SP10m: A ten meter diameter telescope for submillimeter astronomy at South Pole - Toward an Italian partecipation

SP10m is a 10m diameter, filled aperture, telescope for astrophysical observations at mm and sub mmm wavelength, to be installed near the Amundsen Scott Base at South Pole. It will take advantage of the transparency and stability of the Earth atmosphere on the Antarctic Plateau. The project, prepared by a large collaboration of US and Europe astrophysics groups, has been submitted to the american National Science Foundation, Office of Polar Programs and to the Decadal SurveyCommittee of NSF by the project PI, Antony A. Stark.Final goal of the project is the creation at South Pole of a facilty run by the International Antarctic Observatory (IAO), dedicated to astrophysical observation at sub mm wavelengths. Observation with the 10 m telescope at South Pole will complement observation made at other facilities or by dedicated experiments for sub mm astronomy from ground or in space.