UMass Amherst astronomer named science lead for NASA’s PRIMA telescope

NASA has chosen University of Massachusetts Amherst astronomy professor Alexandra Pope to lead the science team for PRIMA, a planned space telescope designed to observe parts of the far-infrared universe that existing observatories cannot access. WWLP reported that the mission has entered Phase B development, a stage focused on refining its design and advancing the technologies needed to build it.

PRIMA stands for the Probe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics. It is the first project in NASA’s new Probe Explorers category, which sits within the agency’s established Explorers Program. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is managing the mission, while early observatory concepts were developed under the leadership of Jason Glenn, an astronomy professor at the University of Virginia.

A new view beyond Webb

The telescope is intended to extend astronomers’ ability to study the universe in infrared light. The James Webb Space Telescope has expanded observations at many infrared wavelengths, but it does not cover the far-infrared range that PRIMA is being designed to examine.

That gap is important because far-infrared observations can reveal relatively cool material and processes that are difficult or impossible to detect in other parts of the spectrum. NASA’s planned observatory would provide what Pope described as complete infrared coverage when combined with existing capabilities.

PRIMA’s progress through Phase B does not yet mean that construction and launch are fully approved. The mission must first undergo a confirmation review. NASA will use that assessment to examine the project’s technical readiness, management and financial performance before deciding whether it can move into Phase C, the implementation stage.

If NASA confirms the mission, PRIMA’s project cost will be limited to $1.2 billion. That figure does not include launch expenses or other costs outside the project itself. The agency is currently aiming to launch the telescope in 2033 and operate it for five years after it becomes functional.

Three questions for the observatory

Pope helped define three main scientific goals for PRIMA. One concerns the formation of planetary atmospheres. Using infrared spectroscopy, researchers plan to track cool water in disks of material surrounding young stars, where planets are forming. Those measurements could help scientists understand how the ingredients of atmospheres gather and develop.

A second objective is to investigate the connection between galaxies and the supermassive black holes at their centers. Scientists will use the observatory to explore how these enormous black holes and their host galaxies change together over cosmic time. The relationship is central to understanding how galaxies acquire their structures and why the universe has its present appearance.

The third area involves the creation of elements heavier and more complex than hydrogen and helium. Those two light elements were produced in the Big Bang, but many of the ingredients needed for planets and life formed later. PRIMA’s detectors will study cosmic dust in different environments and at different periods in the universe’s history, helping researchers trace how those elements were produced and distributed.

Students to help prepare the mission

Pope also intends to make UMass Amherst a training ground for researchers working on the project. Her laboratory will develop software and other methods for interpreting the data that PRIMA eventually sends to Earth. The group plans to recruit postdoctoral researchers and graduate students, as well as employ undergraduates in mission-related analysis.

That preparation is expected to continue over the next decade, before and after launch. Students will learn the techniques needed to handle actual observations once the telescope is operating, while contributing to smaller portions of the broader science effort.

The mission’s move into Phase B gives the team an opportunity to test and improve its plans before NASA makes its implementation decision. For Pope and her collaborators, the project offers a way to pursue questions left open by newer space observatories while building the expertise needed to analyze a future stream of far-infrared data.