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ASTRONET: A long-term planning for the European Astronomy

ASTRONET: A long-term planning for the European Astronomy. On the optimization of the use of 2-4m class telescopes by the European astronomical community. Jesús Gallego. 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 1. Outline. Background to ASTRONET Science Vision and Roadmap

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ASTRONET: A long-term planning for the European Astronomy

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  1. ASTRONET: A long-term planningfor the European Astronomy On the optimization of the use of 2-4m classtelescopesbytheEuropeanastronomicalcommunity Jesús Gallego 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 1

  2. Outline • Background to ASTRONET • Science Vision and Roadmap • Optimizing Medium-sized European Telescopes • Implications for Spain-based observatories 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 2

  3. What is ASTRONET? ERA-NET, funded by EU FP6 (2.5M€) and EU FP7 (1.6M€) • Astronet-1: 2006-2009+1; Astronet-2: 2011- 2014 • Coordinator: CNRS/INSU (Jean-Marie Hameury) • Board Chair: Ronald Stark (NWO), previously J. Anderssen (NOTSA) 11 Contractors STFC (United Kingdom), CNRS/INSU (France), INAF (Italy), NWO (Netherlands), PT-DESY & BMBF (Germany) MINECO (former MICINNSpain), NOTSA (Scandinavia), NCBIR (Poland), CAS (Czech Republic), ESO (Internacional)+… Associates and forum membersUp to 25 countries (including ESA, MPG, DFG, …) 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 3

  4. Context Large projects proposed for the next 10-20 years in astronomy and astro-particle physics constitute several thousand million € EU only provides for a few % of this cost; the funding agencies the rest ASTRONET thus established to help national funding agencies to take science-based, rational, coordinated decisions for the long term benefit of European astronomy - and, at a higher level, to help unlock further necessary resource for our science (~ Producing a (better) counterpart of the US Decadal Surveys) 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 4

  5. Activities 2005 - 2010 1. Common Science Vision for the next 20 years - Published in September 2007 2. Roadmapof Infrastructures to match the Science Vision - Published in November 2008 3.Report on the Management of European Astronomy - Published July 2007 4.Coordinated Actions: Common call for proposals - 1st Call February 2008: ”Common Tools for Future Large sub-mm Facilities” - Executed 2009, six funding agencies, 0.5 M€ / each 5. Implemention Phase: specific actions for long-term future 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 5

  6. Science Vision Key Questions Brief: To look broadly at key science questions in all of astronomy for the next two decades A: Do we understand the extremes of the Universe? B: How do galaxies form and evolve? C: What is the origin and evolution of stars and planetary systems? D: How do we fit in? Developed in sufficient detail to allow identification of generic capabilities needed to deliver the Vision 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 6

  7. “A Grand Vision for Astronomy” Published 28 September 2007 Available as a PDF file at: http://www.astronet-eu.org/ 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 7

  8. SV: Modest-sized telescopes role and tasks Recommendations • WF MOS telescope • 2m telescopes Network • Support for Gaia • Systematic monitoring for SN • Fast response to transients Specialization Coordination 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 8

  9. Developing the Roadmap Brief: To assemble a plan for the development of the infrastructures thatwillenableEuropeanAstronomy to deliver the Science Vision - Taking the Science Vision as the point of departure - Fittingwithinreasonablebudgetaryenvelopes & schedules! 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 9

  10. “A strategic Plan for European Astronomy” Published 25th Nov 2008 Available in PDF format: http://www.astronet-eu.org/ 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 10

  11. Overall Priorities • Ground-based, Large & Medium scale • E-ELT and SKA • Others… • Ground-based, Small scale • Optimisation of existing telescopes • European Telescope Strategic Review Committee on Europe’s 2-4m • Wide-Field MOS 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 11

  12. ASTRONET/OPTICON ETSRC ETSRC: European Telescope Strategic Review Committee on Europe’s 2-4m telescopes over the decade • Urgent need to define a strategy for 2-4m (optical/nIR) telescopes at the European Level (identified by both SV and RM) • ASTRONET / OPTICON common effort • Panel set up (chair, J. Drew) to identify how Europe’s medium size telescopes could best contribute to the delivery of the SV and how could do so cost effectively. 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 12

