Untitled - Laboratoire d'Astrophysique de l'Observatoire de Grenoble

and published 95 papers in four years.)
Currently, under FP6, LAOG is a node for two RTNs (“JetSet” and “Molecular Universe”) and a recently
approved “Large Infrastructure” network (“Arena”, or “Astronomical Research Network in Antarctica”). In
brief:
• JetSet (Jet Simulation, Experiment, and Theory; PI T. Ray, Dublin.) This RTN (2004-2007) aims at
a better understanding of the physics of jets from young stars. Its originality stems from the fact that it
brings together researchers that never worked together before: astronomers (observations), theoreticians (plasma
experts), numericists, and experimentalists in fluid dynamics. All three thematic teams of LAOG have members
in this network; its activities will be described in more detail in the FOST part.
• Molecular Universe (PI X. Tielens, Groningen.) This RTN (2004-2007) brings together astronomers,
modelists and experimentalists, as well as astrochemistry theoreticians, to better understand the physics and
chemistry of the dense interstellar medium, all the way from molecular clouds to protostellar collapse and
protostars. With its specific composition of experts both in mm-wave astronomy and theoretical chemistry, the
Astromol team will bring a strong input into this network (see the Astromol part).
• ARENA (Astronomy Research Network in Antarctica; PI N.Epchtein, Nice) This is a so-called “Large
Infrastructure” network (2005-2008), with the goal of investigating the possibility to conduct intermediate- to
large-scale astronomical projects using the French-Italian permanent scientific station “Concordia” at Dome C.
LAOG is interested by the possibility to contribute to a medium-size interferometer. More details are given in
the GRIL chapter.
LAOG is also involved at high level in three “Joint Research Activities” (JRA) of “Opticon”, a large
European, EC-funded collaboration:
(i) adaptive optics (JRA1, Project Scientist: J.-L. Beuzit);
(ii) interferometry (JRA4, PI: A. Chelli);
(iii) detectors (JRA2, PI: Ph. Feautrier).
These JRAs are also described in more detail in the GRIL part.
Within FP6, LAOG is again competing for a post-Young Stellar Clusters 12-laboratory RTN (“Constellation”;
PI M. McCaughrean, Exeter), and will also compete for new Opticon funding (“Key Technologies for
Astronomy”) in FP7 (starting in 2007).
In addition to these network activities, which bring post-docs (RTNs) and a very significant funding (JRA),
LAOG has a long-standing partnership with ESO (delivery of major instruments for the VLT), and with CNES
and ESA (R&D contracts for Darwin, see details in the GRIL part; high-level involvement in the guaranteed
time program of Herschel, see details in the Astromol part).
1.3.5 Publicizing LAOG’s research: outreach and patents
Part of our web site is accessible to the general public. But this is just the tip of the iceberg, and LAOG is
very active in promoting astronomy to a wide audience. Among the various public outreach actions undertaken
these last few years, we can mention the following:
• Actions in the LAOG building: weekly night observing sessions with our 40-cm telescope on its domed-roof,
first initiated by Manuel Forestini), regular visits of the lab by high-school students;
• Actions within OSUG: For promoting astronomy to a wide audience, the collaboration with other laboratories
of OSUG is very efficient and many actions have a common organization. For example, this is
the case of the ”Fête de la Science”, organized each year in October at a single location for all OSUG
activities.
• Actions on the UJF campus: construction of the “Sentier Planétaire” (the Planetary Path), a scale model
of the solar system on the ground a few hundred meters in size (also initiated by Manuel Forestini);
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