We present the status of the project IRAIT (the Italian Robotic Antarctic Infrared Telescope) that will be hosted at Dome C in the Italo-French Concordia station. We review the main scientific motivations of the effort, and describe the characteristics of the telescope, which has been completed and is now under test at the Coloti-Montone site operated by the University of Perugia. Then we describe the design of the mid-IR camera that is under construction, showing some examples of the applications on the basis of the twin instrument TIRCAM II, now operating at the Italian Infrared Telescope TIRGO.

PILOT (the Pathfinder for an International Large Optical Telescope) is a proposed 2.5-m optical/infrared telescope to be located at Dome C on the Antarctic plateau. The atmospheric conditions at Dome C deliver a high sensitivity, high photometric precision, wide-field, high spatial resolution, and high-cadence imaging capability to the PILOT telescope. These capabilities enable a unique scientific potential for PILOT, which is addressed in this series of papers. The current paper presents a series of projects dealing with the nearby Universe that have been identified as key science drivers for the PILOT facility. Several projects are proposed that examine stellar populations in nearby galaxies and stellar clusters in order to gain insight into the formation and evolution processes of galaxies and stars. A series of projects will investigate the molecular phase of the Galaxy and explore the ecology of star formation, and investigate the formation processes of stellar and planetary systems. Three projects in the field of exoplanet science are proposed: a search for free-floating low-mass planets and dwarfs, a program of follow-up observations of gravitational microlensing events, and a study of infrared light-curves for previously discovered exoplanets. Three projects are also proposed in the field of planetary and space science: optical and near-infrared studies aimed at characterising planetary atmospheres, a study of coronal mass ejections from the Sun, and a monitoring program searching for small-scale Low Earth Orbit satellite debris items.

PILOT (the Pathfinder for an International Large Optical Telescope) is a proposed 2.5-m optical/infrared telescope to be located at Dome C on the Antarctic plateau. Conditions at Dome C are known to be exceptional for astronomy. The seeing (above ∼30 m height), coherence time, and isoplanatic angle are all twice as good as at typical mid-latitude sites, while the water-vapour column, and the atmosphere and telescope thermal emission are all an order of magnitude better. These conditions enable a unique scientific capability for PILOT, which is addressed in this series of papers. The current paper presents an overview of the optical and instrumentation suite for PILOT and its expected performance, a summary of the key science goals and observational approach for the facility, a discussion of the synergies between the science goals for PILOT and other telescopes, and a discussion of the future of Antarctic astronomy. Paper II and Paper III present details of the science projects divided, respectively, between the distant Universe (i.e. studies of first light, and the assembly and evolution of structure) and the nearby Universe (i.e. studies of Local Group galaxies, the Milky Way, and the Solar System).

This report provides the recommendations of ARENA Working Group 1 concerning the development of and objectives for a wide-field, optical/infrared, 2.5 m class telescope for Antarctica. It discusses the key science drivers for such a telescope, the performance and capabilities it should have, and the logistics and infrastructure issues relevant to its construction and operation.

We have carried out a conceptual design study for a near-infrared (NIR) wide-field camera and a mid-infrared (MIR) camera-spectrograph for a 2.5 m telescope at Dome C. The main scientific drivers are the characterisation of young embedded objects, the evolution of crystalline silicates in circumstellar disks and the observation of exoplanet secondary transits. Both instrument exploit the unique features of Dome C: improved infrared transmission, reduced sky background, superb seeing, low temperature, and increased atmospheric stability. The NIR camera covers the wavelength range 0.8–5.5 μm and is optimized for the Kdark and L bands. The MIR instrument is sensitive in the range 7–40 μm with a possible extension to the sub-mm. It is optimized for the Q window, including the Q+ extended portion (25–40 μm) only observable from the Antarctic Plateau.

We are exploring instrumental concepts of Near and Mid InfraRed (NIR, MIR) wide field camera-spectrographs for a 2 m-class telescope at Antarctica. Scientific drivers are star formation and very low mass objects. Both concepts pretend to exploit the unique features of Dome C: superb seeing, low temperature, improved IR transmission and reduced sky background. Two preliminary concepts are presented here. The NIR instrument would cover the wavelength range 0.97–5.0 μm and would be optimized for the K,L and M bands. The MIR instrument would observe in the range 7–30 μm and would be specifically designed to exploit the extended portion of the Q window (20+ μm).

