Site testing at Dome Fuji for submillimeter and terahertz astronomy: 220 GHz atmospheric-transparency

Abstract We measured the 220 GHz atmospheric-transparency at the Dome Fuji station in Antarctica from 18 December 2006 to 14 January 2007 using a tipping radiometer. The mean optical depth at zenith was 0.045 ± 0.007, and during 98% of this period we measured an optical depth of less than 0.06. These data indicate that the atmospheric-transparency in summer at Dome Fuji is comparable to that of well-known submillimeter astronomical sites such as the Atacama desert in Chile in their best seasons.