Dr. Jonas Zmuidzinas, Caltech

 "Cornell Caltech Atacama Telescope (CCAT)"

Abstract:
 By revealing details often obscured at other wavelengths,
 submillimeter astronomy provides important views of sites of cosmic
 origins, including primeval dusty starburst galaxies in the early
 universe; the structure and evolution of nearby galaxies; the
 interstellar medium in the Galaxy, particularly in star formation
 regions; evolved stars and astrochemistry; circumstellar debris disks
 and planet formation; and Kuiper belt objects. Cornell and Caltech
 are jointly studying the construction and operation of a 25 m
 telescope for submillimeter astronomy on a 5600 m mountain in
 northern Chile. When complete early in the next decade, this Cornell
 Caltech Atacama Telescope (CCAT) will be the largest and most
 sensitive facility of its class as well as the highest altitude
 astronomical facility on Earth. Both to complement the existing and
 upcoming interferometers and to capitalize on the rapid developments
 in detector technology, the CCAT will emphasize wide field surveys
 and images. Equipped with large format continuum cameras, CCAT's
 mapping speed will be orders of magnitude greater than existing
 instruments.