I present a key project relative to the determination of thephysical characteristics of the circumstellar disks around low massyoung stellar objects (YSOs) and young brown dwarfs, that could bedeveloped from the Antarctic Plateau at Dome Concordia station witha 2–3 m class telescope equipped with a mid-infrared camera.

Sub-Arcsec images in the JHK$_s$, H$_2$ and Br$_\gamma$ of three areas (I(N), F and NGC 6334 IV (MM3)) of the giant molecular cloud NGC 6334 are presented. The preliminary results indicate the presence of a deeply embedded young stellar cluster in the northermost part of the cloud (I(N)). We have identified the exciting source of the cometary UCHII NGC 6334 F. This source has an infrared luminosity L$_{\rm IRacute;{=} $3 10$^3$ L$_{\odot}$ and a very steep infrared spectral index. Finally, a new center of massive star formation associated with the millimeter peak MM3 has been found east of the bipolar HII region NGC 6334 a.

We present ISOCAM observations (5-18 μm) of illuminated surfaces of molecular clouds. The emission properties of the transiently heated small particles, whichdominate the emission observed byISOCAM, are analysed in relation with the spatial structure of the material. Striking spatial variations of the infrared colour(5-8.5 μm/12-18 μm) are detected. Spectroscopic observations show that they are due to variations of the intensity of the aromatic features(especially at 7.7 μm) relatively to the continuum emission increasing towards long wavelengths. Compared to the intensity of the continuum emission,the intensity of the aromatic features are significantly fainter at the illuminated surfaces of dense structures than in low density regions surrounding these densestructures. This effect could be the signature of photo-chemical evolution, size segregationdue to grain dynamics in uni-directional radiation fields, or abundance variations of very small particles.

The evolution of low and intermediate mass (1-8 M⊙) stars along the Asymptotic Giant Branch (AGB) is ruled by processes of mass loss, causing the whole convective envelope to be gradually ejected into space. If the stellar mass is sufficiently high (M ≥ 1.5 M⊙) the envelope itself becomes enriched in nucleosynthesis products (carbon and s-process nuclei) and the star evolves into a C-rich phase. AGB stars are hence surrounded by O-rich or C-rich envelopes, opaque at optical wavelengths, which are best studied through direct imaging in the infrared (IR).

A catalogue of 388 new possible planetary nebulae was selected by Preite-Martinez (1988) from the IRAS Point Source Catalogue. These unidentified sources have IRAS colours in the range F(12)/F(25) ≤ 0.35 and F(25)/F(60) ≥ 0.35, and are located in the proximity of the galactic equator (|b| ≤ 15°). In order to identify these IRAS sources we have undertaken a programme of near-IR observations using an InSb photometer and a near-IR camera. We report here on results relative to four of these sources.

Some of the high luminosity stars in our Galaxy are surrounded by planetary-like nebulae formed by material ejected from the central star. The most interesting case is that of the ring nebula PK 289-0° 1 around the P Cygni star AG Car. Long slit spectroscopy shows that nitrogen is overabundant and oxygen underabundant in the nebula. The Hα/[NII] ratio is lower in the nebula with respect to the surrounding H II region, possibly as a result of the N overabundance in the stellar wind. The emission line peak separation confirms a model of a distorted spherical shell expanding at 66 km s−1. The scattered star's spectrum is observable near the star, suggesting the presence of circumstellar dust grains. A nebular mass of at least 2.7 M⊙ is derived. While the nebula in the Hα imagery reveals the ring-like shape with many structures, in the blue it is much fainter and smoother. No nebular emission was detected in the JHK bands, suggesting a low dust temperature.

Using the IRAS and near-IR photometry obtained at the 1-m, 3.6-m ESO telescopes, and 1.5-m TIRGO telescope, we will discuss the 1 - 100 microns energy distribution of selected PNe.

