SFB 494:  The Evolution of Interstellar Matter: Terahertz Spektroscopy in Space and in the Laboratory

• Subject Area: Physics
• Term: from 2000 to 2007
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 5483857

The collaborative research centre 494, in which the Universität zu Köln collaborates with the MPI für Radioastronomie/Bonn and the Radiostronomisches Institut der Universität Bonn, deals with the topic of the evolution of interstellar matter. In the temperature regime between 10 K in cold dark clouds and 2000 K in warmer star-forming regions, interstellar matter emits predominantly in the transition zone between the radio and infrared region the Terahertz band of the electromagnetic spectrum. Investigations in this frequency range are of fundamental importance for understanding the formation of stars and the evolution of galaxies. Due to the substantial technological challenges, based both on the detector technology in this frequency range and the limited transparency of the earths atmosphere, exploration of the Terahertz band with spectroscopic studies is still marginal. Thus, a key element will be observations with the future Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) and the development of the necessary instrumentation. The astrophysics program also includes observations in the near-infrared and radio spectral range and their interpretation. A second basis is the laboratory spectroscopy of astrophysically relevant molecules, in particular carbon chain and carbon ring molecules, but also of other spectroscopically interesting species.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres

Completed projects

• A01 - Großräumige Verteilung des ISM (Project Head Kramer, Carsten )
• A2 - Galaxienkerne und Starbursts (Project Head Bertoldi, Frank )
• A04 - NIR/mm-Interferometry: Instrumentation and Observations (Project Head Eckart, Andreas )
• A06 - CONDOR: an Astronomical 1.4 THz Receiver for APEX and SOFIA (Project Head Wiedner, Martina Corinna )
• A06 - CONDOR: ein 1.4 THz Empfänger für APEX und SOFIA (Project Head Wiedner, Martina Corinna )
• A07 - Young stellar environments: NIR and FIR observations (Project Head Krabbe, Alfred )
• A08 - Starbursts in high-redshift galaxies and quasars (Project Head Bertoldi, Frank )
• B1 - Frühe und späte Phasen der Sternentwicklung (Project Head Menten, Karl M. )
• B02 - Massive star formation (Project Head Wyrowski, Friedrich )
• B3 - Strukturierung von Molekülwolken (Project Head Ossenkopf-Okada, Volker )
• B04 - The Chemical Complexity of Molecular Clouds (Project Head Menten, Karl M. )
• C01 - Properties of the ISM in dwarf galaxies (Project Head Klein, Ulrich )
• C2 - Die Materie im Halo unserer Milchstraße und im intergalaktischen Raum der lokalen Gruppe (Project Head Heithausen, Andreas )
• C04 - Nearby Photon-Dominated Regions: From Diffuse Clouds to Metal-Poor Halo Clouds and the Magellanic System (Project Heads Bensch, Frank ;  Klein, Ulrich )
• D01 - Terahertz Array Receiver (Project Head Graf, Urs )
• D02 - Infrared Heterodyne Receiver (Project Head Schieder, Rudolf )
• D03 - GREAT - A modular SOFIA heterodyne instrument with wide spectral coverage (Project Head Güsten, Rolf )
• D04 - Physics and Technology of Terahertz Heterodyne Mixers (Project Head Jacobs, Karl )
• D05 - Development of monochromatic THz-Sources (Project Head Vowinkel, Bernd )
• D06 - Entwicklung von Spektrometern (Project Head Schieder, Rudolf )
• D07 - Digital Wide-Band Spectrometers (Project Head Bertoldi, Frank )
• E01 - Supersonic Jet Spectroscopy (Project Head Giesen, Thomas )
• E02 - High Resolution Terahertz Spectroscopy (Project Head Lewen, Frank )
• E03 - Synthesis of new molecules for laboratory scale spectroscopy (Project Heads Hahn, Josef ;  Klein, Axel )
• E04 - Laser Induced Reactions (LIR): Spectroscopy and Dynamics of Astrophysically Relevant Ions (Project Head Schlemmer, Stephan )
• V - Central tasks of the Collaborative Research Centre (Project Head Stutzki, Jürgen )
• Z - Datenbank der Submm/FIR-Linienübergänge (Project Head Stutzki, Jürgen )

• Applicant Institution: Universität zu Köln
• Participating Institution: Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn; Argelander-Institut für Astronomie; Abteilung Radioastronomie; Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie
• Spokesperson: Professor Dr. Jürgen Stutzki