The Future
of mm/submm Astronomy in Canada
A forum for Canada's mm/submm community
Dunlap Institute, University of Toronto
February 17, 2012
The NRC Herzberg Institute of
Astrophysics and the Dunlap Institute at the University of Toronto
invite all interested Canadian astronomers to Toronto on Friday
February 17th for a full day’s open discussion on the future of
millimetre and submillimetre astronomy.
Given the rapidly changing landscape in mm/submm astronomy (see the note below), the time is ripe for an open discussion amongst the community as to how we should coordinate efforts toward maintaining and strengthening Canada’s access to (sub)millimetre facilities. The meeting in Toronto on February 17th is designed to help accomplish these goals.
Given the rapidly changing landscape in mm/submm astronomy (see the note below), the time is ripe for an open discussion amongst the community as to how we should coordinate efforts toward maintaining and strengthening Canada’s access to (sub)millimetre facilities. The meeting in Toronto on February 17th is designed to help accomplish these goals.
Meeting Location
We
will be meeting in Room 88 of the Astronomy Building of the University
of Toronto's St. George Campus, 50 St. George Street, Toronto,
Ontario. Click on here
for a map. A list of nearby hotels can be found here. For information on travel to and
within Toronto and other practical information, click here.
Registration
A list of registered participants can be found here. The room is now at capacity
Meeting Format/Discussion
The full program
is being developed and will be posted here before the meeting, along
with presentation materials from speakers.
The morning session will consist of talks on specific facilities and opportunities. Confirmed speakers and topics include:
For the afternoon session we are open to short (five or ten minute) presentations on specific science requirements and/or instrument projects. However, we will limit these talks since we plan to reserve the bulk of the afternoon session for discussion and planning of submillimetre priorities. Individuals who wish to make a presentation at the meeting please contact Doug Johnstone (doug.johnstone(at)nrc-cnrc.gc.ca) with a short synopsis of the topic.
The morning session will consist of talks on specific facilities and opportunities. Confirmed speakers and topics include:
- JCMT: Present Situation and Future Possibilities - Gary Davis (Director) and James Di Francesco (NRC-HIA)
- CCAT: Taking sub-millimetre astronomy to Greater Heights - Mike Fich (Waterloo)
- ALMA : A Status Update and Consideration of the Future - Doug Johnstone (NRC-HIA)
- SPICA and other Space Opportunities - David Naylor (Lethbridge) [ may present via video-con ]
- Balloon-borne sub-millimetre Astronomy - Bart Netterfield (Toronto)
- Arctic Astronomy at millimetre Wavelengths - Eric Steinbring (NRC-HIA) [ presenting via video-con ]
For the afternoon session we are open to short (five or ten minute) presentations on specific science requirements and/or instrument projects. However, we will limit these talks since we plan to reserve the bulk of the afternoon session for discussion and planning of submillimetre priorities. Individuals who wish to make a presentation at the meeting please contact Doug Johnstone (doug.johnstone(at)nrc-cnrc.gc.ca) with a short synopsis of the topic.
Background
These
are exciting times for (sub)millimetre astronomy in Canada. The ALMA
Project has begun best-effort observations of the successful Cycle 0
early-science proposals and we are already looking forward to the
enhanced capabilities which will be released for Cycle 1.
Beyond ground based facilities, Herschel has been in operation for two years providing some of the most exquisite images at these wavelengths ever produced. And, given its finite cryogenic lifetime, we are already planning forward to Herschel’s successor, SPICA. Closer to home, balloon-borne (sub)millimetre experiments, such as BLAST and BLAST-POL, have made significant contributions and are actively being enhanced for further flights.
These are also complicated times for (sub)millimetre astronomy, and astronomy in general. The long-term future of the JCMT remains uncertain with the withdrawal of the Netherlands at the end of March 2013 and Canadian NRC/CFI funding only through September 2014. In recognition of this uncertainty, the JCMT Director has undertaken a study, JCMT2020, to identify the science case for the JCMT over the next decade. The exciting CCAT Project under development is working to secure funding, a task which will be hard during the present fiscal uncertainty, and in the most likely scenarios this facility will not become operative until well after Canada has pulled out of the JCMT. This fiscal reality also holds true for future space missions. Finally, Canadian contributions to the future development of the ALMA Project need to be identified and put forward in order to maintain our present level of involvement.
Beyond ground based facilities, Herschel has been in operation for two years providing some of the most exquisite images at these wavelengths ever produced. And, given its finite cryogenic lifetime, we are already planning forward to Herschel’s successor, SPICA. Closer to home, balloon-borne (sub)millimetre experiments, such as BLAST and BLAST-POL, have made significant contributions and are actively being enhanced for further flights.
These are also complicated times for (sub)millimetre astronomy, and astronomy in general. The long-term future of the JCMT remains uncertain with the withdrawal of the Netherlands at the end of March 2013 and Canadian NRC/CFI funding only through September 2014. In recognition of this uncertainty, the JCMT Director has undertaken a study, JCMT2020, to identify the science case for the JCMT over the next decade. The exciting CCAT Project under development is working to secure funding, a task which will be hard during the present fiscal uncertainty, and in the most likely scenarios this facility will not become operative until well after Canada has pulled out of the JCMT. This fiscal reality also holds true for future space missions. Finally, Canadian contributions to the future development of the ALMA Project need to be identified and put forward in order to maintain our present level of involvement.