Enabling a GSMT for the US Community: AURA’s Proposal to the NSF

Stephen E. Strom

04 June, 2004Tucson, AZ

National Optical Astronomy ObservatoryTucson

Frontier Science Enabled by GSMT

Galaxy Birth:The Archaeological Record

The physics of young Jupiter's

Characterize Exo-Planets

The Birth of Planetary Systems

Galaxy Birth: Witnessing the Process Directly

The Birth of Large

Scale Structure

Frontier Science Enabled by GSMT

Galaxy Birth:The Archaeological Record

The physics of young Jupiter's

Characterize Exo-Planets

The Birth of Planetary Systems

Galaxy Birth: Witnessing the Process Directly

The Birth of Large

Scale StructureExploits 10x gain in sensitivity

at optical wavelengths

Exploits enhanced sensitivityand angular resolution

Exploits enhanced sensitivityand angular resolution

Exploits 100x gain in sensitivityor unresolved point sources

Exploits enhanced angular resolution and diffraction-limited performance

AASC Vision for GSMT

“The Giant Segmented Mirror Telescope (GSMT), the committee’s top ground-based recommendation….is a 30-m-class ground-based telescope that will be a powerful complement to NGST [and ALMA] in tracing the evolution of galaxies and the formation of stars and planets.”

AASC:Implementing A New Paradigm

“GSMT requires a large investment of resources and offers an opportunity for partnership between national and university/independent observatories in producing and operating a world-class facility within the coordinated system of these two essential components of US ground-based astronomy.”

“Half the total cost should come from private and/or international partners.”

GSMT SWG Recommendations

“In order to reap the enormous potential synergy between the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and a 20-m to 30-m telescope, it is essential to initiate major design and technology development efforts now to ensure that facility operations coincide with the early JWST era.”

“Federal investment now in a major technology development program targeted at key areas can advance multiple design programs, and will ensure a strong public voice at all stages in the development of next-generation telescopes.”

AURA’s Proposal to the NSF

Goal: Advance the design of TMT and at least one other US ELT program

so that performance, cost, schedule and risk of differing approaches

can be assessed prior to any commitment to construction

Provide $17.5M for TMT partnership effort Matches the partner shares from ACURA, Caltech and UC

Provide comparable funds for non-TMT investment, including: Startup funds for another ELT design & development effort (~$14M)

Funding for joint, common technology development (~$2M)

Funding for two instrument conceptual design studies (~1.5M)

Proposed NSF Investment in TMT

TMT responds directly to AASC recommendations Builds on CELT, GSMT & VLOT design studies for a segmented 30m

Community receives observing time proportional to public investment NSF funds ($17.5M) will leverage $52.5M (Moore; ACURA) Technology developments will be transparent

Reported to other groups & published openly

Effort will be made to compete technology developments openly so as to engage the broader community

AURA participation will ensure that NSF and community will be represented at all levels in the project

GSMT SWG will be the locus for community input 

Proposed NSF Investment in a Complementary ELT Program

Responds to SWG by supporting technology development and design efforts needed to advance another major ELT concept.

AURA will request letters of intent outlining a coherent plan for advancing an ELT concept

Letters would need to outline Current and future private/state matching funds Total cost of the proposed Design and Development effort Mechanisms for making technology developments transparent Mechanisms for incorporating community input into decision making Mechanisms for engaging the broader community in technology developments

Total funding available for Design and Development effort: $14M

Other Elements of theAURA NSF Proposal

Instrument concept studies ($1.5 M) Engage the broader community in developing instrument design

concepts for TMT + other ELT

Joint technology development programs ($2M) Detectors; gratings; coatings…. Areas agreed to by TMT and other ELT program Encourages cooperation and transparency

Theory Challenge program Engage theorists early in ELT design phases Provide theory input to ELT capabilities via the GSMT SWG

Education and Public Outreach programs

Advantages of AURA’s Approach

Provides the resources to advance 2 ELT concepts to a Preliminary Design by Q4 2007

Ensures the success of at least one effort Enables community input via the GSMT SWG

Ensures resulting designs meet community aspirations Encourages transparency between the projects

Provides the basis for an eventual convergence path Engages the talents of the broader community via

Instrument design efforts Technology development efforts

Encourages ‘aligned’ investments with ESO where practical

Status of the TMT Design and Development Phase

Partnership formed among CELT, ACURA and AURA $44M/$70M DDP funds identified Key personnel appointed

Project Manager Gary Sanders Project Scientist Jerry Nelson

Central design office established in Pasadena Initial TMT WBS and schedule completed Key design trades identified and initiated Site evaluation (part of general GSMT effort) well advanced

Atacama, Las Campanas, Mauna Kea, San Pedro Martir Science Requirements Document under change control by Q3 2004 D & D Phase will be completed by Q4 2007

Engaging with ESO

AURA signs MOU with ESO to establish working groups Segment fabrication

prototype figured segments Adaptive Optics Detectors and Instrument Components Site testing

ensure a consistent calibration Working groups are establishing areas for ‘aligned investment’

Develop alternate technical approaches and multiple vendors ESO and GSMT SWGs agree to meet

First meeting held in Berlin Collaborative efforts are aimed at keeping communication lines and

partnership possibilities open

Requested NOAO-OC Actions

Authorize submitting the proposal to NSF

Support the proposal enthusiastically and proactively Letter to NSF-AST and NSF-MPS

Face-to-face meeting in DC to show strong support