astronet strategic plan

7/29/2019 Astronet Strategic Plan

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This is a golden era or astronomy. The past ew years have brought a number o epochal discover ies, rom the detec-

tion o the rst planets orbiting other stars, to the accelerating Universe dominated by enigmatic dark energy. Europe is

at the oreront in all areas o contemporary astronomy and the challenge now is to consolidate and strengthen this posi-

tion or the uture.

In a world o ever-ercer global competition, European astronomy has reached its current position by learning to cooperate

on both a bi- and a multilateral basis, and especially through the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and the European

Space Agency (ESA). However, the scientists and research programmes in universities and research organisations at the

national level remain the backbone o European astronomy. The scientic challenges o the uture will require a compre-

hensive long-term strategy and the coordination o nancial and human resources, underpinned by vibrant, national scien-

tic and technological communities across the whole o Europe. This approach is also needed i Europe is to be a strong

and eective partner in the largest, global projects.

ASTRONET, supported as an ERA-Net by the European Commission, was created by the major European unding agen-

cies and research organisations to prepare long-term scientic and investment plans or European astronomy or the

next 1020 years. The present Infrastructure Roadmap represents the core o this eort and is unique in the history o

European astronomy. Firstly, it considers the whole o astronomy: rom gamma-ray to radio wavelengths as well as par-

ticles, rom the ground and in space, and rom the distant borders o the Universe to in si tu exploration o Solar System

bodies, and includes theory, computing and laboratory studies. Secondly, it involves all o Europe, including the new EU

member states, and explicitly includes the human resources that are crucial to the delivery o the scientic outcome.

We know that astronomy interests peo-

ple o all ages; as well as expanding their

horizons, it can encourage younger people

to consider careers in science or technol-

ogy. Astronomy also drives high technology

in areas such as optics and inormatics.

These are all power ul reasons to support

European astronomy. As this report shows,

astronomy is also a ully international sci-ence whose communities welcome the

establishment o the European Research

Area.

Hubble and Chandra composite o the galaxy clus-

ter MACS J0025.4-1222, showing the hot, diuse gas

trapped in the clusters powerul gravitational eld.Credit: NASA, ESA, CXC, M. Bradac (University o Caliornia, Santa Barbara, USA), and S. Allen (Stanord University, USA)


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Scientic planning must be based on scientic goals.

Accordingly, this process began with the development o

a Science Vision for European Astronomy, published in

October 2007. It reviewed and prioritised the main scientic

questions that European astronomy should address over

the next 1020 years under our broad headings:

Do we understand the extremes o the Universe?

How do galaxies orm and evolve?

What is the origin and evolution o stars and planets?

How do we t in?

In doing so, the Science Vision identied the types oresearch inrastructure that would be needed to answer

the key questions under each heading, but did not address

specic projects. The present Infrastructure Roadmap

builds on the Science Vision. It aims to develop a match-

ing set o priorities or the material and human resources

needed to reach these goals, and a plan or phasing the

corresponding investments so that the bulk o the Science

Vision goals can be reached within realistic budgets. It

extends the ESFRI Roadmap by analysing and comparing

the fagship projects in all areas o astronomy in techni-

cal and nancial detail, and by addressing directly the hard

acts o the implementation phase.

The ASTRONET Roadmap was developed primarily on

scientic grounds by a Working Group appointed by the

ASTRONET Board. Existing and proposed inrastruc-

ture projects across astronomy well over 100 in all

were reviewed by three specialist panels o top-ranking

European scientists. Two other panels considered the con-

comitant needs or theory, computing and data archiving,

and human resources including education, recruitment,

public outreach and industrial involvement. Overall, over

60 European scientists were directly involved in this eort.

Feedback rom the community was invited through both

a web-based orum and a large symposium held in June

2008.

The panels worked by assessing projects requir ing new

unds o 10 million or more rom European sources and

on which spending decisions are required ater 2008. They

examined each project or its potential scientic impact, its

uniqueness, its level o European input, the size o the astro-

nomical community that would benet rom it, and its rele-

vance to advancing European high-technology industr y.

