1. - Slide 1 OPTICON Optical-Infrared Astronomy for Europe EC Infrastructures press day 7 July 2005 EC Infrastructures press day 7 July 2005 Gerry Gilmore Cambridge University OPTICON Coordinator

2. - Slide 2 WHY OPTICON? Optical-Infrared is most of Astronomy with the ESO VLT, +Gemini, LBT,… Europe is now world-leader -- we aim to stay there

3. - Slide 3 OPTICON brings together astronomers technology developments, telescopes, funding agencies to strengthen European excellence, and developments towards the Extremely Large Telescope

4. - Slide 4 OPTICON is big.. To match the large community 19 countries, 47 partners 19.2Meuro EC +matched funds, and active: -6 technology developments - access to telescopes -networking/integrating ***ELT science case***

5. - Slide 5 OPTICON Technology Program: developing for the future - adaptive optics - fast sensitive detectors - smart focal planes - interferometry - new optical devices (VPH) see your handouts and the www site for your countrys involvement

6. - Slide 6 OPTICON Technology Program: new patented (VPH) gratings

7. - Slide 7 OPTICON Telescope Access Program ALL 22 euro-(part)owned 2-4m telescopes; providing access only on ability enabling the national Europe transition

8. - Slide 8

9. - Slide 9 OPTICON Building for the Future Science case to support Europes Extremely Large Telescope Executive summary and main science case released today

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11. Planets orbiting other stars Star formation history across the Universe Planetary environments of other stars Dark Matter Solar system: planetary weather Dark Energy Solar system: complete census of small bodies First objects and the reionisation of the Universe Resolved stellar populations High redshift intergalactic medium Massive Black Holes demography THE UNEXPECTED

13. Protoplanetary Disks Proto-planets carve gaps in protoplanetary disks Requires high spatial resolution imaging in near IR Contrast needed ~10 6 200 yrs of evolution in a growing proto-planetary disk Model by Kurosawa, Harries and Bate (U. Exeter)

14. - Slide 14 OPTICON is a huge success. ASTRONOMY is hugely exciting and motivating. The future for astronomy, and European leadership, into the ELT era is bright

15. - Slide 15 end end

16. Planet Finder Milestone 1: Dec. 03Adaptive Optics Department N. Hubin MACAO-DMs 60 actuators Pupil: 60 and 100 mm R curv.: 15m (1.2) Resonance: 800 Hz 15 nm rms WFENAOS-DM 15x15 act. (185 useful) Pupil 115x119 mm +/-5 µm stroke +/-10 WF Resonance 10kHz 30 nm rms WFE Road-map for conventional Deformable Mirrors Planet Finder type DM >40x40 (1300 actuators in pupil) Spacing: 5mm +/-5 µm stroke +/-10 WF 1.2 µm interact. Stroke +/- 2.5 WF Resonance: 10 kHz WFE: 10-15 nm rms R&D to be partly funded by European Commission/Opticon