Periodic Reporting for period 3 - OPTICON (Optical Infrared Coordination Network for Astronomy)
Reporting period: 2020-01-01 to 2021-06-30
Astronomical research, in what is still a discovery-led subject, is limited largely by technology. OPTICON’s JRA activities push the boundaries of potentially disruptive technologies in photosensitive materials and in novel manufacturing processes. OPTICON delivered the fastest high-efficiency CMOS camera, for scientific real-time control systems, and with knowledge transfer to an SME to ensure wider applications. OPTICON has worked to advance the TRL of critical path technologies crucial for next generational capabilities, particularly in photosensitive materials and in innovative manufacturing processes. Significant progress has been made in the application of novel photonic materials to astrophysical applications. State of the art developments in ultra-resolution instruments, supporting the ESO VLTI project, have been developed, and have led to significant ERC funding. These intruments are the next step towards detailed study of exoplanets and the search for exo-life. In all cases we emphasise knowledge transfer and training of a new generation of technologists. Summer schools, more specialist subject schools organised through the JRA activities, and expert visiting/transfer programmes ensure diffusion of knowledge. One major challenge is to ensure the breadth, the depth and the viability of the broader communities outside one-off project-specific partnerships. Ambitious scientific objectives clearly increase the complexity of future instruments, which in turn will require further development of critical technologies, and also elaboration of new system concepts, new control strategies and new data reconstruction methods. Adaptive optics is crucial for all future large-telescope astronomy, with major developments of techniques and the community being a core work for OPTICON. This work has potential future application beyond astronomy, particularly in ground-satellite high-bandwidth communications.
OPTICON’s Trans National Access (TNA) ambitions were twofold. The first ws to deliver open access to the most appropriate facilities for cutting edge research on Europe’s medium sized telescopes, through the highly-regarded CTAC Calls for Observing proposals. The second TNA ambition is completely new, and visionary. Time Domain astronomy (TDA), the study of variable sources, is the fastest growing branch of astronomy. The community ranges from enthusiastic amateur astronomers to major collaborations. We coordinate and where necessary train these communities, providing the crucial common software and prototype hardware systems needed to deliver characterised science quality data, and to implement effective facility integration. We work to provide a central data resource with global open access ensuring added value, data preservation and maximal utility.
OPTICON’s Trans National Access (TNA) ambitions were twofold. The first ws to deliver open access to the most appropriate facilities for cutting edge research on Europe’s medium sized telescopes, through the highly-regarded CTAC Calls for Observing proposals. The second TNA ambition is completely new, and visionary. Time Domain astronomy (TDA), the study of variable sources, is the fastest growing branch of astronomy. The community ranges from enthusiastic amateur astronomers to major collaborations. We coordinate and where necessary train these communities, providing the crucial common software and prototype hardware systems needed to deliver characterised science quality data, and to implement effective facility integration. We work to provide a central data resource with global open access ensuring added value, data preservation and maximal utility.
1. In spite of Covid, OPTICON technical developments have made substantial progress,. Highlight:
WP1: the French ELT instrumentation programme recently was awarded a large grant (from ANR PIA3 - F-CELT program) directly based on the first studies that were done in WP1. This major investment was funded. This is a direct outcome, which was made possible thanks to OPTICON.
2. OPTICON’s Trans National Access (TNA) ambitions are twofold. The first is to deliver open access to the most appropriate facilities for cutting edge research on Europe’s medium sized telescopes. Time Domain astronomy (TDA), the study of variable sources, is the fastest growing branch of astronomy. We will coordinate and where necessary train these communities, providing the crucial common software and prototype hardware systems needed to deliver characterised science quality data, and to implement effective facility integration. We will provide a central data resource with global open access ensuring added value, data preservation and maximal utility.
The time domain astronomy system, with automated rapid data processing, has been implemented.
In order to facilitate homogenous data processing and coordinate the storage of the data we have been developing and maintaining a unique tool, Cambridge Photometric Calibration Server (CPCS, https://cpcs.astrolabs.pl/). This online tool has been operating since 2013 and is now fully integrated in the BHTOM. Its main purpose is to provide in an automated way the standardised measurements based on the instrumental observations using archival catalogues as photometric standards. Within BHTOM the output of CCDphot is automatically submitted to CPCS and then uploaded to BHTOM database.
An example is shown in the RP3 report:. The photometric data collected for Gaia20fnr, a candidate for a binary microlensing event discovered by Gaia in 2020, as seen in BH-TOM. Multiple observatories contributed.
Networks in adaptive optics and in Interferometry have been active in technical studies, future planning, hosting Technical Schools and establishing viable community support structures. Stefan Kraus, Paulo Garcia, Guy Perrin, "Maximizing the community exploitation of the VLTI 2nd-generation instruments" https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-018-9581-6 is an example outcome. Other networks include that in Time Domain Astronomy described above, in strategic planning, and in more general training schools (WP12). Unsurprisingly Covid had a major impact on in-person networking, and indeed all collaborative JRA work with labs closed, and in science with observatories closed. Nonetheless, on-line and virtual activities continued.