The Working Group and Panels were mindul o existing

national and international strategic plans, including those o

ESFRI, ESO and ESA. They also considered the global con-

text, including the plans o our major international partners.

Close contact was maintained with the inrastructure net-

works OPTICON, RadioNet, EuroPlaNet and ILIAS and the

ERA-Net ASPERA. The Working Group has sole responsi-

bility or the nal report.

Three aspects o the Roadmap are notable. Firstly, it

emphasises the need to include the entire electromag-

netic spectrum and beyond in the study o most cos-

mic phenomena, rom young stars and planets to super-massive black holes in the distant Universe. Secondly, the

priorities o proposed new space missions were reviewed

independently by the ASTRONET and ESA Cosmic Vision

panels. Although they were prepared by dierent groups

o scientists, the conclusions were very similar. Thirdly, the

Roadmap identies a number o gaps, or which technolog-

ical solutions are needed, as well as inconsistencies in cur-

rent policies. It points to the lack o consistency between

the resources devoted to major projects and their scientic

exploitation, and to the need to coordinate space projects

with the matching ground-based eorts that are needed to

secure the ull scientic returns rom the investment.

Arti sts impression o the the extr asolar planet HD 189733b.Credit: ESA/Hubble/M. Kornmesser


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A useul roadmap must include realistic estimates o costs, technological readiness and avai lable resources. Independent

advice as well as inormation provided by the projects have been used to assess their cost and maturity, but the reliabil-

ity o these data varies rom project to project. For uture space missions in particular, projects have been changing and

merging either internally or with other projects internationally while this report was being prepared. Resource estimates,and also scientic capabilities given here should be regarded as a snapshot o the current situation, based on the best

inormation available to date. Known or estimated costs or operations are included throughout.

More surprisingly, the available inormation on present nancial and human resources or European astronomy is itsel

ragmentary and inconsistent, especially when national universities, projects, and bi- or multilateral collaborations are to

be included in addition to ESO, ESA and national unding agencies. The demarcation between astronomy and other natu-

ral sciences such as physics, chemistry or biology is another source o uncertainty. A breakdown o resources into astro-

nomical disciplines such as cosmology or exoplanet research is not possible, and substantial eort will be required to

achieve it. This report can give only approximate totals, but they do represent the best pan-European inormation availa-

ble today.

In the ollowing, ground-based and space-based projects are considered separately, as the unding sources and project

selection procedures or them are oten separate. The recommendations are, however, based on the overall scientic per-

spectives described in the Science Vision.

Arti sts impression o the European Ex tremely Large Telescope (E-ELT)

during observations. In the background the centre o the Milky Way is just

rising above the enclosure o the telescope.

Credit: ESO/H. Zodet


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Among the ground-based inrastructure projects, two

emerged as clear top priorities due to their potential or

undamental breakthroughs in a very wide range o scien-

tic elds, rom the Solar and other planetary systems to

cosmology:

The European Extremely Large Telescope (E-ELT), a

40-m-class optical-inrared telescope being developed

by ESO as a European or European-led project. A deci-

sion on construction, based on a detailed design and

cost estimate, is planned or 2010.

The Square Kilometre Array (SKA), a huge radio tele-scope being developed by a global consortium with an

intended European share o 33-40 per cent. The SKA

will be developed in three phases o increasing size, sci-

entic power, and cost. Construction o Phase 1 could

be decided in 2012, ollowed by rst science and a deci-

sion on Phase 2 around 2016, and with Phase 3 envis-

aged ater 2020.

It was concluded that although the E-ELT and SKA are

very ambitious projects requiring large human and nan-

cial resources, they can both be delivered via an appropri-

ately phased plan.

Three other projects were considered scientically out-

standing in areas with European leadership, but in nar-

rower elds and with lower budgets than the E-ELT and

SKA. These have been grouped together in a separate list

which comprises, in descending order o priority:

The European Solar Telescope (EST), an advanced 4-m

solar telescope to be built in the Canary Islands. The EST

will enable breakthroughs in our understanding o the

solar magnetic eld and its relations with the heliosphere

and the Earth; when ready, it will replace the existing

national solar telescopes in the Canary Islands.

