MID-IR Surveys - The Next Generations

Abstract

Using new cosmological models for galaxy evolution, predictions for the next generation of deep mid-IR surveys are presented for both the ASTRO-F space telescope (due for launch 2003) and the proposed HII/L2 mission (2010). Although ASTRO-F will be able to detect between 20,000-40,000 sources in the mid-IR, deep surveys will be severely constrained by confusion due to faint sources (due to the relatively small aperture of all IR space telescopes to date). However, HII/L2 with its larger 3.5m mirror will be able to observe to fluxes 10-100 times deeper below the present confusion limits.