OPTICON

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OPTICON

• The Optical Infrared Co-ordination Network for
  Astronomy.
• FP7 Plans and Opportunities
• John Davies
• OPTICON Project Scientist.
• UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UKATC)
• Royal Observatory, Edinburgh

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Outline

• A bit of history
• Networking
• JRAs
• Access programme
• Conclusions

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OPTICON in FP5
In FP5 (2000-2004) OPTICON was an EU funded
thematic network (1 million Euro) bringing
together national funding agencies and users with
common interests in optical-infrared astronomy.

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In FP6 (2004-2008) a much larger OPTICON
consortium was awarded a 19.2 million Euro
contract to operate as an Integrated
Infrastructure Initiative (I3).

• Networking via 15 working groups
• Transnational access to 18 Night-time and 4 solar
  telescopes
• Six Joint Research Projects in Technology

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The OPTICON I3
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OPTICON in FP7
A smaller OPTICON consortium has been awarded a 4
year, 10 Million Euro grant for FP7. Although
there are administrative differences, the
programme has the same elements as the I3, ie
networking , technology development and a
trans-national access programme. The management
structure is similar to the successful FP6
programme
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Networking

• The objective is to bring together groups of
  people with similar interests who are presently
  spread out all over Europe.
• Then get these people to identify sets of
  gaols and priorities that everyone can support so
  Europe wide resources can be mobilised.

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OPTICON I3 Networking (1)

• WP 9.1 Key Technologies Working Group
  (Cunningham)
• WP 9.2 Future Astronomical Software Environment
  (Grosbol)
• WP 10.1 E-ELT Science case development (Hook)
• WP 10.2 High Time Resolution Astrophysics
  (Shearer)

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OPTICON I3 Networking (2)

• WP 11. OPTICAL-IR (M. Dennefeld)
• Observing schools (NEON)
• Exchange Grants (LaCaille )
• Conferences
• WP 11. INTERFEROMETRY (Paulo Garcia)
• Exchange Grants (Fizeau)
• CS Disk Science Working group.
• AGN Science working group
• Science case for next generation facility.
• European Interferometry initiative.

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OPTICON I3 Networking (3)

• WP 12.1 Telescope Directors Forum and Access
  programme (J Davies)
• WP 12.2 ASTRONET-OPTICON ETSRC (Drew/Bergeron)
• Charged by ASTRONET (ie funding agencies) to
  produce a plan for a rationalised suite of
  European 2-4m telescopes able to deliver the
  ASTRONET science vision. Web based consultation
  going on now
• WP 12.3 European Association of Solar
  Telescopes.
• Solar astronomy activity to mobilise
  support for EST and move
• towards joint operation of VTT,
  Themis, DOT,
• SST ( Gregor eventually EST)

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Networking Key Points

• These networks are open to new members.
• Travel and incidental costs (but not salaries)
  can be refunded by OPTICON at 100
• New networks could be set up in FP7-II which will
  be proposed in about 18 months time

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JRA activities

• JRA are technology research and development
  activities designed to enhance the capabilities
  of European observatories.
• Details of each JRA is linked from the OPTICON
  web page
• In general they are not open to new partners as
  the contract is already signed.

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JRA activities

• JRA are technology research and development
  activities designed to enhance the capabilities
  of European observatories.
• Details of each JRA is linked from the OPTICON
  web page
• In general they are not open to new partners as
  the contract is already signed.

Different JRAs may be set up in FP7-II, but note
that EC funding is at 50-75
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Joint Research Projects

• JRA1 Adaptive Optics. AO for existing 8m and
  solar telescopes.
• Includes MOAO at WHT, Planet
• Finder at VLT, GLAO at LBT,
• lasers, RTC platforms software.
• JRA2 Detectors for AO
• Develop fast Optical detectors
• for use with Laser Guide
• Stars

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Joint Research Projects

• JRA3 Astrophotonics Develop requirements,
  investigate technology and build a photonic
  spectrograph testbench
• JRA4 Interferometry Evaluate and improve
  existing and future instruments for VLTI. Measure
  atmospheric
  and other parameters,
  help develop a new
  co-phaser for VLTI

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• JRA5 Smart Instrument Technologies Develop new
  instrument architectures, optical components and
  micro devices for next generation instruments.
• JRA6 New Materials and Processes.
• VPH grating development, including organic
  , photosensitive and polymer based materials

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OPTICON Transnational Access programme
.
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The Challenge

• For historical reasons Europes expensive and
  rare infrastructures are not evenly distributed.
• The EC wishes to improve access to non-national
  observing time (an ERA).
• To provide resources for operation of the
  telescopes and support of observing runs
• To implement common R D projects for
  infrastructure improvements

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The Telescope Network
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The FP6 experience

• OPTICON and network telescopes publicised their
  availability to non-national users.
• Same national peer review committees, same
  standards (no special OPTICON TAC).
• Successful qualifying applicants were given
  travel support.
• Telescopes received audited user fee equal to
  the operational costs for those nights

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The FP6 experience
The GOOD news

• Many users were supported.
• 5 million Euro injected into European medium
  telescopes

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The FP6 experience
The GOOD news

• Many users were supported.
• 5 million Euro injected into European medium
  telescopes

The not such good news

• Programme was dominated by UK, F, D, I.
• Few CEE countries benefited.
• We do not understand why.

