OPTICON

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OPTICON

• The Optical Infrared Co-ordination Network for
  Astronomy.
• John Davies
• OPTICON Project Scientist.
• UK Astronomy Technology Centre (UKATC)
• Royal Observatory, Edinburgh

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The OPTICON Vision
Develop a stronger community able to build and
operate 21st Century facilities for Optical-IR
Astronomy

• Five year contract for 19,200,000 Euro
  substantial national matching funds. Effective 1
  January 2004 - 31 December 2008.
• 47 contractors including funding agencies,
  user groups and SME.
• 6 JRAs (11 Me extra national funds)
• 22 Telescope Access Programme. (5.5Me)
• 14 Networks (3 Me incl Management)

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Networking Highlights

• Management Board brings together all major
  observatory operators and funding agencies to
  discuss agreed national priorities and
  co-ordinate strategic future planning.
• White book on future of UV astronomy in press, 4
  day conference planned May 28th 2007 (poster in
  our stand)
• Roadmap of Future Key technologies in place to
  guide future R D.
• Interferometry exchange visits widen this
  specialised community.
• All European 2-4m Telescope Directors meet
  annually in Telescope Directors Forum- already
  leading to ideas about rationalisation.
• Transnational Access Office provides point of
  contact for potential future users of EU
  infrastructures

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E-ELT Progress

• OPTICON has made real progress in co-ordination,
  including an agreed approach for an ELT. Science
  case distributed as a books and CD

ESO-OPTICON E-ELT meeting in Marseilles at end
November 2006
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Joint Research Projects

• JRA1 Adaptive Optics. AO for existing 8m such
  as VLT, GTC, LBT.
• JRA2 Fast Detectors
• for AO Contract placed
• for detector

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Joint Research Projects

• JRA3 Optical Detectors for HTRA EMCCDs for
  practical test bench, APD arrays, PN Sensors
• JRA4 Interferometry Next generation instruments
  for VLTI.

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• JRA5 Smart Focal Planes First prototypes of
  hardware displayed at SPIE meeting in Florida.
• JRA6VPH Gratings Prototype gratings in
  production

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Structuring Effect

• OPTICON has catalysed communities such as
  Interferometry, UV astronomy, solar astronomy to
  come together and develop wider strategic goals.
• Several JRA have built very positive pan-European
  collaborations which are expected to continue
  into FP7.
• Rationalisation of European medium telescopes is
  no longer an impossible dream.
• Special Efforts are being made to engage with CEE
  countries.

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Towards FP7

• We expect FP7 to offer OPTICON-like contracts,
  with a call in late 2007 and contract start about
  end 2008
• OPTICON has resolved to move into FP7 on a wide
  front, much as in FP6.
• First planning meeting in Edinburgh in June
  attended by 70 people and many ideas presented.

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FP7 Plans

• Edinburgh meeting proposed about 80 Million Euro
  of ideas, mostly continuations of existing
  projects.
• OPTICON has issued a call for other, completely
  new, ideas by early October
• Executive/Board will long-list these ideas in
  late October and ask potential workpackage
  leaders to work up detailed proposals to be ready
  by Spring 2007 ready for short-listing and then
  the EU call for proposals.

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FP7 Plans

• Telescope directors are working on a new, more
  radical, access programme with more flexibility
  than existing contract and more emphasis on
  rationalisation of facilities.
• Common proposal tool under-development as a first
  step towards closer integration.

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Conclusion

• A large number of EU optical-IR-night-solar
  telescopes are open for new communities via TNA
• EU wide collaborations in R D have been
  established and are working well, several patents
  awarded and spin off already happening.
• Significant new interactions at funding agency
  level is leading to co-ordinated planning.
• The Future for European Collaboration is bright.

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FIN
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Contacts

• WWW. www.astro-opticon.org
• E-mail. jkd_at_roe.ac.uk
• Phone [phone]
• Handouts, ELT brochure, overview paper etc can be
  downloaded from the web page.

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Management

• Co-ordinator Prof Gerard (Gerry) Gilmore.
  Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge, UK.
• Project Scientist Dr John Davies. UK Astronomy
  Technology Centre, Royal Observatory, Edinburgh.
• OPTICON Board (Chairperson. Dr Wilfried Boland)
  comprises 18 partners and sets overall strategy
  and priorities at annual meeting.
• Executive committee (Chairperson G. Gilmore)
  make the detailed decisions and meets at least
  twice a year.

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Outreach dissemination

• Website (of course) including PDF of brochures
• Talks at JENAM etc published in proceedings
• Complete set of handouts (1 per activity)
  downloadable and can be used as A1 posters
• Regular presentations at international meetings
• Visits to national astronomy meetings
• Stand at IAU conference in Prague
• Regular column in EAS Newsletter
• Pens, badges etc