GSMT NSF Science Working Group Rolf-Peter Kudritzki NOAO Town Meeting 07 January, 2003

Goals of the SWG SWG is a community-based group convened to: Formulate an inspiring and powerful science case for federal investment in GSMT –Identify key science drivers –Develop clear and compelling arguments for GSMT in the era of JWST/ALMA –Discuss realization of key science as a function of design parameters: aperture, FOV, PSF…… Generate unified, coherent community support Represent the community in facilitating public-private- international partnerships

SWG Membership Rolf Kudritzki, IfA (Chair) Paul Ho, CfA Jill Bechtold, UA Claire Max, LLNL Michael Bolte, UCSC Chris McKee, UCB Ray Carlberg, U Toronto Jonathan Lunine, LPL Matthew Colless, ANU Francois Rigaut, Gemini Alan Dressler, OCIW Doug Simons, Gemini Irene Cruz-Gonzales, UNAM Steve Strom, NOAO Betsy Gillespie, UA Terry Herter, Cornell

SWG Activities to Date Kick-off meeting, Tucson, July 29-30, 2002 –Charge to SWG by NSF –Strategic approach and formulation of goals –Expansion of membership –Discussion and selection of key science areas –Formation of task groups to develop science cases

SWG Activities to Date Telecon, September 11, 2002 –First review of existing science cases GSMT book; CELT book; others –Assignments to flesh out science cases for: Extra-solar planets Solar system science Star formation and interstellar medium Stellar seismology Stellar populations in the local universe Evolution of glaxies AGNs and black holes Cosmology and large-scale structure –Define needs for Extreme and multi-conjugate AO AO simulations Field of view and supporting simulations

SWG Activities to Date Meeting at UH IfA on Dec 4-5, 2002 –Involved SWG and representatives from NSF –Review of science cases –Definition of key science areas for further, detailed study –Initial discussion of AO simulations –Presentation of UH High Dynamic Range Telescope concept & related science

Planned Meetings Early March (Los Angeles) Late April (Honolulu) Goals: –Finalize science cases –Refine AO simulations Crowded field MCAO photometry Extreme AO Astrometric performance of GSMT AO Ground-layer-compensated AO and delivered field of view Performance estimates of MCAO vs. aperture Presentations by other ELT groups (CELT; TMT) –Key science –Relationship between design concept and delivered ‘science value’ Discuss key science as a function of design parameters: –Aperture; FOV; PSF vs FOV; emissivity; wavelength range

Key Science Cases Under Study Exploring other planetary systems –Direct detection –Physical characterization –Habitable zones; life on planets –Solar system analogues The birth of stars and planets –Formation of stars and protoplanetary disks –Evolution of disks –Kuiper Belts around the sun and other stars –Protostellar clouds Birth and evolution of massive black holes –Galactic center black hole –Nearby massive black holes –Black hole demographics; growth of black holes

Key Science Cases Under Study Birth of galaxies –Characterizing galactic building blocks Kinematics; star-formation rates; chemical composition –Studies of assembling galaxies –Studies of component stellar populations in nearby galaxies Understand merger history Cosmology and large-scale structure –3-dimensional baryon map at high redshift from absorption line studies

Next Steps Develop and vet key science cases –GSMT SWG + interaction with/contributions from the community Provide input to NSF prior to June, 2003 –Compelling presentation of key science cases Understable by & exciting to a broad audience of scientists and policy makers –Define complementarity to ALMA; JWST; other major facilities as well as the unique role of GSMT –Define technology challenges (e.g. AO) Work with NSF to enable substantial funding of GSMT engineering studies (possibly in private/public partnerships)

A very personal view GSMT provides –outstanding science opportunities for the next generation of astronomers –a tool for addressing key questions of modern science However…….. GSMT brings projects of ground-based astronomy into a financial domain comparable to accelerators in particle physics

A very personal view In order to obtain federal funding of such substantial amounts, the community must be –well organized –demonstrate clear consensus This does not appear a strength of the US O/IR community, at least at present SWG hopes to contribute to the process of consensus building as a first step toward evoking federal support for GSMT

Learning about and interacting with the SWG SWG documents and member addresses are available at