawn to our Solar System: Design Reference Science Program for the Star Formation Camera aboard the THEIA Space Telescope", PDF
  3. Spergel et al., "THEIA: Telescope for Habitable Earths and Interstellar/Intergalactic Astronomy", PDF
  4. Sembach et al., "A High Sensitivity Ultraviolet Spectrograph for the THEIA Mission", PDF
  5. Seager et al., "The THEIA Mission Science and General Astrophysics", PDF