1. OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-20081 OPTICON WP4 Interferometry Status Report D. Mourard presented by A. Chelli

2. OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-20082 Main guidelines during FP7 preparation Reduce the software aspects wrt FP6 activities Serve as much as possible the 2 nd generation instruments  cophasing More general considerations: –Enhancement of the scientific output + communication –Towards the fundamental limits

3. OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-20083 Initial WP4 High Angular Resolution by Interferometry Enhancing the scientific output Reaching the fundamental limits WP4 in OPTICON FP7 Three WorkPackages: –WP4.0: Coordination and Management (DM) 90 k€ –WP4.1: Enhancing the scientific output of Interferometry (PK) 270 k€ –WP4.2: New generation of cophasing devices (FD) 640 k€

4. OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-20084 Current situation: -60% High Angular Resolution by Interferometry Enhancing the scientific output Reaching the fundamental limits WP4 in OPTICON FP7 Three WorkPackages: –WP4.0: Coordination and Management (DM) 25 k€ –WP4.1: Enhancing the scientific output of Interferometry (PK) 325 k€ –WP4.2: New generation of cophasing devices (FD) Phase 1: 75 k€ Phase 2: (first extension of WP4 in 2010)105 k€ Phase 3: (second extension of WP4 in 2011)105 k€

5. OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-20085 WP4.1 Work Package Leader Pierre KERVELLA, Meudon Observatory Reaching the VLTI limits: solving the current issues and limitations –Immediate goals for MIDI & AMBER –Perspectives for PRIMA and Imagery (VLTI-2) Through a post-doc program

6. OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-20086 Details of WP4.1 activities 3 postdoc with 18months – 2 years contract + travel budget WP4.1.1 Evaluation of the Paranal atmospheric parameters for high precision fringe tracking. –Goal: assemble a complete picture of the current status of the Paranal atmosphere for interferometry –Synthesis of the various existing measurements –Re-analysis of archive data –CNRS, ESO WP4.1.2 Assessment of the VLTI behavior for MIDI and AMBER operations with PRIMA. –Goal: optimize operation of the VLTI dual-field with AMBER&MIDI –Assess the possibilities and limitations of VLTI infrastructure for PRIMA operations –Analysis of archival data (VINCI, MIDI, AMBER) + in-situ measurements. –Clean-up of the existing data processing software –Preparation of the second generation –NOVA, MPIA WP4.1.3 Preparing the VLTI for its second generation instrumentation. –Goal: Facilitate the first observations with the 2 nd generation instruments –Preparation of the VLTI infrastructure for the dual field operation (2 nd generation instruments) –Establish the procedures and the performances of the dual-field operation with 2 nd generation. –Final goal: increased sensitivity and improved imaging capabilities of all instruments. –MPIA, CNRS

7. OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-20087 WP4.2 Work Package Leader: Françoise DELPLANCKE, ESO Contribution to the development of an optimum co- phaser for the VLTI We adopted a phased approach because of the OPTICON funding and the ESO plans –Analysis of FINITO and PRIMA commissioning data for a report on the fringe tracking performances and an optimum setting of the detailed specifications for a 4+ telescopes beam combiner. –If first extension is funded Development of fringe detection and tracking algorithms –If second extension is funded Integration and testing of the new co-phaser for the VLTI In both extensions, the goal is a closer collaboration between ESO and the european institutes on this key facility.

8. OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-20088 Summary of staff efforts

9. OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-20089 Budget tables

10. OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-200810 Deliverables

11. OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-200811 Conclusion A strongly reduced plan We strongly request a strong support for the funding extensions of the WP4.

12. OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-200812 OPTICON WP11.2 The European Interferometry Initiative Status Report P. Garcia presented by A. Chelli

13. OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-200813 2/3 aims of OPTICON for FP7 Bring together researchers, instrument builders, national and international agencies to further increase the quality of astronomical research in Europe Develop scientific cases, initiate technical investigations, and begin planning for next- generation world-class observational facilities, ensuring the continuing excellence and development of European astronomy on the world stage

14. OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-200814 Fulfil the OPTICON aims at the “Coordination” level for the optical interferometric activities building on the FP6 experience. WP11.2.1 Fizeau grants WP11.2.2 Circumstellar disks and planets w.g. WP11.2.3 AGNs and the galactic centre w.g. WP11.2.4 Science cases for a second generation facility w.g. WP11.2.5 European Interferometry Initiative (EII) Meetings

15. OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-200815 WP11.2.1 Fizeau grants Goals –Strengthen nascent collaborations –Spread interferometric knowledge across Europe –Enhance the active participation of new countries in interferometric activities. Method –Fund short exchange visits (1 week – 1 month) –Priority to young researchers and “knowledge poor” institutes –Competitive calls Budget: 48k€ for 4yrs.

16. OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-200816 WP11.2.2-4 Astrophysical working groups Goals –Define European vision and strategy for optical interferometry in the ALMA/E-ELT era –Bring together instrument builder class teams with nascent groups accross Europe Method –Short term and long term science working groups –Teams include 2nd VLTI generation instrument builders and scientists from the comunity at large –Well prepared workshops followed by report One workshop for each short term w.g. Two workshops for long term w.g. –Topics chosen by scientific impact

17. OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-200817 WP11.2.2-4 Astrophysical working groups Short-term working groups (2nd generation VLTI) –WP11.2.2 Circumstellar disks and planets led by S. Wolf (Germany) –WP11.2.3 AGNs and the galactic centre led by A. Marconi (Italy) –Budget: 14k€ per workshop WP11.2.4 Science cases for a second generation facility – KOI (long term) –led by A. Quirrenbach (Germany) and G. Perrin (France) –Budget: 12.5k€ per workshop

18. OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-200818 KOI – Kilometric Optical Interferometer Build on the VLTI and KI experience Growing user comunity and science impact of VLTI Most technologies already investigated or demonstrated Multipurpose facility Working group process –Initially the bounding box of the second generation array will be defined –Science cases will be selected on the first workshop after an open call –These will be addressed in detail and presented in the second workshop –Will form the core science for the array definition

19. OPTICON Board Meeting, Porto, 11-11-200819 WP11.2.5 European Interferometry Initiative (EII) Meetings Goals –Exchange of information; –Supervision of ongoing projects; –Building of a shared vision –Shared participation in the activities. Method –Yearly meeting of national representatives from all countries including Poland, Hungary and Czech Republic and international agencies ESO/ESA. Budget: 32k€ for 4yrs