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The FP6 experience
The GOOD news

• Many users were supported.
• 5 million Euro injected into European medium
  telescopes

The not such good news

• Programme was dominated by UK, F, D, I.
• Few CEE countries benefited.
• We do not understand why.

Different scientific interests of these
communities? Disbelief that the operators
actually mean what they say? Different
application systems and philosophies?
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The FP7 Plan

• Business as usual for the moment (2009)
• From 2010 a special OPTICON TAC will allocate
  time across whole night time network using a
  single proposal system .
• TAC will take account of special circumstances of
  new users
• Successful qualifying applicants will given
  travel support as before
• Telescopes receive user fee based on demand,
  not pre-defined quotas as in FP6

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The FP7 Plan

• To qualify for support the PI and 50 of the
  observing team must be from countries which do
  not own the telescope.
• Projects must be scientifically viable but
  account can be given to the strategic European
  dimension
• TAC will be comprised of a mixed group of
  nationalities
• Projects will be ranked in order and allocated
  until the money available in the OPTICON pot for
  that semester runs out.

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OPTICAL IMAGING
MEGACAM _at_ CFHT, WFC _at_ INT MOSCA,LIACA _at_ CAHA
3.5 CAFOS,BUSCA _at_ CAHA 2.2 PFIP_at_
WHT DOLORES,OIG _at_ TNG ALFSOC,MOSCA _at_
NOT RATCAM _at_ LT
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OPTICAL Spectroscopy High Resolution
NARVAL _at_ TBL R-65000 SARG _at_ TNG
R29000-164000 ELODIE _at_ OHP R40000-75000 FOCES
_at_ CAHA 2.2 R50000 UHRF _at_ AAT
R300000-940000 ESPADONS _at_ CFHT R 70000
(Polarimetry)
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OPTICAL Spectroscopy Medium Resolution
MOSCA, TWIN PMASS _at_ CAHA R-400-14000 IDS _at_
INT R1500-40000 EFSOC-2 _at_ ESO NTT
R1500-5000 ALSOFC _at_ NOT R500-10000 DOLORES
_at_ TNG R500-6000
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Infrared Imaging (0.9-2.5um)
NOTCAM _at_ NOT, NICS _at_ TNG, CAIN-II _at_ CST IRIS-II
_at_ AAT, LIRIS _at_ WHT , SOFI _at_ NTT O-CASS _at_ CAHA
3.5, MAGIC _at_ CAHA 2.2 INGRID _at_ WHT, (HIGH
RES-AO) AOB/KIR _at_CFHT, (HIGH RES-AO) ALFA _at_
CAHA 3.5 WFCAM _at_ UKIRT (WIDE FIELD) UIST _at_
UKIRT (1-5um) Not available at present WIRCAM _at_
CFHT (WIDE FIELD)
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Infrared Spectroscopy
NOTCAM _at_ NOT R2500-5500 SOFI _at_ NTT
R600-1500 LIRIS _at_ WHT R 750-2500 MAGIC _at_
CAHA 2.2 R100-400 O-CASS _at_ CAHA 3.5
R400-4000 GRIF _at_ CFHT R 400-2000 UIST _at_
UKIRT R600-5000 CGS4 _at_ UKIRT R400-40000
Not available at present
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Special facilities
Robotic operation for monitoring _at_ LT Lucky
imaging FASTCAM _at_ CST Near-IR AO coronograph
OSCA for INGRID _at_ WHT Planet Hunting HARPS _at_
ESO R120000 Adaptive Optics platform _at_
WHT Integral field spectroscopy GRIF _at_ CFHT IR
imaging polarimetry NOTCAM _at_ NOT, SOFI_at_NTT
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Access programme summary

• The OPTICON network provides optical-IR imaging
  and spectroscopy at all spectral and spatial
  resolutions between 0.3 to 5um.
• All these telescopes are open to you free of
  charge.
• Collaboration with nationals of these telescopes
  is OK provide 50 of team are from other EC
  countries.
• International TAC will mean all projects treated
  the same.
• Workshops are being held to help identify hot
  topics
• There are 100 travel grants to take up observing
  time

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Conclusion

• OPTICON has made real progress in co-ordination
  of Optical/IR astronomy
• All networks are open to new members
• A wide range of EU optical-IR-night-solar
  telescopes are wide open for new users
• Possibility to use these telescopes for teaching
  schemes (eg NEON- Dennefeld)
• The door is open, you just have to walk through.

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FIN
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Contacts

• WWW. www.astro-opticon.org
• E-mail. jkd_at_roe.ac.uk
• Phone [phone]

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Management

• OPTICON Board sets overall strategy and
  priorities
• Executive committee make the detailed decisions
• Cambridge (Gerry Gilmore) is co-ordinator and
  finance office.
• Project Office (John Davies, UKATC) supports
  board, runs some networks, attends board,
  proposes budgets etc
• Access Office (ING) runs telescope grants
• JRAs and some networks have internal management