EREBUS: the EuRopean Extinction BUmp Survey
Creators
-
1.
Paris Observatory
-
2.
University of Warsaw
-
3.
Institut Polytechnique des Sciences Avancées
-
4.
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
-
5.
University of Graz
-
6.
Space Research Institute
-
7.
University of Stuttgart
-
8.
Sapienza University of Rome
-
9.
California Institute of Technology
-
10.
University of Manchester
-
11.
Daresbury Laboratory
-
12.
University of Geneva
-
13.
Polytechnic University of Cartagena
-
14.
University of Würzburg
-
15.
Netherlands Institute for Space Research
-
16.
University of Crete
-
17.
University of Leicester
-
18.
Luleå University of Technology
Abstract
Dust in the Interstellar Medium (ISM) is intimately linked to the life cycle of stars. Despite being of such fundamental importance to galaxy evolution, the dynamic behaviour and composition of the ISM are not yet fully understood. Observations of reddened Milky Way OB stars have revealed a strong UV extinction feature around 2175 Å and a precipitous extinction rise to the far UV along the lines of sight. Whilst the carrier(s) for this are at present still being debated, multiple laboratory studies suggest carbonate grains to be the key constituent. EREBUS is a mission concept being developed to study the composition of the ISM in both the Milky Way and Local Group Galaxies, primarily by mapping the spatial distribution of the UV extinction features. As these features are sensitive to the dust composition along the line of sight, EREBUS will provide a wealth of information about the spatial distribution and dynamic behaviour of the carrier(s). The mission proposes to deploy a satellite observatory equipped with a coarse UV spectrograph to map the extinction curve variability in the Milky Way in 3 dimensions and in the Local Group in 2 dimensions. In this paper, we discuss the scientific goals for the project, discuss a proposed observation strategy using an iterative process to develop a hierarchical map, and finally outline the instrument requirements and preliminary spacecraft architecture.
Additional Information
© 2020 Springer. Received 13 May 2020; Accepted 02 July 2020; Published 21 July 2020. The work reported here began with a project set at the ESA/FFG Alpbach Summer School held in Austria in July 2017. The data used to define the mission requirements and observation strategy are updated to August 2017. The authors would like to thank Peter Falkner and Michaela Gitsch, as well as the rest of the programme committee. The authors also gratefully acknowledge the support of their respective national sponsoring agencies and universities.Additional details
Identifiers
- Eprint ID
- 104479
- Resolver ID
- CaltechAUTHORS:20200721-123455885
Dates
- Created
-
2020-07-21Created from EPrint's datestamp field
- Updated
-
2021-11-16Created from EPrint's last_modified field