24 April 2025
We are pleased to announce a working meeting on PRIMA (the PRobe far-Infrared Mission for Astrophysics) and the Future of Far-infrared Science to be held 19 – 21 May 2025, on the Caltech campus in Pasadena, California. This workshop is organized by the Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC), which is part of Caltech.
Registration for this meeting is free. In-person registration is closed, but registration for virtual attendance will be open until 30 April 2025.
Goal of the Meeting: In order to build the strongest case for the selection of PRIMA, we are bringing a large and representative cross-section of the future user community together to highlight the pressing science cases driving the need for a FIR observatory. With this meeting we particularly aim to engage a broad group of theorists and multiwavelength observers to identify and define community-led science cases. If selected, PRIMA will dedicate 75% of its observing time to general observer science.
Invited speakers will highlight the role of PRIMA for science in the coming decade as well as more generally addressing key topics including science cases unique to the FIR, science cases enabled by new technological advances, follow up of exciting discoveries from current facilities like JWST and ALMA, and synergy with future facilities including the Roman Space Telescope and the ngVLA.
Background: Far-Infrared (FIR) wavelengths are essential to addressing some of the astronomy’s highest-priority science topics, from identifying the origins of planetary systems by tracing the astrochemical signatures of their host disks, to understanding the buildup of galaxies by probing the co-evolution of their stars and supermassive black holes across cosmic time. By filling a critical gap in capabilities between wavelengths accessible to ALMA and JWST, FIR wavelengths provide an unparalleled window into the obscured universe and access key tracers of star formation, black hole growth, and planet formation. With no currently operating FIR observing facilities, the astronomical community is at a critical juncture for ensuring observational access to these wavelengths. PRIMA is a mission concept proposed to NASA’s Astrophysics Probe Explorer line (APEX) for a probe-class mission for the 2030 decade. PRIMA is currently in a Phase A study period, with final mission selection expected in 2026.