OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-2008 1

OPTICON WP4 Interferometry

Status Report

D. Mourardpresented by A. Chelli

OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-2008 2

Main guidelines during FP7 preparation

• Reduce the software aspects wrt FP6 activities

• Serve as much as possible the 2nd generation instruments

cophasing

• More general considerations:– Enhancement of the scientific output +

communication– Towards the fundamental limits

OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-2008 3

Initial WP4

High Angular Resolution by InterferometryEnhancing the scientific outputReaching the fundamental limits

WP4 in OPTICON FP7

Three WorkPackages:– WP4.0: Coordination and Management (DM) 90 k€– WP4.1: Enhancing the scientific output of Interferometry (PK) 270 k€– WP4.2: New generation of cophasing devices (FD) 640 k€

OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-2008 4

Current situation: -60%

High Angular Resolution by InterferometryEnhancing the scientific outputReaching the fundamental limits

WP4 in OPTICON FP7

Three WorkPackages:– WP4.0: Coordination and Management (DM) 25 k€– WP4.1: Enhancing the scientific output of Interferometry (PK) 325 k€– WP4.2: New generation of cophasing devices (FD)

• Phase 1: 75 k€

• Phase 2: (first extension of WP4 in 2010) 105 k€• Phase 3: (second extension of WP4 in 2011) 105 k€

OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-2008 5

WP4.1 Work Package Leader

Pierre KERVELLA, Meudon Observatory

• Reaching the VLTI limits: solving the current issues and limitations– Immediate goals for MIDI & AMBER– Perspectives for PRIMA and Imagery (VLTI-2)

• Through a post-doc program

OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-2008 6

Details of WP4.1 activities3 postdoc with 18months – 2 years contract

+ travel budget

• WP4.1.1 Evaluation of the Paranal atmospheric parameters for high precision fringe tracking . – Goal: assemble a complete picture of the current status of the Paranal atmosphere for interferometry– Synthesis of the various existing measurements– Re-analysis of archive data– CNRS, ESO

• WP4.1.2 Assessment of the VLTI behavior for MIDI and AMBER operations with PRIMA.– Goal: optimize operation of the VLTI dual-field with AMBER&MIDI– Assess the possibilities and limitations of VLTI infrastructure for PRIMA operations– Analysis of archival data (VINCI, MIDI, AMBER) + in-situ measurements.– Clean-up of the existing data processing software– Preparation of the second generation– NOVA, MPIA

• WP4.1.3 Preparing the VLTI for its second generation instrumentation. – Goal: Facilitate the first observations with the 2nd generation instruments– Preparation of the VLTI infrastructure for the dual field operation (2nd generation instruments)– Establish the procedures and the performances of the dual-field operation with 2nd generation.– Final goal: increased sensitivity and improved imaging capabilities of all instruments.– MPIA, CNRS

OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-2008 7

WP4.2Work Package Leader: Françoise DELPLANCKE, ESO

Contribution to the development of an optimum co-phaser for the VLTI

• We adopted a phased approach because of the OPTICON funding and the ESO plans– Analysis of FINITO and PRIMA commissioning data for a report on the

fringe tracking performances and an optimum setting of the detailed specifications for a 4+ telescopes beam combiner.

– If first extension is funded• Development of fringe detection and tracking algorithms

– If second extension is funded• Integration and testing of the new co-phaser for the VLTI

In both extensions, the goal is a closer collaboration between ESO and the european institutes on this key facility.

OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-2008 8

Summary of staff efforts

OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-2008 9

Budget tables

OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-2008 10

Deliverables

OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-2008 11

Conclusion

• A strongly reduced plan

• We strongly request a strong support for the funding extensions of the WP4.

OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-2008 12

OPTICON WP11.2 The European Interferometry Initiative

Status Report

P. Garciapresented by A. Chelli

OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-2008 13

2/3 aims of OPTICON for FP7

• Bring together researchers, instrument builders, national and international agencies to further increase the quality of astronomical research in Europe

• Develop scientific cases, initiate technical investigations, and begin planning for next-generation world-class observational facilities, ensuring the continuing excellence and development of European astronomy on the world stage

OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-2008 14

• Fulfil the OPTICON aims at the “Coordination” level for the optical interferometric activities building on the FP6 experience.

• WP11.2.1 Fizeau grants• WP11.2.2 Circumstellar disks and planets w.g.• WP11.2.3 AGNs and the galactic centre w.g.• WP11.2.4 Science cases for a second generation

facility w.g.• WP11.2.5 European Interferometry Initiative (EII)

Meetings

OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-2008 15

WP11.2.1 Fizeau grants

• Goals– Strengthen nascent collaborations – Spread interferometric knowledge across Europe– Enhance the active participation of new countries

in interferometric activities.

• Method– Fund short exchange visits (1 week – 1 month)– Priority to young researchers and “knowledge

poor” institutes– Competitive calls

• Budget: 48k€ for 4yrs.

OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-2008 16

WP11.2.2-4 Astrophysical working groups

• Goals– Define European vision and strategy for

optical interferometry in the ALMA/E-ELT era– Bring together instrument builder class

teams with nascent groups accross Europe • Method

– Short term and long term science working groups

– Teams include 2nd VLTI generation instrument builders and scientists from the comunity at large

– Well prepared workshops followed by report• One workshop for each short term w.g.• Two workshops for long term w.g.

– Topics chosen by scientific impact

OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-2008 17

WP11.2.2-4 Astrophysical working groups

• Short-term working groups (2nd generation VLTI)– WP11.2.2 Circumstellar disks and planets

• led by S. Wolf (Germany)

– WP11.2.3 AGNs and the galactic centre• led by A. Marconi (Italy)

– Budget: 14k€ per workshop

• WP11.2.4 Science cases for a second generation facility – KOI (long term)– led by A. Quirrenbach (Germany) and G. Perrin

(France)– Budget: 12.5k€ per workshop

OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-2008 18

KOI – Kilometric Optical Interferometer

• Build on the VLTI and KI experience• Growing user comunity and science impact of VLTI• Most technologies already investigated or

demonstrated• Multipurpose facility• Working group process

– Initially the bounding box of the second generation array will be defined

– Science cases will be selected on the first workshop after an open call

– These will be addressed in detail and presented in the second workshop

– Will form the core science for the array definition

OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-2008 19

WP11.2.5 European Interferometry Initiative (EII) Meetings

• Goals– Exchange of information; – Supervision of ongoing projects; – Building of a shared vision – Shared participation in the activities.

• Method– Yearly meeting of national representatives from

all countries including Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic and international agencies ESO/ESA.

• Budget: 32k€ for 4yrs