- Slide 1 OPTICON Optical-Infrared Astronomy for Europe EC Infrastructures press day 7 July 2005 EC Infrastructures press day 7 July 2005 Gerry Gilmore.

- Slide - Slide 11

OPTICONOptical-Infrared

Astronomy for Europe

OPTICONOptical-Infrared

Astronomy for EuropeEC Infrastructures press day

7 July 2005

EC Infrastructures press day7 July 2005

Gerry GilmoreCambridge UniversityOPTICON Coordinator

- Slide - Slide 22

WHY OPTICON?

Optical-Infrared is most of Astronomy

with the ESO VLT, +Gemini, LBT,… Europe

is now world-leader

-- we aim to stay there

WHY OPTICON?

Optical-Infrared is most of Astronomy

with the ESO VLT, +Gemini, LBT,… Europe

is now world-leader

-- we aim to stay there

- Slide - Slide 33

OPTICONOPTICON

brings together brings together astronomersastronomers

technology developments, technology developments, telescopes, funding telescopes, funding

agenciesagenciesto to

strengthen European strengthen European excellence, and excellence, and

developments towards the developments towards the

Extremely Large Extremely Large TelescopeTelescope

OPTICONOPTICON

brings together brings together astronomersastronomers

technology developments, technology developments, telescopes, funding telescopes, funding

agenciesagenciesto to

strengthen European strengthen European excellence, and excellence, and

developments towards the developments towards the

Extremely Large Extremely Large TelescopeTelescope

- Slide - Slide 44

OPTICON is big..To match the large community

19 countries , 47 partners

19.2Meuro EC +matched funds,

and active:-6 technology developments

- access to telescopes -networking/integrating

***ELT science case***

OPTICON is big..To match the large community

19 countries , 47 partners

19.2Meuro EC +matched funds,

and active:-6 technology developments

- access to telescopes -networking/integrating

***ELT science case***

- Slide - Slide 55

OPTICONTechnology Program:

developing for the future

- adaptive optics- fast sensitive detectors

- smart focal planes- interferometry

- new optical devices (VPH)

see your handouts and the www sitefor your country’s involvement

OPTICONTechnology Program:

developing for the future

- adaptive optics- fast sensitive detectors

- smart focal planes- interferometry

- new optical devices (VPH)

see your handouts and the www sitefor your country’s involvement

- Slide - Slide 66

OPTICON

Technology Program:new patented (VPH)

gratings

OPTICON

Technology Program:new patented (VPH)

gratings

- Slide - Slide 77

OPTICONTelescope Access

Program

ALL 22 euro-(part)owned 2-4m telescopes;

providing access only on ability

enabling the national Europe transition

OPTICONTelescope Access

Program

ALL 22 euro-(part)owned 2-4m telescopes;

providing access only on ability

enabling the national Europe transition

- Slide - Slide 88

- Slide - Slide 99

OPTICONBuilding for the Future

Science case to support Europe’s

Extremely Large Telescope

Executive summary and main science case

released today

OPTICONBuilding for the Future

Science case to support Europe’s

Extremely Large Telescope

Executive summary and main science case

released today

- Slide - Slide 1010

Planets orbiting other stars

Star formation history across the Universe

Planetary environments of other stars

Dark Matter

Solar system: planetary weather

Dark Energy

Solar system: complete census of small bodies

First objects and the reionisation of the

Universe

Resolved stellar populations

High redshift intergalactic medium

Massive Black Holes demography THE UNEXPECTED

Protoplanetary Disks• Proto-planets carve

gaps in protoplanetary disks

• Requires high spatial resolution imaging in near IR

• Contrast needed ~106

200 yrs of evolution in a growing proto-planetary disk

Model by Kurosawa, Harries and Bate (U. Exeter)

- Slide - Slide 1414

OPTICONis a huge success.

ASTRONOMYis hugely exciting and

motivating.The future for astronomy,

and European leadership,into the ELT era

is bright

OPTICONis a huge success.

ASTRONOMYis hugely exciting and

motivating.The future for astronomy,

and European leadership,into the ELT era

is bright

- Slide - Slide 1515

endend

Planet Finder Milestone 1: Dec. 03 Adaptive Optics Department N. Hubin

MACAO-DMsMACAO-DMs60 actuators

Pupil: 60 and 100 mm

Rcurv.: 15m (1.2”)

Resonance: 800 Hz

15 nm rms WFE

NAOS-DMNAOS-DM15x15 act. (185 useful)

Pupil 115x119 mm

+/-5 µm stroke +/-10 WF

Resonance 10kHz

30 nm rms WFE

Road-map for “conventional” Deformable Mirrors

Planet Finder type DMPlanet Finder type DM>40x40 (1300 actuators in pupil)

Spacing: 5mm+/-5 µm stroke +/-10 WF1.2 µm interact. Stroke +/- 2.5 WF Resonance: 10 kHz

WFE: 10-15 nm rms

R&D to be partly funded by European Commission/Opticon