WP1: the French ELT instrumentation programme recently was awarded a large grant (from ANR PIA3 - F-CELT program) directly based on the first studies that were done in WP1. This major investment was funded. This is a direct outcome, which was made possible thanks to OPTICON.
2. OPTICON’s Trans National Access (TNA) ambitions are twofold. The first is to deliver open access to the most appropriate facilities for cutting edge research on Europe’s medium sized telescopes. Time Domain astronomy (TDA), the study of variable sources, is the fastest growing branch of astronomy. We will coordinate and where necessary train these communities, providing the crucial common software and prototype hardware systems needed to deliver characterised science quality data, and to implement effective facility integration. We will provide a central data resource with global open access ensuring added value, data preservation and maximal utility.
The time domain astronomy system, with automated rapid data processing, has been implemented.
In order to facilitate homogenous data processing and coordinate the storage of the data we have been developing and maintaining a unique tool, Cambridge Photometric Calibration Server (CPCS, https://cpcs.astrolabs.pl/). This online tool has been operating since 2013 and is now fully integrated in the BHTOM. Its main purpose is to provide in an automated way the standardised measurements based on the instrumental observations using archival catalogues as photometric standards. Within BHTOM the output of CCDphot is automatically submitted to CPCS and then uploaded to BHTOM database.
An example is shown in the RP3 report:. The photometric data collected for Gaia20fnr, a candidate for a binary microlensing event discovered by Gaia in 2020, as seen in BH-TOM. Multiple observatories contributed.
Networks in adaptive optics and in Interferometry have been active in technical studies, future planning, hosting Technical Schools and establishing viable community support structures. Stefan Kraus, Paulo Garcia, Guy Perrin, "Maximizing the community exploitation of the VLTI 2nd-generation instruments" https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-018-9581-6 is an example outcome. Other networks include that in Time Domain Astronomy described above, in strategic planning, and in more general training schools (WP12). Unsurprisingly Covid had a major impact on in-person networking, and indeed all collaborative JRA work with labs closed, and in science with observatories closed. Nonetheless, on-line and virtual activities continued.
The Schools group has carried out a detailed impact analysis of the value of the NEON training schools OPTICON has supported since 2000. In total 181 students participated in the first 10 NEON Observing Schools. From these students 93 are women (51%). In August 2018, 115 of these students are still in astronomy, meaning that 64% of our alumni from the first 10 schools are still in astronomy. For women the fraction is slightly higher than for men (68% vs 59%). The figure shows this success - Green - all students, blue- men, red - women.
Coordination of operation of a network of observatories collecting time-domain data over days-to-years is the main goal of the OPTICON Time-Domain Astronomy WP. This includes technical support, training, help with the data processing, workshops. Our main deliverable is an automatic software system processing the data from telescopes operated manually and robotically – this is operational, in wide use, and being enhanced. One major activity aims at enhancing the existing European Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) facility by providing concrete concepts and feasibility studies for future interferometric instrumentation.
The CMOS camera system (WP2) has been delivered. Teledyne (UK) has assembled several detectors in the Peltier packages delivered by the sub-contractor Kyocera and proceeded in the testing of the performance of the Peltier package and of the detector itself. See the figure for 3 of these state of the art systems, which are critical path for next generation extremely large telescope operation. WP2 work involves First Light Imaging, an SME spin out from OPTICON in 2013, which has now grown to 22 staff.
The FAME+ Demonstrator. The demonstrator is installed in NOVA’s Optical-Infrared
Instrumentation Lab in Dwingeloo the Netherlands. The demonstrator is shown in the image
below.
The astrophotonics project work became an invited review cover feature for europhysics news.
Coordination of operation of a network of observatories collecting time-domain data over days-to-years is the main goal of the OPTICON Time-Domain Astronomy WP. This includes technical support, training, help with the data processing, workshops. Our main deliverable is an automatic software system processing the data from telescopes operated manually and robotically – this is operational, in wide use, and being enhanced. One major activity aims at enhancing the existing European Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) facility by providing concrete concepts and feasibility studies for future interferometric instrumentation.
The CMOS camera system (WP2) has been delivered. Teledyne (UK) has assembled several detectors in the Peltier packages delivered by the sub-contractor Kyocera and proceeded in the testing of the performance of the Peltier package and of the detector itself. See the figure for 3 of these state of the art systems, which are critical path for next generation extremely large telescope operation. WP2 work involves First Light Imaging, an SME spin out from OPTICON in 2013, which has now grown to 22 staff.
The FAME+ Demonstrator. The demonstrator is installed in NOVA’s Optical-Infrared
Instrumentation Lab in Dwingeloo the Netherlands. The demonstrator is shown in the image
below.
The astrophotonics project work became an invited review cover feature for europhysics news.