Star and Planet Formation with the Single Aperture Large Telescope for Universe Studies (SALTUS) Space Observatory

TL;DR

SALTUS is a proposed far-infrared space telescope with high sensitivity and resolution, designed to study star and planet formation processes through spectroscopic observations of key molecules and phenomena.

Contribution

This paper introduces the SALTUS mission concept, highlighting its capabilities and potential to advance understanding of star and planet formation.

Findings

SALTUS can observe water, HD, NH3, and H2S in protoplanetary disks.

It will enable statistical studies of disk masses and water snowlines.

The mission can trace chemical evolution from prestellar cores to debris disks.

Abstract

The Single Aperture Large Telescope for Universe Studies (SALTUS) is a far-infrared space mission concept with unprecedented spatial and spectral resolution. Saltus consists of a 14-m inflatable primary, providing 16 times the sensitivity and 4 times the angular resolution of Herschel, and two cryogenic detectors spanning a wavelength range of 34-660 microns and spectral resolving power of 300 - 1e7. Spectroscopic observations in the far-infrared offer many unique windows into the processes of star and planet formation. These include observations of low energy water transitions, the H2 mass tracer HD, many CHONS constraining molecules such as NH3 and H2S, and emission lines from the phonon modes of molecular ices. Observing these species will allow us to build a statistical sample of protoplanetary disk masses, characterize the water snowline, identify Kuiper Belt like debris rings around other stars, and trace the evolution CHONS from prestellar cores, through to protoplanetary disks and debris disks. This paper details details several key star and planet formation science goals achievable with SALTUS.