Large millimetric and submillimetric telescopes can play a crucial role in our understanding of the Universe, allowing the direct measurement of early galaxies or the investigation of the earliest stages of star formation. The B modes of CMB polarization are a direct probe of the Inflationary epoch and their measurement promises to provide information on the scale of energies at which the process took place. For these investigations (and many others), large detectors arrays with thousands of pixels are needed, to achieve high mapping speeds. This is especially true in the case of mm and sub/mm observations from extremely cold and dry locations like Dome-C, where ultra-low temperature detectors, reaching photon noise limited performance, are needed to fully exploit the excellent quality of the site. In this paper we present the working principle of the Microwave Kinetic Inductance Detectors and their status of development in Italy, focusing on the key aspects that make them ideal for large arrays of sensors.

The ARENA Solar Astrophysics Working Group (WG6) is reviewing the exceptional site conditions prevailing at Dome C/Concordia making it a unique place on Earth for solar observations: excellent seeing, low sky brightness, low water vapour and high duty cycle. These qualities open science programmes which can combine very high resolution, coronagraphy, infrared access, and long time series (continuity). Major objectives accessible are the chromosphere-corona interface at very high resolution, direct magnetic field measurements in the chromosphere (prominences) and in the corona, 2D imaging spectroscopy and waves. A first mid-size facility is proposed and described, AFSIIC (Antarctica Facility for Solar Interferometric Imaging and Coronagraphy), using 3×Ø50 cm off-axis telescopes (1.4 m equivalent telescope) to access these objectives with the proper flux, angular resolution and coronagraphic potential. Support infrastructure and logistics have been studied and are discussed, noticeably a 30 m tower to place the observatory over the very thin surface turbulent layer of Dome C.

Magnetic fields play a crucial role for the physics of the dilute and hot upper parts of the solar atmosphere, from the low chromosphere up to the outer corona. Numerical modeling of these regions by MHD codes and 3D radiative transfer in spectral lines has started, we urgently need direct measurement of the magnetic and velocity fields in order to confirm and improve such modeling. Direct measurements of the magnetic field vector rely on spectro-polarimetric observations of the Hanle or Zeeman effects in spectral lines. In the upper solar atmosphere the magnetic field strength tends to decrease with height and lines are broaedened both thermally and by turbulent and wave motions. The sensitivity of spectral lines to Zeeman effect is thus low under such conditions, but it increases linearly with wavelength. The infrared is the domain of choice for Zeeman observations in chromospheric and coronal lines. Moreover, as chromospheric and coronal structures develop on a broad range of spatial scales, from very fine to large scales, high spatial resolution observations are required. These observations are very demanding in photometric sensitivity, together with spatial and temporal resolution. Dome C conditions of both very good day-time seeing and high coronal quality are unique and make it a site of choice for a possible breakthrough in our understanding of the physical mechanisms at play in the outer solar atmosphere.

An apodized aperture should make it possible the direct observation of the solar corona without the need of a Lyot coronagraph. For a perfect circular aperture, a Sonine transmission of the form of a simple parabola (maximum at the aperture center and zero at the edge) should sufficiently reduce the diffraction halo produced by the solar disc to observe the corona very close to the solar limb (a few seconds of arc). The MTF of the apodized aperture takes the form of a Gaussian curve. The high dynamic capability of the instrument is obtained with the drawback of a reduction in throughput and a loss in classical resolution of about 20%, compared with a clear aperture.

This paper gives an overview of conceptual studies that have been realized since 2007 on 30 m towers for Dome C taking into account local available infrastructures and conditions. Some 30 m tower's concepts are presented and finite element simulations are carried to determine their dynamic behaviour including wind-induced vibrations, and to optimize their design.

In the frame of ARENA and in the spotlight of the 2007–2008 International Polar Year (IPY) and the 2009 International Year of Astronomy (IYA), two extremely visible opportunities to focus public interest and participation were/are to highlight: - Antarctica as a most remote and fascinating continent dedicated to science and - Astronomy & astrophysics as a most profound and enthralling science. Developed by the ARENA consortium since its creation in 2006, the ARENA public outreach web site (European audience EN/FR), the ARENA leaflet (EN/FR)are both telling about the importance of maintaining and expanding programmes to answer astrophysical fundamental questions regarding the origin and evolution of the Universe.

Summary of the conference by an outsider.