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OPTICON

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

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OPTICON

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

  2. The OPTICON Vision Develop a stronger community able to build and operate 21st Century facilities for Optical-IR Astronomy Five year contract for 19,200,000 Euro + substantial national matching funds. Effective 1 January 2004 - 31 December 2008. 47 contractors including funding agencies, user groups and SME. 6 JRAs (~11 Me + extra national funds) 22 Telescope Access Programme. (~5.5Me) 14 Networks (~3 Me incl Management)

  3. Networking Highlights • Management Board brings together all major observatory operators and funding agencies to discuss agreed national priorities and co-ordinate strategic future planning. • White book on future of UV astronomy in press, 4 day conference planned May 28th 2007 (poster in our stand) • Roadmap of Future Key technologies in place to guide future R & D. • Interferometry exchange visits widen this specialised community. • All European 2-4m Telescope Directors meet annually in Telescope Directors Forum- already leading to ideas about rationalisation. • Transnational Access Office provides point of contact for potential future users of EU infrastructures

  4. E-ELT Progress • OPTICON has made real progress in co-ordination, including an agreed approach for an ELT. Science case distributed as a books and CD ESO-OPTICON E-ELT meeting in Marseilles at end November 2006

  5. Joint Research Projects • JRA1: Adaptive Optics. : AO for existing 8m such as VLT, GTC, LBT. • JRA2: Fast Detectors for AO : Contract placed for detector

  6. Joint Research Projects • JRA3: Optical Detectors for HTRA : EMCCD’s for practical test bench, APD arrays, PN Sensors • JRA4: Interferometry: Next generation instruments for VLTI.

  7. JRA5: Smart Focal Planes: First prototypes of hardware displayed at SPIE meeting in Florida. • JRA6:VPH Gratings: Prototype gratings in production

  8. Structuring Effect • OPTICON has catalysed communities such as Interferometry, UV astronomy, solar astronomy to come together and develop wider strategic goals. • Several JRA have built very positive pan-European collaborations which are expected to continue into FP7. • Rationalisation of European medium telescopes is no longer an impossible dream. • Special Efforts are being made to engage with CEE countries.

  9. Towards FP7 • We expect FP7 to offer OPTICON-like contracts, with a call in late 2007 and contract start about end 2008 • OPTICON has resolved to move into FP7 on a wide front, much as in FP6. • First planning meeting in Edinburgh in June attended by 70 people and many ideas presented.

  10. FP7 Plans • Edinburgh meeting proposed about 80 Million Euro of ideas, mostly continuations of existing projects. • OPTICON has issued a call for other, completely new, ideas by early October • Executive/Board will ‘long-list’ these ideas in late October and ask potential workpackage leaders to work up detailed proposals to be ready by Spring 2007 ready for short-listing and then the EU call for proposals.

  11. FP7 Plans • Telescope directors are working on a new, more radical, access programme with more flexibility than existing contract and more emphasis on rationalisation of facilities. • Common proposal tool under-development as a first step towards closer integration.

  12. Conclusion • A large number of EU optical-IR-night-solar telescopes are open for new communities via TNA • EU wide collaborations in R & D have been established and are working well, several patents awarded and spin off already happening. • Significant new interactions at funding agency level is leading to co-ordinated planning. • The Future for European Collaboration is bright.

  13. FIN

  14. Contacts WWW. www.astro-opticon.org E-mail. jkd@roe.ac.uk Phone 44-131-668-8348 Handouts, ELT brochure, overview paper etc can be downloaded from the web page.

  15. Management Co-ordinator: Prof Gerard (Gerry) Gilmore. Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, UK. Project Scientist: Dr John Davies. UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Royal Observatory, Edinburgh. OPTICON Board: (Chairperson. Dr Wilfried Boland) comprises 18 partners and sets overall strategy and priorities at annual meeting. Executive committee: (Chairperson G. Gilmore) make the detailed decisions and meets at least twice a year.

  16. Outreach + dissemination • Website (of course) including PDF of brochures • Talks at JENAM etc published in proceedings • Complete set of handouts (1 per activity) downloadable and can be used as A1 posters • Regular presentations at international meetings • Visits to national astronomy meetings • Stand at IAU conference in Prague • Regular column in EAS Newsletter • Pens, badges etc

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