The Cerenkov Telescope Array(CTA), an array o optical

telescopes to detect high energy gamma rays rom black

holes and other extreme phenomena in the Universe.

Building on existing successul European experiments,

the CTA the rst true observatory at such energies

is expected to bring about a breakthrough in our under-standing o the origin and production o high energy

gamma rays.

The proposed underwater neutrino detector, KM3NeT,

was also considered o great scientic potential, but

ranked lower than the CTA because o the more proven

astrophysical discovery capability o the latter.

A smaller project, but again o high prior ity, is a wide-eld

spectrograph or massive surveys with 810-m telescopes.

A Working Group is to be appointed by ASTRONET to

study this in detail. Finally, the report identies a need to

incorporate and support laboratory astrophysics includ-

ing the curation o Solar System material returned by space

missions more systematically than now.

Arti sts view o the central element o the Square K ilometre Array. The

phased elements will be able to observe the whole sky and study multiple

objects simultaneously with independent beams. Surrounding the central

elements is a widely distributed array o antenna dishes providing added

sensitivity and resolution.

Credit: SKA


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Although important national and multinational space projects are being developed outside the ESA structure and the

Roadmap also encourages the continued development o ast-track smaller missions, ESAs strategic planning, most

recently the Cosmic Vision exercise, dominates the development o major scientic space missions in Europe. Regardless

o scientic merit, only a couple o new L-class (Large scale) and a very ew M-class (Medium scale) missions are likely tobe selected or implemented in the next decade within the Cosmic Vision plan; mission proposals are currently undergo-

ing major changes and transormations beore the nal selection is made. Their overall impact depends on maintaining a

strong science programme at ESA.

The Roadmap Working Group and Panels independently agreed with ESAs initial selection oCosmic Vision missions. All

the proposed missions were judged to be o high scientic value. The nal choice o missions by the standard ESA review

and down-selection procedures, which track changes in mission scope and cost and possible mergers with, or replace-

ment by, other European or international projects, is thereore broadly supported. Within this ramework, our priorities,

including some non-ESA missions, are as ollows:

Among the large-scale missions, the gravitational-wave observatory LISA and the X-ray observatory XEUS/IXO were

ranked together at the top. Next were the TANDEM and LAPLACE missions to the planets Saturn and Jupiter and their

satellites. One is likely to be selected late in 2008 and will then compete with IXO or LISA or the next L-slot. ExoMars

was ranked highly as well, but below TANDEM/LAPLACE and does not compete with the others as it belongs to a di-

erent programme (Aurora). The longer-term missions Darwin (search or lie on other Earths), FIRI (ormation and evo-

lution o planets, stars and galaxies), and PHOIBOS (very close-up study o the solar atmosphere) were also deemed

very important but still require lengthy technological development. It was regarded as premature to assign a detailed

priority ranking to these three missions at this stage.

Among the medium-scale missions, sci-

ence analysis and exploitation or the

astrometric mission Gaia was ranked

highest, ollowed by the dark energy mis-

sion EUCLID and then Solar Orbiter. Next,

with equal rank but dierent maturity, are

Cross-Scale (magnetosphere), Simbol-X(a non-ESA X-ray project), PLATO (exo-

planet transits) and SPICA (ar-inrared

observatory). Below these in priority is

Marco Polo (near-Earth asteroid sample

return).

Let: ESAs Gaia spacecrat: artists impression.

Right: The young, star-orming Tarantula Nebula in

the Large Magellanic Cloud. The colours show the

locations o the many massive, hot young stars and

the heated and ionised regions they have carved out

o their natal gas cloud.

Credit: ESA

Credit: ESO/ J. Alves, B. Vandame, Y. Bialetski, R. Fosbury


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The role o existing and approved acilities is also considered in the Roadmap. In space, several current missions are so

successul that an extension o their operational lietimes beyond those already approved is richly justied on scientic

grounds. In a constrained environment, the selection o the missions that can be extended within available unds should

be based on the scientic productivity o the mission and, or ESA-supported missions, the overall balance in the ESAprogramme.

