Our mission
Broadly stated, the objectives of the SCAR Scientific Research ProgrammeDeliverables
- Quantitative assessments of the potential of each Antarctic plateau station to contribute to astronomy. See our new and improved SCAR AAA database of site-testing papers, now with full abstracts and author lists.
- Advances in the understanding of Antarctic meteorology, as it applies to astronomical observations
- Improved coordination with atmospheric and ionospheric researchers
- Papers in peer-reviewed journals
- Properly archived data sets of site-testing data
Recent astronomical research from Antarctica
All-flavor Search for a Diffuse Flux of Cosmic Neutrinos with Nine Years of ANTARES Data The ANTARES Collaboration
Nine years of ANTARES data show a weak hint that cosmic neutrinos are needed to explaing the observed netutrino backgroun.
The delta Scuti pulsations of Beta Pictoris as observed by ASTEP from Antarctica Mekarnia et al.
66,428 data points obtained from March to September 2017 with the 0.4m ASTEP telescope at Concordia Station enable a very high quality analysis of the pulsation modes of Beta Pictoris.
Anisoplanatic error evaluation and wide-field adaptive optics performance at Dome C, Antarctica Carbillet et al.
A study of the atmospheric turbulence at Dome C, and how it can be corrected with ground layer adaptive optics and/or raising the telescope.
GW 170817 is a gravitational wave event resulting from the merger of two neutron stars to form a black hole. For the first time ever, such an event was observed in both gravitational and electromagnetic waves. The AST3-2 telescope at Kunlun Station, Dome A, made the only observations of the event from Antarctica.
Measurement of Atmospheric Neutrino Oscillations at 6-56 GeV with IceCube DeepCore The IceCube Collaboration
A measurement of the atmospheric neutrino oscillation parameters using three years of data from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole.
Constraints on Galactic Neutrino Emission with Seven Years of IceCube Data The IceCube Collaboration
An analysis of seven years of data puts new constraints on neutrino emission from the Galactic Plane.
BICEP2 / Keck Array IX: New Bounds on Anisotropies of CMB Polarization Rotation and Implications for Axion-Like Particles and Primordial Magnetic Fields Keck Array, BICEP2 Collaborations
Presents the strongest constraints to date on anisotropies of CMB polarization rotation derived from 150 GHz data taken by the BICEP2 & Keck Array CMB experiments.
Variable Stars Observed in the Galactic Disk by AST3-1 from Dome A, Antarctica Wang, L. et al
Reports on time-series photometry of 92,583 stars, observed with a 0.5 metre optical telescope at Dome A. Several interesting classes of variable stars were found.
Terahertz and far-infrared windows opened at Dome A in Antarctica Shi, S-C et al.
The terahertz and far-infrared is important for astrophysics as it hosts the peak of the thermal radiation of the cold component of the Universe as well as many spectral lines that trace the cycle of interstellar matter. A new analysis of measurements from Dome A show the advantages of this site for such observations.
Bicep2/Keck Array VIII: Measurement of Gravitational Lensing from Large-Scale B-mode Polarization Keck Array, BICEP2 Collaborations
New images with excellent sensitivity (~3μK-arcmin) make it possible to directly reconstruct the lensing potential using only information at larger angular scales.
SCAR AAA Special Research Program meetings
31 Jul - 4 Aug 2017: Fourth Workshop AAA2017, Chiang Mai, Thailand
20-30 August 2016: XXXIV SCAR meeting, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Report
7-10 August 2015: Third Workshop AAA2015, Volcano, Hawaii

26 August 2014: SkyCity Conference centre, Auckland, New Zealand. Minutes
24-26 July 2013: Second Workshop AAA2013, Siena, Italy
14 July 2012: Hilton Hotel, Portland, Oregon, USA. Minutes
29 June - 1 July 2011: AAA Kick-off meeting, Taronga Zoo, Sydney

1 August 2010: Hotel Panamericano Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Minutes
SCAR AAA planning group meetings
7 August 2009 | Centro de Convencoes SulAmerica, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Minutes |
11 May 2009 | Grand Hotel Villa Tuscolana, Frascati, Italy. Minutes |
Working Groups
Working Group A: Site testing, validation and data archiving. | Working Group B: Arctic site testing. |
Working Group C: Science goals. | Working Group D: Major new facilities. |