Science

SALTUS follows the Water Trail from Molecular Clouds to Oceans

SALTUS follows the water trail from molecular clouds to oceans. The habitability of planets is closely tied to the presence of H2O, which is formed in the shielded interiors of molecular clouds, transported to planet forming disks where volatiles are further chemically processed before becoming part of planetesimals and comets beyond the snow line. Planetesimals and comets then deliver these volatiles to terrestrial planets and ocean worlds. SALTUS is designed to probe this important journey using low lying rotational H2O lines that probe cold gas with HiRX and the icy grain reservoir through their phonon modes in emission with SAFARI-Lite while we expect GOs to probe the later stages.

SALTUS is designed to probe the water trail using low lying rotational H2O lines that probe cold gas with HiRX and the icy grain reservoir through their phonon modes in emission with SAFARI-Lite.

 

THEMES

1) Trace Formation and Evolution of Planetary Systems

How does habitability develop during planet formation?
  • What is the mass?: Target HD
  • Where is O?: Target H2O vapor & ice
  • Where is N?: Target NH3
  • Where is C?: Target High J CO
Doppler Tomography of HD and H2O Disk Spectra R~106

 

 

 

Distribution of mass and C/N/O in 1000 protoplanetary disks

Distribution of mass and C/N/O in 1000 protoplanetary disks

 

 

SALTUS Spectral Coverage

SALTUS Spectral Coverage

2) Trace Galaxy Evolution

SALTUS will spatially resolve and measure the peak of the IR SED of Star Forming Galaxies in addition to Spectral Lines

Spectral Energy Distribution (SED) of 3x1012 L⨀  star forming galaxy with redshift.

  • Spectral lines and PAH features traced through redshift
  • Out to z ~3, SAFARI-Lite probes the peak of the dust continuum and the bulk of the dust emission.
  • Beyond z ~3, SAFARI-Lite takes over from JWST/MIRI

 

 

 

 

Download the SALTUS Fact Sheet