Paper 13093-133
Paper 13093-133
Ultraviolet Extinction Sky Survey (UVESS): a mission concept for probing the interstellar medium in the Milky Way and Local Group galaxies
17 June 2024 • 17:30 - 19:00 Japan Standard Time | Room G5, North - 1F
Abstract
The 2175 Å bump shows considerable variations in its strength, width, and central wavelength when observed along different sightlines in the Milky Way and other galaxies. These variations offer valuable insights into the composition, size distribution, and processing of interstellar dust grains along different sightlines. This paper introduces a mission concept called UVESS (Ultra Violet Extinction Sky Survey) aimed at exploring the composition of the interstellar medium (ISM) within both the Milky Way and nearby Local Group Galaxies by mapping the variation of UV extinction curve slopes and the 2175 Å feature across a majority of the sky to gain insights into the makeup of the ISM. Recent advancements in UV instrumentation and technologies pave the way for the development of high-throughput instruments in compact form factors. In this paper, we outline mission science goals and instrument concept tailored for a small satellite-based platform dedicated to the study of UV extinction.
Presenter
Joice Mathew
The Australian National Univ. (Australia)
Dr Joice Mathew is an instrumentation scientist at the Australian National University (ANU). His research interests include UV and IR instrumentation, UV astronomy, electro-optical payloads for small satellites, detector development and characterisation, space instrumentation, and qualification. Joice obtained his Ph.D. in astronomical space instrumentation from the Indian Institute of Astrophysics, Bangalore. Before joining ANU, he worked as an instrument scientist at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, Germany for the UV payloads on the Solar Orbiter mission.