Coordinator: Gerry Gilmore; Project Manager: Dr Gudrun Pebody; Project Scientist: Dr John Davies (ATC Edinburgh)

Participants are Funding agencies - UK, Fr, D, It, Sp, Nl (+ESO) - Industry - university technology groups - telescope operators This list is for our H2020 proposal We are “Research Infrastructures”

Current OPTICON activities

Technology R&D

Community networks

About 30% of SPHERE Adaptive Optics technology developed through Opticon – applied in other AO systems as well

Lead: Jean-Luc Beuzit IPAG

CANARY – adaptive optics testbed

With the Na laser outside Canary+WHT is a 1:1 scale E-ELT testbed

OPTICON is an I3, so does other things too

OCAM: lead Phillipe Feautrier Technology R & D

The early days: pre 2000

• OPTICON was started as a deliberate move to improve European coordination in optical-IR astronomy

• At the time, 2 major astro countries were not in ESO (UK, Spain), and their future allegiance was unclear

• There was very little contact between the many european national facilities/agencies

• Non-national astronomers were allowed national telescope access on merit, but were not encouraged, and were unfunded to use it: poor precedent

• There were competing future projects (OWL, Euro-50, CFHT-futures), and dreams, no one of which had adequate community or financial support. And many organisational options (ESO, ENO, multi-laterals, eg Gemini, LBT). Europe was at risk of being left behind.

• The EC was starting to get involved in basic science, with unclear future implications for funding and projects. Being involved in EC funding was sensible insurance

Opticon- early ambitions

• Strengthen European astronomical community • Access developing EC science resources

• Day-one Projects: • Future strategy for medium-sized European telescopes • Develop proposal for Hubble-like EC Fellowships (Benvenuti) • Expand astronomy archiving with ESA-ESO-EC-STScI -CDS Genova/Benvenuti • Develop new high-tech capabilities with multi-national teams (software-

Peter Quinn & RTD/adaptive optics – Guy Monnet) • Build community support/develop the science case for future ELT project

(Gilmozzi+Gilmore)

The new millenium

• The first Opticon (FP5) Board [04/2000] resolved:OPTICON strongly supports and encourages developments of future large scale astronomical facilities, in particular an extremely large optical/ir ground-based telescope. Opticon establishes a “Science Case for the Extremely Large Telescope’’ WG, with a goal of developing a draft case by May 2001. The activity will be under the general overview of Roberto Gilmozzi, with the Chairman (GG) and Alvio Renzini (ESO) providing Europe-based joint support for the activities.

• GG negotiated agreement between ENO/IAC, ENO board (Setti), ESO (incl OWL) and Euro-50 for a single European effort. ESO and Opticon had a CfP for leaders of a single “design independent’’ EC-funded design study. Catherine Cesarsky and GG appointed the team.

• The goal was to get all Europe on one team.

A brief a-historical context • Before OPTICON ELT science case development in FP6

– OWL 100m concept : internal ESO ‘project’ – Euro-50 concept – Some French post-CFHT work – ESO focussed on ALMA approval, no distractions wanted – SKA competing for “next project” opportunity

• Science community starting to get involved – OPTICON in FP5 provided the starting point, expanded in FP6

• Substantial technical design work required – initiated ELT Design Study in FP6

European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) lists all agreed major priorities. E-ELT was presented and adopted to ESFRI by GG, based on the Opticon community science case.

Some other completed projects

• Developments in Adaptive Optics technology • Developed OCAM, fast wavefront sensing cameras • European supplier of VPH gratings • AVO standards, support to CDS expanded role • UV-community White Paper • High Time Resolution White Paper • Medium Telescopes Future Strategy White Paper • IFU-3D data reduction initiative • European Solar Telescope technology support

• at this time of UK insanity, we are good Europeans

Training schools & workshops - Observing - Archive data analysis - Photonics - Interferometry - Adaptive Optics technology - Instrumentation

Continuing OPTICON TNA access Open Call Time

Domain CFHT LCOGT

AAT LivTel

TNG TCS

WHT to 2018 OHP120

INT to 2019 REM

CAHA3.5 CAHA2.2

[to CSIC 12/2018]

MPG2.2

NOT

TBL

OHP193

Aristarchos

H2020 – TNA Access

• Continue current TNA access on the 4-m telescopes: CFHT, TNG, AAT, CAHA3.5, & WHT until WEAVE in use in 2018

• Continue and expand use of smaller and robotic facilities, with special emphasis on time domain astronomy – transient follow-ups, monitoring

• Complement time domain with a central open dBase of reduced calibrated data linked to the Gaia Alerts system (https://gaia.ac.uk)

• Establish two VLTI regional centres (Nice, Exeter) • Make the CANARY + WHT adaptive optics testbed an experiment open

to new collaborations

• Support these with networks: • Community adaptive optics expertise • European Interferometry Initiative • Time Domain Astronomy community development and coordination • Training schools