Scientific goals and prospects of millimeter and submillimeter radio astronomy

Short milimeter and submillimeter wave band is the last relatively unexplored part of electromagnetic spectrum in astronomy. The Sunyaev-Zeol'sdovich effect(SZE) is a weak distortion of the CMBR spectrum due to the scattering of CMBR photons on hot electronics in galaxy clusters. When electron temperature is determined, then the whole SZE spectrum enables to derive the gas mass and the peculiar cluster velocity. Using X-ray data independent estimation of distances to the clusters and the Hubble constant is possible. Investigations of star formation require detailes studies of selected regions. Millimeter and submillimeter molecular line observations reveal their spatial structure and kinematics. They are also useful in the investigation of collapsing cores. Interstellar lines can be very narrow and this enables to determine transition frequencies and molecular constant with a high precision. Astrochemical studies are based on spectral surveys covering large frequency intervals. At present a rather large number of millimeter and submillimeter observatories are operated in the world including several antenna arrays.