In recent years, we have been studying the energy distribution of RS CVn binaries from UV to far IR wave lengths, in order to derive general properties of the systems and to better understand their evolutionary scenario, including the history of mass loss (Busso et al., 1987, 1988). In this framework, we have so far analyzed, at different level of accuracy, a total of about 60 sources, among which 30 have been the object of detailed studies, on the basis of broad band photomertic observations from 0.35 to 60 µm, using ground-based telescopes (mainly at La Silla, ESO) and IRAS-PSC information. For these 30 binaries, the quasi-periodic variations due to the presence of photospheric spots have been carefully subtracted, to derive the energy distributions of the unperturbed systems.

Infrared observations represent a powerful tool in understanding the physical conditions of the circumstellar matter around Be stars. Previous IR studies have been reported by different authors (i.e. Gehrz et al. 1974, Persi et al. 1982, Ashok et al. 1984, and Waters, 1986).

For this purpose, we have undertaken an IR study of 21 southern Be stars including JHKLM photometry, CVF spectra at resolution R=100 around the IR HI emission lines Brγ, Brα, and Pfγ and IRAS data at 12 and 25 microns taken from the Point Sources Catalogue. The IRAS flux densities were corrected following the procedure described in the IRAS Explanatory Supplement.

The near-IR observations were obtained in March 1985 at the lm ESO (La Silla, Chile) telescope, equipped with the InSb Spectrophotometer. In the next section we discuss the nature of the observed IR excesses, and from the measured Brα/Brγ intensity line ratios for three Be stars, we derive the mass-loss rates.

We have searched for the near-infrared emission from selected areas of the star forming region NGC 6357. Six fields of 90x90 arcsec2 centered on the far-IR peaks G353.19+0.91, G353.22+0.67, G353.13+0.64, G353.05+0.56, on the 6-cm radio continuum peak G353.035+0.78, and on the water maser source H20353.27+0.64, were scanned through the K(2.2 μm) filter at the 2.1-m telescope of the Observatorio Astronómico Nacional at S. Pedro Mártir, Baja California, México.

Using an InSb photometer/spectrophotometer attached to the 1-m ESO telescope (La Silla, Chile), we searched for the near-infrared emission from the Sharpless regions S269, S271, S307, and S311. These regions appear on the Palomar Sky Survey red plates, as bright visible nebulae, and have extended radio continuum emission.

GM24 is a small visible nebulosity in the vicinity of a molecular cloud. In this contribution we present the results of continuum (6-cm) and CO line (J = 1 → 0) radio observations, infrared maps, broad-band photometry and low-resolution spectroscopy as well as long-slit Echelle Ha spectroscopy. We found evidence that the GM24 = PP85 nebula is part of a larger region where star formation occurred in the past 104 years; the region is embedded in a typical molecular cloud with a dimension of ∼ 10 pc and mass of ∼104 M⊙. A compact radio H II region seems to be associated with GM24 and with one of the mid-infrared peaks detected. The nebula is most probably the visible part of an embedded H II region that is starting to emerge from the cloud. The other infrared peaks found in its vicinity (∼ 1 pc) are probably associated with less evolved stellar objects. The complex also shows an extended near-infrared flux which we believe to arise in a reflection nebula. From energy arguments, we found that the luminosity required to power the H II region and keep the cloud at the observed large temperature (TK ≅33 K), is ∼105 L⊙ which is consistent with the infrared total flux from the present measurements and those from IRAS of 4x104 L⊙; this corresponds to the flux of ∼3 BO ZAMS stars. The details of the present work have appeared in the Revista Mexicana de Astronomía y Astrofísica, Volume 11, 83, 1985.

The sources (1) SSV 13 (identified with the IRAS (2) source 03259+3105), SSV 9 (IRAS 03256+3107), SSV 5 (IRAS 03262+3108) were observed photometrically in the JHKL bands with the In-Sb photometer at the Italian IR Telescope (TIRGO, Gornergrat, Switzerland). In addition CVF spectrophotometry between 2.0 and 2.4 μm of SSV 13 was carried out. We present a study of the energy distribution between 1 and 100 μm, including both our photometry and IRAS data.