Transcript N3.5 Key Technologies handout
Key Technologies Working Group
Astronomy is an observational science and progress is often driven by the availability of new instruments, detectors and observing techniques. The OPTICON Key Technologies Working Group is investigating what will be required for the next generation of European facilities. Its aim is produce technology roadmaps, encourage collaborative European technology development projects and provide a forum for taking advantage of future opportunities. An important goal is to encourage the formation of new teams who will propose new technology development programmes as was done during the OPTICON FP5 activity.
The goal of the Key Technologies Working Activities Group is to identify technologies that are needed for European telescopes and instruments in the next decade. The objective is to identify short tem technology needs to exploit existing telescopes and longer term issues which will eventually be required for a European ELT. The working group will work closely with the six OPTICON Joint Research
Tools
The Key Technology Working Group operates an interactive website to keep its membership in contact. Specific meetings are held to develop and update a technology roadmap for astronomy.
Regular Workshops and working group meetings will be held.
An industry forum will bridge the gap between academia and industry to ensure a two way flow of information and innovation
Our Mission
The OPTICON Integrated Infrastructure Initiative brings together all of Western Europe's owners and operators of large observatories and data centres. Our goal is to identify opportunities where greater progress can be made by collaboration than by competition, and to take unified actions to achieve those agreed goals.
Specialist Topic Groups
Topics for the working group will evolve over the 5 year programme, but likely subjects include: • Advanced Optical devices.
• Adaptive Optics Wavefront Correctors •Metrology of complex optical surfaces to enable economic manufacture of large adaptive mirrors and mirror segments.
•System modeling, including thermal models of complex cryogenic instruments •Detectors: Fast, high sensitivity infrared focal plane arrays for high angular resolution astronomy to allow access to many more natural guide stars in the infrared, and hence direct imaging of faint objects near stars.
Chair: Technology Working Group
Mr. Colin Cunningham, UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Blackford Hill Edinburgh, EH9 3HJ United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0)131 668 8223 E-mail:
OPTICON Project Scientist
Dr. John K. Davies UK Astronomy Technology Centre, Blackford Hill Edinburgh, EH9 3HJ United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0)131 668 8348 E-mail:
Web:
www.astro-opticon.org
OPTICON
- The Optical Infrared Coordination Network
Links to Industry and SMEs
We are building connections with European Industry in order to develop partnerships that will enhance European astronomy technology. Precision Optical Pick-off Arm OPTICON is funded by the European Commission under Contract no RII3-CT-2004-001566