  13. ASTRONET/OPTICON ETSRC Published May 2010 Available in PDF format: http://www.astronet-eu.org/ 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 13

  14. ETSRC Recommendations • To work towards a common European TAC • To work towards combined management and operation for La Palma • WF Spectrograph on one 4m telescope on each Hemisphere • Formation of international consortia to build instruments for the Northern telescopes • Rational suite of telescopes/instruments • Imaging Support for Gaia 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 14

  15. ETSRC Summary Three basic capacities: • Optical WF MOS (both hemispheres ideal)Priority to the Northern Hemisphere • Echelle Spectrocopy in both optical and near-IR • WF imaging surveys 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 15

  16. ASTRONET WFS-WG WFS-WG: Wide-Field Spectrograph Working Group Three “main science drivers” identified: • Milky-Way archeology (Gaia) • Cosmology (BAOs) • Galaxy evolution Published September 2011 Available in PDF format: http://www.astronet-eu.org/ Two main facilities requested: • Optical WF-MOS R=5,000 in 4m telescopes, both Hemispheres • Near-IR WF-MOS in 8m telescope 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 16

  17. ESO Call for WF Spectroscopic Survey Facilities • Call in September 2010 • May 2011, ESO selected two phase A studies, among the 7 proposals: MOONS + 4MOST • Kick-Off meetings in September 2011 • Final build decision by ESO will occur in Spring 2013. 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 17

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  20. A new WF-MOS for WHT: WEAVE • WHT Enhanced Aperture Velocity Explorer • Proposed WHT Facility instrument • Prime Focus Multi-fiber MOS, spectrograph on Nasmyth platform • Multiplex ~1000, MOS, IFU, mini-IFU • FOV 2 deg diam • R=5,000 + 20,000 2012: Joint effort of several funding agencies (UK, NE...) to guarantee WEAVE 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 20

  21. Top priority instruments • Optical WF-MOS R=5,000 in 4m telescopes • Optical/Near-IR WF-MOS in 8m telescope WEAVE @ WHT 4MOST @ VISTA MOONS @ VLT 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 21

  22. Astronet-2 (2011-2014) • Task 5.1 Implementation of the ETSRC recommendations for the cost-benefit optimisation of the operation of the European optical/IR 2-4m telescopesTask leader: MICINN, 48 months, starting 2011 • Task 4.1 Coordination of existing facilities: European Large Telescope Strategic Review Committee (ELTSRC) for the cost-benefit optimisation of the operation of the European optical/IR 8-10m telescopes Task leader: MICINN, 48 months, starting 2013 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 22

  23. Activity during 2011 • Duties of the task leader • To provide the platform • To promote and motivate the discussions • Draw conclusions • Pretty much action in different forums • Contacts by several agencies • National TAC chairs meeting (June 2011) • No technical problems to implement CTACs • Opticon meetings • Proposal for an important Trans National Access Program (TNA) 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 23

  24. CTAC considerations CTAC versus Distributed model • 1500 nights /semester • 700 proposals • ESO OPC sized TAC • Support from OPTICON needed • Juste return NEEDED • Unit of currency TBD • Nights • Adjusted nights • Budget adjusted nights • Long-term projects with highly specialized instruments • Instruments as top-priority drivers • Specialized TACs 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 24

  25. Some considerations • Serious lack of resources • Existing Agreements for most observatories • Top priority for instrumentation • 4m telescopes becoming highly specialized • HR spectroscopy for TNG 3.5m • CARMENES for CAHA 3.5m • WEAVE for WHT 4.2m • No obvious mechanism to compare facilities 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 25

  26. Are the 2m telescopes different? • 2m telescopes are not so much specialized • To consider 2m (CAHA 2.2m + NOT 2.5m + INT) as starting point? • Small number of nights (5-10 / semester) • Mechanisms to guarantee minimum fair return to telescope owners • Implement as option of Opticon CTAC (only available for the specific telescope communities) 22/03/2012 RIA meeting 26

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