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Enabling a GSMT for the US Community: AURA’s Proposal to the NSF

Enabling a GSMT for the US Community: AURA’s Proposal to the NSF. Stephen E. Strom 04 June, 2004 Tucson, AZ National Optical Astronomy Observatory Tucson. The Birth of Large Scale Structure. Galaxy Birth: Witnessing the Process Directly. Characterize Exo-Planets.

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Enabling a GSMT for the US Community: AURA’s Proposal to the NSF

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  1. Enabling a GSMT for the US Community: AURA’s Proposal to the NSF Stephen E. Strom 04 June, 2004 Tucson, AZ National Optical Astronomy Observatory Tucson

  2. The Birth of Large Scale Structure Galaxy Birth: Witnessing the Process Directly Characterize Exo-Planets Galaxy Birth:The Archaeological Record The Birth of Planetary Systems The physics of young Jupiter's Frontier Science Enabled by GSMT

  3. The Birth of Large Scale Structure Galaxy Birth: Witnessing the Process Directly Characterize Exo-Planets Galaxy Birth:The Archaeological Record The Birth of Planetary Systems The physics of young Jupiter's Frontier Science Enabled by GSMT Exploits 10x gain in sensitivity at optical wavelengths Exploits enhanced sensitivity and angular resolution Exploits enhanced sensitivity and angular resolution Exploits 100x gain in sensitivity or unresolved point sources Exploits enhanced angular resolution and diffraction-limited performance

  4. AASC Vision for GSMT “The Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope (GSMT), the committee’s top ground-based recommendation….is a 30-m-class ground-based telescope that will be a powerful complement to NGST [and ALMA] in tracing the evolution of galaxies and the formation of stars and planets.”

  5. AASC:Implementing A New Paradigm “GSMT requires a large investment of resources and offers an opportunity for partnership between national and university/independent observatories in producing and operating a world-class facility within the coordinated system of these two essential components of US ground-based astronomy.” “Half the total cost should come from private and/or international partners.”

  6. GSMT SWG Recommendations “In order to reap the enormous potential synergy between the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and a 20-m to 30-m telescope, it is essential to initiate major design and technology development efforts now to ensure that facility operations coincide with the early JWST era.” “Federal investment now in a major technology development program targeted at key areas can advance multiple design programs, and will ensure a strong public voice at all stages in the development of next-generation telescopes.”

  7. AURA’s Proposal to the NSF • Goal: • Advance the design of TMT and at least one other US ELT program so that performance, cost, schedule and risk of differing approaches can be assessed prior to any commitment to construction • Provide $17.5M for TMT partnership effort • Matches the partner shares from ACURA, Caltech and UC • Provide comparable funds for non-TMT investment, including: • Startup funds for another ELT design & development effort (~$14M) • Funding for joint, common technology development (~$2M) • Funding for two instrument conceptual design studies (~1.5M)

  8. Proposed NSF Investment in TMT • TMT responds directly to AASC recommendations • Builds on CELT, GSMT & VLOT design studies for a segmented 30m • Community receives observing time proportional to public investment • NSF funds ($17.5M) will leverage $52.5M (Moore; ACURA) • Technology developments will be transparent • Reported to other groups & published openly • Effort will be made to compete technology developments openly so as to engage the broader community • AURA participation will ensure that NSF and community will be represented at all levels in the project • GSMT SWG will be the locus for community input

  9. Proposed NSF Investment in a Complementary ELT Program • Responds to SWG by supporting technology development and design efforts needed to advance another major ELT concept. • AURA will request letters of intent outlining a coherent plan for advancing an ELT concept • Letters would need to outline • Current and future private/state matching funds • Total cost of the proposed Design and Development effort • Mechanisms for making technology developments transparent • Mechanisms for incorporating community input into decision making • Mechanisms for engaging the broader community in technology developments • Total funding available for Design and Development effort: $14M

  10. Other Elements of theAURA NSF Proposal • Instrument concept studies ($1.5 M) • Engage the broader community in developing instrument design concepts for TMT + other ELT • Joint technology development programs ($2M) • Detectors; gratings; coatings…. • Areas agreed to by TMT and other ELT program • Encourages cooperation and transparency • Theory Challenge program • Engage theorists early in ELT design phases • Provide theory input to ELT capabilities via the GSMT SWG • Education and Public Outreach programs

  11. Advantages of AURA’s Approach • Provides the resources to advance 2 ELT concepts to a Preliminary Design by Q4 2007 • Ensures the success of at least one effort • Enables community input via the GSMT SWG • Ensures resulting designs meet community aspirations • Encourages transparency between the projects • Provides the basis for an eventual convergence path • Engages the talents of the broader community via • Instrument design efforts • Technology development efforts • Encourages ‘aligned’ investments with ESO where practical

  12. Status of the TMT Design and Development Phase • Partnership formed among CELT, ACURA and AURA • $44M/$70M DDP funds identified • Key personnel appointed • Project Manager Gary Sanders • Project Scientist Jerry Nelson • Central design office established in Pasadena • Initial TMT WBS and schedule completed • Key design trades identified and initiated • Site evaluation (part of general GSMT effort) well advanced • Atacama, Las Campanas, Mauna Kea, San Pedro Martir • Science Requirements Document under change control by Q3 2004 • D & D Phase will be completed by Q4 2007

  13. Engaging with ESO • AURA signs MOU with ESO to establish working groups • Segment fabrication • prototype figured segments • Adaptive Optics • Detectors and Instrument Components • Site testing • ensure a consistent calibration • Working groups are establishing areas for ‘aligned investment’ • Develop alternate technical approaches and multiple vendors • ESO and GSMT SWGs agree to meet • First meeting held in Berlin • Collaborative efforts are aimed at keeping communication lines and partnership possibilities open

  14. Requested NOAO-OC Actions • Authorize submitting the proposal to NSF • Support the proposal enthusiastically and proactively • Letter to NSF-AST and NSF-MPS • Face-to-face meeting in DC to show strong support

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