Status and achievements of Opticon FP6 ( FP5)

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Status and achievements of Opticon FP6 (FP5)

• Gerry Gilmore
• coordinator

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OPTICON was the first community-wide cooperation
in O-IR european astronomy

• What did we do right?
• We built links, defused perceived tensions
  between countries and observatory communities,
  and included everyone this is a good start,
  largely complete with the enlarged ESO, but most
  of central Europe is still involved only
  peripherally
• We bought together for the first time all
  European-owned 2-4m telescopes, to promote
  coordination and efficiency the science
  opportunities here are barely started, and worth
  further development this should also be a link
  to central Europe we lack a strategy here!

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OPTICON was the first community-wide cooperation
in O-IR european astronomy

• What did we do right? Ctd
• We developed community-wide involvement in the
  ELT projects, helping to build a single program,
  leading to the Design Study this remains the
  primary strategic goal for European OIR astronomy
  for the future, and has been formally adopted by
  ESO Council.
• We helped natural communities to work/plan
  together especially interferometry, and some
  others (UV, s/w)
• We got some new resources to develop key future
  technologies - especially adaptive optics and
  related sensors, and instrument-related smaller
  items (VPH, KT, etc) this barely touches the
  vast needs and opportunities here. The small EC
  funds mean clear focus on 1-2 priorities was
  essential to achieve anything significant.

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What did we do right?

• All Opticon activities have been a remarkable
  success.
• Access works, is managed very well, and is wildly
  oversubscribed but it hasnt really worked
  across boundaries yet.
• The JRAs have been a triumph see later reports
  and are all cash-limited, not ideas limited
• The networks have covered a wide range of work
  the ELT network is an example of what can be
  achieved given resources
• Probably the biggest success was getting the O-IR
  community to start acting as a community

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ELT Science Case Isobel Hook

• Highlights of FP6 work
• Objectives for FP7
• Deliverables and required resources

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FP6 OPTICON N3.1 ELT Science Case

• Aim To develop and promote the ELT science case
• Planned deliverables
• Web site within first 6 months
• 1 community Science WG meeting per year
• 1 smaller meeting (group Chairs) per year
• Major science case documents at mid end point
• 1st half of 2006 and end 2009
• Employ a scientist to coordinate this activity
• Coordinate with FP6 ELT design study work
• Work has been successful and going to plan

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Highlights from FP6 so far
Florence 2005
Marseilles 2003
Web site
Science case documents
Florence 2004
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Highlights from FP6 so far

• Meetings to date
• 2 major 4 smaller meetings organised by OPTICON
• Funding for Europeans to attend several other
  meetings (e.g. IAU ELT Symposium)
• Planning the next major meeting now
• Science case documents
• Top level summary Feb 2005
• Science case book Jun 2005
• basis for 1st iteration of requirements
• Mailing list, web site
• Maintains community involvement
• Close coordination with Design Study

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Role of OPTICON in the E-ELT

• OPTICON is recognised as the crucial link between
  the community and the new ESO European ELT
  project
• New ESO-OPTICON SWG recently formed
• 21 members, 5050 CommunityESO
• co-Chairs Isobel Hook Marijn Franx
• Wil provide scientific input to ESO ELT project
• Will provide coordination of effort in the
  community
• We propose to continue this role into FP7

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Role of OPTICON in the E-ELT

• Recent ESO ELT Standing Review Ctte
  recommendations include
• Science group should focus on a few (3) key
  science cases for promotion of project and
  development of requirements
• Size of telescope should be set by science case
• Retention of community involvement and commitment
  essential
• This implies
• Science case must be developed in detail to guide
  the project
• Science team must involve the community
• Requires funding for meetings and effort
• Science simulations are required in order to set
  requirements
• 3 proposed themes Exo-planets, Galaxy formation,
  Frontiers of Physics
• ESO now plans to devote 1 person to each area
• Community should match this through OPTICON

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OPTICON What we can do better

• Too many partners in fact this is tiresome for
  reporting, but desirable for the community. Some
  better associate role would be desirable to
  allow inclusiveness but ease admin. We dont
  have too many members, but we do have too many
  legal partners.
• Too many subjects certainly true. We have the
  geographical legacy of FP5, rather than a clear
  subject focus. Are any (more) parts of Opticon
  ready to split off (Virtual Observatory did this
  after FP5). Solar astronomy is a particular
  anomaly.
• Too few failures are we being imaginative
  enough?

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Lessons for FP7

• JRAs Focussing on agreed strategic priority
  developments for the JRAs worked well, and
  allowed significant matched funding
• NETWORKS Including the whole geographic
  community is desirable, in spite of the admin
  cost, since noone else is doing that
• ACCESS The access program is appreciated, but
  perhaps too responsive to extant methodologies
• Some subject areas could earn much better EC
  support
• BUDGETS in practise, it is extremely difficult
  to implement any flexibility. How can one plan
  for 7 years of innovation?

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Question for FP7

• What is the best way to manage Opticon
  community-based, or organisation-based?

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• end

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FP7 Resources and Deliverables

• Deliverables
• Updated Science case documents (2 over FP7
  period)
• Science simulations in each key science area
• Regular, small, focussed meetings (4 per year)
• 1 major community science meeting per year
• Effort
• 4 People working full-time on ELT science case
• IMH (lead) 3 postdoc-level scientists
• Distributed around Europe
• Coordinated with other FP7 activity (e.g. AO or
  instrumentation)
• Costs per year
• FTE 200kE
• Meetings 25kE (4 x 10kE) 65kE
• Publication of documents 20kE (e.g. 2 x 50kE
  over 5 yrs)
• Total per year 285 kE