On the ground, the existing set o small to medium-size optical telescopes is a heterogeneous mix o national and com-

mon instruments, equipped and operated without overall coordination. This is inecient and is an impediment to eec-

tive ground-based support or space missions. ASTRONET has appointed a committee to review the uture role, organi-

sation and unding o the European 24-m optical telescopes within the context o the Roadmap, to report by September

2009. Reviews o Europes existing mm-submm and radio telescopes will be under taken shortly a ter, ollowed later by a

review ocusing on the optimum exploitation o our access to 810-m optical telescopes as we enter the era o the E-ELT.

Together, these reviews will enable Europe to establ ish a coherent, cost-e ective complement o mid-size acilit ies.

Credit: ESO/H. H. Heyer

The our 8-m telescopes o the ESO Ver y Large Telescope ( VLT), on Cerro

Paranal in Chile.


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In the end, the deployment o skilled humans determines

what scientic acilities can be built and operated, as

well as the scientic returns that are derived rom them.

Conversely, astronomy is a proven and eective vehicle

or attracting young people into scientic and technical

careers, or the benet o society as a whole. The Roadmap

identies several initiatives to stimulate European scientic

literacy and provide our science with the human resources

it needs or a healthy uture.

The development o theory and computing capacity

must go hand-in-hand with that o observational acilities.

Systematic archiving o properly calibrated observational

data in standardised, internationally recognised ormats

will preserve precious inormation obtained with public

unds or uture use by other researchers. It will also cre-

ate a Virtual Observatory that enables new kinds o multi-

wavelength science and presents new challenges to the

way that results o theoretical models are presented and

compared with real data. The Roadmap proposes that a

European Astrophysical Sotware Laboratory, a centre

without walls, be created to promote and coordinate this

development, along with a number o other initiatives.

Credit: Kevin Govender

Schoolchildren observing the Sun


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Technological readiness, along with unding, is a signicant limiting actor or many o the proposed projects, in space

or on the ground. Key areas or development are identied in each case. Maintaining a vigorous technological R&D pro-

gramme to prepare or the uture, in concert with industry to ensure technology transer, is an important priority across all

areas o the Roadmap.

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Credit: Ball Aerospace, NASA, ESA and CSA

1/6 scale model o the main optical subsystem o the James Webb Space

Telescope undergoing unctional tests. Europe is making substantial

contributions to this project, including important parts o the advanced

instrumentation.


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The Roadmap can be airly represented as a commu-

nity-based comprehensive plan that addresses the great

majority o the Science Vision goals while maintaining

and strengthening the role o Europe in global astronomywithin realistic budget limitations. In order to implement it

in a timely manner, given the sti international competi-

tion, a modest budget increase over the next decade will

be required. However, the coherent plan proposed here

will make or a very cost-eective investment or Europe.

Moreover, such a p lan, with its overview and awareness o

the global context, will also be a strong asset in negotiating

international partnerships or the largest projects.

Plans become useless, but planning is essential! The

context or the Roadmap kept evolving while it was being

developed, and will continue to do so. ASTRONET, in con-

cert with ESFRI, will monitor progress on implementing theproposals o the Roadmap over the next 23 years, whether

small or large in nancial terms. The entire European astro-

nomical community awaits the outcome with keen antic-

ipation. We oresee that a ully updated Roadmap will be

needed on a timescale o 510 years. Whether the Science

Vision then needs to be updated as well, will depend on

scientic and nancial developments on the international

scene in the meantime.

The nal version o the present Roadmap will become avail-

able athttp://www.astronet-eu.org.

Arti sts view o the brightest gamma-ray burst ever obser ved. The detailed

observations obtained or this event have provided a wealth o inormation

on how massive stars explode and interact with their environment.

Credit: ESO and Guido Chincarini, Steano Covino, Cristiano Guidorzi, University o Miliano Bicocca and INAF-Brera, Italy. Illustration by Luis Calada


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Designed and produced by ESO September 2008 www.astronet-eu.org

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