PRIMA: Science and Technology of a New NASA Far-Infrared Observatory Concept

The Astro2020 Decadal Survey recommended a new line of astrophysics missions intermediate between medium-scale Explorers and large Flagship-class observatories. In response, NASA created the Astrophysics Probe Explorer class and solicited proposals for the first generation of Probes. PRIMA is one of two Probes selected for a concept study in 2024/2025, potentially leading to implementation and launch in 2032. We designed PRIMA for a broad range of astrophysics, from how planets assemble their atmospheres, to the coevolution of galaxies and their supermassive black holes, to the evolving properties of astrophysical dust over cosmic time. Seventy-five percent of the observing time will be for Guest Observers. The observatory features a 1.8-meter telescope cooled to 4.5 Kelvin and two science instruments that utilize arrays of a recently matured detector technology: superconducting kinetic inductance detectors. I will present science capabilities of PRIMA, describe the observatory, and delve into the exciting detector technology that enables it.