Development of the Submillimeter Band

Abstract

This short article attempts to summarize my contribution to the field of submillimeter spectroscopy in the dense interstellar medium. It is taken mainly from my recollections and as a result some of the dates may be inaccurate. It covers most of the enabling receiver technology from frequencies of about 100 GHz to 2 THz and discusses the development of hot electron bolometers (HEB) and superconducting tunnel junction detectors (SIS). Many new molecular lines and some atomic lines have been revealed. These detectors are in use in the modern major projects such as ALMA and Herschel and will play their part in the many exciting projects of the next decade. Certainly one of the major contributions to the field has been the generation of many students who obtained Ph.D.s (14) and postdocs (25) in my group. The total number of national and international students who have obtained Ph.D.s (75) with use of the Caltech Submillimeter Observatory (CSO) and those who are currently studying using the CSO (44) is even more impressive.

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