ASTRONET Coordinating strategic planning for European Astronomy

1. ASTRONET Coordinating strategic planning for European Astronomy Background & Motivation Status today The Science Vision The Infrastructure Roadmap Associated Management Initiatives Concluding Remarks

2. What is ASTRONET? • ERANET, funded by EU FP6 (2.5 M€/4 yr from Sept 2005) • Coordinator: CNRS/INSU • Board Chair 2006: Johannes Andersen (NOTSA) • Participating agencies BMBF (Germany), CNRS/INSU (France), INAF (Italy), MEC (Spain), NOTSA (Nordic), NWO (Netherlands), PPARC (UK), PT-DESY (Germany), ESO • Associates (initially): MPG (Germany), ESA [+ Sweden, Greece, DFG, Lithuania, Poland joining soon] Web site:www.astronet-eu.org

3. www.astronet-eu.org

4. Background & Motivation • Investments needed by European astronomy to ~ 2020: • Will cost ??? B€ • Will be funded to only ~5% by EU funds (e.g. FP7) • The funding agencies will pay the bulk of ALL projects • The funding agencies want to see a plan for ALL this: • Optical/IR, radio, space, particles, AVO, Human Resources, … • They founded ASTRONET to give us the chance to present a comprehensive, coherent plan for what we want to achieve (~ Prototyping a (better) counterpart of the US Decadal Surveys)

5. Work Programme 2005-9 : • A 10-20 year Science Vision for European astronomy • An Infrastructure Roadmap matching the Science Vision • Coordinated initiatives to improve transparency and coordination of planning and management procedures in European astronomy in a permanent way • Involve ALL European communities in this endeavour

6. Where do we stand today? • Consortium up and running; web site in place • Science Vision preparation well under way • Preparations for Infrastructure Roadmap started • Recruitment of new participants well under way • Collection of administrative data and procedures well under way

7. The Science Vision : • Look broadly at key science questions in all of astronomy for the next two decades • Observations, interpretation and theory • Provides scientific input for the Roadmap • Make maximum use of available documents • National strategic plans; ESA’s Cosmic Vision;… • Science cases for new facilities (ELT, SKA, …) • Broad cross section of science community • About 50 people in Working Group and Panels • Community input via web and Symposium

8. Science Vision Working Group • Members at large Roger Davies, Reinhard Genzel, Michael Perryman, Alvio Renzini, Rashid Sunyaev, Catherine Turon, Tim de Zeeuw (chair) • Panel chairs and co-chairs A: John Peacock, Claes Fransson B: Jacqueline Bergeron, Robert Kennicutt C: Leonardo Testi, Rafael Rebolo D: Oskar von der Lühe, Therese Encrenaz

9. Developing the Science Vision:Four broad science questions 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? Latest meeting October 6, 2006. Final Draft nearing completion and will be publicly accessible on the web soon.

10. Panel A • Do we understand the extremes of the Universe? • How did the Universe begin? • What is dark matter and dark energy? • Are there extra dimensions, other universes, varying fundamental constants? • What do compact objects tell us about strong gravity? • How do supernovae and gamma-ray bursts work? • How do black hole accretion, jets and outflows operate? • What do we learn from energetic radiation and particles? • Members • John Peacock (chair), Claes Fransson (co-chair) • Juan Garcia-Bellido, François Bouchet, Andrew Fabian, Bruno Leibundgut, Subir Sarkar, Peter Schneider, Ralf Wijers, Bernard Schutz

11. Science Vision : Timeline • Draft Science Vision Report public (web site) early December 2006 • Science Vision Symposium, January 23-25, 2007, Poitiers - announcement sent out October 18 • Community input via web already before Symposium • Iteration based on input from web & Symposium • Final report late Spring 2007

12. Infrastructure Roadmap • Objective: • To assemble a plan for the development of the infrastructures that will enable European Astronomy to deliver the Science Vision • Taking the Science Vision as the point of departure • Covering both ground & space-based facilities • Including AVO, (super)computing, theory, HR issues, outreach • Incorporating existing ESO, ESA, ASPERA etc. plans as far as possible, and having global perspective • Develop implementation plan with agencies, EU, OECD, Global Science Forum,...

13. Infrastructure Roadmap:Timeline • M.F. Bode appointed task leader August 1, 2006 • Number and topics of (sub-)panels being defined (by early December, 2006) • Main panel and sub-panel membership then established • Work starts in earnest right after Science Vision Symposium • Infrastructure Roadmap Symposium Spring 2008; report Summer 2008 (To Be Confirmed) • Implementation Plans, 2009

14. Parallel Initiatives • Invitation of all European communities/agencies to join ASTRONET as Contractors, Associates, Forum members • Many agencies interested in management of ‘pilot project’ • Survey & report on resources, management, and planning of European astronomy • Beginning to plan for the long-term continuation of the actions initiated by ASTRONET

15. Why should anyone take note? If we do this correctly, overall funding for new European infrastructures might increase & dreams come true (earlier). European participation in the largest, global, astronomy projects in the future will be facilitated by long-term planning and coordination, backed by the agencies.