Report - School of Physics
Report - School of Physics
Report - School of Physics
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ally in a leadership position due to the presence <strong>of</strong> the Concordia station, Dome C<br />
operation is made in a fully international (Antarctica Treaty), politically interesting<br />
(‘continent <strong>of</strong> science’) context, which may help to gather resources and foster international<br />
cooperation (Australia, USA, China) for a large project. A major facility<br />
could be proposed at the EU level in 2007, as part <strong>of</strong> the FP7 programme, and in<br />
coincidence with the International Polar Year.<br />
While an interferometer along the lines <strong>of</strong> GENIE seems very appealing, building<br />
OWL at Dome C is a different matter. Exo-planet studies are going to be one <strong>of</strong><br />
several science drivers for any ELT. Limited sky coverage, and logistics, may be the<br />
limiting factors.<br />
Meanwhile, specific concepts being studied include:<br />
(a) a 0.8-m Italian project, featuring a mid-infrared imager (5–25 µm) and possibly<br />
a 1–2.5 µm spectrograph. Construction at Dome C has started, and first light is<br />
scheduled for December 2005;<br />
(b) a large Australian Dome C development proposal including various groups involved<br />
in a 2-m optical/IR telescope (PILOT). Associated structures at Dome C are<br />
already advancing, with the first winter-over starting in 2005;<br />
(c) a robotic reflective Schmidt telescope for Dome C by Strassmeier et al. (2004);<br />
(d) a successful bid for NSF study money for Phase 1 <strong>of</strong> an Antarctic Planetary<br />
Interferometer (API), to be placed at Dome C (PI: Mark Swain). Phase 1 is intended<br />
to be capable <strong>of</strong> atmospheric spectroscopy <strong>of</strong> gas giants, whereas it will take a full<br />
Phase 2 system to target Earth-like planets;<br />
(e) a French concept for a Dome C interferometer called KEOPS (Kiloparsec Explorer<br />
for Optical Planet Search, PI: Farrokh Vakili). Proposed timescales cover<br />
the current study phase (telescopes, beam stabilisation, co-phasing, delay lines,<br />
recombiner, coronograph); a single 1.5-m telescope operation in 2007; a simple interferometer<br />
with 2 telescopes in 2008–09; first 6-telescope ring system, possibly<br />
in association with API, around 2015; and a full 36-telescope system in the more<br />
distant future.<br />
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